Chill out: The best camping fridges of 2024

Portable, powerful and affordable, Hi-Gear's exceptionally cheap cooler isn't exactly a camping fridge. But, thankfully, it does offer similar cooling capabilities to the competition.

We love the lightweight design and functionality, and you don't have to leave it on charge either. This cooler retains its temperature for up to two hours outdoors.

For deeper cooling capabilities, however, the Hi-Gear cooler isn't the best. It cools to 18 degrees below the ambient temperature, so if it's particularly scorching, your food might become unsafe. For drinks, however, this is hardly a concern - you're not getting the ultimately chilly beverages you might want, but they'll still be cold.

The Alpicool CX40 portable refrigerator is excellent for a week-long camping trip or road expedition, when good food and plenty of beverages are a must. Carefully balancing value and performance, this 40-litre camping fridge can hold a huge amount of drinks. Alpicool estimate that it can store 15 bottles of wine or 57 300ml cans.

Built for rapid cooling, the Alpicool CX40 can reach 0°C in approximately 15 minutes (depending on the environment). Not only is it ideal for keeping your barbecue ingredients fresh, but it has a minimum temperature of -20°C. That's right, this portable camping fridge can also serve as a very respectable camping freezer.

Portable as it may be, you'll need a nearby power source to use it. Luckily, having a car is enough – simply hook it to the lighter port.

For the ultimate cooling, a great amount of space, and a decent degree of portability, we think Alpicool's CX40 40-litre camping fridge steals the show. With all of your food needs met, all you'll need for a long venture into the wilderness is a camping stove and a great sleeping bag.

A smaller yet considerably more rugged and portable design, Alpicool's G22 car fridge sits comfortably on our list as one of the most versatile camping fridges of the year. With plenty of settings to adjust, it will retain sub-zero temperatures for over ten hours.

All of that capacity and cooling power gives you plenty of time to relax with a refreshing drink, along with some safely chilled food. Alpicool has built the G22 Car Fridge for optimum damage protection, so there's little chance of it breaking while on the road.

The lack of AC connectivity is, though, a little disappointing, giving you no easy way of using it around the home. However, that's not its purpose – it's made for campers, and for those intending to get off-grid for a few days.

A sizable mini fridge that's perfect for a long-haul camping trip, the WOLTU Mini can store up to 60 litres of food and drink, with plenty of options for freezing too. Ideal for cars and larger vehicles alike, the WOLTU isn't compact or lightweight, but it's a small price to pay for transporting a huge amount of camping food supplies.

With a no-frills, almost minimalistic design, this car fridge prefers function over form. You won't find any fancy colours or fiddly handles here – we love its metallic finish and utilitarian style, which both give it a reassuringly solid feel.

When it comes to an unforgettable camping experience, it's better to go big or go home. With 60 litres of storage, there's no denying you'll have plenty of room to bring enough food for a whole week.

Keep your meat and vegetables perfect for week-long consumption with BINGI's terrifically compact fridge freezer. Ideal for longer car journeys, camping trips and more, this white and green model is a cheap, powerful and incredibly efficient camping fridge. Enjoy your adventures, knowing that your food will remain safe and chilled.

Beautifully designed with robust build quality, the BINGI camping fridge keeps your drinks and favourite food cool. Save yourself from the suspiciously warm steak and guarantee yourself a fire-side grill-up to remember.

Just don't plan to feed a whole host of people. Its storage capacity is significantly smaller than full-sized camping fridges, so think ahead – you may have to ditch a couple of cans on the day if you're feeding a larger family.

For those looking for value without needing to store a great deal of camping essentials, the Russell Hobbs Black Mini Fridge is ideal.

At less than £70, the portable fridge is a bargain, not only for its cooling ability but its overall design. Fitting extraordinarily well in the boot of a car, it can be powered using a car lighter port, and its operation is simple and intuitive.

Enjoy refreshing chilled beverages in the outdoors without having to leave your lavish camping air bed at home to save space. We think this mini fridge is a wonderful choice for those in need of long-lasting quality, portability and value.

Sometimes a smaller, more compact option is just what you need for your camping adventures. The AstroAI mini fridge is precisely that – versatile, space-efficient, and affordable. It's perfect for keeping your drinks cool and spirits high thanks to its car compatibility, giving you the freedom to take it wherever you go.

Of course, with a fairly small 4-litre storage, the AstroAI mini fridge isn't exactly going to revolutionise your camping experience. Its coldest temperature sits at around 0°C too, so it isn't ideal for long-term food storage, and there are no freezing options. But for simple cool storage, you won't find a better option for the price.

The small size of this fridge ensures there's plenty of room for the camping equipment that is often left behind for the sake of efficiency. So, no need to forgo your chairs. We think that this nifty little fridge is perfect for basking in the sunshine when all you need is some drinks and snacks to make your day.

If dealing with wires drives you mad or your car doesn't have an ideal power port, the SMETA gas fridge might be the perfect cooling solution for you.

Completely gas-powered, this fantastic camping fridge is ideal for a deeper venture into the woods, where wired power is no longer an option. However, you'll need a strong back to carry this gas-powered option around – it lacks wheels or any other methods of transport. So, plan to carry this with another person or take a portable trolley if you have far to go.

That being said, your food and drink will stay cool or even frozen for weeks at a time with the SMETA gas fridge, making it ideal for a long-term stay or a proper road trip. Plus, if you happen to run out of gas, there's always the option to use a standard 240V plug or even a DC 12V plug.

Certainly a higher-end option for camping enthusiasts, the AAOBOSI car fridge is ideal for large events. It's a superb size at 57 litres, which is ideal for supplying the entire family with food and drink while camping.

Brilliantly designed with an array of handles and wheels to give you an easier time when moving around your campsite, it's shockproof and functional even at awkward angles. Yes, AAOBOSI's robust car fridge might be large, but if you have the room it's a truly multifunctional unit.

A unique feature of the AAOBOSI camping fridge is its app, which allows for temperature control from the comfort of your phone. Unfortunately, some find this feature slightly laggy.

Although you'll have trouble squeezing the AAOBOSI fridge into your average camping tent, we think its size and cooling capacity are a must-have for larger groups.

Perhaps the ultimate portable fridge, the Ecoflow Glacier fridge-freezer is reserved for those with a deep love of camping (and even deeper pockets). We love the dual-zone temperature control and phenomenal 40-hour battery life. It even makes ice.

With a cooling range of -25°C to 10°C, your food and drink are well and truly covered. For those itching to get off-grid, use the Ecoflow Glacier's wheels and handle design to traverse the campsite and make its heft much more bearable.

Planning on camping out longer than 40 hours? Hook the GLACIER to a powerful solar charger, and you'll be back up and running in just over two hours.