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Looking for the best ice pack for your cooler? We’ve reviewed the best around, with some of the staying cool for a full 48 hours!

Best Ice Packs For Coolers UK

If you’re off on a camping trip, you’ll want some ice packs for your cooler and this is especially important if the weathers warmer, as you’ll need somewhere to store your food, or to keep drinks cool on a warm day.

Some of the newer gel packs take up vastly less space in your cooler but offer the same levels of coolness as traditional ice whilst lasting longer than ice, and are of course reusable.

Have a look through our reviews here and get the right ice packs for your adventure!

Long Lasting Ice Packs For Coolers

You want an ice pack for your cooler that’s going to last, right? That’s the whole point, there’s no use in one that’s not going to cool your ice box properly.

Here’s a selection of popular ice packs and our thoughts on them:

Also see: Best portable ice makers for camping

Ice Packs

AKA Cooler Shock

Cooler shock ice packs uk

These AKA cooler shock ice packs are the cream of the crop. Expensive? Yes, but these best selling ice packs have sold over 140,000 on Amazon alone, and for good reason. These packs, after freezing for 24 hours, carry as much energy as your freezer, and will remain like that for a full 24 hours and far longer at a slightly reduced temperature, and within a couple of hours of using these in your cool box, your drinks will be at near freezing point.

Worth every penny, these gel filled ice packs are durable, non hazardous and have out performed all the other ice packs we tested. These will pay for themselves within a few camping trips as you’ll no longer need to be buying ice.

What we like

• These are super charged – they’ll get your drinks to ice cold in a couple of hours
• These arrive to you dry, you add water and use your iron to seal them
• So much space saved in your cooler where you no longer need ice

What we don’t

• Can be too cold
• Expensive initial outlay

Summary

If you’re looking for a long lasting ice pack for your cooler to last over a number of years, these are a top pick. They’re easy to use, remain cold for longer than any others we tested.

ThermaFreeze Ice Pack

These ice packs by Thermafreeze can be cut to size, so great for packing into smaller cooler boxes and lunchboxes. The reusable gel inside remains frozen for 100% longer than regular ice and can be frozen again in a couple of hours. This is a pack of 5 sheets, so enough for the bigger cooler boxes you might have.

What we like

• Can be cut to size
• Easy to rinse clean before refreezing

What we don’t

• Don’t thaw totally flat for storage after use

Summary

These are a good product for the price and will last for longer than regular ice and take up less space. They’re good for shorter trips as they don’t last as long as the product above. These will last for several camping trips but would need to be replaced more frequently than the AKA Cooler Shock.

Rose Evans® Freezer Blocks

These Rose Evans ice blocks are the more traditional sort of ice packs we’re used to seeing in cooler boxes. These are good quality, they’re not huge so they fit into the smaller spaces in your cooler once it’s packed, likewise your freezer when you need to refreeze them.

What we like

• Good quality traditional ice packs
• Quick to freeze
• Easy to clean

What we don’t

• They’re quite small, so you’d need two packs depending on your cooler size

Summary

These are a low cost item that does the job they’re intended for. They stay cold for a few hours so are good for shorter trips, but they’re not going to last over a couple of days.

Anstore Freezer Blocks

These are a bigger version of the product above, better for larger cooler boxes and the bigger size means they stay cooler for longer. These need to be cleaned by hand (which only involves rinsing) and can be stored in yo9ur freezer when not in use.

What we like

• This six pack size is enough for the bigger cool boxes
• Freezing time is fast
• Stay cold for up to 8 hours

What we don’t

• They’ll last a maximum of 8 hours and so not suitable for camping for a few days

Summary

What you see is what you get with this product. They’re most suited for a day out, or an overnight trip at a push.

How Many Ice Packs Do You Need For Your Cooler?

This depends on they type of ice pack you choose to buy and they type of cooler you have.

The AKA Cooler Shock gel packs are small and get extremely cold so it stands to reason you’d need less of these, even in bigger cooler boxes.

If you decide to go with the more traditional plastic ice block packs, you’ll want to have some ice packs around the outside of the cooler and possibly on the top of the contents as well.

How To Clean Ice Packs

All these ice packs we’ve reviewed need a rinse under warm water after use and before reusing again.

Never put your ice packs of any sort in a dishwasher and never use hot water on them.

Make sure to read the instructions that come with them on delivery before you use them for the first time.

What is the blue liquid in ice packs?

Wondering what the blue liquid in some ice packs is?

The newer reuseable ice packs have a blue gel in a sealed bag. They’re made up of are primarily water 60 to 70,  propylene glycol 20 to 35%, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, usually less than 5%. The blue colour is simply colouring to make sure no one ingests it!

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