Best 12V Cool Boxes 2026
Competition is hot in the search for the king of coolers
A picnic or holiday trip could be ruined if you arrive to find your sandwiches are soggy and your water is warm. While a cool box will keep the contents chilly for a few hours using ice blocks, it is tricky to regulate the temperature. A can of drink is fine being near to freezing point, but the cold will wilt a salad.
The answer could be a powered cool box or mini fridge. These use a feed from your car’s 12V socket, and most can then switch to mains power at your destination. Besides keeping the contents cooler for longer, they will also regulate the temperature. Plus, most can keep food warm if you need to.
For this test we have looked at boxes that can slip into the boot of your car or be secured between rear-seat passengers. Which is the ruler of the coolers?
How we tested
We imagined going away for a camping trip, so plugged the boxes in at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees C and measured the surface temperature of a full drinks can after one, two and three hours. We then unplugged the coolers and checked the can two hours later. We also checked noise levels with the fan at maximum and scored the boxes’ quality, accessories and value.
Hi-Gear Thermec 25L Portable Fridge
- Price: around £100 (£80 with membership)
- Capacity: 25 litres
- Average temp: 12.1 degrees
- Rating: 5.0 stars
- Contact: gooutdoors.co.uk
Used - available now
2024 SEAT
Arona
13,954 milesAutomaticPetrol1.0L
Cash £15,449
2022 Nissan
Qashqai
34,576 milesManualPetrol1.3L
Cash £14,550
2023 Nissan
Juke
28,535 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £13,610
2022 Audi
A4 Avant
23,277 milesManualPetrol2.0L
Cash £19,470The Thermec cools its contents with a fan rather than a compressor, but it still managed to chill our can down to an impressive low of 8.1 degrees. The large storage area is evenly sized and deep enough for a two-litre bottle.
The cables for the 220V and 12V sockets are stored in a compartment built into the lid and are hardwired, so they can’t get lost. Meanwhile, the whole box weighs 5.1 kg, making it one of the lightest here.
The cost is low too. Although the list price is £100, pay £5 to become a member of Go Outdoors club and the box’s price drops to £80.
Bouge RV CRH20
- Price: around £287.99
- Capacity: 20 litres
- Average temp: 7.1 degrees
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: uk.bougerv.com
The Bouge RV is a big investment, but if you are serious about keeping your cool, it’s brilliant. It runs a compressor just like a domestic fridge, which means it can chill all the way down to -18 degrees C – the same as your deep freeze.
It can take power from a home three-pin plug or a 12V car socket, but the real bonus is the ability to use a built-in 240Wh battery pack. This meant it would cool quickly and then keep the contents at a fridge-like temperature for an extra day and a half after it was unplugged. The inside is small, though.
Halfords 8 Litre In-Car Electric Coolbox
- Price: around £45
- Capacity: 8 litres
- Average temp: 12.8 deg
- Rating: 4.0 stars
- Contact: halfords.com
Halfords’ smallest box is designed to keep drinks and snacks for a journey cool rather than chill everything the family will need for a week’s camping. It has space for 11 standard 330ml drinks cans and some neat features to make life on a trip easier, such as a USB outlet to keep a phone charged, and two cup-holders. We also like the slot for a seatbelt so the box can be kept securely in place. The small size means the temperature drops quickly too, but it needs an adaptor to run on 220 volts. It’s also noisy, so the passengers sitting nearby might want headphones.
VonShef 28L Electric Cool Box
- Price: around £79.99
- Capacity: 28 litres
- Ave. temp: 13.0 deg
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: vonhaus.com
The VonShef has some clever features at a good price. The big compartment can store up to 38 soft drink cans and has a removable separator, which doubles up as a freezer block to help with the chilling. It also has an extending handle and wheels to help move it around, although it will struggle on anything but smooth surfaces.
The temperature of the can inside dipped to 10.9 degrees at its lowest, but the motor is noisy enough to annoy anyone sitting next to it. It also uses more power than the other fan coolers here.
Halfords Advanced Compressor Coolbox 32L
- Price: around £200
- Capacity: 32 litres
- Ave. temp: 8.1 deg
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: halfords.com
If you have a big family, the huge capacity of the 32-litre Halfords Advanced means you can pack it with up to 54 standard soft drink cans. Because it is a compressor chiller, you can program the temperature to go down to deep-freeze levels if you need them. The motor is quiet too, and we appreciated the long cables – both 12 and 220V. The clever lid can open from either side or be removed completely and will support up to 100kg if you want to stand on it to get a better view at an event. The box’s steep price will narrow its appeal though.
Outwell Ecocool 24
- Price: around £100
- Capacity: 24 litres
- Ave. temp: 12.5 deg
- Rating: 3.0 stars
- Contact: outwell.com
There is nothing wrong with the Ecocool, but rivals do a better job and cost less. We liked the folding handle and internal divider that doubles as an icepack, but the fan and motor are the second noisiest. The box has two power settings and UK and Euro plug cables, plus the 12V wiring.
The compartment couldn’t take two-litre bottles without leaving the lid ajar though, and the plastic soon becomes scratched and looks scruffy.
Verdict
For the average driver, the Hi-Gear Thermec 25L Portable Fridge offers a winning blend of performance, price and features. If you are feeling flush, then the Bouge RV CRH20 could be a game-changer for campers thanks to its internal battery pack. At the other end of the scale is Halfords’ 8 Litre Coolbox. It is tiny, but perfect for keeping drinks chilled on a long trip.
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