Floating coolers are one of the perfect accessories for pontoon boats, combining convenience, functionality, and fun. Designed to keep your drinks and snacks cool while floating alongside your boat, these coolers are ideal for relaxing days on the water or social gatherings with friends and family. With a variety of sizes, features, and designs available, floating coolers offer a practical solution to staying refreshed without interrupting the fun. In this article, we’ll dive into the best floating coolers for pontoon boating, their key features, and tips for choosing the right one to enhance your next outing.
Best Pontoon Boat Floating Coolers
Cuddy Amphibious Floating Cooler
The Cuddy amphibious floating cooler serves as a floating cooler at sea and a traditional cooler on land. While floating near your pontoon boat, the Cuddy floating cooler is a perfect companion with two large lids and four built-in cup holders. Easily anchor the Cuddy to the sandbar or tie-off to your pontoon boat.
The marine grade cooler has a robust and durable construction from HPDE (high-density polyethylene). The 40 qt. capacity cooler also has dual walled insulation to keep food and beverages cooler longer. The four t-latch handles help positively secure the two lids, and a hydrodynamic profile eases maneuverability.
Intex Mega Chill Floating Cooler – 72 Can
The Intex Mega Chill floating cooler keeps your beverages and drinks at hand while you are having fun in the water or going for a swim. It consists of a removable ice chest that can accommodate up to 72 cans along with the ice required to keep them cool. There are six cup holders provided to place your open cans or cups while four handles make it easy to carry around. With this floating cooler, you no longer need to get out of water onto your pontoon boat for every sip of a drink.
You can even use its base as a standalone float for regular coolers of up to 48-quart capacity. Below are some of the best reviewed pontoon boat coolers to fit the Intex Mega Chill.
Solstice Cooler Raft
If you need an inflatable float that can help you carry your full-sized cooler from the pontoon boat into the water itself, Solstice Cooler Raft is what you need. Its central recession can accommodate up to 72 quart coolers and keep them afloat. Four cup holders store your drinks while you are having a fun time. Use the two tether connectors to tie the raft to the boat and keep it steady. Four installed handles make it easy to carrying this heavy duty vinyl float. The Solstice cooler raft helps keep drinks chilled for the whole day without having to make a single trip onto your pontoon boat.
Below are some of the best reviewed large pontoon boat coolers to fit the Solstice cooler raft.
Airhead Aqua Oasis Floating Cooler
While having a party off the pontoon boat deck, the Airhead Aqua Oasis is the perfect companion to hold your drinks. The cooler accommodates 24 cans keeping them chilled and refreshing. The cooler can be removed from the float to refill it. To keep the drinks, there are six individually numbered cup holders to help keep track of the drinks. An additional holder keeps other items such as sunscreen, phones, sunglasses, etc. A molded plastic rope connector secures the cooler to the pontoon boat or other float tube.
Intex Mega Chill Floating Cooler – 24 Can
This Intex Mega Chill floating cooler is the smaller version of the previously mentioned 72 can version. It’s round in shape unlike the previous rectangular Mega Chill, and it has a built-in cooler to hold beverages and ice. In addition, there are five integrated cup holders and two trays to hold other items such as snacks, sunglasses or sunscreens. Handles help move the around along, and connectors keep it secured to the pontoon boat or other items in Intex River Run series. With a deflated diameter of 35”, the Mega Chill can be easily stored on the pontoon boat when not in use.
Gofloats Inflatable Drink Holder
The GoFloats Inflatable Drink Guard is the perfect savior for your drinks, cans and cups. Each of these keeps a single cup or drink afloat and prevents it from tipping over. You can use these while going for a dip or swim on your pontoon expedition. They are designed to be buoyant enough to accommodate the largest of drinks. Not only is GoFloat’s guard great for holding drinks, but it is also eye-catching and stylish in appearance. These are available in packs of 3 and help you host and enjoy your party confidently without having to worry about spilled drinks.
Inflatable Floating Drink Holder
You forget about spilling drinks in the water with this inflatable floating drink holder. The drink holder carries any can, bottle, Yeti, or tumbler. A 30″ leash attaches the drink holder to your wrist, and the unique design keep the drink upright while swimming. These donut shaped drink coasters are easy to carry anywhere and deflate to store in compact spaces. This perfect summer accessory comes in a small size for cans and bottles and a larger size for tumblers.
Diveblast Premium Floating Drink Holder
The Diveblast Premium Floating Drink Holder is a chic and classy floating cooler. It contains two parts, the inflatable float to keep it buoyant and the cooler tote for chilling drinks. The cooler can accommodate 12 cans and has a strap for transportation. There are five slots for holding drinks and an additional one for snacks or other items. A grommet secures the drink holder to the boat or other equipment and prevents it from drifting away. Construction out of 12-gauge PVC makes it durable and long lasting. If you are looking for a cooler that is as classy as your swimming attire, the Diveblast Premium Floating Drink Holder is the cooler for you.
Best Pontoon Boat Coolers
Marine coolers are one of the handiest tools every modern boat owner should have. They keep not only beverages cool, but marine coolers also keep any fish fresh for a long time. The best pontoon boat coolers offer all these features and more if the mariner knows how to use them.
YETI Tundra 65 Cooler
The YETI Tundra 65 cooler is the advanced, excellent solution for boating enthusiasts. YETI is a consistent cooler brand since 2006, creating some of the best boat coolers. YETI Tundra 65 uses the same roto-molded technology as kayaks. The cooler also has polyurethane insulation in the walls and the lid, ensuring that the boat owner’s drinks and food stay colder for a long time. The YETI Tundra keeps its contents cold for up to seven days.
The gasket frame keeps the inside cold, effectively reducing air exchange. The YETI cooler also has UV protection, which means that its plastic will not warp or become discolored when in the sun. It can also withstand rough handling when the boat is unstable because of its robust construction and latches. The grip feet feature makes the cooler slip-resistant.
Coleman 54-Quart Steel-Belted Cooler
If you like a retro design, the Coleman 54-Quart Steel-Belted Cooler is something that you will fall in love with at first sight. This cooler is a reminder of the classic design as it incorporates steel, and resembles the coolers from your childhood. Steel handles with comfort grips are provided for easy carrying. It has ample amounts of space too with a storage capacity for 85 cans or food for the whole gang. The cooler is tall enough to even hold 2-litre bottles upright. You can sit on the lid too while a stainless-steel latch keeps contents secure when transporting.
YETI Tundra 45 Cooler
The Yeti Tundra 45 cooler is the little brother to the previously mentioned Tundra 65. Therefore it posses all the same key features: roto-mold construction, 3″ of PermaFrost insulation, Interlock Lid System, the Coldlock Gasket, T-Rex Lid Latches made of heavy-duty rubber, leak proof Vortex drain system, Doublehaul handles, streamlined Lipgrip Handles, Anchorpoint tie down slots, and Bearfoot non-slip feet to prevent sliding. The YETI Tundra 45 comes with a capacity of up to 26 cans. The Tundra 45 is 25.5“L x 16” W x 15.5” H and weighs 23 lbs. They are available in many color options so you can try matching this cooler with the interior of your pontoon boat.
RTIC Ultra Tough 45 Cooler
The RTIC ultra tough 45 cooler is one of the best roto-molded cooler options. RTIC features are on par with the YETI Tundra, yet, the RTIC is considerably cheaper than the Yeti Tundra. The RTIC has a three-inch insulated wall and lid gasket. The gasket ensures that its contents are kept frozen for ten days. However, if the heat is extreme, the RTIC cooler can keep contents cold for four days.
It has an integrated locking system and solid construction. The solid construction of the cooler is certified bear-resistant and also makes the cooler multi-functional. Boat owners can stand on or use the cooler as a bench. RTIC rubber feet makes the cooler not slip in the event of turbulence.
The cooler is quite heavy, so people should ensure they buy a heavy-duty rope to transfer the cooler. There is also drainage on each cooler side that enables water drainage.
YETI Roadie 24 Cooler
The Yeti Roadie 24 Cooler is the sibling of the Tundra 65 and is ideal for a small group of people. It holds 18 cans for an outing and is perfect for BYOB style parties on the pontoon boat. It can keep fish, food and drinks chilled for long durations thanks to its proprietary ColdLock Gasket similar to Tundra’s. You don’t have to worry about it leaving a watery mess behind with its well thought drain design. It is compact and lightweight making it easy to carry around and even fit in a car or truck. People who like to camp on a beach while cruising on a pontoon boat, the Roadie 24 Cooler is a great accessory for them.
Engel 19 Quart Cooler
Engle provides a 19-Quart Cooler that not only keeps food and drinks cold but can also serves as a dry box to protect important equipment and gadgets from being damaged and tarnished by moisture and dust. You can store up to 32 cans or 25 lbs of ice in this cooler as well as freshly caught fish or food of an equal volume. Polystyrene foam provides the required insulation to keep the contents cold and fresh while an EVA seal keeps it airtight. It is easy to clean and maintain, while carrying handles and a shoulder strap make it portable. If you are looking for something compact and lightweight, this offering from Engel might suit your needs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, floating coolers are a must-have accessory for any pontoon boat adventure, offering convenience, functionality, and a touch of fun on the water. Whether you’re hosting a party, enjoying a peaceful day of fishing, or simply relaxing with family, a floating cooler ensures your drinks and snacks stay cool and within easy reach. With so many options to choose from, you can find a cooler that matches your needs and style. Investing in a high-quality floating cooler not only enhances your boating experience but also helps create lasting memories on the water.
