Best Patio Coolers of 2026, Tested by Our Experts

Getting to sip on an ice-cold iced tea or cola in the yard is one more thing to love about summer. There are few things as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot day. If you host often in your backyard, you know that the endless trips into the house for refills can get pretty tiring. Patio coolers are one solution for this. They’re large coolers on wheels meant to be kept outside all summer long. The wheels lock into place so they don’t roll away, and they can fit much more than a small cooler can.

We spent several days testing three patio coolers in our labs. We assembled each cooler, loaded them up with ice and colas, monitored the temperature inside for 26 hours, rolled them down the halls, and noted any additional features, like attached bottle openers, each model had.