5 Best Model 3 Trunk Coolers Per the Community

By Zac Ludicrous •  Updated: 03/27/22 •  9 min read

Spoiled food, warm drinks, wasted picnic hour with the family… Indeed a mood killer!

But all of these can be avoided with a high-quality cooler that you can store in your Model 3’s trunk or even better, the sub-trunk.

After reading dozens of forum posts, I have shortlisted five of the best Tesla Model 3 trunk coolers per the community.

Before we dive into the product details, however, let’s talk about some basics to keep things in perspective.

Trunk Cooler vs. Trunk Organizer: What’s the Difference

The Model 3’s trunk is built not just for aesthetics but also to handle many sorts of baggage like food and groceries, personal belongings and office supplies, gadgets, and other such stuff.

However, the trunk is not suitable to use on its own. It is advised that you use organizers, coolers, or bags to store stuff in your trunk.

Trunk or frunk coolers will keep your food fresh and your drinks cool, especially if you go out in the summer and do lengthy travels.

A trunk organizer, on the other hand, is intended to protect your belongings from rolling around in the trunk and keep the trunk nice and clean. A trunk organizer may be used to keep dry products, electrical gadgets, and other tiny items individually.

Although trunk organizers can occasionally carry identical items depending on their size, trunk coolers are completely different because they must keep your food and beverages cold and must be leakproof.

Because the trunk has enough room, a cooler and an organizer can be fitted together quite easily in it.

What’s the Deal With Hard-Sided and Soft-Sided Coolers?

Trunk coolers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with the most popular being a soft-sided cooler. Hard-sided coolers are often large, so only a handful can fit into the frunk and trunk.

Depending on your demands, soft-sided and hard-sided trunk coolers both have advantages and disadvantages.

Soft-sided coolers are less durable and have a shorter cooling duration than hard-sided coolers. But they are more adaptable and convenient to store, especially when empty. When not in use, they do not take up much room.

If you want to spend a significant amount of time outside, a hard-sided cooler is the preferable choice. However, if you simply need to keep a few beer cans and have spare room, a soft-sided cooler is the way to go.

In a nutshell:

Soft-Sided Coolers

✅ Not heavy
✅ Easy to maneuver around
✅ Easy to store

Hard-Sided Coolers

✅ Better in capacity
✅ More durable
✅ Better in ice retention

Best Hard Tesla Model 3 Trunk Cooler Overall: Coleman 24-Can Party Stacker

Product Overview:

Dimensions

22.25″ W x 8.25″ H x 13.63″ L

Material

Plastic

Capacity

Up to 24 cans

A hard cooler that fits in the trunk, frunk, and sub-trunk, Coleman 24-Can has been the most preferable choice for Model 3 owners.

You can store 24 cans of beverage with ice in it or a 13″ x 9″ serving dish. Carrying it from your car to the picnic point is also a breeze with the molded handles.

Tesla Tips By MTN Ranger YouTube channel shared a brief video describing the usability of this cooler in the Model 3 trunk:

It does fit snugly in the sub-trunk.

Here is what actual Model 3 owners say about this cooler:

The Coleman 24 Can Party Stacker never failed me during my seven hours of travel to Niagara Falls, Canada. We had a mixture of bottles of water and Gatorade. After seven hours of travel almost half of the ice melted which is good and not a big deal at all. After all, this cooler is a great buy! 

Nate Locutus Zee

My 2021 Model 3 has a heat pump but the Coleman Stacker 24 still fits perfectly and I can close the hood without any problem.

Nick Wally Soler

Considering the overall reputation of this cooler, I’d highly encourage you to give it a shot. 

Pros

✅ 100% American made
✅ Fits perfectly inside the Model 3 frunk and sub-trunk
✅ The lids fit and snap perfectly
✅ Hard-sided and durable

Cons

❌ As it’s a hard cooler, it’ll not be storage efficient.

Best Soft Tesla Model 3 Trunk Cooler Overall: TESMANIAN Soft Cooler

tesla model 3 trunk cooler

Product Overview:

Dimensions

Fits 2017–2022 Model 3 trunk

Material

Nylon

Capacity

Up to 52 cans

For Model 3 owners who prefer soft coolers over hard coolers, you can’t go wrong with the TESMANIAN soft cooler. 

It can hold up to 52 cans of beverage, which, for a soft cooler, is pretty impressive. Moreover, it has a stainless steel basket, so you can separate your food from beverages.

If you want a sturdy soft cooler with ample storage, TESMANIAN is the way to go.

Here is an in-depth TESMANIAN soft cooler review from YouTuber James. He does an ice retention test and leak test, so if you’re interested in this cooler, don’t skip this video:

4:16: Ice Retention Test | 5:32: Does It Fit in the Sub-trunk? | 6:35: Leak Test

Speaking of tests, here is Tom from the Ludicrous Feed YouTube channel testing the performance of this cooler out in the sun:

Pretty impressive, right?

Apart from being a bit expensive, there is no reason why any Model 3 owner shouldn’t pick this soft cooler.

Pros

✅ Ample storage space
✅ Sturdy built
✅ Waterproof
✅ UV-resistant material
✅ Tested and verified by Model 3 owners (performance wise)

Cons

❌ A bit expensive

Runner-Up Tesla Model 3 Trunk Cooler: YETI Hopper Flip 18

Product Overview:

Dimensions

15 ⅔” L x 10 ⅕” W x 12 ⅗” H

Material

Foam

Capacity

Up to 16 cans

The YETI Hopper Flip 18 soft cooler is one of the most talked-about trunk coolers in the Tesla community. This cooler appears to be a solid purse at first sight, but it is actually a portable cooler.

The foam within this cooler is one of its most distinguishing features as it is not found in other soft-sided coolers. Aside from insulation, the foam offers a superior cold-holding capability, allowing the cold to remain for extended periods of time.

Unlike other trunk coolers which take up practically the whole area due to their horizontal design, YETI’s vertical design allows you to have extra space on the side.

See what an actual Model 3 owner say about his YETI cooler:

I use my Yeti cooler to buy ice cream, fits perfectly inside the frunk, and I came home with ice cream not turning into a milkshake in hot Arizona summer.

kdubstep

Because the YETI Hopper Flip 18 was created with camping in mind, it may also be carried when hiking.

Even in harsh terrains and extreme situations, it is sturdy and compact enough to carry.

Here is a third-party review from the Explore Magazine YouTube channel:

Don’t miss the ice test.

There is a bit of bad news though. You won’t be able to fit this cooler properly in the sub-trunk. But apart from that, nothing should stop you from giving it a shot.

Pros

✅ Sturdy
✅ Can easily be carried by hand or shoulder
✅ Longer cooling period due to foam and insulation
✅ Can hold melted ice without releasing condensation
✅ Available in 6 colors

Cons

❌ Limited capacity
❌ Won’t fit in sub-trunk

Best on Budget: CleverMade Collapsible Cooler

Product Overview:

Dimensions

15.5″ L x 12″ W x 10″ H

Material

Polyester

Capacity

Up to 30 cans

$300 for a cooler? Are you trying to drain my wallet or what…

Well, don’t fret.

The CleverMade collapsible cooler is just the product you are looking for to keep in your Model 3.

Its strong point is, of course, it is quite cheap yet effective. You can carry it on your shoulder and, when not in use, collapse it to under three inches and store it away anywhere.

Talk about portability!

Now don’t expect it to keep your beverages cold for 24 or 36 hours. Per customers’ experience, it can last for 8 hours easily. Anything more than that might be a problem.

But considering the price point, I’d say it’s far better than any cooler in this price range.

All in all, if you want a sturdy soft cooler at a very economical price, this is definitely the way to go.

Pros

✅ Highly portable
✅ Sturdy built
✅ Doesn’t leak
✅ Super affordable

Cons

❌ Ice won’t last more than 8 hours.

Notable Mention: CNCT Cooler

tesla model 3 trunk cooler

The CNCT Cooler is the only hard cooler for the Model 3 that is particularly built for it. 

There are soft coolers for the Model 3’s trunk and even the frunk, but no hard coolers specifically for the Model 3 have ever been offered on the market.

This cooler has adequate storage for ice and can hold up to 17 liters of stuff, including 24 beverage cans or 16 standard-size bottles. It’s made with denser thermal insulation than industry standards, effectively sealing in the cold and shutting out the heat.

Per customers’ experience, it can easily keep your beverages cold for more than 48 hours, which is quite impressive.

Tom from the InsideEVs US YouTube channel walks us through his thoughts and impressions of this cooler in the following video:

From the looks of it, this cooler seems quite efficient!

Conclusion

When traveling, a high-quality Tesla Model 3 trunk cooler is a necessary requirement, especially when the sun is not in a forgiving mood.

I strongly recommend the Coleman 24-Can Party Stacker Portable Cooler because of its proven quality and excellent acceptance rating in the Tesla community.

But if you don’t want a hard-sided trunk cooler, the TESMANIAN soft cooler is the perfect way to go. This cooler is built exclusively for the Model 3 and the Model Y.

In the end, if you have any questions or have any experience with the products mentioned above that you’d like to share, please leave a comment below!

Zac Ludicrous

Mechanical engineer by profession. TSLA shareholder before the hype. EV enthusiast all day long. Zac enjoys learning about the future of battery technology, autonomy, and EVs. He considers Tesla Model 3 the most important vehicle of the 21st century -- and is in a quest to improve the ownership experience of every Model 3 owner he possibly can.

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