Choosing the Best Cooler with Speakers

What’s better than heading to the beach with a cooler full of cold beer? I’ll tell you what, a cooler with speakers built in which is full of cold beer! That’s What. I was unconvinced until I saw one in action in an impromptu beach party one evening on the Zushi beach on the Japanese coast! It made perfect sense. Tunes and beer go hand in hand!

Whether you call it an ice box, Esky or cooler, this device has been the undervalued workhorse of picnics and beach parties for decades. Despite it being a staple of the outdoor party or camping experience, the cooler has received very little in the way of updates since the idea was first devised by Thomas Moore in 1802.

While it’s perfectly possible to bring separate speakers with you, you’re taking a cooler anyway so why not take a cooler with speakers. They’re heavy anyway, which actually works in your favour as they can deliver some surprisingly good acoustics!

There are all sorts available, from high end models with a host of other features (microphone input’s, 12 volt power points, you name it, to small inexpensive cooler with speakers’ that provide a party without costing a bomb!

We’ve picked and rated our top five in a bid to help simplify the cooler with speakers market for you!

Tunes2Go CA-E065O KoolMAX BT

This is our favourite so it was only fitting it came first. While there’s no denying it’s the most expensive, it’s justifiable. For a start it packs out 350 Watts through 4 speakers, 2 woofers, and 2 tweeters. That means it’s able to pump out tunes at a good old volume!

If that along wasn’t reason for it to be top of the list then take a took at it’s inputs! On top of standard Bluetooth connectivity, it includes an XLR microphone input, and a ¼ inch instrument/microphone input. This means it’s east to plug your electric guitar or a microphone in  for an impromptu jam or karaoke session. It’s also got a 12v car style power plug, two 3.5 AUX jacks, two usb ports and an SD card slot. There’s no shortage of ways to get the tunes flowing. The built in radio is perfect if, despite it’s many inputs, you leave your phone/mp3 player at home.

The Tunes2Go has a spacious interior comfortably holding 48 cans. And is relatively light weigh considering what it offers. Rubber coated tough plastic wheels allow it to be pulled over rough terrain without getting damaged, ideal if you’ve got a long way to pull it!

	Capacity	Size	Weight
Metric	37.8 Liters	47 x 64 x 48cm	14.3 KG
Imperial	40 Quart	18.5 x 26.25 x 19 inches	31.6lbs

Check It Out

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The Coolest

A close contender for first place, this is arguably the best known cooler with speakers. It shot to fame when it raised $2m on Kickstarter in just a number of days. Brain child of Oregon based designer Ryan Grepper, this cooler features pretty much every add on you could ever imagine.

They haven’t skimped on the basics either. The sound quality is fantastic and the speaker is also removable from the ice cooler. This cooler with speakers has all the standard inputs. Bluetooth, USB and line in meaning it’s easy to connect to pretty much any device. This is more than just a cooler with speakers however, it’s also got a built in blender that crushes ice to make smoothies and cocktails with ease.

It’s also got a USB charger, so you’re devices won’t run out of juice, a LED light so you can see the contents at night and a bottle opener corkscrew. If you want  a real party then you can pair several of these coolers together to create a multi speaker system off just one device.

One of the key features of this cooler, is how long it keeps things cool for! The manufacturer claims it will keep ice for up to 4 days! We haven’t tested this, but it shows how heavily insulated it actually is!

	Capacity	Size	Weight
Metric	37.8 Liters	61 x 49 x 43cm	17 KG
Imperial	55 Quart	24 x 19 x 17 inches	38lbs

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JZHY Picnic – Cooler Waterproof Picnic Wireless Speaker Cooler Bag

This is one of the finest coolers with speakers available in the budget end of the market. Yes it doesn’t have the input selection of the Tunes2Go, or the sound quality of the Coolest. However, if you need a lightweight, cheap and capable cooler with speakers built in then you can’t do much better.

While the JZHY isn’t waterproof as such, it’s water resistant, so will be more than capable of handling a spillage or a bit of rain. It’s made from 620 D polyester outer skin, with a water resistant PVC lining. There is also spacious front pocket to keep your phone safe from rain, sand or dirt. Connect your phone to the cooler with either USB, Aux in (connections located in the front pocket to keep everything safe), or via bluetooth.

Battery life is 2 hours, which although a way off the cooler’s above, is more than ample for a picnic on the beach. It also has a USB charger so you can keep your phone charged as you listen to your tunes! We could comfortably fit 10 cans inside with room for ice to keep everything cool! Another big plus with the JZHY is that it folds up small, so it’s easy to carry back when empty!

	Capacity	Size	Weight
Metric	23.3 Liters	39cm x 26cm x 23cm	618g
Imperial	27 Quart	15 x 10 x 9 inches	1.3lb

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Pyle Cooler With Speakers – AM/FM Radio

This is our pick for the personal cooler with speakers. If you only want a few beers kept cold then this may be your best option. While it lacks certain advance features, it has all the essentials a cooler with speakers should have. A simple AUX 3.5 line in means it will connect easily to any gadget with a headphone jack (and that’s most gadgets)! If you were to leave your gadget at home then it also features a handy built in Radio (AM/FM) to keep the tunes flowing!

It does need a standard 9v battery to keep it in juice, however it can also be used with the included car adaptor or via the mains as well.

 

• AM/FM Tuning Radio – Storage capacity (9.5 L)
• Built in speakers – AM 520KHZ-1600KHZ
• Auxiliary 3.5mm stereo line in – FM 88MHZ -108MHZ
• Portable outdoor use – Powered by DC 9V (Battery size 1 x 9v)
• Cold refreshment or food storage – Or Powered by AC/DC adapter (not included) 9V, 800mA