Best Floating Cooler for the River

If you’re going out on the river for multiple hours on a hot summer day, a floating cooler might be the perfect choice for you to hold drinks and snacks. Inflatable floating coolers can also come in handy in the pool, lake, ocean, or during other water activities. Here we will take a look at some of the best options for inflatable floating coolers. 

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Best Inflatable Water Coolers 

  1. Intex Mega Chill, Inflatable Floating Cooler, 35″ Diameter
  2. CoolerZ Floating Inflatable Cooler
  3. Intex Mega Chill II, Inflatable Floating Cooler, 48″ X 38″
  4. Sevylor Cooler Float
  5. CreekKooler – Outdoor Insulated Floating Cooler – 30 Quart – Beige

1. Intex Mega Chill, Inflatable Floating Cooler, 35″ Diameter – Best Cheap Floating Cooler

 

Product Features

Brand Name: Intex
Colors: Blue and white
Size: 35″ Diameter

The top spot on our list of floating coolers goes to the Intex Mega Chill Inflatable Cooler. This cooler measures a whopping 35″ in diameter and includes 5 side cup holders and 2 snack trays. There are also to side handles for easily moving this cooler around. The best thing about this cooler is that if you have an Intex Inflatable Tube, you can easily connect the cooler to it, so that it stays by your side floating down the river. Overall this is an excellent budget-friendly cooler that we highly recommend.

 

Pros
  • Budget friendly
  • 35″ in diameter
  • 5 cup holders
Cons
  • This one is designed to connect to other Intex tubes, if you don’t have an Intex tube, you can still use it.

 

2. CoolerZ Floating Inflatable Cooler – Top Pick for Floating Pool Cooler

Product Features

Brand Name: CoolerZ
Colors: Blue and white
Size: 27.5″ Diameter

The next spot on our list goes to the CoolerZ Floating Inflatable Cooler. This cooler measures 27.5″ in diameter and is 18.5″ Tall. It has 6 cup holders and 2 handles on the side for easy carrying. Overall this is a great cooler that is easy to inflate and pretty affordable as well. It is not as long as the Intex cooler, but it is made up for in height. This one is better for pools and lakes the floating down the river.

 

Pros
  • 6 cup holders
  • 18.5″ tall
  • Affordable
Cons
  • This one is better for pools and lakes than rivers.

 

3. Intex Mega Chill II, Inflatable Floating Cooler, 48″ X 38″ – Best Extra Large Floating Cooler

 

Product Features

Brand Name: Intex
Colors: Blue and white
Size: 48″ x 38″

The third spot on our list goes to the Intex Mega Chill 2. If you’re looking for extra large floating cooler for the river this is about as large of one as you will find. It measures 48″ x 38″ and features a removable ice chest, 6 cup holders, and four handles for easy carrying. You can also use this to carry a 48 quart regular cooler for additional space. As with all Intex brand inflatables, this one is designed to easily connect to other Intex tubes, so if you have an Intex floating tube and want a large cooler, this is a good option.

 

Pros
  • Extra large cooler
  • 6 cup holders
  • Can connect to other Intex tubes
Cons
  • A little bit more expensive than their smaller floating coolers

 

4. Sevylor Cooler Float – Best Cheap Inflatable Cooler Float

 

Product Features

Brand Name: Sevylor
Colors: Green
Size: Holds 28 Quart Cooler

The next spot on our list goes to the Sevylor Inflatable Cooler Float. Though this one is not truly a cooler, but a float tube designed to hold your cooler. If you already have a cooler that is 28 quarts are less, you might be better of buying this affordable float. This one features 4 cup holders and is easily inflated. The only drawback of this one is that it is pretty small, and again is only designed to keep a cooler floating. It’s still a great value and something you may want to consider if you already have a cooler and want to save money.

 

Pros
  • Very Cheap
  • 4 Cup Holders
Cons
  • This one is just a float for a cooler, not actually supposed to be used as a cooler itself

 

5. CreekKooler – Outdoor Insulated Floating Cooler – 30 Quart – Beige – Best High-End Durable Floating Cooler

 

Product Features

Brand Name: CreekKooler
Colors: Beige, blue, red, yellow, white
Size: 30 quart capacity

Last on our list is the CreekKooler Outdoor Insulated Floating Cooler. This cooler holds 30 quarts which is equivalent to about 20lbs of ice and 30 cans. It is watertight with a locking lid designed to keep out water and is made to be towed behind your boat, raft, or kayak. It also features four cup holders and can be used on land as well. The total length of this cooler is about 39.5″ and it can retain ice up to 48 hours, making it an excellent long-lasting cooler for all your water and camping needs. Overall this is a very durable well-built cooler. If you’re looking for something large, that can retain cold for up to 2 days, while being more durable than your standard inflatable cooler, that is the option for you. The only drawback is that it is significantly more expensive than the other coolers on the list, but you don’t have to worry about it getting holes and deflating, so it might be worth it in the long run.

 

Pros
  • 30 quart cooler
  • Very durable (non-inflatable so won’t get holes)
  • 4 Cup holders
Cons
  • Somewhat expensive

 

River Floating Inflatable Cooler Buying Guide

When shopping for an inflatable cooler for rivers, pools, and lakes there are a few things you will want to look for

  1. Size
  2. Cup Holders
  3. Cost

How to Choose a Floating Cooler

1. Size

The first thing we always look at is the size of the cooler. If you’re going out with a large group and planning on being out on the water for several hours you will likely need a large cooler or multiple coolers.

2. Cup Holders

We always like coolers that have plenty of cup holders. Sometimes when you’re out on the water, you may not want to carry open drinks in your hands. This is why more cup holders always come in handy.

3. Cost

Lastly, the cost can also be an important factor when buying a cooler. Typically large ones cost a little more than smaller coolers. But overall they are pretty inexpensive, so you should be fine splurging for a slightly bigger one if needed.