Best SUP Cooler [2024]: Hard and Soft Options

You are out on a scorching hot day with your friends for a few hours and now you are starting to get thirsty. You reach for your water bottle (or other canned beverage) from the SUP bungees, take a sip… And it’s Warm. Gross

This is where a SUP cooler comes in handy! Paddle Board coolers are not just for keeping cold ones fresh (although the ones on this list are pretty darn good at that!). They can be used for a variety of different reasons including keeping food fresh, storing car keys and cell phones as well as keeping bait fish, and storing rods for fishing purposes. They truly are one of the Best SUP Accessories to have!

In this list, we choose the best coolers specified for your paddle board. Where we categorize them into 3 categories. Best backpack coolers, best soft coolers, and best hard coolers.

Ready? Lets Dig in

(If You Are looking at Paddle Board Dry Bags Click here)

Top Soft SUP Coolers

1. Gili Deck Cooler Bag – (Tip Pick)
2. Bote Kula Softy Cooler – (Design Pick) 
3. iRocker Pop Up Cooler – (Compact Pick)
4. Sup Now Paddle Board Cooler/ Deck Bag – (Budget Pick)

Top Hard SUP Coolers

1. Bote Kula Hard Cooler – (Best SUP Hard Cooler Pick)
2. iRocker 25 L Hard Cooler – (Traditional Pick)
3. Engel 30 QT Cooler with Rod Holders – (Fishing Pick) 
4. Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze Cooler – (Compact Pick)

Best SUP Backpack Coolers

1. Yeti Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler – (Hands Free Pick)
2. iRocker Backpack Cooler – (Versatile Pick)

Best Soft SUP Coolers

Below are some of the best soft sup coolers that are able to fit securely in your paddle boards deck webbing. 

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1. Gili Deck Cooler Bag

• Dimensions: 4-1/4″ x 16-1/2″ x 12-1/2″ or 6-3/4″ x 16-1/2″ x 12-1/2″
• Materials: Premium-grade insulation cloth
• Attachment Style: SUP Bungees or D rings
• Can Storage: 10 or 20 Cans

The Gili Paddle Board Deck Cooler Bag is a great bag for a day out on the lake with friends, when you are the designated drink holder. This particular bag comes in 2 different sizes. Both of these can fit snuggly in most SUP deck rigging. 

What Can It Be Used For?

The Gili Deck Cooler Bag is ideal for storing drink cans such as beer, spirits, pop, or other carbonated beverages and keeping water bottles cool. It is also useful for smaller meals and snacks like sandwiches or even your own mini charcuterie. 

There is also a top pocket where you can fit your cell phone or car keys which is water resistant so you don’t have to worry about paddle splash ruining your smaller nonwater proof possessions. 

Key Features

This bag is compact and does not take up a lot of vertical space which is ideal for paddling in a bit of wind. The 20 can Deck cooler bag is 6 ¾ deep while the 10-can deck cooler bag is 4 ¼ deep. That extra depth allows there to be an extra row of brews or even nonbeverages.  It’s contents remain mostly dry by having water-resistant zippers on both pockets.

You can also stow the bag in 2 different ways. You can stow it under your deck bungees or you can use the clips that come with the SUP to clip onto your D rings or deck bungee. Giving you more room to stow other things underneath.

You can store ice in here but it won’t keep the temperature like other hard coolers on this list. But thanks to its 3 layers it will do a better job of insulation compared to other less SUP-specific soft coolers you may come across.

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2. Bote Kula Softy Cooler – (Design Pick) 

• Dimensions: 2.5 Gallon or 5 Gallon
• Materials: 840 Denier, Double TPA coated ripstop fabric
• Attachment Style: Sits on deck
• Can Storage: About 25 to 50 cans

The Bote Kula softy is designed after its hardshell Kula cousin but is available in a lightweight design. This soft cooler will fit the most cans on this list at 20 to 50 cans depending on the model (2.5 or 5 gallons). 

What Can It Be Used For?

The Bote Kula softy, quite simply, can be used for bringing a ton of drinks with you in a single cooler. If you are going with a group of more than 5 people this would be a solid buy. Of course, you can store more than just drinks in this cooler. It can also be used for sandwiches, food, or even fresh catch if you are a SUP fisherman. 

While it may not be the most friendly item to fit under deck bungees it does have loops on both sides to create your own strapping mechanism. It also has a strap which makes carrying the cooler a bit easier for you as you are carrying your SUP to and from the shoreline. 

Key Features

While the Kula Softy may be slightly awkward to have on deck, its drink storage space will more than makeup for it. It’s not just SUP-specific though. This cooler would also make a great boating/ kayaking pick as the bag is soft enough to not make any scuffs. 

Going back to SUP-specific use though, there is also a front pocket for things like bottle openers or your cell phone. According to Kelly M (Verified Customer), this SUP can hold ice for 12 hours in the heat! 

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3. iRocker Pop Up Cooler (Compact Pick)

• Dimensions: 11.8 X 11.8
• Materials: 840 Denier, Double TPA coated ripstop fabric
• Attachment Style: Sits on deck
• Can Storage: About 25 to 50 cans

Specifically made for SUPs to be portable, the iRocker pop-up cooler is a great transportable pick to take with you while out on the water with some friends. This cooler can clip onto your bungee deck webbing. 

What Can It Be Used For?

The iRocker Pop Up Cooler can be used for day trips with friends. The great thing with this particular model is you can bring however little or much you want without worrying about it taking up a great deal of size. Bringing 6 drinks? Don’t worry about it! Collapse the cooler and it takes up minimal vertical space. 

Key Features

Saving room on storage is the main name of the game here. But besides this, the cooler does feature an easy-to-use storage flap at the top for quick and easy access to the inside. It also features carry handles which makes transportation just that much easier. 

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4. Sup Now Paddle Board Cooler/ Deck Bag (Budget Pick)

• Dimensions: 15 X 12 X 4 Inches
• Materials: Not specified 
• Attachment Style: Bunge Deck Webbing or Clips to D Rings
• Can Storage: About 10 cans

The SUP NOw Paddle Board Cooler/ Deck Bag is the pick for those who want a budget cooler that can do the job for short trips. The cooler can fit 10 cans so that can be 2 drinks each for 5 people. 

What Can It Be Used For?

The V2 SUP Now cooler is one of the more versatile paddle board picks in that it can mount on both inflatable and fiberglass boards. 

For inflatable boards, you can strap it down with bungee deck webbing or clip it onto your SUP’s D rings. If you have a fiberglass board, it comes with suction cups that stick to the board’s surface. Both methods are pretty efficient in keeping your precious brews from going over board but I personally always go the deck bungee route. 

The material on the top of the bag does look a bit thin however so I wouldn’t classify this cooler as being waterproof. If you’re in a lake the insulation won’t matter as much as if you are in salt water and have to touch your lips to a salty swig of a drink. 

Key Features

The SUP Cooler bag comes with 4 clips, suction cups as well as a bonus waterproof cellphone case. It also has a pouch on the inside flap that can keep things like sunscreen, granola boards, and other small necessities 

The real noteworthy feature of this bag is the fact that it has a lifetime warranty on all of their SUP Now products including the cooler bag. 

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Best Hard SUP Coolers

For those of you who take your Paddle boarding seriously, this is where hard coolers come in handy. Hard coolers are great for SUP fishing (don’t worry we got a good pick for those of you), multi-day trips, or spending a longer period of time on the water with friends and family. 

1. Bote Kula Hard Cooler (Best SUP Hard Cooler Pick)

• Dimensions: 16.75″ W × 14.25″ H (5 Gallons)
• Materials: Gatorshell technology
• Attachment Style: Sits on deck/ tide down slots
• Can Storage: About 27 cans

If you were to grab an experienced paddle boarder and tell them to make you a cooler specific to paddle boarders. The result would look something very similar to the Bote Kula Hard cooler. 

We SUPers often only have one hand available because we are doing other stuff like paddling, holding a beer, etc. As a result, the Kula has a single latch hatch that comes off with just a simple pulling motion so you don’t have to put your paddle (or beer down) to fiddle around with the lid. 

What Can It Be Used For?

The Bote Kula hard cooler can be used for just about anything. Its design was inspired by SUPers having to have both a bucket and cooler onboard. Well, the Kula functions as both! The Kula is ideal for storing drinks but also for fisherman to store their catch or their bait. When you open the lid there is even a slot to place your fishing rod while you are paddling or fiddling with your bait. 

The Kula is tough enough to even stand on! It also features Magnapod technology in which you can keep your Magnapod drink holders on the top of the cooler without worrying about them spilling. What I also really like about this cooler is that it is un-intrusive and does not take up as much vertical space as normal box-like coolers do. 

Key Features

When paddle boarding with noobies there’s always that one person who brings bottles with them for SUPing and of course, they forget the bottle opener! Well with the Kula you don’t need to bring one as it has a built-in bottle holder right on it. Convenient!

Some other features that the Kula has include nonslip feet as well as a draining valve at the bottom of the cooler to drain ice or water for baitfish when you are all out of bait! This cooler has an ice retention of about 2 days (provided the lid is closed of course).

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2. iRocker 25 L Hard Cooler (Traditional Pick)

• Dimensions: 18.2″ x 13.9″ x 13.3″
• Materials: Polyurethane
• Attachment Style: Sits on deck/ tide down slots
• Can Storage: About 24 cans

The iRocker 25 Liter Hard cooler is a great size to take on deck for a daytime paddling excursion. Its 24-can size limit makes it the perfect ice chest box to bring with your friends for cold drinks on the water. 

What Can It Be Used For?

The iRocker cooler can be used for a good variety of things including storing drinks, keeping food cold, or even putting camping supplies in. It is also a very underrated fishing cooler where you can either store bait or keep a catch fresh. Its 25 Liter size makes it a good daytime cooler to take on the water while not being too intrusive in the process. 

This cooler can be used on most paddle boards as it features non-slip feet and tie down slots which can be mounted to most free D ring areas. I personally like to do this with most hard coolers because you just never know when boats come around and make things wavey! 

You can also sit on this cooler when you get tired of standing which is why it’s a great companion for fishermen. Especially those who have been out fishing all day!

Key Features

This cooler weighs about 14 lbs, so while it’s not the lightest on the list it does give the cooler a bit more stability while onboard. That coupled with the nonslip feet on the deck pad should ensure that the cooler will stay in place with relatively little movement. 

Do you know that moment when ice turns into the water? Yeah, that’s pretty annoying but thankfully this cooler can easily drain the pesky pools of water you may have thanks to its water release valve. 

Still, if you are out for the day like I suggest this cooler should hold ice pretty effectively. If you are looking for a bigger cooler go for the 45 Liter cooler which has the dimensions of L 26″ x W 15″ x H 16″ and weighs 23 lbs. 

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3. Engel 30 QT Cooler with Rod Holders (Fishing Pick) 

• Dimensions: 19 1/2″ x 12 1/2″ x 13″ (30 Quarts)
• Materials: PPC Copolymer w/high-grade molded polystyrene foam
• Attachment Style: Sits on deck
• Can Storage: 48 cans

For those serious fishermen out there we got you covered. The Engel 30 Quart Cooler is great for a variety of different things. Heck, it can even be used as a bait box, cooler for drinks, or even a dry box. Everything is kept sealed thanks to its airtight EVA gasket seal. 

What Can It Be Used For?

The most obvious answer to this question is fishing! For those who are interested in 30 and 19-quart coolers without the rod holders, Engel has coolers for those too. 

Back to fishing though, you can convert this cooler into a live bait chest by adding an aerator pump and a live bait conversion kit for the air pump. These will allow you to store live bait in this cooler for hours on end for those longer fishing excursions.

Key Features

Of course like any good fishing cooler, the Engel 30 Qt cooler can also be used to store catch and keep those drinks to be refreshingly cold. The cooler comes with 4-rod holders on either side. Useful for paddle boards that don’t have action or Scotty Mounts. 

The 30-quart cooler can fit up to 48 cans inside so it doubles as a great pick for a large paddling group or just a long fishing day. It has stainless steel latches to secure your prized possessions and can also float in case you find yourself in the drink trying to catch a mammoth of a fish. 

Another cool thing is that you can double this as a dry box for those long camping trips. Ideal for clothing, small bags, and sleeping bags. 

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4. Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze Cooler (Compact Pick)

• Dimensions: Depends on Size Picked (12.25″ x 8.00″ x 12.25″ for 16 Can)
• Materials: Hardbody liner with Triple layer Cold Black base
• Attachment Style: Sits on deck or clips on deck
• Can Storage: 9, 16, 30 or 48 cans

Upon first look, you may need to do a double take and make sure that I didn’t make a mistake about the categorization of this cooler. Rest assured it is a Hardshell cooler thanks to its interior. But it is also the most versatile hardbody cooler on this list.

What Can It Be Used For?

The Arctic Zone Titan will mainly be used for recreational purposes of bringing drinks and food out to the water. The exact use of it will depend on which size cooler you choose. 

One of the things that do make this cooler very versatile is the fact that you can remove the hardbody liner from it and make it into a soft cooler! This may be ideal for putting softer things such as clothes, toddler toys, or anything else you may need for your paddling trip. 

This cooler also comes with a removable shelf that goes in the hardbody liner. This is ideal for compartmentalizing your equipment, especially if you are looking to separate food from drinks. 

Key Features

For the price, this is one of the most feature-rich coolers on the list. Some of the items include a 1 – 2 day ice retention listing depending on how much ice is packed. For a ratio of half food and half drinks, it will be an ice retention of around a day. For a full chest of ice, you get an ice retention of 2 days. 

Of course, you have a diverse list of sizes that you can choose from depending on how many people are going with you, your board dimensions, and how long you will be gone. 

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Best SUP Backpack Coolers

Why use a backpack cooler?

Backpack coolers are great because they fit into bungee deck webbing far better than most typical hard or soft cooler designs so they should be considered. I personally use one for the odd drink as well as a towel to wrap my car keys in. 

1. Yeti Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler (Hands Free Pick)

• Dimensions: 18.1” X 9.9″ X 18.1″ 2.5 Kg
• Materials: Dryhyde shell with leakproof interior 
• Attachment Style: Bungee deck webbing or clips on deck
• Can Storage: 18 cans

The Yeti Hopper is a great soft backpack cooler that will be suitable for most SUP excursions and uses. Its dimensions make it a great fit for SUPs that have front bungees but also don’t want any water to seep into the cooler. 

What Can It Be Used For?

The Yeti Hopper can be used for most SUP activities from recreational to SUP Yoga and even SUP fishing. The main purpose of this cooler is to keep food and beverages cold although it could be of use as a make-shift drybag as well. It’s pretty versatile as well thanks to its many different loops on the front and sides of the bag which can be used to clip onto D rings or deck netting. 

Of course, being a backpack it’s a lot easier to carry to the shoreline as you can have your board in one hand followed by the Hopper on your shoulders for easy transportation. 

Key Features

While the SUP backpack cooler may not have all of the bells and whistles as a few other coolers on the list it is ultra-durable and won’t let water seep in if sealed properly. This is thanks to its MagShield access point which allows for easy access to your food and bevies without fiddling with a zipper. This is an especially handy feature for paddle boarders whose hands may be occupied with a paddle and want easy access to the contents of the cooler. 

Another noteworthy feature of this bag is the fact that you can put ice in it without having to worry about leakage. It’s Cold Cell insulation will keep your drinks cold for the day without worrying about Mr. Sun coming around and ruining the party. 

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2. iRocker Backpack Cooler (Versatile Pick)

• Dimensions: 30 L Capacity
• Materials: Nylon material
• Attachment Style: Bungee deck webbing or clips on deck
• Can Storage: 24 cans

The iRocker Backpack cooler doubles as both a cooler as well as an oversized drybag. It’s a great pick for those who are a bit more budget conscious and want something a bit more affordable.

What Can It Be Used For?

The iRocker backpack cooler 30 can be used for keeping up to 24 drinks cold on the water. With those 24 cans, you can also fit ice into the bag to insure they are frosty and cool. The thicker insulation has an approximate ice retention of 12 hours if there is a 50/50 ratio. This is usually more than enough time for a day paddle where drinks are needed on a scorching hot summer day.

This can also be treated as a dry bag (2 in-1’s will always save you money) which means you can store your dry clothes and valuables inside without worrying about them getting wet. Things like cell phones, towels, and change of dry clothes for when you take a dip can all be placed inside. 

Key Features

Besides the 2-in-one cooler/ drybag feature this backpack cooler also has mesh pockets on the outside to stow things you don’t mind getting wet while having a pocket at the front to separate valuables while keeping them accessible. There is also webbing on the front of the bag which you can place things like wet clothes or towels onto after your afternoon dip. 

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How to Choose a SUP-Worthy Cooler

Below are some things that I have noticed over the years that make good SUP-worthy coolers. 

What Are You Using It For?

SUP Coolers have a few uses. Below we will characterize types of coolers that are best for each type of activity

Drinks/ Snacks for Yourself on Day Paddle: for this, you will only need an 8 – 16 can (About 12”) cooler that can fit in or clip onto your deck bungees. I personally always grab at least 2 water bottles, a towel, and one or 2 canned drinks for 2 – 3 hours on the water. Hard Coolers like the Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze would be a solid pick that won’t cost too much. For soft coolers, the Gili Deck Bag Cooler or budget-friendly SUP NOW cooler would work as well. 

This amount is good for recreational paddling, light day touring or SUP Yoga sessions. 

Drinks for you and Your Friends: This is where it might get a bit more complicated. In my experience, bigger coolers that can hold 15 to 20 cans will be good for about 3-4 people for a few hours. The more friends you have the bigger the cooler you will need! Hard coolers like the iRocker 25 L Hard Cooler or the bigger Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze may be more suitable.

Fishing Purposes: If you are a SUP Angler or are inspired to become one, your needs may be a bit different from having normal coolers. It all comes down to what you are bringing with you to the water. 

Bigger hard coolers will be the way to go as they are stain and leak-proof and can be used for a variety of different uses. The Bote Kula hard cooler is a solid multi-use pick that can be used for anything from storing your catch, bait, or just a bunch of ice cold drinks while you are waiting for bites. 

For those who are a bit more serious, you can get the Engel fishing cooler which features 4-rod holders and can be transformed into a live baitwell for a longer period of time thanks to its pump attachment.

For SUP Camping and Multi-Day Trips: If you are camping chances are you will need a SUP that holds a lot of capacity (like the Atoll or Nixy Monterey) and a bigger cooler depending on how long you go. How you organize how to put stuff onto your SUP is completely up to you and the duration you will be gone. But usually hard coolers will work best as they will store more food/ drinks for longer excursions. The iRocker 45 L Cooler may work best for this or the Yeti Tundra 45. 

Hard, Soft, or Backpack Style? 

Soft and backpack coolers are ideal for portability while hard coolers should be used for a higher carrying capacity. 

Hopefully, the above section will give you a bit of an idea as to what coolers can be used for what and in what instances. Something I haven’t talked about as much is backpack coolers. They are often underrated picks as they fit under most deck bungees pretty well and can store a good amount of gear. 

They can also be a bit easier to get to as coolers like the Yeti Hopper have a hands-free design thanks to the Mag Shield opening flap which closes thanks to some magnetic points in the opening. 

Attachment Style

Before getting any cooler it is important to note how exactly you will attach it to the board. Generally bigger coolers should be on the back/ Middle of your board while smaller coolers should be set at the front either being clipped to D rings or set under a couple of rows of bungee deck webbing. Attachment types include:

• Clip On
• Low Profile
• Suction (for fiberglass SUPs)
• Backpack
• Tie Down (to keep bigger coolers in place) 

It’s best to measure the width of the board in the area you want to strap the cooler down and compare it to the dimensions of the coolers you are looking at. You will also need to determine how you will be keeping the cooler on the board, especially if it’s a bigger hard cooler. See video below on that. 

Size of the Cooler

Really it comes down to this. The longer you are out paddling the bigger the cooler you will need. This also holds true for how many people are coming with you and are using you as the SUP donkey (yes I just made this word up). 

Storage Capacity

In my mind, it’s better to have a bigger cooler that has less stuff than a smaller cooler that has more stuff. This is because with the bigger cooler if you make a mistake with the calculations you can always go back and add more. Or if you have enough in the ways of food and drinks, you can always fill the space with ice to make sure everything is super crisp during those hot summer days. 

“In my experience with paddle boarding so far..

Single person: You need a cooler that has an 8 – 16 can capacity that measures about 12” at its longest point

Paddling with Friends: Harder to judge but for 2-3 people you can be on the water for 3 hours or so with a cooler that has a 15-20 can capacity. If you have more people or are out longer, get a bigger cooler!”

– Editors Notes

Do You Need Ice Retention? 

If you want any of your beverages to feel like your drink just got transported back from the sub-arctic regions then ice retention will probably be a pretty important factor to you. For most uses of paddle boarding ice retention for 12 hours will be good enough to keep all of your drinks, food, or catch cool. 

Key Ice Retention Tips from Yeti

• Bigger Cubes Melt Slower
• Do not Drain Water Until you are finished. Water will be close to ice temperature
• Air is the Enemy, make sure you fill space as efficiently as possible
• Limit Cooler Access (Don’t keep opening and closing it unnecessarily)”

– Yeti Coolers

The more ice you have in the cooler the better ice retention you will have! It’s also best to have some sort of draining mechanism if you have a bigger more bulky cooler as well once you are done using it.

Extra Features?

Sometimes these coolers have some cool extra features you can use that actually are quite handy! Side pockets on soft coolers are always nice for storing things like car keys or cell phones. Just make sure that the zipper is at least water-resistant and doesn’t leak!

Other noteworthy things that I’ve come across include drains, pump adaptations, easy-close lids, and even built-in bottle openers! I usually don’t recommend people bring bottles of water but there’s always that one friend who does anyway!

FAQs

Below are some common SUP Cooler FAQ’s I get asked about. 

Soft Case or Hard Case Paddle Board Coolers?

Soft case SUP Coolers are best for smaller trips where portability is the most important factor. Hard Case Paddle Board Coolers are better for going with a bigger group of friends, fishing, or camping purposes. 

In terms of keeping drinks cold, hard coolers typically do a better job and can have ice retention of up to 3 days. 

How Effective are SUP Coolers for Insulating Food and Drinks?

If chosen correctly, SUP coolers can be a great way to insulate food and drinks from the heat or cold. Typically the more you spend the better the cooler will be at insulation as more research, man-hours, and materials have been thrown into developing it. 

Can’t You Just Buy a Regular Soft Cooler?

I must admit that I am guilty of buying a small soft cooler at the grocery store for $20. It works okay, but I couldn’t help but feel that it was not well insulated and after a few hours the drinks started getting warmer, despite having ice packs on both sides. 

If I were to upgrade my budget even a bit more and got something like the smaller 16-can Arctic Zone Deep Freeze Cooler I can’t help but think those White Claws would have been that much more refreshing due to the cooler’s hard interior. 

What’s the Difference Between Waterproof and Water Resistant Coolers?

Water resistant refers to the cooler staying dry when splashed with some water. When you submerge a water-resistant cooler completely in water it will not remain dry. Waterproof coolers can be completely submerged in a certain depth of water and remain dry on the inside. 

So Whats the Best SUP Cooler?

The best SUP cooler will ultimately come down to what you are using it for, for how long and for how many people. 

Bigger Hard Coolers like the iRocker 25 Hard Cooler are best for longer paddling sessions with more than a few friends. 

If you are an Angler the Bote Kula or the Engel 30 Qt are great choices to strap to the back of your paddle board for catch, drink/ food, tackle and gear or bait fish. 

For Solo excursions – 3 people, I’d recommend any of the soft or backpack coolers like the Gili Deck Cooler Bag or the iRocker Backpack Cooler. 
Got a favorite cooler we forgot to mention? Let us know below or on our Facebook Page.