When the summer temperatures hit their highs, you may have two options: to lock yourself indoors and power up your ACs and fans all day long, or you can jump into your pool, river, or lake, and enjoy your life as you quench your thirst with your favorite beverage. If you happen to have a personal swimming pool right in your backyard or an
above ground pool, you can make yourself cool at the comfort of your home.
Public pools, rivers, lakes, and the ocean also offer a great respite from the heat as you engage in your favorite water sports. Summer time typically means a fun time for many families. Before you head out to the river this summer, consider getting yourself a decent floating cooler for even more fun.
To get the most out of your visit to the local pool or river, it’s important to plan ahead. A good
river float tube can give you a thrilling water sports experience, but the party can be spoiled if you have to cut short your fun to and get a bottle of your favorite drink or grab some quick snacks. A functional floating cooler makes your day worthwhile by keeping everything you need just an arm’s stretch away — and at the right temperatures. That way you don’t have to keep dashing to the car, hotel, or a store.
In addition to the drinks, be sure to carry a
beach umbrella if you’re going to spend several hours at the beach. You can lie back on your float tube and stretch out the umbrella, knowing well your cooler is floating right next to you.
These are things you may consider before you settle on a floating cooler to spend your hard-earned money on, and then you can click through our top picks.
Price
Many floating coolers are relatively affordable, with most models being made of nothing more than a few gaskets and rubber. The prices won’t match the premium costs of high-end coolers manufactured from plastic and metal. A good floating cooler may cost anything between $10 and $50, but it’ll depend on the functionality and where you’re going to use it. If you’re going to spend a day at the pool, you will want to avoid cheap floating coolers since they might come with poor build. Coolers with open tops aren’t acceptable for use in rivers, lakes, or the ocean since strong waves can spill water into the cooler and discard your foodstuff and drinks into the water, causing pollution as well as ruining your day!
Inflatable floating coolers are the cheapest and offer more flexibility as you can easily choose a model or color that matches the theme of the party. Perhaps the only drawback is that cheaper models can easily be punctured and rendered unfit for use in the waters. More sturdy models insulate well, but will cost a bit more.
Features
Though floating coolers may share some internal circuitry design with their non-floating counterparts, what makes them unique is the additional components that make them float on water. Most floating coolers use air to keep afloat. However, the way different brands achieve this is quite diverse. Some models have a single inflatable base upon which you can place your cooler while others are built with an inflated ring on the side of the cooler. Some designs even have an open top to allow the entire product to stay semi-submerged in water.
Here are the critical features to look out for:
Lightweight
In order to stay afloat, a floating cooler has to be lightweight. Weight saving is critical as you’ll probably want to carry as many drinks as you can. Additionally, you may want enough room for the cooler ice and other foods you may need for your trip down the river. When it’s time to pack it up and put it back in the car, how much the cooler weighs again comes into play.
Portability
Almost all floating coolers can be deflated after use. This makes them very portable and you can simply tuck them away for storage until the next water escapade. For instance, a big 50+ quart capacity floating cooler, when deflated, can be folded to the size of a football. This cannot be achieved with soft-sided or hard plastic coolers you may see around.
Covers
If you’re going to use your floating cooler in a busy beach area or a stormy lake, consider using coolers with a cover to protect your food and drinks from splashes. If you’re going down a river, there are high chances you’ll encounter rocks and tree branches. In such a case, you may need tougher coolers with sturdy sides and can float deeper into the water to avoid any damage to your chilled food and drinks.
Construction and Design
Floating coolers are fun accessories if you engage in watersports, or if you simply want to lazy around your pool, sipping some ice cold beverage. These coolers work great as you don’t have to interrupt the fun by leaving the water every now and then to grab some drinks. The construction and design of these accessories differ from one brand to another, and every model incorporates a wide range of features, options, and benefits.
Floating coolers are actually different from inflatable beer coolers which aren’t meant for in-pool use. A floating cooler simply comprises of rubber housing and a few gaskets. The number of gaskets depends on the capacity of your model. Additionally, they come with a floating base to ensure that they stay afloat, along with compartments to store your favorite drinks.
To maintain the buoyancy even when carrying plenty of drinks and food, floating coolers use air packets which are much more reliable since they can keep the cooler afloat while at the same time matching up the weight of the drinks and foodstuff you carry.
Beyond the methodology applied to keep them afloat, floating coolers are designed for different purposes. Light duty coolers are meant for application in calm pools with minimal turbulence. They usually don’t come with super long-term cooling performance. However, there are more robust models capable of performing in rough water conditions and also offer longer ice life. Heavy duty floating coolers are made from more solid materials with a large base to increase stability and stay upright as they float on water.
Performance and Ease of Use
Floating coolers are pretty easy to use — just put them into the water and watch them float. You can put in several drinks and whatever food you want, but be sure to check on the specified weight limit. Perhaps the only consideration to make is concerning the soft rubber that makes up the floating cooler. Avoid rough areas with prickly obstacles like rocks, broken tree branches, or sharp corners of your pool.
Many models have minimal ice capacity, and by extension may not offer an extended ice life due to the light insulation. Be sure to take note of such limitations and pack the specified quantity of ice and drinks, and you’ll be sure to reap the enormous benefits of your floating cooler for several seasons to come.
We all understand how floating coolers can be a godsend during those summer months as we spend long parts on the day in the water. You can easily access your chilled food and drinks wherever you are in the waters, whether it’s the ocean, river, lake, or a pool in your backyard. With this magnificent list at hand, it’s time to get out there and find a decent floating cooler to make your summer experience a memorable one.
Features
Kelsyus is an excellent partner when it comes to your active lifestyle. With its products designed by engineers who are in love with nature as much as you are, you can count on this brand for innovative, high-end products that’ll make any of your excursions easier and a lot more fun. Its products include water floats, portable camp chairs, and backyard games.
Grab a cold drink without having to walk out of the water. Keep it on ice and near, with the portable Kelsyus Floating Cooler. This cooler comes with a number of interesting features. It’s made of tough fabric-covered insulation to make it more durable, and comes with six cup holders. It’s easy to clean and maintain thanks to its pull-out liner and, after use, you can easily fold it into an integrated carry bag.
The Kelsyus Floating Cooler is 16.5” tall and slightly over 1.5 pounds when unfilled and has the capacity to hold up to 18 cans without ice and 12 cans with ice. It’s therefore an excellent buy for personal use. Its convenient side clips allow you to easily attach it to your float.
Features
Intex will help make your memories last with its high-quality and affordable products. The company distributes floating coolers, airbeds, spas, boats, toys, furniture, and above-ground pools among other things. With an objective to deliver products of the highest quality at affordable prices, Intex’s products are designed for safety, comfort, and fun.
Keep your party hydrated with the super convenient Mega Chill II Cooler Float. This floating cooler weighs 7 pounds and measures 48 x 38”. It comes with 6 cup holders, 3 air chambers to provide stability and safety, 4 heavy-duty handles for easy transportation, and a repair patch for fixing minor repairs.
The Intex Mega Chill II Cooler Float is made from strong 16-gauge vinyl and has plenty of space inside to store up to 72 cans of beverages and enough ice. What’s more, it can also be used as a base for a 48-quart floating cooler.
Features
Airhead Sports Group has been the parent corporation for Airhead, Sportsstuff, Airhead SUP, Dry Pak, and Yukon Charlie for over 26 years now. The company manufactures quality and fine watersports products and accessories including floating coolers, floats, snow sleds, inflatable tow tubes, tow harnesses, air pumps, water skis, wakeboards, pool floats, boating accessories, personal floatation devices, and many others.
Don’t interrupt your party to go back for more drinks. The multicolored Airhead Aqua Oasis Floatation Cooler is able to keep your 24 cans of beverage ice cold for hours, making it an excellent selection for a medium-sized group party. This floating cooler is made from insulated leak-proof nylon that lifts up from its inflatable vinyl base, and incorporates an adjustable shoulder strap. The 6 drink holders located at the base of the cooler are numbered to help the group keep track of their drinks. It also has a molded plastic rope for easy tethering to a lounge, boat, or dock.
The Airhead Aqua Oasis Floatation Cooler is made from heavy gauge PVC with RF welded seams for durability. It has long shoulder strap for easy transportation and comes with an extra spot to keep your sunscreen or what have you. That’s not all; this cooler will maintain its stability even against the wake from other boats.
A floating cooler is as simple as its name — a cooler that floats! This is pretty obvious, but there are specific features and specs that make these gadgets thrive in environments where ordinary coolers would just snap. Having completed our review of some of the best floating coolers around, hopefully we helped you find an ideal floating cooler to transform your summer experience this year. Also, feel free to sample other alternative models from these brands.
