How to pick the best beach cooler for families + 2023 best buys

close up of cooler bag carried on the beach by men in yellow shorts

Our selection of some of the best beach coolers for families to help you find the best beach cooler for sand and the best rolling cooler for beach days and vacations.

A beach cooler is a great piece of beach gear.

It keeps your beach snacks and drinks cool, they will keep you away from overpriced beach cafes and they are a lifesaver if you are on a day on the beach with kids, when you just know the request for chilled snacks will be endless!

As well as useful, beach coolers can also be pretty cool.

The selection of beach coolers available online is now pretty big and you can choose between traditional beach coolers, rolling coolers, beach coolers with big wheels for sand and portable coolers for when you want to bring them with you on travels. 

Today we are going to look at the best beach coolers available online right now: this is our selection of the best rolling coolers for the beach, best beach coolers bags and best portable coolers for beach vacations.

We are going to share our tops picks when it comes to portable beach coolers and quick cooler reviews so you can choose the best cooler for a beach trip or beach picnic.

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Best beach coolers chart

NameStyle of beach coolerCapacityPrice Range
Arctic Zone Titan Deep FreezeSoft side rolling cooler for the beach60L$$
Extreme wheeled cooler by ColemanHard side beach cooler with sand wheels50$
Coleman 42 cans soft cooler with wheelsSoft Cooler for the beach with Removable Liner & Wheels42 cans$$
Igloo Ice Cube 60 quart roller coolerHard shell beach roller cooler60$$
dBest rolling tailgate Collapsible Rolling tailgate cooler for the beach4 gallons$
Tourit soft cooler bagSmall cooler bag for the beach – soft shellUp to 30 cans$$$
Igloo BMXSmall bech cooler bag, hard shell25 – 72$$$
Yeti Hopper FlipSmall soft beach cooler bag12$$$
Fitfort beach bag with coolerFamily bag with cooler section34L or12 bottles in the cooler compartment + 4 towels in the main one$

Best beach cooler for sand & best rolling cooler for beach days reviews

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close up of beach cooler with text: chosen by a mom. Beach cooler bags for families. Best beach cooler for sand and best rolling cooler for beach

Best beach cooler with wheels – our top picks

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze, 60L zipless beach cooler with wheels

This rolling cooler by Arctic Zone (find price and specs here) is one of the least expensive options on this list and a good choice if you want a large, simple to use wheeled cooler for a picnic on the beach.

The Titan is a soft side cooler and has all terrain wheels that can tackle sand and a nice telescoping handle that make rolling it with you on the sand is as easy as it gets.

If you are looking for a good beach cooler with sand wheels, this may just be the one!

This cooler has:

  • Large main compartment
  • Front compartment with separate zip closure
  • Easy access to top compartment, to minimize temperature changes
  • Multilayer insulation that protects the bottom of the cooler from the hot sand (coldlock base)
  • Leakproof, water and stain resistant
  • Wipe clean exterior

Verdict: one of the best rolling coolers for the beach for families on a budget

Xtreme Wheeled cooler 50- quarts by Coleman

Another good quality and budget-friendly option, if you are looking for a beach cooler with sand wheels, is this hard side cooler by Coleman (check price and specs here).

Simple in design, it is a no frill cooler with nice capacity that makes it perfect to hold beach food supplies for the whole family and nice sand wheels, which you want for a cooler this size.

Something extra that makes it one of our favorite coolers for families with kids is how heavy duty it is: its lid can take so much weight, your kids can sit on it safely, perfect for a little rest while munching on their refreshing snack!

Main specs:

  • Hard sides
  • Heavy duty wheels for sand
  • Telescopic handle for easy pulling
  • 5 days ice retention (great for long days on the beach)
  • Cup holder
  • Sit on lid

Verdict: great budget friendly, hard side rolling cooler for families

Coleman 42 cans soft cooler bag with wheels for beach days

If you prefer a soft cooler with wheels for sand and hard terrains, then you should consider this other one by Coleman again

This cooler bag has a large main compartment with liner for loose ice, zippered closure, an additional zippered pocket on the front, 2 side mesh pockets and dry storage pouch.

For easy trasnport, it has a good telescopic handle and wheels for sand.

A great beach cooler with wheels under all points of view!

Main specs:

  • Zippered main compartment + additional pockets for extra storage
  • Good wheels for sand
  • Telescopic handle
  • Leak proof
  • Antibacterial liner

Igloo Ice Cube 60 quart hard rolling cooler for sand

Another good quality, hard shell rolling cooler for families we like is this Igoo Ice Cube cooler with sand wheels (find price and specs here)

This cooler has an ultrathems isolating body that can keep your beach supplies cool for the day and is is amde of a large compartment so you can find everything easily.

Durable wheels and a sturdy telescope handle make it good for a day on the beach and that rough handling the kids may throw at it and the fact that is is easy to clean make it a winner for families.

Main specs:

  • Sturdy tow handle
  • Side scoop handles for ease of loading and unloading
  • Made in the USA
  • Cup holders

dBest rolling tailgate – lightweight, collapsible cooler bag for the beach

Rolling coolers for the beach do not have to be bulky or heavy. If space or weight are a concern, you can also opt for a good rolling cooler for sand that is lightweight and collapsible, like this one by dBest.

This cooler has a largem main compartment, a handy second compartment on its front, a side pocket for sunscreen and a long telescopic handle that make it easy to pull.

Lightweight, it folds flat when not is use and this makes it one of the best rolling coolers for beach days.

Main specs:

  • Good capacity
  • Telescopic handle
  • Pretty, feminine appearance (two styles available)
  • Wheels for sand
  • Large front zipper for easy access
  • Fully collapsible for easy storage

Best small coolers for the beach 

Tourit soft pack – best small cooler bag for beach days with kids

If you are looking for a small cooler bag that you can bring with you to the beach but also on travel, then I recommend you look at this one by Tourit.

 

This beach cooler comes in 2 sizes, one for up to 20 and one for up to 30 cans and it works as a standard bag, meaning you don’t have to lug around large boxes. You can simply get in on your shoulders and go!

Actually, it gets even better than that since this beach cooler can be carried in different positions: shoulder carry, top handle and grab and go side handles.

The bag is designed to keep food and drinks cool for up to 3 days, which means it can definitely keep your beach lunch cool even if you have a longer day out and it is BPA free, which is an extra bonus.

Top specs:

  • soft sided portable cooler bag
  • 3 layers of insulation for performance
  • Leak proof
  • Impact and UV resistant outer shell
  • 3 ways to carry, including shoulder carry (padded shoulder strap provided)
  • Wide mouth opening, easy for kids to use – easy zipper for closing it up again and retain cold
  • Handy external mesh pocket
  • Built-in bottle opener so you can be sure it won’t get misplaced

Igloo BMX small beach cooler bag, hard shell

Another good cooler bag for the beach, perfect if you are looking for a hard shell option (great for packing your car trunk neatly) is the smallest of the Igloo BMX coolers, the 25 one (find price and specs here).

This cooler is a long, rectangular box with a carry handle and two large plastic buckle for easy opening / closing and has a rugged appearance and design that makes it sturdy yet easy for kids to use too.

Designed to keep ice for up to 4 days, it is a good option for a day out and its base molded with Cool Riser Technology makes it a gret cooler for the beach especially.

Main specs:

  • Heady duty, easy to use design
  • Large grab handle for one hand carrying
  • Built-in loops for securing it during transport
  • Easy to clean
  • Hard-sided portable beach coller

Yeti Hopper 12 soft cooler bag

If budget is not an issue, than you also want to have a look at the Yeti Hopper Flip, here in its 12 size but available also in bigger dimensions (find price, specs and colors here).

This is a fabulous cooler bag for the beach avaiable in many different colors and comes at ah igher price point as it promises amazing insulation thanks to the use of cold cell foam (colCell insulation).

The bag has a large main compartment and padded shoulder strap for comprotable carrying.

It has a large, easy to use zipper and it waterproof and rip proof so you know your purchase will last long!

Main specs:

  • Cold Cell insulation promises superior insulation for beach days
  • Leakproof zipper
  • Wide opening for ease of use
  • 2 way carry position with shoulder strap or grab handle
  • Rip resistant dry hide outer shell
  • Hitch points (the bag has several compatible accessories you can buy separately)

Fitfort beach bag with cooler – fab multifunctional portable beach cooler and bag

If you are not looking for a full size cooler but rather for an easy to carry beach bag with a cooler pocket, then I recommend you look at this one by Fitfort.

I have already recommended this item as one of my favorite beach bags for moms and I stand by it as si find it very practical and rather pretty looking (several colors available).

The cooler part is on the bottom, which makes the bag stand nice and tidy, and means you have one less item to carry and store, since the cooler can be attached to the bag/ detached for filling and using. 

A good size bag with several pockets, this is a tote bag but has a nicely padded strap so it doesn’t hurt your palms or shoulder while carrying.

The main compartment holds up to 4 large beach towels too which makes it a great all around beach and beach cooler bag all in one.

Found the best cooler for the beach? Find more family beach gear you may like

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