# Best Electric Cool Box 2026: 10 Ranked, and Why the Litre Count Misleads Source: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes Published: 2026-09-19 | Updated: 2026-09-19 | Prices checked on Amazon UK on 2026-09-19 An electric cool box is sold on one number, and it is the least reliable figure in the listing. The TZS 25-litre model calls itself a '32-litre gross capacity (25L net)' in its own bullet point. The TZS with wheels is a 40L box in the title and a 45L box in the bullet and the specification. The Igloo IE27 is 26 litres in the title, 27 litres in the bullet and on the spec sheet. Only the Amazon Basics box publishes both measurements without contradicting itself: 24L total, 22L net. So count on two to five of the litres you are paying for being the outside of the box rather than the space you can fill. We ranked ten of the best electric cool boxes on Amazon on things we could actually check: the listed price, the number of ratings behind each score, and the places where a specification disagrees with its own marketing copy. Thermoelectric and compressor designs sit in the same list, and they are not interchangeable. One cools to a fixed number of degrees below the air around it; the other holds a temperature you choose. ## The ranking ### 1. TZS First Austria 25L Electric Cool Box, 12V/230V - Price: £69.95 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 1,668 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/tzs-first-austria-25l-coolbox - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DHXYHVE?tag=ranked10-21 Highest rating count in the list — 1,668 reviews at 4.6 — and the only electric cool box here that admits its gross and net capacity in the same sentence. This sits at the top on the strength of its review base: 1,668 ratings at 4.6 stars, with 81% of those ratings five-star and only 5% at one or two stars. The cooling claim is 18°C below ambient, and the unit draws 58W while cooling and 52W while heating. Crucially, the capacity is the one figure here that is honest about itself — the bullet reads '32-litre gross capacity (25L net)', so the 25 litres you are buying is the usable number, not the box size. It is a thermoelectric box, which means there is no compressor and nothing to seize the way a fridge compressor can. Dual leads cover a 12V cigarette lighter and a 220-240V mains socket, noise is quoted at 49dB or under, and the lid has an integrated cable compartment. In practice that makes it a picnic and camping box rather than a kitchen fridge, which is exactly what most buyers want it for. That said, 18°C below ambient is not a set temperature. On a 30°C afternoon the box is aiming for roughly 12°C — fine for drinks, wrong for anything you would not leave out. Worth noting too: the specification lists a 'moulded 2-pin BS 4573 UK Shaver plug', while the bullet promises a mains socket connection. Those are not the same thing, so check what arrives. If you need 0°C or below, skip this and look at a compressor model. Pros: 1,668 ratings at 4.6 stars, with 81% five-star; States both figures: 32L gross, 25L net; Dual power from a 12V car lead or 220-240V mains; Runs at 49dB or under, with cables stored in the lid; Cools 18°C below ambient and warms to +50°C Cons: 18°C below ambient is not a fixed temperature — around 12°C in a 30°C car; No compressor, so it cannot freeze anything; Spec sheet lists a BS 4573 shaver plug rather than a mains plug; 58W cooling draw against the Crystals 26L's 40W ### 2. EUHOMY 40L Compressor Car Fridge, 12V/240V, App Control - Price: £199.99 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 912 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/euhomy-40l-camping-fridge - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CMZW5CJV?tag=ranked10-21 The only machine here with a real compressor, two zones and app control — and a price to match, at £5.00 a litre. Second place goes to the one product in this list that is a fridge rather than a cooler. Its compressor is quoted as pulling 25°C down to 0°C in about 15 minutes, although the listing's own text cuts off mid-number at 'within 15', so there is no unit to check. Two storage zones and a grid basket let you separate food, and the spec lists a convertibility setting so the freezer section can be switched on or off. Power is the point of the design. Adapters for 110/240V AC and 12/24V DC are both supplied, with three levels of battery protection so the box cuts out before it flattens a car battery. Noise is quoted at 42dB, second quietest in this list. Meanwhile a Bluetooth module allows app control from the driver's seat, and the anti-slip base is there to stop the unit sliding across a boot on a roundabout. However, £199.99 for 40 litres is £5.00 a litre, roughly two and a half times the Crystals 26L. The listing never states a net capacity, so the 40L claim is unverified in exactly the way the cheap boxes' figures are. Even so, five one-star ratings out of 912 is a short tail. If you want a compressor car fridge for a campervan, this is the one to beat; if you want cold cans in a garden, it is overkill. Pros: Compressor cooling from 25°C to 0°C, quoted at about 15 minutes; Dual-zone storage with a grid basket; Adapters included for 110/240V AC and 12/24V DC; Three-level battery protection and 42dB operation; Bluetooth app control and an electronic lock Cons: £199.99 for 40L works out at £5.00 a litre; No net capacity published, so the 40L cannot be verified; The cooling-time bullet is truncated in the listing; Five one-star ratings, and the biggest outlay here ### 3. Crystals 26L Electric Cool Box, 12V DC & 240V AC - Price: £47.97 | Amazon rating: 4.5 from 204 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/crystals-26l-electric-cool-box - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B097T6B6JW?tag=ranked10-21 The cheapest box here per litre at £1.85, and the one whose spec sheet contradicts itself hardest. At £47.97 for 26 litres, this works out at £1.85 a litre — around half the Amazon Basics box and a third of the EUHOMY. It heats to 65°C and cools to 15°C below air temperature, drawing 40W cooling and 46W heating at 12V. Another bullet states that 1.5-litre bottles stand upright inside, which for most buyers is a more useful measurement than any litre figure on this page. This is a thermoelectric cool box with two leads supplied: 12V DC for the car and 240V AC for the house. As a result it covers a picnic and a spare-room drinks stash equally well. The shell measures 30cm deep by 40cm wide by 43cm tall, which fits a boot without a fight — more than the wheeled boxes manage. That said, the specification carries a problem the marketing copy does not mention: it lists a freezer capacity of 24 litres on a box whose cooling method is thermoelectric. A unit that only reaches 15°C below ambient cannot freeze anything. Either way, this is a box for drinks and sandwiches, not ice cream. Pros: £47.97 for 26 litres — £1.85 a litre, the cheapest here; Heats to 65°C as well as cooling 15°C below ambient; Both a 12V DC car lead and a 240V AC lead included; 30 x 40 x 43cm, with 1.5-litre bottles standing upright Cons: Spec sheet lists a 24-litre freezer capacity on a box that cannot freeze; Cools only 15°C below ambient — around 12°C in a warm car; No dial to a set temperature, just a cooling delta; Six ratings out of every hundred are one or two stars ### 4. Amazon Basics 24L Electric Cool Box, 12V/230V - Price: £73.45 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 262 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/amazon-basics-electric-cool-box-24l - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F2FTTXLZ?tag=ranked10-21 The only electric cool box here that publishes both gross and net capacity — 24L total, 22L net — and the only one quoting an absolute temperature. This is the most transparent listing in the category. It gives 24L total and 22L net in the same bullet, and it quotes an absolute cooling figure rather than a drop: approximately 6°C at a 24°C ambient. That is a number you can plan around, unlike '18°C below ambient', which changes with the weather. The 4.3-star score comes from 262 ratings. Two modes split the job. Max mode handles the cooling; ECO mode runs at just 8W and requires a 230V supply, which makes overnight indoor use realistic rather than aspirational. The handle locks the lid shut for carrying and props it open while you load, and the box ships with a divider, UK and EU mains leads and a DC cable. Outside, it measures 30 x 39.8 x 43.5cm with one adjustable shelf. In practice, though, 22 usable litres is the smallest net capacity in the top five. The histogram is also less forgiving than the headline score suggests: 11% of ratings are three-star and 6% are one-star. By contrast, the Crystals boxes give you more litres for less money. If you want a capacity figure you can trust before it arrives, nothing else here matches this one. Pros: Publishes 24L total and 22L net in the same bullet; Quotes absolute cooling: about 6°C at a 24°C ambient; ECO mode draws just 8W on a 230V mains supply; Handle locks the lid shut and supports it open; Ships with divider, UK and EU mains leads and a DC cable Cons: 22L net is the smallest usable capacity in the top five; 11% of ratings are three-star and 6% one-star; ECO mode needs 230V, so it will not work in the car; No compressor, so no freezing ### 5. TZS First Austria Wheeled Cool Box, 40L or 45L - Price: £99.95 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 233 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/tzs-40l-electric-cool-box - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079YWJZWN?tag=ranked10-21 The only wheeled box here, and the clearest example of the capacity problem: 40L in the title, 45L in the bullet and the spec. Its title says 40 litres. Its bullet and its specification both say 45. Five litres is the widest gap in this list between what the headline promises and what the details confirm, which is why a wheeled box is worth checking twice before you buy it online. The 45L figure is justified in the copy as holding up to 65 cans of 330ml, or 15 wine bottles lying down. Mechanically it is a thermoelectric cool box like the cheaper TZS model: 18°C below ambient cooling, warming to 50°C, dual 12V and 230V connections, a built-in cable store in the lid and an internal divider. Being thermoelectric, it can only chill, never freeze. Sized at 55.5 x 39 x 41cm, it is the longest unit here, and the wheels plus telescopic handle are the reason to pick it over anything else in the list. The catch is the ratings. This box scores 4.3 from 233 ratings, but 11% of them are one-star and 2% are two-star — the highest one-star share among the ten. Meanwhile the spec sheet repeats an oddity from its cheaper stablemate: a moulded 2-pin BS 4573 shaver plug listed as the power plug type, on a box whose bullet promises a 230V mains socket. Pros: 45 litres on the spec sheet, holding 65 cans or 15 wine bottles; Wheels and a telescopic handle, so no lifting; Dual 12V and 230V connections with cable storage in the lid; Cools 18°C below ambient and warms to 50°C; 4.3 stars from 233 ratings Cons: Title says 40L, bullet and spec say 45L; 11% one-star ratings — the highest share in this list; Thermoelectric, so no freezing and no set temperature; Spec lists a shaver plug rather than a mains plug ### 6. Igloo IE27 Electric Cool Box, 26L or 27L, 12V - Price: £59.82 | Amazon rating: 4.1 from 270 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/igloo-ie27-electric-cool-box - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DM21LHFY?tag=ranked10-21 The cheapest 12v electric cool box in this list at £59.82, and the lowest-rated — 4.1 stars with 10% one-star ratings. Igloo calls this the IE27 and sells it as 26 litres in the title. The bullet and the spec sheet both say 27. It is a 12v electric cool box only — the listing describes it as powered by 12V, with no 240V mains lead included — so it lives in the car, the boat or the caravan rather than the kitchen. Two connection cables store in the lid, and the handle doubles as a lid support while you load it. At 3.9kg it is among the lighter boxes here, and it carries a 2-year warranty, which is longer cover than the Subcold's single year. Measured outside it is 29.6 x 39.6 x 44.4cm, compact for a box claiming 27 litres. The handle-as-lid-support design is a small thing that matters when you are packing one-handed on a wet campsite. The catch is the ratings and the power. At £59.82 it is cheap, but 10% of its 270 ratings are one-star and a further 4% are two-star, and it is the only box in the top six with no mains option at all. If you want cold drinks at home as well as in the car, this is the wrong buy. If it only ever goes in a boot, it is £2.22 a litre. Pros: £59.82 — the cheapest 12V box in this list; 2-year warranty, longer than most here; 3.9kg, with the handle doubling as a lid support; Two connection cables stored inside the lid Cons: 4.1 stars — the lowest score in this list; 10% one-star and 4% two-star ratings; 12V only, with no 240V mains lead; Title says 26L, bullet and spec say 27L ### 7. Subcold Euro30 28L Electric Cool Box, 12V/240V - Price: £63.74 | Amazon rating: 4.5 from 77 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/subcold-euro30-electric-cool-box - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FF4H5H3H?tag=ranked10-21 The quietest claim in the list at 26dB, and no two-star ratings at all out of 77 reviews. The Euro30 claims 28 litres and 45 standard cans, a capacity nobody else in this list occupies. Cooling is quoted at 15-20°C below ambient in MAX mode, with an ECO mode for shorter trips, and it holds 1.5L and 2L bottles upright. At £63.74 it works out at £2.28 a litre, mid-table for this group. The noise figure is the headline: 26dB, against 42dB for the EUHOMY and 45dB for the Alpicool. It runs on 12V DC in the car, 240V at home, or a portable power station, which makes it a genuine portable electric cool box rather than a car-only one. The multi-position handle locks the lid for transport and props it half-open while packing. The warranty is one year. Two things to weigh. First, 77 ratings is a thin base for a 4.5-star score — the 1,668 behind the TZS 25L are a far steadier signal. Second, the spec table gives a chamber depth of '2E+1 centimetres', which is 20cm written in scientific notation. If quiet running matters most, nothing here claims lower. If you want a long review history, this is a newer entry. Pros: 26dB — the quietest claim in this list; 28L holds 45 cans, with room for 1.5L and 2L bottles upright; Runs on 12V DC, 240V mains or a portable power station; No two-star ratings at all out of 77; MAX mode cools 15-20°C below ambient; ECO mode saves power Cons: Only 77 ratings against 1,668 for the top pick; 26dB is a manufacturer's claim, not a measurement; Spec table lists chamber depth as '2E+1 centimetres'; 1-year warranty, shorter than the Igloo's two ### 8. GlamHaus 30L Electric Cool Box, 12V/240V/USB - Price: £84.99 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 137 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/glamhaus-electric-cool-box-30l - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09YVQ4299?tag=ranked10-21 Three power leads — 240V, 12V and USB — in a listing that also advertises a 22-litre version in the same title. GlamHaus sells this as 'Large 22L or 30L Cool Box' in a single title, and the specification settles on 30 litres, so check which size you are adding to the basket. As a cool box hot and cold unit it warms as well as chills, using a Peltier thermoelectric system with PU foam insulation, high-quality seals and a supplied ice pack. Three leads is unusual. You get a 240V adaptor for caravans and garden use, a 12V DC lead for the car, and a USB lead — although the listing does not state the wattage the box draws on USB, so there is no figure to check. The handle folds down, the insulation is polyurethane foam, and the 30-litre body measures 45.2 x 29.3 x 43.4cm. It carries a 2-year warranty with UK spare-part support. However, 8% of its 137 ratings are one-star, and the price is £84.99 for 30 litres — £2.83 a litre, more than the wheeled 45-litre TZS at £2.22. If dual power options and a spare-part service matter more to you than price per litre, this makes sense. If you just want cold cans in a field, the cheaper Crystals boxes do the same job for less. Pros: Three power options: 240V, 12V DC and USB; Cools and warms, with PU foam insulation and an ice pack; 30L body measuring 45.2 x 29.3 x 43.4cm; 2-year warranty with UK spare-part support Cons: Title advertises both a 22L and a 30L version; No wattage given for the USB lead; £2.83 a litre — more than the wheeled 45-litre box; 8% one-star ratings from 137 reviews ### 9. Crystals 33L Electric Cool Box, 12V DC & 240V AC - Price: £61.90 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 131 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/crystals-33l-electric-cool-box - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DVQWRPLP?tag=ranked10-21 The cheapest way past 30 litres here — 33L for £61.90, or £1.88 a litre — with the shortest warranty in the list. Crystals' second entry is the cheapest route above 30 litres: 33L for £61.90 works out at £1.88 a litre, close to the 26-litre version's £1.85. It cools to 15°C below ambient and heats to 65°C, drawing 48-55W cooling and 45-50W heating. The lid detaches for cleaning and the body is polypropylene, with a carry handle and a UK mains plug plus a 12V car lead in the box. The 43 x 33 x 46cm shell is the tallest here, and it is marketed as an electric cool box for car and home use. Note the arithmetic: those dimensions are roughly 65 litres of outside volume wrapped around a claimed 33-litre interior. That is normal for insulation, but it is why an electric cooler 12v and 240v almost always looks bigger in the photo than it does in your boot. That said, the warranty is 30 days, against two years for the Igloo and one for the Subcold. Meanwhile 10% of its 131 ratings sit at one or two stars. If you want the most litres per pound and can live with a short guarantee, this is it. If you want a box you can still send back in year two, look elsewhere. Pros: 33L for £61.90 — £1.88 a litre, the cheapest past 30 litres; Cools 15°C below ambient and heats to 65°C; UK mains plug and a 12V car lead included; Detachable lid and polypropylene body Cons: 30-day warranty, the shortest in this list; 10% of 131 ratings are one or two stars; 15°C below ambient is not a set temperature; 43 x 33 x 46cm outside — around 65 litres of shell for a 33-litre claim ### 10. Alpicool NL9 9L Compressor Car Fridge - Price: £88.22 | Amazon rating: 4.4 from 79 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-electric-cool-boxes/alpicool-nl9-9l-car-fridge - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DPHB7W4G?tag=ranked10-21 A real compressor fridge that reaches -20°C, in the smallest and most expensive-per-litre package here at £9.80 a litre. The NL9 is the only sub-10-litre box in this list and one of only two that can genuinely freeze, because it uses a compressor rather than a thermoelectric plate. It cools from -20°C to 20°C and holds 12 cans of 355ml or 11 bottles of 500ml. At £88.22 for 9 litres it is £9.80 a litre — more than five times the Crystals 26L and nearly double the EUHOMY. You are paying for real freezing in a box that fits a footwell. This is a compressor car fridge built for vehicles: 12V/24V DC and 100-240V AC adapters are included, with three levels of battery protection, and the unit is rated to keep cooling on inclines up to 45°. Noise is quoted at 45dB and annual consumption at 91 kWh — the only energy figure anywhere in this list. Even so, 9 litres is not much food, and 9% of its 79 ratings are one-star, a higher share than the Amazon Basics' 6%, on the thinnest review base in the top ten. At 6.4kg it also weighs more than the Igloo, which holds 27 litres. If you need ice and frozen food on a long drive, nothing cheaper here will do it. If you want to keep a picnic cool, this is the most expensive way to do it. Pros: Compressor cooling from -20°C to 20°C; Genuine freezer performance in a 9-litre body; 12V/24V DC and 100-240V AC adapters included; Three-level battery protection and 45° anti-tilt operation; 91 kWh a year — the only energy rating in this list Cons: £88.22 for 9 litres works out at £9.80 a litre; 9% one-star ratings from 79 reviews; 45dB is louder than the Subcold's 26dB claim; 6.4kg, against the Igloo's 3.9kg for 27 litres ## Verdict Two boxes carry this list. For most homes, the TZS 25L at £69.95 is the sensible first electric cool box: 1,668 ratings at 4.6 stars, dual 12V and 230V leads included, and the only listing that tells you its net capacity. If you need genuine fridge temperatures rather than 'colder than the car', the EUHOMY 40L compressor at £199.99 cools towards 0°C and splits into two zones, though it costs £5.00 a litre against the Crystals 26L's £1.85. And if the box will only ever live in a boot, the Igloo IE27 is the cheapest 12v electric cool box here at £59.82 — but 4.1 stars and 10% one-star ratings explain its place at the bottom.