7 Electric Coolers For Your Car To Help Keep Your Food And Drinks Cold

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There's no shortage of gadgets that you can plug into your car's 12V DC outlet: hand vacuums, phone chargers, heads-up displays, colorful lights, and yes, coolers. Electric coolers are game-changing for traveling, camping, and tailgating. Instead of filling them with ice (and then watching all that ice slowly disappear, leaving your food and drinks warm), they work like miniature refrigerators. You'll never have to stop for ice again, plus the coolers will keep your items cold (and in some cases, frozen) while you're driving.

Electric coolers run on your car's power or a backup battery supply. Some of them offer multiple power options so you can choose what works best for you, like using your car's power during the drive to the campsite, then switching to a battery backup while you're sleeping in your tent. Some will let you set specific temperatures, ideal if you need to keep certain items frozen or just cool enough to enjoy. And in true modern tech fashion, some car coolers come complete with extras like USB charging ports, wheels, lights, internal dividers, and even ice makers. Here's a look at seven pretty awesome electric coolers for your car so you can skip your next ice run.

Electric car coolers can get expensive, especially compared to the cost of a traditional cooler. Kohree provides some viable budget-friendly options with its 12-volt car refrigerator. Its 19-quart cooler is $159.99 on Amazon and is big enough to hold up to 24 soda cans and 3 kg of food. It cools your foods and drinks quickly, going from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 32 degrees Fahrenheit in 15 minutes. You can go even cooler (as low as -4 degrees) depending on your needs. The control panel is on the outside, so you can adjust the cooler's temperature without opening the lid and letting all your cool air escape.

Kohree keeps the classic cooler shape and size, so it's easy to store in your car, boat, camper, or wherever you're traveling. There's also a 42-quart and a 53-quart cooler available, each of which has dual doors so you can separate your foods and drinks. These zoned coolers give you more flexibility over temperature (e.g., ice-cold beer vs. semi-chilled fruit) and how you organize your items (e.g., one zone for meat and one for drinks). 

Euhomy's 12-volt refrigerator car cooler earned an average 4.5-star rating on Amazon with more than 2,770 reviews. Customers have specifically mentioned the coolers' ability to maintain a consistent temperature within a few degrees, even on hot summer days. The smallest size is big enough to hold more than a case of soda cans. A removable basket inside also gives you more ways to store and organize your food and drinks, like keeping meats separate from produce. And if you're using your car to power your cooler, built-in battery protection also monitors your car's battery voltage. It will automatically shut off your cooler if the battery drops too low. This way, you won't be stranded with a warm lunch and a car that won't start.

Externally powered car refrigerators are perfect gadgets for activities like tailgating, and Euhomy offers four sizes of 12-volt car refrigerators, including 37-quart, 47-quart, 48-quart, and 59-quart capacities. Each cooler gives you the option to control the temperature and battery protection from your smartphone app. You can also lock and unlock the cooler via the app to protect your goods when you're not able to supervise them.

A budget-friendly option for its size, the BourgeRV 23-quart portable car refrigerator can cool your goods from 77 degrees to 32 degrees in about 15 minutes. It has the word refrigerator in its name, but this model can also freeze down to -7 degrees. Pricewise, the BourgeRV car fridges are on the lower end of the portable car refrigerator spectrum, with this one starting at $189.99 on Amazon. This model comes in five different colors: black, green, gray, pink, or purple, each of which sells at a different price point. Regardless of color, these coolers give you the option to operate them in the car or via a standard wall outlet. Or, for extra flexibility, a solar power panel setup.

To date, the BourgeRV portable car refrigerator has gained a 4.6-star average rating on Amazon across more than 3,700 customer reviews. Buyers specifically mention its quiet operation (about 45 decibels, which is quieter than the average car), compact size, and low power consumption, which makes it an all-around economical option. Beyond the typical road trip, boat outing, or camping excursion, the compact car fridge also comes in handy for local traveling, like grocery shopping, park dates, and picnics. BourgeRV also offers two-year tech support on its 12V cooler.

The Ivation electric portable cooler and warmer breaks from the traditional cooler size and shape in favor of a stand-up model. It's smaller and taller than a typical car fridge, but it's also among the budget-friendly options. This one also gives you the option to cool or heat your contents (but not at the same time). Set for cooling, it will keep drinks and other items chilled at 40 degrees. For hot foods, it reaches and maintains 130 degrees. It's tall enough to hold 2-liter soda bottles and wide enough to stack a double row of soda cans.

The design is pretty simple, too. There's just one button to learn instead of a whole panel of icons and settings. Just push the button to set your cooler to hot or cold. The watertight, airtight lid seals in the hot or cold air to maintain its temperature. It comes with a standard wall plug to use on any outlet and a 12-volt AC car charger to use your cooler on the go. The Ivation electric portable cooler and warmer with handle retails on Amazon for $99.99 and comes in two colors.

For travelers short on space, the Zeny electric mini fridge cooler and warmer provides a smaller option (and with a smaller price tag compared to bigger coolers). A helpful tech gadget for a small tailgate party, the Zeny is big and deep enough to hold up to six 2-liter soda bottles or 33 cans. A folding handle makes it easy to carry, and its compact size lets you tuck it behind the front seat or in the trunk. It uses a thermoelectric cooling system instead of a compressor, so there's less vibration and noise. You can plug it into your car's outlet to use while on the go or use it with a standard wall outlet when you're at home or a hotel to keep your goods chilled.

The Zeny electric mini fridge cooler and warmer has received mixed Amazon reviews on its cooling performance. Some say it does its job flawlessly, while others say it doesn't keep items cool enough. Overall, users agree it's a good value for the money, especially since it can keep food warm, too, with an overall 4-star rating at a relatively inexpensive price point. It sells on Amazon for $85.99.

For solo travelers or those with lesser cooling needs, the AstroAI mini fridge for cars is a game-changer on road trips. It's among the smallest car fridges you can get, which means it's super portable. It's big enough to store six standard soda cans and includes a divider shelf to separate and organize your goods. Rather than lavish picnics or all-day tailgating, this cooler is more suited for one or two-person day trips or picnics where you'll only need a couple of drinks and a snack.

Feature-wise, this fridge is pretty basic compared to bigger coolers. It doesn't have a freeze option, there's no warming function, and it's not app-controlled. But its simplicity is arguably its most appealing trait. It does what it's supposed to, and you're not paying for bells and whistles you'll never use. It's great if you need a couple of cold drinks while on the road or want to transport breast milk, medicine, or makeup while traveling. This cooler has earned over 44,000 reviews on Amazon with a 4.3-star rating and sells for $39.99.

Alpicool's CF45 electric cooler and freezer comes in several sizes and price points. Its 42-quart option has enough space to fit 68 standard soda cans and will chill every one of them without ice. Temperatures can reach as low as -4 degrees, adding the freezer functionality that other car fridges often lack. Like other car coolers of this size, the Alpicool includes three levels of battery protection to avoid wearing down your car's battery while you're on the road.

A few thoughtful features help to set the Alpicool apart. For starters, it includes a built-in LED light that activates when you open the cooler, making it easier to find what you're looking for. There's also a removable basket so you can separate certain items (or use the cooler without the basket). Outside, the LCD display shows you the temperature and lets you make adjustments without having to open the cooler and let your cold air escape. You can also choose between the eco-saving mode (which draws less power) and a fast cooling mode (which chills your foods and drinks faster). This cooler is a little more high-end (but certainly not the most expensive out there) at $379.99, but many of its Amazon customers say it's been a good value for the money.

We didn't get to test each of these electric coolers ourselves, so we leaned heavily on the opinions of experts and reviews. But not just any reviews are good enough. For us, it's about choosing products that have earned at least 500 reviews on Amazon. The more verified reviews, the better. We take into account specific user feedback, like whether the cooler lasts as long as it claims, how much it can hold, and how easy it is to transport. We want to set realistic expectations so you'll know what you're buying.