6 Best Ice Packs for Coolers – Latest Rankings and Guide

Do you still prefer to bring your home-cooked food and drinks to the office or other outdoor ventures? This is usually possible in the cold seasons, what of the hot summers? Of course, you’d probably need to pack your fruits, drinks, and other edible items in a cooler box.

Many people prefer ice packs as they keep the cooler’s contents frozen for more extended periods than regular ice.

The packs also do not mess up your cooler like ice as it begins to melt up, leaving you with more cleanup work.

This article will comb you on what to look for in ice packs followed by a detailed description of the best ice packs for coolers.

Best Reusable Ice Packs for Coolers: Detailed Overview

Ice packs vary in size, weight, durability, and material composition. No matter whether you are buying ice packs to keep your cooler contents fresh or cold for an extended period, this buying guide will be of great help.

What To Consider In Cooler Ice Packs

These are some of the key factors you should put into consideration in your selection for efficient ice packs for your cooler.

Durability/Duration

How much time an ice pack takes to freeze and the equivalent time it keeps your items cold should be of great concern.

The time should also apply to the number of times you would wish to use the ice pack and the occasions.

Some ice packs can keep the cooler contents frozen for 4 to 10 hours while others can go for up to 48 hours. A point to note, however, is that the indicated times can vary according to how you use your cooler.

Good ice packs should be re-usable and be able to offer months or years of service without leaking or bursting off.

Size

Unlike regular ice, which fills up even the tiniest places on your cooler, ice packs are bulky and take up more space.

This is why you need to get each ice pack’s measurements (height and width). By so doing, you will be able to compare the measurements to the space you intend to put it in the cooler. This will ensure you have plenty of space to store your drinks or foodstuff.

Weight

The weight of ice packs is bound to vary depending on the freezing agents used and the overall size. For instance, you should be worried about an ice pack’s weight if you intend to haul your cooler from one point to the other often.

However, this shouldn’t be an issue if you are using wheeled coolers.

Shell/Casing

The casing of ice packs is either flexible or hard. Flexible shells are mostly filled with gel and are great for coolers carrying irregularly shaped or fragile goods that demand careful handling.

Ice cases with hard shells, on the other hand, are good for the adventurous people who like bashing around, camping, fishing, or hunting.

Additionally, soft casings are usually made from nylon or foil to provide much-needed flexibility. However, they won’t last for long as they may get pricked or start leaking as a result of the heavy commodity weight above them.

Many people prefer hard plastic cases due to their high impact resistance. Nevertheless, they are not an excellent option for cooling foodstuff or drinks with softer covers.

Safety

The contents of cooler packs should be non-hazardous, environment friendly, and non-toxic. By non-hazardous, we mean the product should be free of gases, solids, chemicals, or liquids that will pose a danger to the environment.

Non-toxic ice packs are indicated to be free from poisons such as petroleum so as not to cause any health concerns to the users.

Finally, since the packs are not meant to be used forever, they need to be disposed of. So, the packs should be made with environmentally-friendly materials that will have no or little impact on the ecosystem.

Top-Rated Ice Packs for Coolers: Product Reviews

Luckily for you, we have gone ahead and selected 6 of the best reusable ice packs for coolers. Here we go! .

1. Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers 4 Lunch Box Ice Packs

Fit & Fresh ice packs help you keep the drinks, vegetables, and foodstuffs cool yet fresh till when you need to use them.

The package includes 4 slim ice packs, each measuring 4.75 by 4.75 by 0.25 inches, a comfortable size for most food storage bags or coolers.

What We Liked About It

The packs can be stacked together or placed in tiny spaces in your lunch boxes, coolers, grocery totes, or lunch bags thanks to their slim nature.

Also, these 1 pounds heavy ice packs are made from BPA-free and environment-friendly formula. Lastly, the plastic shell contains the solution inside and prevents leaks allowing you to re-use the packs for long.

What Could Have Been Better

The packs only keep the bag or cooler contents cold for only 4-6 hours, and this is considered a short period to many.

Also, the packs being slim means you need several of them to feel up a specified space. Instead, they could be made more bulker.

Pros

BPA-free material
Lightweight and portable
Takes little space
Durable

Cons

Keeps contents cool for only a few hours
Some customers complain of the ice packs being too slim

2. Cooler Shock 3X Reusable Freeze Packs

Unlike the other Cooler Shock freeze packs, which are quite hectic in the sealing process involving ironing of the zip locks, these come with easily-sealable screw locks.

Each of the 3 cooler packs contains a dry formula that should be mixed with water upon arrival (this minimizes the shipping costs).

What We Liked About It

The nylon and foil reinforced packs are durable yet more robust to withstand hundreds of freezing-thawing cycles to as low as 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

Each pack weighs 1.4 pounds and measures 1.9 by 7.4 by 9.6 inches. Similarly, the total weight of the packs replaces almost 18 pounds of ordinary ice.

When placed carefully around your cooler or lunch box, the packs keep items cold for about 14 to 48 hours amidst frequent opening or closing. Impressive isn’t it!

What Could Have Been Better

Though quite large so that you can use just a few packs, they are still expensive. Additionally, the pouches could be hardened a bit to prevent them from leaking if improperly handled.

Pros

Safe and reusable
Long-lasting effectiveness
Non-hazardous
1-year money-back warranty
Extra-large gel formula

Cons

Pouches may burst open if handled roughly
Quite expensive

3. Thrive 4 Reusable Lunch Box and Cooler Ice Packs

Do you like decorating up your cooler, gym bag, insulin case, or lunch box with ice packs? Then these Thrive ice packs are designed with different prints and colors to give you an artistic look.

The kit contains 4 ice packs with each measuring 6.7 by 4.3 by 1 inches and weighing in at around 0.4 lbs.

What We Liked About It

The patent double-walled plastic design allows the included non-toxic gel to stay cold for longer for up to 8 hours without leaking. The bags, however, tend to sweat a little as the gel begins to melt due to rising temperatures.

Moving on swiftly, the packs are made in an FDA-approved US registered company with over 40 years of manufacturing experience.

What Could Have Been Better?

The pouches are damn hard when frozen, therefore, less flexible, making them to occupy more space. Moreover, the pouches could be made with materials that don’t sweat up despite the drastic changes in weather.

Pros

Easy to clean
Reusable packs
1-year warranty
Keeps food and drinks fresh
Versatile

Cons

Plastic pouches get disfigured when frozen
Sweats up a little

4. Healthy Packers 4 Slim Cooler Bag

These Healthy Packers ice packs are ergonomically designed with 2 holes for easy handling and to prevent them from bursting when frozen to very low temperatures.

Though slender, the gel inside these babies remains in a solid state for hours to keep your cooler or lunch box stuffs fresh throughout.

What We Liked About It

The shells of these 4 packs are made from non-toxic BPA-free materials that have no health implications for your food or drinks.

Also, the standard sizing of 7 by 4.7 by 0.5 inches packs allows you to fit them below or around your cooler easily.

No need to worry about having several packs as they can be cleaned once used and stored in the refrigerator ready for the next use.

What Could Have Been Better

The packs become hard when frozen, therefore, not flexible to fit into tiny spaces or be rolled around items. A change in the flexibility of the bags could make them more customer-friendly.

Also, the packs could be made in different colors to add some glamor to your cooler.

Pros

Easy to handle
Multipurpose
Lightweight design
Reusable and durable packs

Cons

Not flexible when frozen
Available in one color only

5. BLUE ELE BE01 Reusable 4 Set Ice Pack

Keeping your drinks, fruits, and meat fresh in hot conditions to prevent them from going bad need efficient ice packs like these from BLUE ELE.

The packs are small in size, so they take little time to freeze up and fit easily in small coolers, lunch boxes, or tote bags. However, the packs won’t retain their solid nature for the whole day because of their slim profile.

What We Liked About It

The shells of these 4 ice packs are crafted from BPA-free HDPE material, which is then filled up with non-poisonous gel.

Furthermore, the packs can be cleaned easily by wiping off with a damp piece of cloth and then left to dry.

The 6.26 by 4.33 by 0.59 inches slim packs can be stacked up against each other or placed individually around your food container for remarkable coolness.

What Could Have Been Better

The packs are quite small; they could be available in different sizes for easy fitting in bigger food coolers or bags.

Likewise, the outer shell could be hardened or made with a material that can endure the drastic changes in temperature.

Pros

Affordable packs
Offered in multiple colors
Convenient size
Great for everyday use

Cons

Quite small
Not durable

6. Portion Perfect Large Cooler Reusable Ice Packs

These portion perfect coolers are without a doubt, the best for outdoor lovers who would like to tag along their coolers or lunch bags.

The set contains 2 ice packs, each measuring 13 by 10 inches and weighing 2 pounds. What’s more, the packs provide a large frozen area to keep your food and drinks cold for the whole day.

What We Liked About It

The packs don’t need to be sealed as they come complete, you just have to freeze them for about 20 minutes and stack them up.

To add on that, these ½ inch packs occupy little space in your cooler and still leaves you with more space for the foodstuffs.

Finally, these packs are filled with non-toxic liquid and feature BPA-free plastic shells that can be used for over 5,000 times.

What Could Have Been Better

Though said to retain their cold nature for 24 hours, they only keep items cold for only up to 10 hours as reviewed by many users.

The packs are also too large to fit in some cooler boxes, this can be countered by availing them in different sizes.

Pros

Freezable and reusable
Quick freezing time
7-year hassle-free warranty
Durable plastic case
Non-toxic

Cons

Don’t stay cold for long as indicated
Seems bulky to some users

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should ice packs keep your cooler contents frozen?

When used at room temperatures like in lunch boxes or bags, the ice packs can last for almost 4 hours. The packs can, however, remain cool for up to 24-36 hours when used in insulated containers.

Can ice packs be re-used?

Yes. Ice packs are a solution like gel that’s contained in a leak-proof container (package) that can be cleaned and refrigerated for next use.

How should ice packs be disposed of?

When you feel that your ice packs are leaking and don’t work as initially purported, you can safely dispose them as you do to any other garbage. This is why you should buy FDA approved ice packs that won’t endanger the environment.

Our Top Choice Cooler Ice Packs

As from our detailed research on best ice packs for coolers, the Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers 4 Lunch Box Ice Packs are our best pick. The packs medium size and slim profile enable comfortable fitting into most coolers or lunch boxes.

Similarly, the packs have tough plastic shells that do not swell up when frozen. Lastly, the pouches are also filled with a non-toxic formula for added food or drinks safety.