Any outdoor enthusiast knows how important it is to keep food and drinks cold in hot weather. But carrying a lot of ice in your cooler bag can be heavy and the ice can melt and become mushy in the bottom of the cooler. Once you stash an ice pack in your cooler bag, you will enjoy cold and delightfully fresh food and refreshments all day long.
Enjoy Summer With a Cooler Ice Pack
An ice pack is a reusable freezable pack that will make sure that your drinks, snacks, or fruit stay deliciously cold for hours. Whatever type of activity you like to do: camping, picnicking in the park, fishing, hunting, or going to the beach, an ice pack is an excellent alternative to carrying heavy bags of ice that can turn to mush in your cooler bag.
The 9 Best Ice Packs
- Arctic Ice Chillin’ Brew Series Ice Pack
- Bentgo Ice Lunch Chillers Ice Packs
- Cooler Shock Ice Pack (Our Top Pick)
- YETI ICE Cooler Ice Pack
- FlexiFreeze Ice Pack Sheets
- Fit & Fresh Cool Cooler Ice Pack
- Healthy Packers Ice Pack
- ThermaFreeze Ice Pack Sheets
Our Top Pick for the Best Ice Pack
Our top pick for the best ice pack is the Cooler Shock Ice Pack.
We highly recommend the Cooler Shock Ice Pack for your soft or hard cooler bag.
Rated as the Number One High-Performance Ice Pack, the Cooler Shock outperforms regular ice in every way. This incredible ice pack delivers maximized chilling power that is colder than ice.
Its slim design gives you more room for your snacks and drinks and makes your cooler bag lighter to carry. Most importantly, the reusable ice packs will save you money. Whether you are partying on the beach or entertaining friends in your garden on a warm sultry evening, you will enjoy ice-chilled food and drinks all summer long.
Four Ways to Use an Ice Pack
- Place multiple ice packs into your cooler and enjoy cold drinks and snacks all day long.
- Pop one or two ice packs into your insulated lunch bag to keep your food and drinks cool and fresh at work or college.
- Fun colorful ice packs, like the Fit & Fresh Ice Pack Coolers, are a great way to keep your child’s food and drinks cool in a lunch box.
- To maximize cooling in a larger cooler bag or ice box and minimize the extra weight of heavy ice, use a few ice packs, along with an additional bag of ice.
How to Choose the Best Ice Pack
There are three types of ice packs available. Hard ice pack blocks, flexible ice packs, and ice sheets.
Hard Ice Pack Blocks
A hard ice pack block, like the YETI ICE Cooler Ice Pack, is specially designed for cooler bags and ice boxes that hold a lot of soda bottles, beer, or wine. Strong and durable, a hard ice pack is less likely to crack or leak when stashed amongst your beverages or when the cooler is dropped on the ground. Although they are solid, hard ice packs usually have a slim design, so they are quite easy to store, but they might be too bulky for a small cooler.
Ideal for long-term cooling, a hard ice pack provides effective cooling for 24 or 48 hours depending on the outside temperature and how many packs you use. Hard ice packs are made from BPA-free food-safe materials.
The only real downside to using a hard ice pack is that it can take from 12 to 24 hours to freeze solid.
Foil Ice Packs
Foil ice packs are gaining in popularity. Initially designed for urgent blood transport, these ice packs have a durable lightweight and flexible foil material. You can easily fit them in between your drinks and deliver faster cooling. Amazingly efficient, foil ice packs deliver faster and longer cooling due to a lower freezing point.
Some foil ice packs can even freeze down to an extra low temperature of 18° Fahrenheit, like the Cooler Shock Ice Pack. Safe to use, foil packs are 100% non-toxic and food-safe.
if you have a larger cooler bag, you will need more multiple ice packs for effective cooling. Alternatively, use the ice packs in combination with regular ice.
Ice Sheets
Ice sheet packs, like the FlexiFreeze Ice Sheets, offer you total cooling flexibility not only in a cooler bag but you can place an ice sheet under a plate to keep a dessert fresh and cold. As ice sheets are ultra thin, you will save on valuable space in your cooler. You can even cut the sheets up to any size or wrap a sheet around a bottle.
Water, Cooling Solution, or Phase Change Gel
Ice packs that are filled with water or a cooling solution, like the ThermaFreeze Ice Pack Sheets or the Bentgo Ice Pack 4-pack, provide very good short term cooling for small amounts of food and drinks. But for more advanced longer-term cooling, consider ice packs that are designed with phase-change thermal technology.
Phase-change thermal technology refers to a change from one state (solid, liquid or gas) to another without a change in chemical composition. Ice packs that utilize a thermal exchange transfer system have a phase-change material (PCM) gel that has a lower freezing point than ice, which can be as low as 28° or even 18° Fahrenheit. Which means your food and drinks will stay colder for longer. Another highlight of PCM gel is that it is non-toxic and food-safe.
How Many Ice Packs Do I Need?
It can be hard to figure out how many ice packs are needed for your cooler. Here is a good guide to help you choose the right amount of ice packs for maximum cooling performance.
Best Ice Pack Reviews
1. Arctic Ice Chillin’ Brew Series Ice Pack
Designed with the beer drinker in mind, the Arctic Ice Chillin’ Brew Series Ice Pack is an excellent cooling system for tailgating, traveling, backyard beer fests or fishing.
Made in the USA and tested up to 100,000 times, the ice pack has a rugged UV stabilized container. Its expanded surface area provides exceptional cooling capacity and efficiency.
The ice pack uses fast non-toxic PCM gel that keeps your cooler cold at an extra low temperature of 28° Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 hours. Instead of having mushy ice left in your cooler, the Arctic Ice pack has a leak-proof ultra-sonic spin welded sealed cap. As the packs are reusable, they will last for a lifetime of happy chilling. Plus, you will not have to lug around heavy bags of ice.
With a compact 11 x 8 x 20-inch design, the Chillin’ Brew ice packs fit easily inside a cooler bag. You can also choose from three sizes: small, medium, or a large-sized pack.
As well as the Chilling Brew ice pack, you can also choose from other types of ice packs. The Alaskan Series ice pack has a freezing point of 33.8° Fahrenheit which keeps chilled goods cold. The Tundra Series has a unique freezing point of 5° Fahrenheit and keeps frozen goods frozen.
Arctic Ice offers a lifetime warranty on the ice pack.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very good price
- Made in the USA
- Great for tailgating, day trips, traveling, barbecues and parties
- Ideal for a cooler or lunchbox
- Long-lasting rugged UV stabilized color container
- Expanded surface area provides exceptional cooling capacity and efficiency
- Superior plant-derived phase change material gel
- Non-toxic
- Ideal for everyday use
- Chillin’ Brew ice pack freezes at 28° Fahrenheit.
- Designed to keep beer and beverages cold for 10 to 12 hours
- Leak-proof ultra-sonic spin welded cap
- Maximum surface area for faster cooling
- Can be used with ice in ice chests and coolers
- Tested to be reusable up to 100,000 times
- Available in 3 sizes
- Available in an Alaskan Series and a Tundra Series
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- A bit pricey
- Need to be used with an additional bag of ice for long-term use
2. Bentgo Ice Lunch Chillers Ice Packs
Keep your food colder and fresher for longer with the colorful Bentgo Ice pack 4-pack.
Instead of using messy ice, the Bentgo ice packs are the perfect way to keep your meals, yogurt, fruit, and drinks cold up to four hours or more.
Designed to fit into the Bentgo bag, these hard, extra-thin, lightweight ice packs can also be used in a small cooler or lunch bag.
Filled with non-toxic quick-freezing cooling solution, you do not have to worry about any dangerous toxins leaking into your food. Made from BPA-free material, the ice packs are reusable and easy to clean. Simply handwash, dry, and return the pack to your freezer.
Great for adults, teens, and kids, the ice packs come in four attractive colors: blue, green, grey, and purple.
The ice pack 4-pack is covered by a 1-year warranty
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very affordable 4-pack
- Ideal for adults, teens, and kids
- Keeps food and drinks cold, fresh, and dry for 4 hours or more
- Designed to fit in the Bentgo bag
- Perfect for small coolers and lunch bags
- Hard extra thin and lightweight design
- Non-toxic solution
- BPA-free
- Reusable
- Easy to clean
- 4 attractive colors
- 1 Year warranty
Cons
- Not ideal for use in high-heat temperatures
- The plastic cap is not very heavy-duty
3. Cooler Shock Ice Pack
With superior cooling capabilities, the Cooler Shock Ice Pack 4-pack is a perfect match for your cooler bag.
Originally designed to keep blood shipments cold, the Cooler Shock ice pack is an excellent alternative to ice and dry ice.
Cooler Shock offers you the ultimate in advanced thermal technology and ice chilling power. Designed to phase-change at an ultra-low freezing point of 18° Fahrenheit, the non-toxic gel provides accelerated cooling for extended periods. So your food and drinks will stay amazingly cold for 24-48 hours.
Made in the USA, the ice pack has a durable 3-layered design that is flexible and fits easily into a cooler bag or ice box.
This ice pack does require some preparation, but it is straightforward to use. Add water to the dry mix, zip up the bag, and heat seal the bag with an iron. Cooler Shock also offers an ice pack that comes with a screwtop. Place the ice packs in your freezer, and within 24 hours, your packs will be frozen and ready to pack in your cooler.
Instead of lugging around 12 lbs of ice, the mid-weight 2 lb Cooler Shock ice pack helps you travel light. As the packs have a slim design, you can slip them easily in between your bottles or cans. The fully sealed pack also means no more dirty water in your cooler.
The ice packs are available as DIY fill-and-freeze packs or ready-to-freeze packs.
Pros
- High quality
- Excellent value for money
- Affordable price
- Made in the USA
- High-performance rapid cooling
- Superior phase-change-cooling gel
- Non-toxic
- A great alternative to ice and dry ice
- Reaches an ultra-low 18° Fahrenheit
- Durable 3-layered flexible material
- Fully reusable
- Easy to prepare
- Non-hazardous and non-toxic
- Child safe
- Lasts up to 24-48 hours depending on use
- Lightweight
- The 4 pack replaces 12 pounds of ice
- Available as a DIY pack or a ready-to-use pack
Cons
- The zip can be hard to close if you overfill the bag
- 48-hour chilling power will depend on the size of a cooler and how many packs you use
- Items placed in direct contact with the pack may freeze.
4. YETI ICE Cooler Ice Pack
Enjoy icy cold drinks with the YETI ICE Cooler Ice Pack.
The YETI ICE reusable ice pack is specifically designed for the YETI Hopper or Tundra but it is a great choice for any type of cooler or ice box.
Made for rough outdoor environments, the rigid ice pack has a hard break-resistant fully-sealed plastic design to withstand the toughest of tumbles.
Filled with non-toxic scientifically advanced gel, the ice pack has a low freezing point of 28° Fahrenheit, which keeps drinks cold for 24 hours. The ice pack’s custom shape reduces its freezing time, which is between 4 to 12 hours, depending on your freezer.
There is a large handle in the middle of the pack, which makes it easy to grab when you need quick access to your beverages.
You can use the ice pack as an ice substitute or as an addition to your normal stash of ice in a larger cooler.
The YETI ice pack comes in three sizes: 1lb, 2lb or 4lb.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Ideal for a Hopper, Tundra, or similar ice box
- Tough, hard, break-resistant, fully sealed plastic design
- Scientifically advanced ice chilling gel
- Low freezing point of 28° Fahrenheit
- Can last up to 24 hours
- Non-toxic and food-safe
- Reusable
- Custom shape reduces freezing time
- Works as an ice substitute or in addition to your ice stash
- Easy-grab handle
- 3 sizes
Cons
- Expensive
- Needs to be used in an appropriately sized container to be effective
- Smaller sized ice pack can thaw out quickly
5. FlexiFreeze Ice Pack Sheets
The FlexiFreeze Ice Sheet is a chemical-free, convenient and economical replacement for soggy bags of ice.
Each plastic ice sheet contains 88 individual cubes that are filled with 100% water, so the ice sheet is safe to use with your food.
There are so many possibilities for the FlexiFreeze Ice Sheets. Specially designed for delicate food items like fruit or bottles, the ice sheets will keep your food fresh in summer without damaging them. You can cut the frozen sheets to fit inside a small cooler, lunch box or an insulated lunch bag.
Extremely flexible, the lightweight sheets can be molded around a bottle or a carton of milk. Hosting a party? You can place a sheet under a dessert or food tray to keep your culinary delights cool and fresh. You can even use an ice sheet for pain relief on your back or leg.
With a compact 19.25 x 15.5 inch design, the sheets fit easily into the freezer and will be frozen in 12 hours, and they are reusable.
The ice sheets come in a 3, 6, or 12-pack.
FlexiFreeze offer a 90-day warranty on the ice sheets.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Keeps food chilled for 4 to 12 hours
- 88 individual cubes contain 100% water
- Chemical-free and mess-free
- Can be cut to fit a cooler, lunch box, or insulated lunch bag
- Extremely flexible
- Lightweight
- Can be wrapped around a bottle or carton or placed under a plate
- Can be used for pain relief
- Compact sheets easily fit into the freezer
- Very good 12-hour freezing time
- Available in a 3, 6, or 12-pack
- 90-day warranty
Cons
- Not ideal for long-term chilling or for a large cooler bag
- Chilling time will depend on your cooler bag
- Ice sheets can melt quickly
- Plastic can break easily when used against sharp objects
6. Fit & Fresh Cool Cooler Ice Pack
The Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers Ice Packs are a fantastic way to keep your child’s lunch cool and fresh.
Totally safe to use, the ice packs are freezer-safe, non-toxic, and BPA-free. Just place one or two ice packs in a lunch box and the blue gel will keep food cool and fresh up to four hours. The ice packs are reusable, and to keep them clean, just hand wash them to keep the packs good as new.
Kids love these colorful ice packs. The pack contains four fun and bright colors, and an assortment of shapes: aquatic creatures, butterflies, cars, flowers, owls, penguins, and sunglasses. With a 4.75 x 3.15 x 0.25-inch slim space-saving design, the Cool Coolers leave plenty of room for your child’s lunch.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money 4-pack
- Excellent price
- Ideal for lunch boxes and lunch bags
- Freezer-safe, non-toxic, food safe freezing gel
- BPA-free
- Lasts up to 4 hours
- Slim space-saving design
- Reusable
- Fun bright colors and shapes
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Not ideal for long-lasting cooling
- Lunch bags need to be insulated for cooling effectiveness
- Ice packs cannot be placed in the dishwasher or microwave
- Hand wash only
7. Healthy Packers Ice Pack
If you are heading off on a camping day trip or packing lunch for work, the Healthy Packers Ice Pack 4-pack will keep your food deliciously fresh and cold.
Safe and durable, the reusable plastic cooler packs are 100% BPA-free and are filled with a non-toxic blue gel. Quick freezing, the packs will be frozen solid in about four hours depending on your freezer.
You do not have to worry about your sandwiches or fruit staying fresh as the ice packs will chill your food from 6 to 12 hours.
With a new compact 4.8 x 4.8 x 0.6 inch design, the slim, lightweight ice packs fit in all size lunch boxes, tote bags, insulated lunch bags, and coolers.
The ice packs come in a 4-pack and an 8-pack.
Healthy Packers offer a money-back guarantee on the ice packs.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very affordable price
- Ideal for lunch boxes, small coolers, and tote bags
- Can be used for school, office or camping
- Durable hard plastic
- Reusable
- 100% BPA-free
- Non-toxic blue gel
- Leak-free
- Quick freezing
- Chills food and drinks up to 6 or 12 hours
- New compact slim design
- Lightweight
- Available in a 4-pack and an 8-pack
- Money-back guarantee
Cons
- Cooling effectiveness will depend on the size of the bag or cooler
- Not recommended for use in hot temperatures
8. ThermaFreeze Ice Pack Sheets
The ThermaFreeze Ice Pack Sheets are an effective lightweight cooling solution for your cooler bag, lunch bag, or catering event.
Made in the USA, the strong 3-ply ice sheets have 2.5 x 2.5-inch squares that contain non-toxic beads that absorb up to 25 times their weight in water.
Shipped and stored flat, the ThermaFreeze ice sheets need to be hydrated and frozen prior to use, but they are very easy to use. Just soak the sheets in warm water, dry, freeze, and your food or drinks will stay cool up to 6 hours.
Incredibly versatile and ultra-flexible even when frozen, the ThermaFreeze ice packs can be used in multiple ways. Fold or cut the sheet to fit inside a small cooler bag. Wrap a sheet around a soda bottle or individual food containers. As the sheets have a thin foil backing on one side and a soft cloth on the other side, you can use an ice sheet for pain relief.
Lightweight and compact, the ice sheets take up minimal space in a cooler. Best of all, the sheets evaporate with no wet condensation, so there is no mess to clean up inside your cooler bag.
The ice sheets are available in white, black, or silver. Depending on the color you choose, the ice sheets come in different sized packs, from a 1-pack up to an extra large 300-pack.
Pros
- High quality
- Excellent value for money
- Affordable price
- Perfect for short term cooling
- Made in the USA
- Long-lasting 3-ply construction
- Reusable
- Expandable non-toxic beads absorb up to 25 times their weight in water
- Ultra-flexible even when frozen
- Can be folded or cut
- Lightweight and compact
- Can be used for lunch bags or small coolers
- Easy to prepare
- Strong thin foil backing on one side and soft comfortable cloth on the other side
- Can be used for cold therapy relief
- Suitable for use by kids and adults
- Available in white, black, or silver
- Different sized packs available
Cons
- Needs to be dry before freezing for best performance
- Not ideal for keeping food cold longer than 2 – 6 hours
- Leaks can occur if the foil comes off the sheet
Our Top Pick for the Best Ice Pack
Our top pick for the best ice pack is the Cooler Shock Ice Pack.
We highly recommend the Cooler Shock Ice Pack for your soft or hard cooler bag.
Rated as the Number One High-Performance Ice Pack, the Cooler Shock outperforms regular ice in every way. This incredible ice pack delivers maximized chilling power that is colder than ice.
Its slim design gives you more room for your snacks and drinks and makes your cooler bag lighter to carry. Most importantly, the reusable ice packs will save you money. Whether you are partying on the beach or entertaining friends in your garden on a warm sultry evening, you will enjoy ice-chilled food and drinks all summer long.
