National Cooler Day – May 28, 2027

Expected National Cooler Day Deals

While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows that retailers like YETI, RTIC, and Coleman often roll out discounts on their popular hard and soft coolers. Look for deals on accessories at stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Bass Pro Shops, with beverage brands such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo offering bundled promotions with cooler purchases. Even grocery chains like Kroger and Walmart might feature sales on disposable coolers and ice. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as May 28 approaches.

History of National Cooler Day

The history of the modern cooler can be traced to the beginning of the first millennium when the Celts developed barrels to store and transport food items. The invention was soon taken over by the ancient Romans, who introduced them to the rest of the world through their vast trade routes. In 1802, a Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, patented the refrigerator. It was an oval tube made from cedar wood, with a rectangular tin box inside it and lined using rabbit fur. The rectangular tin box is filled with snow and crushed ice to keep the content of the refrigerator cool. This invention changed how food was delivered and stored across the United States. It became prominent in restaurants and hotels, and even special freight ice boxes based on the refrigerator design were built for the railroads.

In 1944, an engineer at Dow Chemical, Ray ‘Otis’ McIntire, created Styrofoam. The polystyrene foam was made by combining pressurized polystyrene with isobutylene, making it light, durable, and an excellent insulator. Although its primary purpose was to replace rubber, it later became used in packaging, and then as coolers. In 1951, Richard C. Laramy filed a patent with the United States Patent Office for a portable ice chest. Laramy later sold his patent to the Coleman Company. In 1954, the Coleman Company launched a galvanized cooler, later replacing it with plaster. The company also changed the product’s name from ‘portable ice chest’ to ‘cooler.’ Capitalizing on the success of the Coleman Company, other cooler brands started cropping up, including the likes of Igloo and Yeti — which became the gold standard for coolers.