Best Round Coolers and Bucket Coolers – Fitting a Circle in a Square Hole

Kula 5 Cooler – Best Round Cooler for The Money

Kicking us off is the Kula 5 cooler. The 5 stands for 5 gallons, as in you can easily tote around 5 gallons of food and fun. This puppy is no ordinary 5-gallon bucket, it is more like a step stool, fishing seat, battering ram that just so happens to be able to keep your delicious treats cold.

Two inches of foam insulate this rotomolded bucket, that has been reported to keep ice for about two days. Our research has shown that to be a fair report on the cooler’s capability. Since we love a good party, two days is more than adequate feed our need for fun.

As if keeping cool wasn’t enough, Kula put together this cooler to act like a comfortable seat, because after all no one can steal your goods if you are sitting on them, right? More practically, the EVA foam lid means you don’t have to haul a camping chair with you down to the water. Kula Sticky™ Feet line the bottom to make sure your butt doesn’t slip out from underneath you.

The one feature we are conflicted about is the drain plug. Kula has placed it at the very bottom so it acts more like a tub drain. We like the idea, and the efficiency of the plug, but the placement makes it all too easy to become blocked by a can, bottle, or fish. This really only becomes an issue when you need to drain melted ice after a few days. When cleaning the bucket, we love the design.

The last, and certainly most awesome feature is that the Kula round coolers have been certified gator proof. Yeah, gator proof, as in the animal that has the strongest bite of any amphibious or terrestrial animal on Earth. These beasts are not just gator resistant, they are gator proof.

We’ve just scratched the surface of these ground-breaking coolers. Check out our full Kula Cooler review, including details on the Kula 2.5 that has all the fun of the Kula 5 in a smaller package, plus a built-in tap.

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Meet the Kula. Yeah, its round! And well, why shouldn’t it be?

Yeti knows how to keep things cold, their line of coolers sets the standard for heavy-duty cold keeping. The Tank bucket cooler is not exception. This Tank series is not a cooler that you will use for extended trips out in the blind or on the lake but is the ultimate ice bucket to make you the fuel for a seriously amazing party.

The tank comes in two sizes:

• the Yeti Tank 45 that holds 52 cans
• the Yeti Tank 85 that holds 102 cans of liquid awesome.

The Yeti Tank is made from the same, nearly indestructible, rotomolded plastics that have made their coolers famous and successful. Within the sides is a polyurethane insulation that has been injected with high pressure to eliminate gaps and weak points in the insulation.

The design of the Tank bucket cooler provides impressive amounts of cooling insulation, but to make it the ultimate source of chill for your party or BBQ we recommend picking up the lid for this bucket cooler. The lid not only creates a better seal to keep ice, but it also will turn the cooler into a table top that lets everyone sit around and relax between drinks. The lids come fit for both the 45 and the 85.

The Yeti ice bucket cooler is an awesome solution for your party needs and will do an amazing job of keeping things cool. You pay a premium price for the Yeti Tank bucket cooler, but without a doubt, you will not be disappointed in its quality and performance.

The only real problem we had with the Yeti Tank is that its size makes it a little unwieldy, and harder to transport than something like the Kula 5.

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YETI Tank Cooler – Not Your Ordinary Ice Bucket

Remember every single major pro sports victory when the players doused the coach with the water jug? Well, you can bet your hairless biscuits that they were launching an Igloo cooler at the unwitting coach. The Igloo bucket cooler is one of the most iconic coolers ever and you don’t last as long as they have without a heavy dose of quality and reliability.

This 5-gallon beast (also available as 10-gallon option) is the perfect either/or option for your beverage needs the round construction is great for holding ice wrapped around a few cans or bottles. Or you can go the straight liquid and ice route that keeps everyone refreshed thanks to the spigot down at the bottom.

Igloo uses a combination of UltraTherm insulation in its thick body, and a pressure fit lid to keep whatever you dump into the cooler cold enough to please even the pickiest partier. Plus, the lid and bottom are reinforced to make this Igloo as good of a seat as it is a cooler.

Whether you plan to use this round cooler for a picnic, sporting event or party (we covered best party coolers here), don’t neglect to check out the slightly modified option that comes complete with a cup dispenser that attaches right up to the side of the cooler. The best party is the one where nobody has to search for a cup.

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We are going to throw a little honesty your way here, one of our favorite movies of the last decade is Transformers (7.1/10 on IMDb). The idea that you can have something that complete takes something great and turns it into something awesome really awesome grabs a special place in our hearts.

The Dakine Party Bucket can take your favorite tried and true 5-gallon plastic bucket (don't have one? get it here) into the center piece for your next party. Using a combination of cotton an elastane, the Dakine Party Bucket acts like a sleeve insert that slides into your 5-gallon bucket.

Throw in a little ice, and you have yourself a great cooler for a day out on the water, or an afternoon BBQ. Granted this won’t keep you Ice solid for days like the Yeti or Kula round cooler, but it is fast way to get yourself a quality cooler at a low price.

The sides of Dakine’s cooler are lined with bottle and can holders that will keep your opens cold while you set them down to reel in a fish or toss the horseshoe. One of the pockets is even large enough to hold a bottle of wine for those higher-class outings, ya know the ones where you wear your nice denim, or to haul a bottle of champagne to celebrate when you finally catch that devious trophy that has been stealing your bait.

We also love the fact that there's plenty of colors and design options to choose from.

Check all options at Amazon here

The Dakine Party Bucket

Rounding out our list is an entry from the oval cooler shape because we think that round doesn’t have to mean a perfect circle (we have plenty of beer gut pictures to prove it). The Igloo 20-quart oval cooler is that go-to ice bucket for those who want a budget option that is similar to the Yeti Tank.

While you won’t get the performance or features in the Igloo that you get in the Yeti, this fully insulated ice bucket does an admirable job of keeping ice.

The Igloo Party Bucket is thick and strong enough that it won’t bend or buckle when it's full of ice and drinks. The Bottom is slightly elevated to allow air to flow around the entire cooler to help prevent it from getting warm.

We also like the oversized grip handles that are reinforced to make lifting and positioning the Igloo Party Bucket easier than your typical ice bucket.

Buy it at Amazon here

Circling the Coolers

All puns aside, the best round coolers and the best bucket coolers can completely change how you carry your favorite beverages, and how you keep them crispy all day long. We’ve thrown a couple of high-end models and a couple of budget models out there to make sure you have the best picture of what makes a round cooler the best.

Now, how about you? Which round cooler would you opt for? Vote in our poll or share your thoughts in the comments section below.

>> Check out all round coolers available at Amazon