Ice Retention / The rankings
The best ice packs for coolers: what Outdoor Life measured, and which ones carry a warranty
Every ice pack in Outdoor Life's test warmed past 28°F within four hours on a counter. Inside a cooler under real ice they last days. Six ranked on the measured start, the four-hour reading, the term and the price.
By Mike M.Updated Sourced · units tested by us: 0
#adReader-supported: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never decides a ranking. How we rank · Disclosure
Quick picks
The rankings at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  YETI Thin Ice Large The coldest start in Outdoor Life's test (-5°F) and 28°F after 4 hours, in a hard shell you can stack cans on. YETI ICE carries the 5-year term. | Coldest start, 5-year term5-yr warranty | 8.4 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 2 | Igloo MaxCold Ice Large Freeze Block Outdoor Life's Best Overall ice pack: 5°F out of the freezer, 31°F after 4 hours on a counter, for $7.99. A 2 lb gel block with a 90-day term. | Outdoor Life's Best Overall, $890-day warranty | 8.0 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 3 | Engel Cooler Pack 5 lb (32°F) A phase-change pack that holds at 32°F instead of freezing your food, with a limited lifetime warranty printed on the product page. Not tested by a third party we could cite. | Best 32°F pack, lifetime termLifetime warranty | 7.9 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 4 | Cooler Shock Ice Packs (3-pack) The coldest pack in Outdoor Life's test at 4°F out of the freezer and 30°F after 4 hours. Sold as a 3-pack for about $35; the maker's site redirects to Amazon, so the warranty is unverified. | Outdoor Life's ColdestWarranty: unverified | 7.7 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 5 | Arctic Zone High Performance Ice Packs (set of 2) Two packs for $13.99 under Arctic Zone's limited lifetime warranty. No third-party test we could cite; the page carries a frostbite warning, which tells you they freeze hard. | Cheapest lifetime termLifetime warranty | 7.5 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 6 | RTIC Ice Pack Small (2-pack) 1°F out of the freezer but 37°F after 4 hours in Outdoor Life's test: cold, then not. Fine for a lunch box; 90-day term. | Lunch-box size90-day warranty | 6.4 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
#ad · Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Scores are ours, built from published specs, quoted warranty terms and cited third-party ice-retention tests, not our own measurements. Photos are illustrative stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
What Outdoor Life measured
Outdoor Life, June 12, 2025, Laura Lancaster: “After freezing the ice packs for over thirty-six hours, I took them out and placed them on the counter to measure their initial temperature using an infrared thermometer,” then again at four hours. Results: Igloo MaxCold Ice Block 5°F start, 31°F at four hours (Best Overall). Cooler Shock 4°F, 30°F (Coldest). Arctic Chillin' Brew -2°F, 30°F. YETI Thin Ice Large -5°F, 28°F. Bass Pro Cool Pack 3°F, 29°F. Igloo Performance Ice 11°F, 31°F. RTIC Ice Pack Small 1°F, 37°F. Oyster 6°F, 30°F. Cool Coolers 1°F, 48°F. Igloo Natural Ice 3°F, 61°F. Bass Pro Freeze Pack 5°F, 57°F. A bag of ice: 32°F, 32°F. That is one protocol on an open counter, which is the harshest possible condition; it separates packs that are built to hold cold from packs that are built to be blue.
Side by side
| Evidence | YETI Thin Ice Large | Igloo MaxCold Ice Large Freeze Block | Cooler Shock Ice Packs (3-pack) | RTIC Ice Pack Small (2-pack) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice retention (reported) | -5°F start, 28°F after 4 hours (Outdoor Life) | 5°F start, 31°F after 4 hours on a counter following a 36-hour freeze (Outdoor Life, Best Overall) | 4°F start, 30°F after 4 hours (Outdoor Life, 'Coldest') | 1°F start, 37°F after 4 hours (Outdoor Life) |
| Material | — | Reusable, non-toxic freezable gel block | — | — |
| Weight | — | 2.05 lb | — | — |
| Warranty | 5-year limited (YETI ICE) | 90 days (Igloo ice substitutes) | Unverified: coolershock.com redirects to an Amazon storefront; no warranty page found | 90 days (RTIC Gear & Accessories) |
| Score | 8.4/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.7/10 | 6.4/10 |
| Evidence | Engel Cooler Pack 5 lb (32°F) | Arctic Zone High Performance Ice Packs (set of 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Phase change | 2.5 lb and 5 lb packs: 32°F; 0.75 lb pack: 28°F | — |
| Ice retention (reported) | Unverified: no third-party test found as of 2026-09-21 | Unverified: no third-party test found as of 2026-09-21 |
| Exterior | XL 11 × 8.75 × 2 in; L 9.5 × 7.5 × 1.25 in; S 6.3 × 4.25 × 1.25 in | — |
| Material | — | Gel packs; 'Do not freeze if pack is punctured'; frostbite warning on handling |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime (stated on the Cooler Packs product page) | Limited lifetime (Arctic Zone) |
| Score | 7.9/10 | 7.5/10 |
Packs vs ice
Phase-change packs are a separate case. Engel's 2.5 lb and 5 lb packs are formulated to hold at 32°F rather than freeze as cold as possible; the 0.75 lb pack holds at 28°F. That is the pack for a cooler of produce or a lunch bag, where a -5°F YETI block would freeze the lettuce. It is not the pack for keeping meat frozen. Engel prints a limited lifetime warranty on that product page, the longest term of any pack here.
On terms, the packs split like the coolers: YETI ICE is in YETI's five-year group; Engel and Arctic Zone print lifetime; Igloo gives ice substitutes 90 days; RTIC gives gear and accessories 90 days. For an $8 block, 90 days is fine. For a $25 hard-shell YETI, the 5 years is part of the price.
In detail
The picks, in full
Rank 1
Stock photoColdest start, 5-year term
YETI Thin Ice Large
The coldest start in Outdoor Life's test (-5°F) and 28°F after 4 hours, in a hard shell you can stack cans on. YETI ICE carries the 5-year term.
Spec sheetSourced · not tested by us
| Category | Ice pack |
|---|---|
| Warranty (quoted) | 5-year limited (YETI ICE) |
| Wear parts | Not applicable. |
| Ice retention (reported) | -5°F start, 28°F after 4 hours (Outdoor Life) |
How the 8.4 score breaks down
- Performance (reported) (35%)
- 10
- Durability & warranty (25%)
- 9
- Fit & compatibility (20%)
- 7
- Value (20%)
- 6
What the spec sheet supports
- Lowest temperature out of the freezer in the test
- Hard shell; no punctures, no gel leaks
- 5-year term on an ice pack
Where it falls short
- $25 for one pack
- Hard shells take cooler space
- Works best alongside ice, not instead of it
Skip this if…
…you need to cover a cooler floor cheaply; three Cooler Shocks cost less than two of these.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to YETI Thin Ice Large
Rank 2
Stock photoOutdoor Life's Best Overall, $8
Igloo MaxCold Ice Large Freeze Block
Outdoor Life's Best Overall ice pack: 5°F out of the freezer, 31°F after 4 hours on a counter, for $7.99. A 2 lb gel block with a 90-day term.
Spec sheetSourced · not tested by us
| Category | Ice pack |
|---|---|
| Warranty (quoted) | 90 days (Igloo ice substitutes) |
| Wear parts | Not applicable. |
| Ice retention (reported) | 5°F start, 31°F after 4 hours on a counter following a 36-hour freeze (Outdoor Life, Best Overall) |
| Material | Reusable, non-toxic freezable gel block |
| Weight | 2.05 lb |
How the 8.0 score breaks down
- Performance (reported) (35%)
- 9
- Durability & warranty (25%)
- 5
- Fit & compatibility (20%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 10
What the spec sheet supports
- Won Outdoor Life's test at the lowest price in it
- 2 lb block lies flat under a layer of ice
- Sold in four sizes
Where it falls short
- 90-day term
- Gel blocks crack if dropped frozen
- Not a phase-change pack; it warms like ice does
Skip this if…
…you want a pack that stays at 32°F on purpose (Engel) or freezes colder for longer (YETI Thin Ice).
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Igloo MaxCold Ice Large Freeze Block
Rank 3
Stock photoBest 32°F pack, lifetime term
Engel Cooler Pack 5 lb (32°F)
A phase-change pack that holds at 32°F instead of freezing your food, with a limited lifetime warranty printed on the product page. Not tested by a third party we could cite.
Spec sheetSourced · not tested by us
| Category | Ice pack |
|---|---|
| Warranty (quoted) | Limited lifetime (stated on the Cooler Packs product page) |
| Wear parts | Not applicable. |
| Ice retention (reported) | Unverified: no third-party test found as of 2026-09-21 |
| Exterior | XL 11 × 8.75 × 2 in; L 9.5 × 7.5 × 1.25 in; S 6.3 × 4.25 × 1.25 in |
| Phase change | 2.5 lb and 5 lb packs: 32°F; 0.75 lb pack: 28°F |
How the 7.9 score breaks down
- Performance (reported) (35%)
- 7
- Durability & warranty (25%)
- 9
- Fit & compatibility (20%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 8
What the spec sheet supports
- Holds at 32°F: refrigerator-safe without freezing produce
- Lifetime term
- $19.99
Where it falls short
- No measured figure we could cite
- Two inches thick in XL
- Phase-change packs warm faster than a colder gel once they change
Skip this if…
…you want the coldest pack; a 32°F pack is designed not to be.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Engel Cooler Pack 5 lb (32°F)
Rank 4
Stock photoOutdoor Life's Coldest
Cooler Shock Ice Packs (3-pack)
The coldest pack in Outdoor Life's test at 4°F out of the freezer and 30°F after 4 hours. Sold as a 3-pack for about $35; the maker's site redirects to Amazon, so the warranty is unverified.
Spec sheetSourced · not tested by us
| Category | Ice pack |
|---|---|
| Warranty (quoted) | Unverified: coolershock.com redirects to an Amazon storefront; no warranty page found |
| Wear parts | Not applicable. |
| Ice retention (reported) | 4°F start, 30°F after 4 hours (Outdoor Life, 'Coldest') |
How the 7.7 score breaks down
- Performance (reported) (35%)
- 9
- Durability & warranty (25%)
- 6
- Fit & compatibility (20%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 7
What the spec sheet supports
- Coldest measured start temperature in the test
- Three flat packs cover a cooler floor
- Reusable
Where it falls short
- No manufacturer page we could read
- Warranty unknown
- $35 for three
Skip this if…
…you want a warranty term you can read.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Cooler Shock Ice Packs (3-pack)
Rank 5
Stock photoCheapest lifetime term
Arctic Zone High Performance Ice Packs (set of 2)
Two packs for $13.99 under Arctic Zone's limited lifetime warranty. No third-party test we could cite; the page carries a frostbite warning, which tells you they freeze hard.
Spec sheetSourced · not tested by us
| Category | Ice pack |
|---|---|
| Warranty (quoted) | Limited lifetime (Arctic Zone) |
| Wear parts | Not applicable. |
| Ice retention (reported) | Unverified: no third-party test found as of 2026-09-21 |
| Material | Gel packs; 'Do not freeze if pack is punctured'; frostbite warning on handling |
How the 7.5 score breaks down
- Performance (reported) (35%)
- 6
- Durability & warranty (25%)
- 8
- Fit & compatibility (20%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 9
What the spec sheet supports
- Lifetime term
- $13.99 for two
- Sized for lunch coolers and small soft coolers
Where it falls short
- No measured figure
- Gel; punctures end it
- Small
Skip this if…
…you need a floor-covering block for a hard cooler.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Arctic Zone High Performance Ice Packs (set of 2)
Rank 6
Stock photoLunch-box size
RTIC Ice Pack Small (2-pack)
1°F out of the freezer but 37°F after 4 hours in Outdoor Life's test: cold, then not. Fine for a lunch box; 90-day term.
Spec sheetSourced · not tested by us
| Category | Ice pack |
|---|---|
| Warranty (quoted) | 90 days (RTIC Gear & Accessories) |
| Wear parts | Not applicable. |
| Ice retention (reported) | 1°F start, 37°F after 4 hours (Outdoor Life) |
How the 6.4 score breaks down
- Performance (reported) (35%)
- 6
- Durability & warranty (25%)
- 5
- Fit & compatibility (20%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 7
What the spec sheet supports
- Very cold start
- Small format for lunch coolers
- Two in the pack
Where it falls short
- Warmed past 32°F within 4 hours in the test
- 90-day term
- $20
Skip this if…
…it has to last past lunch.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to RTIC Ice Pack Small (2-pack)
Buyer's guide: packs that earn their space
Hard shell for a hard cooler
Gel packs puncture under a case of cans; a hard shell (YETI, Igloo block) does not. Soft gel packs belong in lunch bags.
Cover the floor
Two large blocks cover most 45-quart floors. Packs supplement ice, so buy floor coverage, not volume.
32°F for produce, -5°F for meat
Engel's phase-change packs for the lettuce cooler; YETI Thin Ice or Cooler Shock for the meat cooler.
Freeze them 36 hours
Outdoor Life froze for over 36 hours before testing. A pack frozen overnight is not at its floor temperature.
Pre-chill with them
They go in the night before and stay in for the trip. How to pre-chill a cooler.
How we scored this
Units we claim to have tested: 0
Plenty of sites say they filled every cooler on this list with ice and watched it for a week. We don't say that, and we say so on every page. What we do instead: read the maker's published capacity, insulation, dimensions and weight; quote the warranty term from the maker's own warranty page with the date we read it; check whether the latches, gaskets, plugs, lids and straws are sold as parts; and cite the third-party ice-retention tests (OutdoorGearLab, Outdoor Life, Treeline, Outside, Gear Patrol) as their measurements, never ours. Every figure links to where it came from.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not lab results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Corrections & updates
- First published with Outdoor Life's June 12, 2025 figures.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the best ice pack for a cooler?
Outdoor Life's Best Overall is the Igloo MaxCold Ice Large Freeze Block (5°F start, 31°F at four hours, $8). The YETI Thin Ice had the coldest start (-5°F) and carries a 5-year term. Cooler Shock was the coldest at four hours (30°F).
How many ice packs do you need for a cooler?
Enough to cover the floor, then ice on top. Packs supplement ice; in Outdoor Life's test every pack warmed past 28°F within four hours in open air.
Are ice packs better than ice?
Colder to start and mess-free, but they run out of cooling faster than melting ice, which sits at 32°F until it is gone. Use both: packs on the bottom, ice on top.
What ice pack lasts the longest?
In open air, the YETI Thin Ice (28°F at four hours) and Cooler Shock (30°F) held lowest in Outdoor Life's test. In a cooler under ice, any hard pack lasts days.
Did you test these?
No. Units we claim to have tested: 0. Measurements are Outdoor Life's; terms are quoted from the makers.
Keep reading
Related on Chill & Chest
Receipts
Sources
- Outdoor Life — "Best Ice Packs for Coolers", June 12, 2025, 36-hour freeze test (read 2026-09-21)
- Igloo — MaxCold Ice Large Freeze Block product page (read 2026-09-21)
- Igloo — Warranty Policy (read 2026-09-21)
- Engel — Cooler Packs 32°F & 28°F product page (read 2026-09-21)
- Arctic Zone — Set of 2 High Performance Ice Packs product page (read 2026-09-21)
- Arctic Zone / Titan — Warranty page (read 2026-09-21)
- YETI — Warranty Information (YETI's warranty page as republished by Acme Tools, an authorized YETI dealer; read 2026-09-21)
- RTIC — Warranty page (read 2026-09-21)
We don't claim to have tested these coolers or tumblers and we don't pretend to. Units we claim to have tested: 0. Specs come from the maker's own product pages (linked on every product), warranty terms from the maker's warranty page with the date we read it, and ice-retention measurements are attributed to whoever made them. Amazon prices change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.