If you’re ready to upgrade your Walmart cooler, you’ve probably heard brand names like Yeti and Orca. But it’s hard to choose between them when they’re similar in price.

Coolers vary in how good their insulation is, their overall design, their portability, and their price point. All these factors are important to consider when picking out a new cooler for car camping. They’re not cheap — but if you choose the right one, it’ll last you a lifetime.

Read on for our picks for the top five best coolers for car camping.

What Should You Look For in a Camping Cooler?

Price

This is the top consideration for many people when picking out a new cooler. But it shouldn’t be your only concern.

There are plenty of cheap coolers out there that will get the job done for a while. But if you need your cooler to stand up to a couple of days of camping, you’ll want to make sure you’re prioritizing quality.

That doesn’t always mean picking the most expensive cooler available — but you should look at it as an investment. This thing is going to be responsible for the safety of your most critical food while you’re in the woods. And it could last you the rest of your life.

Insulation

A cooler should keep things cool. The best camping coolers have insulation that keeps food cold for a long time. The simplest way to find out the quality of the insulation is to look at reviews online or run some tests yourself if you have access to multiple models.

Durability

Your cooler springing a leak is a quick way to ruin a camping trip. If this piece of gear is going to be with you for years, you want to make sure it can stand up to some bumps and scrapes.

The outer shell should be tough and relatively dent-proof. The latches should snap on snugly. And the handles shouldn’t jiggle too much when you grab them.

Size and Shape

How much food are you going to be hauling? Do you want to get a gigantic cooler so you’re prepared for any situation? Or do you drive a compact car that can’t handle a family-sized behemoth? And if you’re taking it to the beach, you want to make sure you can move it relatively easily.

Also, consider how the cooler will pack into your car. The best coolers for car camping often have a straightforward rectangular shape — otherwise, it might be an inefficient use of space when you’re Tetris-ing everything together.

Other Features

Does the plug come with a leash so you don’t lose it when you drain the water out? How comfy are the hand grips? Does it have cupholders on top? Does it come in a fun color?

These might not be make-or-break concerns, but they’re worth noting.

Best Coolers for Camping

Yeti Tundra 65

Price: $375

Pros:

Best insulation
Highly durable
Simple to use

Cons:

No leash for the plug
Only holds 56 quarts
Expensive

Yeti is the king of coolers, and it’s starting to feel like it’ll never be dethroned. The 65 is everything you could want in a chest cooler.

It’s ultra-durable — which means it’s hefty, to be sure, coming in at just under 32 lbs. It’s a bit too big for one person to carry comfortably. But its hinges are the perfect mix of rubbery and sturdy. They feel like they’ll never break.

But it keeps food colder for longer than every other cooler its size on the consumer market. Some tests say it kept perishables cold for nearly a week, and beer cool for seven and a half days. That’s due to its incredible insulation and high-quality gasket.

It can stand up to the blazing sun or sit next to the barbeque all day long. When you reach for a new brew, or bag of grapes, or whatever your heart desires, you can be confident that it’ll be as frosty as when you put it in.

It comes with a basket to keep dry goods dry on the inside.

And it’s easy to open with one hand, which is key when you’re juggling toddlers, or a beer, or both during a trip to the beach.

Other than the lack of a plug leash, one other drawback is that it’s a bit smaller than advertised. It holds a total of 56 quarts, not 65 as promised. And some reviewers on Amazon complained of shoddy-looking plastic, potentially due to a worn-out rotomold.

But if you’re okay with paying a little more for the most premium cooler available, you can’t go wrong with the Yeti Tundra 65.

RTIC 65

Price: $250

Pros:

Inexpensive
Durable
Good insulation
Comfy hand grips
Two drains

Cons:

Latches don’t seem to be the highest quality
Bulky
No leash for the plug

The RTIC 65 is the budget option of the bunch, but it holds up well to its higher-priced competitors.

Its insulation is top-of-the-line, and its freezer-quality gasket can keep food and drinks cold for almost a week. The only brand that can claim to keep food colder for longer is the Yeti, which is more than $100 more expensive.

It’s quite durable, though some non-essential corners may have been cut to save big on cost. The latches are quite bendy, and some reviewers say the anti-skid feet can come loose but are easily reattached.

The two drains are super helpful when you want to get rid of your water quickly. They don’t come with leashes, though, so make sure you don’t misplace them

It doesn’t come with a dry goods bin, like some other models.

Overall, the RTIC 65 is one of the best coolers for car camping due to its excellent insulation, solid quality, and great value.

OtterBox Venture 65

Price: $350

Pros:

Good insulation
Great latches

Cons:

Handles jut out creating an awkward shape
Hinges seem flimsy
Pricey

The OtterBox Venture 65 is proof that good things can come in weird packages. It has solid insulation and can keep food and drink cold for up to five days in non-ideal conditions. That’s above average, even for high-end coolers.

It also comes with a solid dry good tray — not a wire frame like some other coolers.

Its hinges are not the most impressive on the market. They bend quite a bit and seem like they might stretch out over time.

And its portability suffers because of its shape. It’s also harder to pack into a smaller car, as its handles waste quite a bit of space that could hold other gear. But some people love the integrated handles, as opposed to the rope styles on other coolers.

Some may find its price point a little too high for what the OtterBox has on offer. But if you’re a fan of the design, it’s tough to go wrong with a cooler that has insulation this good.

ORCA 58 Quart

Price: $370

Pros:

Top-tier insulation
Compact design
Widest array of colors

Cons:

Expensive
Heavy
Handles aren’t the comfiest
Tall and narrow design requires digging

The ORCA 58 is slightly smaller than other coolers on this list. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in insulation. The ORCA keeps food cold for just as long as the Yeti — which is no small feat.

Its rotomolded construction also means it’s incredibly durable. This thing can take a beating.

Despite its small size, its portability isn’t the best. The handles are rigid and narrow, which can make them uncomfortable for some people. And it comes in at just over 30 lbs., which is on the heavier side.

It’s also fairly tall, which means if you want something at the bottom, you’ll have to do a bit of digging.

It’s one of the few high-end coolers to have some fun with its colors, offering lime green, neon orange, stop-sign red, and other funky shades. Plus, the latches are little orca tails. Isn’t that cute?

If you’re looking for a cooler that’s a bit more compact than others in its price range, with top-of-the-line insulation, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than the ORCA 58.

Engel 65

Price: $325

Pros:

Lightweight
Good insulation
Less expensive than others

Cons:

There may be some quality control issues
Latches seem too bendy

The Engel 65 is a solid jack-of-all-trades pick. It has very good insulation — though not as good as the Yeti or RTIC. And it’s quite portable, coming in at just over 25 lbs., significantly lighter than other options.

Some tests found the Engel 65 kept food chilly for about five and a half days, which is more than your average high-end cooler.

The Engel 65 also offers some fun extras. Its handles are comfy. Its latches pull double duty as bottle openers. And it comes in some fun colors, like bright orange and neon seafoam. It’s refreshing to see, in a marketplace that so often defaults to whites, grays, and dull blues.

Some reviewers complain of quality issues. The complaints include poor insulation, leakage, and flimsy latches. However, this may be a quality control issue rather than a standard build quality issue.

The Engel 65 is a good all-around cooler, especially if you can find it on sale. But if you’re willing to spend just a little more, there are likely better options overall with more consistent quality control.

Final Thoughts

The Yeti Tundra 65 is a difficult cooler to top. But there are some worthy challengers nowadays looking to steal its crown.

So, what are the best coolers for camping? It depends on your needs.

The Orca’s compact size; the Engel’s light weight; the RTIC’s bargain price; and the OtterBox’s unique shape are all compelling reasons to go in another direction.

Whatever you choose, it’s tough to go wrong with any on this list.

We hope this run-down of the best coolers for camping has helped you decide on a cooler to come with you for many trips to come.