Best Eskies and Ice Boxes in Australia – Our Honest Opinion

When it comes to drinking ice cold beer – Australians are the champions. More than any other culture, we prize the coldest beer we can drink, especially during the long hot summers and many of us have a dedicated fridge in the home just for cold drinks.

We love our cold drinks so much that a brand name – Esky, has become synonymous with the icebox in this country. This list of eskies and iceboxes includes the best ones on the market today in Australia.

They are all fantastic at keeping your drinks and ice cool, are easily transportable to your campsite or picnic area and they will all have you drinking an ice-cold beer while watching the world go by. So check out these must-have items for your next camping adventure.

Best Eskies and Ice Boxes in Australia

Dometic Cool Ice Icebox WCI-33

The Dometic / Waeco Cool Ice Box WCI-33 is a fantastic mid-sized perfect for an individual or a couple. This well-made icebox has a 33L capacity that will allow you to keep a case of beer ice cold along with a bottle of wine and some sodas.

Customer reviews are all very high for this esky as it does exactly what it says it will do – keep your drinks ice cold for three days or more and can carry a perfect amount for a couple.

The sturdy frame allows you to use this as a seat and it is perfect out by a river with a fishing rod. If you want cold drinks for days, this is a cool box that will do it for you.

Evakool 60L Fibreglass Infinity Icebox E060

When you want to head out into the bush for a week and don't want to have to head back into town for a resupply then you will be after an icebox that will keep your food and drinks cold for a long time.

Enter the Evakool 60L Fiberglass Infinity Icebox. This beast of an Esky holds 60L worth of food, drinks and ice for up to five days and even still keeps things cool after seven.

This Evakool icebox is hand made with quality touches and has a thick insulation wall to ensure it keeps all the cold air inside. Due to its size and weight, it's best to load this thing up and keep it in a nice shady spot for the duration of your camp for the best use.

All consumers have loved this and rate it as the best esky however, it's not been given full marks as a significant number of people had theirs delivered with a defect such as a missing bung, for example. This was rectified by Evakool immediately, but it’s still a pain and stops you from using your esky right away.

If you want to keep everything cold for days on end, the Evakool 60L is the Esky you will need.

Evakool IceKool Icebox 53 Litre

When you want to go camping for a weekend instead of a week, Evakool has you covered with the Evakool IceKool 53L icebox.

Coming in at almost half the price, but almost the same capacity as the 60 L Infinity, the IceKool 53 is a solid performer for keeping everything cold for a couple of days. The difference in pricing is due to the 60L Infinity having a 4.5 cm thick insulation wall, while the 53L only has a 2.5 cm wall.

This also makes a difference between two days and over five days for keeping things cool too.

Customers who have bought the IceKool 53 are more than happy with its abilities and as such it's perfect for a weekend foray into the bush. Its only downside is the thinner insulation than the other eskies on the list, which translates into poorer cooling performance.

However, for weekenders, occasional campers or day-trippers – the IceKool 53 is all you are really going to need.

Companion Performance Ice Box - 50L

Being the heaviest and largest sized icebox on this list should mean that it can keep things cold for a long time and the Companion Performance Ice Box 50L does just that, for at least five days.

While its capacity is a little smaller than the other top performer, the Evakool 60L, this esky will go on keeping cool for a long time due to its extra insulation.

This is a well-made and thought out icebox. Coming in at almost half the cost of the Evakool 60L and having the same extended five or more day period of keeping ice frozen means this icebox is a much better deal, even if it holds only 50L instead of 60.

Coleman Vertical Cooler 57L

The Coleman Vertical Cooler 57 L is a budget esky with big ambitions. This icebox can hold an impressive amount of ice and beer and as long as you want to consume it all that day then it's perfect.

However, any longer than a day and the ice will melt. The insulation is thin and ice won't last more than 24 hours as a result.

The lack of insulation and resulting ice loss has resulted in quite a lot of frustrated customers. Add to that the flimsy handles that feel like they will break off when the esky is full of weight or the wheels that tend to seize up after a while and you get the picture of a substandard product.

It's not really a good buy, it's just a budget icebox that holds a load and only keeps it cold for a day, which is great for a day session, but not good for keeping food cold for a week.

Yeti Roadie 24 Icebox

If you only need to keep a small amount of ice, drinks and food cold, but keep it cold for days – then the Yeti Roadies 24 Icebox is the esky for you.

This smaller capacity icebox has been designed with staying cool in mind and it does this well. With minimal opening of the esky, it will keep your ice solid for up to four days. It's large enough to hold 18 cans of beer with ice and can also accommodate a bottle of wine standing upright.

This is a newer product so there are not many online reviews, however, the ones that are, are very happy with it and a previous model also elicits high reviews.

Its only real downside, apart from being small, is the lack of a drain plug so you have to empty it first to drain. It's also not suitable for keeping all your food cold for a week, but it will keep beer, wine and snacks for two perfectly cold all day and for that it's one of the best iceboxes you can buy.

What To Look For When Buying Eskys and Ice Boxes

Eskys can come in all different shapes and sizes, but here are a couple of things worth considering.

Esky and Ice Boxes FAQ

How long does an icebox stay cold?

It depends on the insulation, thinner ones will last just 24 hours, while thicker and more insulated ice boxes will keep ice frozen for over five days.

If you need something to keep your food and drink cool for a longer period than this, consider getting a portable camping fridge.

Do coolers lose effectiveness over time?

They do, but only slightly which is why they all have long warranties. It’s the degradation of the seals that causes its effectiveness to drop slowly over time.

What kind of ice should I use in my cooler?

Smaller ice cubes or crushed ice is easier to spread around your food and drinks and will cool them down quickly if they start off warm, while block ice will have slower cooling power but will last a long time, making it better for long trips.

Final Thoughts

No matter the time of the year, having cold drinks and fresh food at the campsite is amazing for your morale and always hits home at the end of the day.

Given the Aussie sun is so harsh, having a well-insulated icebox that keeps things cold for a week like the Evakool 60 or the Companion 50 will keep you and your family happy.

For a large amount to be consumed all in one day, the Coleman Vertical will do the trick, but won’t keep ice any longer than that, so it’s not recommended if you can get away with a smaller model like the Dometic 33L or the Yeti Roadie 24.

Whichever you choose, having a cold beer at the end of the day is its own reward.