All Thermos Cooler Reviews

Last Updated by Brandon F. on December 3, 2021

This is a listing of all Thermos coolers for sale that have been reviewed and we also list what we think are the best Thermos coolers with our internal ranking system. Thermos is a large company that specializes in a wide variety of food and beverage storage products.  Despite this, their cooler selection is quite large, but most centers around smaller sizes and soft-sided offerings.  

Because of this, they are great for an individual or small group that needs a product for lunch or a picnic, but will probably not be the best choice for a weekend outing or a larger group.  While they don’t have a huge variety of models, there are a ton of different color and pattern options as well as a decent variety of smaller sizes.  

If you are in the market for a relatively short-term and soft-sided cooler we also recommend you check out our reviews of Arctic Zone coolers, Dalix coolers, and eBags coolers.

Our Top Rated Thermos Coolers

 Thermos Raya Lunch ToteThermos Element 5 CanThermos Element 5 Lunch Lugger
thermos raya lunch tote thumbnailthermos element 5 can cooler thumbnailthermos element 5 lunch lugger thumbnail
Our Rating3.5 star2.5 star2.5 star
Price by Volume (Amazon)$$$$$$$
Ice Life4-5 hours3-4 hours3-4 hours
Our Full ReviewLinkLinkLink

The Thermos Name

While many might initially think of Thermos’ famed containers for keeping items hot, they also have quite a bit of experience with products that help to keep items cold.  Because of this, you know any product that has the Thermos name on it will come with the respected and proven reputation that it has earned over the decades. 

This experience that they have gives them a unique edge over much of their competition in regards to manufacturing and material choices to make, and we can see this in many of their products.  It also comes with a convenient Thermos warranty with further shows that they are proud and will stand behind their products.

Extreme Mobility

One common trend that we have seen across all Thermos coolers is their great mobility.  All of their products are quite compact and are made of relatively lightweight materials, so they are very light, even when filled up with items and ice.  This makes them extremely easy to carry and when you do carry them they don’t take up much space. You can bring it along to work, on a car trip, to the lake, or anywhere else.

This also makes these products easy to stow away just about anywhere.  This can be important if you need to carry a lot of items at once and don’t want to make multiple trips or if you are going somewhere that will have severely limited storage space like a cramped camping tent or a small school locker.

Good Storage for the Size

Despite their small demeanor, Thermos products come with quite a bit of storage volume.  This means that there should be ample room for just about any individual’s lunch or small picnic needs, and in their larger offerings, they could even potentially be used as a storage vessel for a small group gathering. 

This can be attributed to a combination of a minimal amount of thin material being used as well as an optimized design that allows one to store as many items as possible with the given volume.  In other words, they are designed to try to avoid the annoying occurrence where you have a bit of volume at the top of the container that is too small to fit any other items but too large of unoccupied volume to go unnoticed.  

They also have extra deep products such as the Raya Lunch Tote that allow you to store tall or long items that would normally be very difficult to fit in a conventional soft-sided small cooler.  This is good for those of you who are wine lovers or like to carry along a large water bottle.

Priority on Ice Life

Thermos

Many of Thermos’ coolers have average to above-average cooling life.  This can be a challenge for smaller coolers, and especially ones that are so lightweight and simple.  This can likely be attributed to optimal material selection as well as high-quality construction methods being used.  

Also, many of their products come equipped with isotecâ„¢ premium insulation, which is a multi-layered compound that consists of closed-cell polyethylene foam that will block solar heat while at the same time retaining cooled air internally.

Great Color Variety

There are a huge number of different color and pattern variations available for these products.  No matter who the cooler is intended for, there is likely an existing design that will agree with them and their aesthetic needs.  This also goes to show that Thermos is attempting to design products that cater to a larger crowd: from kids and teenagers who want a fun lunch box that can stand out from their friends to a more professional and business setting where a simple black or gray color is preferred.  

The fabric and texture patterns that they use are also very attractive.  They can have a rather progressive look where there is an alternation between solid fabrics and mesh which looks quite nice.

Competitively Priced

Another quality that Thermos has strived for and likely takes great pride in is its ability to offer a viable product at a reasonable price.  Many of their coolers come in well below the average market price for a comparable-sized and equipped cooler.  They can offer this while still making a high-quality product that doesn’t attempt to take shortcuts material or construction to achieve this.  

When you become as large of a company as Thermos, you can make your products much cheaper than the “little guy” and in many cases, these cost savings are then shared with their customers.

General Product Information

Products Reviewed: Thermos Raya Lunch Tote, Thermos Element 5 Can Cooler, Thermos Element 5 Lunch Lugger

Range of storage sizes: 8 to 22 quarts

Range of estimated ice life: Up to 8 hours

Materials used: Plastic, rubber, various fabrics, and metal

Price range: Budget to Intermediate

Wheeled options? No

Company Website: http://www.thermos.com/

Thermos Raya Lunch Tote

thermos raya lunch tote reviewOur Rating:

 3.5 star

This lunch tote is quite large and has enough storage space for an entire group’s afternoon needs.  And surprisingly, the semi-insulated walls do an OK job of keeping items cool for a few hours. But beyond that, there isn’t much to it.  This includes a lack of external pockets or other helpful features.  But it certainly is affordable.

Pros: Affordable, plenty of storage space, good cooling qualities

Cons: Very bare, no external pockets

Read Our Review of Thermos Raya Lunch Tote

Thermos Element 5 Can 

thermos element 5 can cooler reviewOur Rating:

 2.5 star

Don’t let the small size fool you: this cooler will store a surprising amount of items.  Also, the cooling is good enough for its intentions of carrying some cans for a few hours.    But outside of the insulated internal storage, you won’t have much room for storing anything else.  Plus, the zipper is weaker than we would like to see.

 Pros: Adequate job of cooling, carries quite a bit for the size

Cons: Not a lot of other storage options, the zipper is very weak, flimsy structure, little variance in aesthetics

Read Our Review of Thermos Element 5 Can Cooler

Thermos Element 5 Lunch Lugger

thermos element 5 lunch lugger reviewOur Rating:

 2.5 star

Thermos is very good at making the most out of a small package and this is no different here. This Lunch Lugger is plenty large enough to package your lunch items for the day.  Plus, it has a handy external pocket for non-chilled items.  But the zippers are notoriously weak and you are severely limited on color selections. 

Pros: Large cooling storage for the size, good size for easy mobility

Cons: Zippers break easily, only one color choice

Read Our Review of Thermos Element 5 Lunch Lugger

Thermos
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