Top 5 Best [& Cheapest] Insulin Cooler Kits for Traveling Diabetics
By: Healthy Lifestyel
Tags: Travel, Diabetes, Insulin, Health, Traveling

Top 5 Best [& Cheapest] Insulin Cooler Kits for Traveling Diabetics

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I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed are my own.

Top 5 Best Insulin Travel Coolers to Keep Insulin Cool

Insulin is a temperature-sensitive medicine that needs to be protected from the heat at all times.

As a general rule, you in-use open insulin pens or vials should not be exposed to temperatures over 25°C/77°F. Your stocks of unopened insulin should be kept at fridge temperature.

I’m a Type 1 diabetic and I’ve been traveling all over the world with my insulin kit for more than 10 years now.

I’ve tried many different insulin coolers over the years and I know how hard it is to find the best one. Actually, there’s no such thing as the “best insulin travel cooler”.

Each of us has different needs, and the most important thing is finding the insulin cooler that best suits your own needs. That’s why I’ve put together the buyer’s guide to insulin coolers at the end of the article.

It will guide you through all the features to look at to make the smartest purchase decision according to what your personal needs are.

Best Insulin Coolers, Cooling Bags, Travel Cases, and Mini-fridges

1. 4AllFamily 72 Hours Insulin Cooler with USB Charger and Biopack Gel — Powered

4ALLFAMILY 72 Hours 7 Pen Medical Insulin Cooler Travel CASE USB Charger + BIO GEL Ideal Diabetic Medicine Portable Insulin Carrying Bag TSA Approved Medication Bottle Diabetes Storage Vial (Blue)

✔️【3 COOLING METHODS】

✔️【PORTABLE INSULIN COOLER STAINLESS STEEL 304 FOOD MUG】

✔️[ SUPER VERSATILE]

Laboratory tests have shown it can keep your insulin at fridge temperature (2–8°C/35–46°F) for 50 hours and at a maximum of 26°C/78°F for 72 hours when the outside temperature is 35°C/95°F. This is the highest performance on the market today.

Moreover, it has a high capacity: it can hold up to 7 insulin pens, 8 Novolog Vials, or 42 Humulin vials.

It’s light, portable, and very easy to use. I’ve just received the product myself and I am testing it for a full review that I’ll publish in a few weeks.

🕊️[ Our aim is to offer GREAT QUALITY PRODUCTS AND EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE]. We aim to give peace of mind to any customer. For any issues about our medical diabetic bag contact us and we make sure cases get resolved in LESS THAN 12 Hours.

✅ Pros

>3 cooling methods in one product!

>Can keep insulin at fridge temperature and/or room temperature

>High & long-lasting efficiency (72 hours)

>High capacity (up to 7 insulin pen — 42 Humulin vials)

>USB charger included (can charge in car or solar panel)

>Ice Pack gel included

>TSA approved for travel

❌Cons

>It is quite expensive (but you get what you pay for!)

>There’s only one color available at the moment

Buy Now

2. GetBacktoBasix Fridge-to-Go Insulin Cooling Case

An insulin cooling bag designed by a diabetic entrepreneur! He knows what he’s talking about. Fridge-to-Go is the name of the insulin cooling bag designed by Robin, the Type 1 Diabetic man behind GetBacktoBasix company.

These FDA-approved cooling bags use patented freezer panels filled with saltwater that keep the interior temperature cool no matter what the external temperature is.

What I love about Fridge-to-Go is its interior organized design. It has several zipper compartments and elasticized straps for insulin pens and vials not to move. And the exterior zipper is lovable, you can have a small padlock if you desire extra security.

Robin has thought about kids too, offering a Kids Epipen Holder with an identification window and kids-friendly design.

✅Pros

>Light, compact, and easy to use everyday insulin cooler

>Protects insulin from high temperature

>Can hold up to 3 insulin pens or 4 vials

>Chemical-free uses saltwater!

>Interior design is well organized with zippers and pockets

>Kids-friendly versions

>TSA approved for travel

❌Cons

>Does not specify for how long it keeps insulin cool

Buy Now…

3. Aijun USB Portable Mini-Fridge To Keep Insulin Cool

●√【 Max Working Time 10 Hours After Full Charge 】 Battery capacity: 1040mAh, max working time:8–10 hours.

●√【 Working Max Time 10 Hours 】

●√【 Perfect Mini Refrigerator for Storage Insulin 】

Aijun mini-fridge is a best seller in the temperature-sensitive medicine category. Specially designed for diabetes drugs to stay refrigerated at all times, it’s an actual mini-fridge and really works just like a real fridge would do.

So you’re safe your insulin is constantly properly stored. It keeps your insulin safe between 2–8°C/35–46°F and has an anti-freeze security function.

It works on a 1040mAh battery for a duration of 10 hours when fully charged. A battery indicator lets you know when you need to recharge, which is very handy.

It comes with 3 different charging systems: a USB port, a cigarette lighter adapter (so you can charge it in your car), as well as a regular household power charger.

Its LCD display shows the time and the refrigeration temperature in both °C and °F. It can hold up to 3 insulin pens and 4 insulin vials.

Internal refrigeration space: 170mm*55mm*23mm. External dimensions: 187mm*80mm*68mm.

I have not tested the Aijun mini-fridge myself, but many of my readers have reported it’s a great product!

✅Pros

>Keeps your insulin safe at fridge temperature (2–8°C/35–46°F)

>Can be charged on USB, car cigarette lighter, and household power

>Display inside temperature for instantaneous control

>Anti-freeze function

>Fast-charging Lithium battery

>TSA approved for travel

❌Cons

>A bit expensive (but so is any mini-fridge…)

>Small capacity: can only hold up to 3 insulin pens or 4 insulin vials

>Quite bulky to carry around

Buy Now

4. DisonCare 36H Portable Thermos Insulin Cooling Bottle with Temperature Display & QR Medical Tag

●√【Portable】Portable insulin cooler, easy to carry, TSA Approval, and Luggage Check-in is Acceptable.

●√【Good Insulation】

●√【Material】Performance better than medicine cooler bags.

●√【Large Capacity 】Dison Care insulin cooler case can storage 2 Insulin pens in normals size.

●√【 Service】Dison Care insulin cooler travel case, the Best choice for travel around the world, With 30 days money back, 1-year warranty, and easy-to-reach customer service. If you have any further questions, please contact us via amazon.

DisonCare Insulin coolers for traveling diabetics are made with stainless steel and keep the insulin at fridge temperature (2–8°C/35–46°F) for up to 36 hours even if the ambient temperature is at 30°/86°F.

It’s a bit less than its All4Family competitor which keeps insulin at fridge temperature for 50 hours, but it’s still more than most other ones.

It works with natural bio gel freezing packs. It comes with a touch temperature display for better control and tranquility.

My favorite feature: its eye-catching QR Medical Tag. Anyone who scans the QR code can view your reserved information.

It’s definitely a good reassuring idea for traveling diabetics, as you never know what can happen. Plus, if you lose the cooler, chances are higher someone will contact you.

The only downside I’ve found to this cooler is its limited capacity: you can only put 2 insulin pens, 2 insulin vials, or 12 Humilin vials.

✅Pros

>Great performance: 36 hours at fridge temperature

>Stainless steel premium quality long-lasting material

>Temperature displays for better control

>QR Medical Code for extra security

>Includes natural bio gel freezing packs

>Large choice of options and colors

>30-days money-back policy + One year warranty

>Reasonable price compared to some expensive competitors

>TSA approved for travel

❌Cons

>Small capacity (but you can get the extra-large one that holds up to 6 insulin pens, 8 insulin vials, or 42 Humilin vials)

Buy Now…

5. Cooluli Mini-fridge USB Cooler with Power Bank Option — Great for Insulin

Cooluli mini-fridge is not specially designed for medications, but it’s definitely one of my favorite insulin cooling solutions. Many people use it for medications or for cosmetics.

It’s a modern mini-fridge of 4-liters capacity with AC + DC + USB adapter so you can use it absolutely everywhere. It’s easy to transport thanks to its inset top handle.

It’s without any doubt the largest capacity solution you can get. It works great and it’s actually one of the most purchased cooling systems by my readers!

It’s ultra-quiet, 100% energy efficient, and has a cooling capacity of 40ºF-45ºF below ambient temperature. One thing to be aware of though: Cooluli mini-fridges does not work on battery. It needs the power to function (USB, Car, or Household).

Outer dimensions: 7.6″x10.8″x10.25″. Inner dimension: 5.45″x8.12″x5.4″. Cooluli is an expert in mini-fridges and offers a lot of different sizes, colors, and styles.

✅Pros

>A real mini-fridge!

>Largest Capacity: 4 liters inside storage room

>Comes with USB, DC, and AC adapter so you can plug it everywhere

>Easy to transport with inset top handle

>Ultra quiet and 100% energy efficient

>Large choice of options and colors

>Reasonable price compared to some expensive competitors

❌Cons

>Not sure if it’s TSA approved for travel

>Does not work on battery

Buy Now…

Buyer’s Guide to Finding the Best Insulin Cooler for You

There are many features to look at to make a smart choice when buying an insulin travel cooler. Temperature, duration, weight, powers, USB, capacity, price, etc… Finding the perfect cooler that fits all of your expectations is a tough task and you sometimes will have to make compromises.

Here’s a little help to guide you through your purchase decision. I’ve listed all the important questions you need to ask yourself before buying your new insulin cooler. For each of your answers, there’s a list of most suited product suggestions.

How cold do you need your insulin to be kept?

To protect your in-use open insulin pens or vials from the daily ambient high temperature, you’ll need an insulin cooler that will keep your insulin below 25°C/77°F. Your cooler doesn’t need to go as low as fridge temperature. You can use simpler and cheaper coolers such as — Fridge-to-go

To transport stocks of insulin for more than a month, you’ll need a higher-performance cooler that guarantees your insulin is constantly kept at fridge temperature (2–8°C/35–46°F). As you know, insulin cannot be out of the fridge for more than a month without risking going bad. You’ll need to use performant insulin coolers such as All4Family– Aijun mini-fridge — DisonCare Bottle — Cooluli USB mini-fridge

How long do you need your insulin to stay cool?

It’s not the same if you need your cooler for few hours day trips once in a while, or if you need it to transport your insulin cold for several days in a row. Before buying, read the cooler’s performance laboratory test results and check that it can keep your insulin safe for the time you need. Some can keep your insulin cool for as long as 72 hours! The highest-performance for autonomous (working on battery) insulin coolers at fridge temperature is All4Family — DisonCare Bottle.

Powered or a non-powered insulin cooler, USB, Car adapter?

Powered insulin coolers naturally have higher performances, but they’re less autonomous and require access to electricity at least to recharge the batteries. Most powered insulin coolers now come with USB chargers and Car adapter, which allows you to recharge the batteries from everywhere. Check at: All4Family– Aijun mini-fridge — DisonCare Bottle — Cooluli USB mini-fridge

Non-powered insulin coolers work with either freeze packs (you’ll need access to a freezer to activate it!), cold water, or even nothing! They give you more liberty than powered coolers, are much compact and lightweight, but are usually less performant.

Insulin pen coolers vs. Insulin vial coolers: check out the compatibility

Before buying, be sure your insulin cooler is compatible with your insulin containers. Some insulin coolers are designed to hold exclusively insulin pens and you won’t be able to store any insulin vials: some of the Frio Bags — ViviCap device. Other insulin coolers are specially designed for insulin vials and insulin pens won’t fit in them: Frio Bags.

How many insulin pens/vials do you need to keep cool?

If you need an insulin cooler to carry up to 3 insulin pens or vials, you’ll be well enough with low-capacity coolers such as Fridge-to-go — Aijun mini-fridge

On the contrary, if you need your cooler to hold to more than 4 pens, check at high-capacity insulin coolers such as All4Family — DisonCare Bottle — Cooluli USB mini-fridge. Cooluli mini-fridge is the highest capacity you can find.

What’s your insulin cooler’s ideal size and weight?

Depending on the kind of trip you’re planning, your priority might be to limit weight and dimensions as much as possible? In that case, choose a lighter option such as Fridge-to-go.

How smart do you want your insulin cooler to be?

Some coolers are much more high-tech and connected than others. Do you want an alarm to warn you when you run out of battery? Would you like your cooler to display inside temperature? What about connecting it to your phone via an App? Would you be reassured with security such as a QR Medical code? If you’re into technology and would appreciate that kind of options, check at the following coolers: All4Family — DisonCare Bottle

Do you need a TSA-approved insulin travel cooler?

If you’re going to fly with your diabetic supplies, you’ll need an insulin cooler that is approved by the TSA so you can carry it on board with you. All insulin coolers in this article are TSA-approved (expect Cooluli mini-fridge).

Insulin Coolers’ Price

Price matters for most of us. Some insulin coolers can be really expensive (LifeinaBox Smart mini-fridge for medicines costs more than $200!). If you can’t afford to pay much for your insulin cooler, there are options around $20 that work just great. The cheapest insulin coolers on this list are Fridge-to-go.