If you find being on the road a very “hot” prospect, a Car Cooler may be able to help. You can use a car cooler for everyday travel. Rather than conventional coolers, which can give you cold drinks when you want them hot or hot drinks when you want them cold, a car cooler you can really do what it’s meant to.

Other Uses

Car coolers are meant to make your travel more convenient. Especially if you have small children or babies, a car cooler can keep bottles warm and drinks and snacks cold. Instead of using ice, these coolers use car cigarette lighters as their power source, eliminating the mess of melting ice. Basically, you have a portable fridge that’s streamlined and convenient. This type of device can come in the form of insulated cup holders and room for dry items besides, meant to be all-in-one storage — even for diapers and wipes if you need them.

For a fleet of vans, this type of cooler keeps drivers comfortably set off with cold drinks and snacks. There is no need for them to have time-consuming meals at road stops along the highway enroute to their destination. This translates to work efficiency and more business “mileage.” For little cars, the cooler gives you storage space. Knowing all these pluses, would you still take that road trip without this cooler?

Brands and Features

Igloo 2707 Kool Cruiser holds a maximum load of 18 quarts and is tall enough to take on up to 3 liter bottles. The little wonder is lightweight yet cools up to 40°F below outdoor temperature and operates quietly. The lightweight grey-white cooler boasts of a replaceable thermoelectric lid. The unit comes with a 12 VDC power. This can be adjusted to cool/warm function. The problem with this cooler is the need to frequently replace the motor.

Next is the Koolatron, which is a competitor to the Igloo line. With no frequent motor replacements needed, it still has a drawback in that the lid can begin to “chip” with constant opening and closing. If you don’t use the cooler frequently, this won’t be a problem for you. The Koolatron hooks up to your car’s 12 V cigarette lighter for operation, although this can cause overheating in some cases similar to the Igloo cooler. The cool temperature is a steady 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Wagan EL 2577 7-liter fridge/warmer is next in line, with both drinks and food kept at perfect temperatures. No ice needed to keep food and snacks at the perfect temperature, so you can have more room for actual food and drink. This is perfect for families who are on the go all the time.

Choosing Your Cooler

With a long road trip ahead, whether you’ve got little ones with you or not, car coolers can make things much easier. Instead of stopping often for food or making unhealthy and expensive “drive-through” fast food choices, you can stay on the road and save your money. A hard cooler is best for long trips.

Soft coolers will do well for short trips, where you need to pack just a few bottles of cold juice or sandwiches. Soft coolers do have the tendency to leak, which means they’re not Best Cooler for all situations. In addition, consider how many people are going to be using the cooler. There are lots of Travel Cooler designs available, as well as different sizes and brands. With so much choice, you should have no problem meeting your needs. Which cooler is best for you?