Cool Boxes Tested

A powered cool box is an in-car essential for family days out. We pick the best from 10 top buys...

Auto Express Car Reviews

March 2009

Temperatures and tempers rise as the weather heats up – but a cold drink will help you and your passengers chill out on the road.

A powered cool box is the perfect place to store them. Hooked up to your car’s cigar lighter socket, these devices can be a ready supply not only of drinks, but also snacks and meals – all kept at just the right temperature.

They come in various shapes and sizes, and some will also keep food warm when the temperature drops. But which is the one to go for?

We plugged in 10 and packed them with food and drink to find out.

The Test

How low will they go? We ran each box for two hours to see how cold they could get, before packing them with common picnic items to rate how well they used the space available. For this vital test, we used 330ml and 500ml cans, plus 1.5-litre and two-litre drinks bottles and sandwich boxes. Finally, we looked for features like power switches and lights, lead storage, battery monitors and cut-offs, plus mains supply, before considering price.

Contacts

Halfords 0845 762 6625 www.halfords.com
Campingaz 01275 845024 www.campingaz.com
Koolatron 01634 297383 www.koolatron.com
Mobicool (Dometic) 0844 626 0130 www.dometic.com
Waeco (Dometic) 0844 626 0130 www.dometic.com
Black & Decker 01753 567055 www.blackanddecker.co.uk
Maplin (Nikkai) 0844 557 6000 www.maplin.co.uk
Ring 0113 213 2000 www.ringautomotive.co.uk

Verdict

It’s victory for Halfords’ 20-litre cooler. It offers just the right balance between price and practicality, and has nearly all our must-have features. We’ve handed out a pair of Recommended awards here – as two products really excel, but will appeal to buyers with different needs. The 30-litre Campingaz PowerBox Deluxe is packed with features, and gets incredibly cold.

At the other end of the size scale, the nine-litre Black & Decker is perfect for drinks and will even make ice cubes for them.