For people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the summer seasons sometimes means extra precautions to take, especially when it comes to transporting insulin and other temperature-sensitive diabetes injections, like Mounjaro, Ozempic, Byetta, or Victoza.
As you know, insulin is very fragile and needs to be protected from heat to maintain its potency, which may become a bit trickier during the warm summer days.
That's why any any diabetic traveler and outdoor enthusiast should have a reliable insulin cooler. These travel cases are professionally designed to keep insulin and medicines cool and safe, while you can enjoy your adventures without worrying about your medication.
Here's a comprehensive guide on how to choose your next travel companion:
- What are the best insulin coolers available?
- How to find the one that perfectly suits your needs?
- Why is an insulin cooling case so essential?
Different Types of Insulin Coolers
Insulin coolers vary widely in size, design, and functionality to fit different insulin storage devices, such as insulin pens, vials, cartridges, or prefilled syringes.
When selecting an insulin cooler for travel, the initial consideration should be whether you intend to carry unopened insulin that requires refrigeration or opened insulin that can be stored at room temperature:
- For unopened insulin, it is essential that the cooler maintains fridge-like temperatures between 2°C and 8°C.
- For insulin that has already been opened, choose a cooling case that simply keeps insulin below 25°C to ensure it is shielded from heat.
We have prepared a video guide to better illustrate your choices, displaying the various insulin cooler types. This guide will provide you with a clear view of how each cooler can cater to your travel and lifestyle needs!
Insulin Coolers for Room Temperature Control
These insulin coolers are usually simpler and come in the form of cooling bags or cooling bottles. They keep insulin cool at a safe room temperature below 25°C, but not as cold as refrigerated travel cases.
These coolers are perfect for carrying in-use insulin during outdoor days or summer vacations. They work with cold packs or evaporative cooling technology to maintain a consistently cool temperature inside, independently of the heat outside.
Our Top Picks:
- The new Chillers Insulin Cool Pouches keep insulin cool below 26°C for over 45 hours. They work without the need for a freezer nor electricity.
- The Rambler Small Insulin Pen Cooler is like a thermos bottle but adapted to medical needs. It keeps one insulin pen cool for up to 16 hours.
- The Companion Insulin Cooler Bag can fit up to 5 insulin pens and keep them cool for up 14 hours.
Travel Coolers for Refrigerated Insulin
These are more powerful travel coolers that are capable of keeping your insulin refrigerated between 2°C and 8°C during transportation. Designed to carry unopened insulin pens or vials, they are ideal for extended travels where refrigeration isn't readily available.
Some refrigerated travel coolers for medicines work with USB power and can be plugged into a car's cigarette lighter, a travel power bank, or even a portable solar panel, making them suitable even for off-grid adventures.
Other models function without power and rely on cold packs to keep your insulin refrigerated for 20 to 40 hours while traveling.
Our Top Picks:
- The Explorer 72 Hours Insulin Cooler can keep up to 7 insulin pens refrigerated for 52 hours and cool for 72 hours, using USB power, cold packs, or even both simultaneously!
- The Voyager Mini Insulin Fridge can store 7 insulin pens refrigerated during 33 hours without power and indefinitely when connected to a USB power source.
- The Nomad Insulin Cooling Cases work with cold packs. You can carry up to 7 insulin pens refrigerated for over 30 hours of travels!
4AllFamily's Insulin Coolers: Reviews!
Let’s explore these insulin travel coolers from 4AllFamily in greater detail, examining their storage capacities and cooling efficiency. This comparison will help you make the best choice your specific needs.
All our medical travel coolers are suitable for insulin and any other medications that need to be kept cool or refrigerated during transport, including various diabetes injections like Mounjaro, Ozempic, Victoza, Trulicity, Byetta, and weight loss medications such as Zepbound, Wegovy, or Saxenda.
Each of our medical coolers is specially crafted for medical use and to be reliable, cost-effective, robust, and easy to use.
Additionally, all models meet airport security standards for air travel, ensuring you can carry your insulin and other medications on flights with ease.
1. The Voyager Mini Insulin Fridge
4AllFamily's Voyager Mini Insulin Fridge
How does it work?
The Voyager is a real mini fridge for insulin and medicines. It operates with either cold packs or USB power.
This advanced insulin cooler allows for precise temperature control, thanks to its integrated thermostat, auto shut-off safety, and temperature display screen that shows you the temperature inside without needing to open the cooler.
How many insulin pens can it carry?
The Voyager Mini Insulin Fridge can store up to 7 insulin pens or 8 Novolog vials. The exact storage capacity depends on the dimensions of your specific injection device. You can find more details about capacity and compatibility on the product page.
How long does it keep insulin refrigerated for?
When used on its cold pack mode (no electricity), the Voyager insulin travel fridge keeps insulin refrigerated between 2-8°C for 33 hours and cool at room temperature below 26°C for 52 hours.
When used on USB mode, this travel fridge keeps insulin refrigerated between 2-8°C for as long as it's plugged in, with an outside temperature of 35°C.
We recommend this insulin cooler for:
- Transporting unopened insulin that needs to be refrigerated
- Carrying opened insulin that can be refrigerated or kept at room temperature
- Traveling with large supplies of insulin
- All kinds of journeys, from beach holidays and camping excursions to hiking and off-grid adventures, as well as air and road travel, urban explorations, and business trips.
2. The Explorer 72 Hours Insulin Cooler
4AllFamily's Explorer 72 Hours Insulin Cooler
How does it work?
The Explorer Insulin Cooler is highly versatile and boasts three cooling techniques in a single insulin travel cooler!
It comes with a USB-powered lid that transforms it into a mini-fridge when plugged into USB power sources such as a car cigarette lighter, USB solar panel, portable power bank, or standard AC home power.
For cooling without electricity, simply swap out the lid and utilize the biogel cold packs to maintain your insulin cool.
Alternatively, you can use both the USB lid and biogel packs together for prolonged cooling effectiveness!
How many insulin pens can you carry?
How long will it keep insulin cool for?
On Combined Mode (USB-lid + cold pack), the Explorer Insulin Cooler keeps insulin refrigerated between 2-8°C for up to 52 hours and cool below 26°C for 72 hours.
On Cold Pack Mode, the Explorer keeps insulin refrigerated between 2-8°C for 33 hours and at room temperature below 26°C for 52 hours.
On USB Mode, this insulin travel case cooler lowers the internal temperature to 15°C compared to the external temperature. At an outside temperature of 30°C, the cooler can maintain interior temperatures between 8-26°C for as long as it is plugged in.
We recommend this insulin cooler for:
- Transporting unopened insulin that needs to be refrigerated
- Carrying opened insulin that can be refrigerated or kept at room temperature
- Traveling with large supplies of insulin
- All kinds of journeys, from beach holidays and camping excursions to hiking and off-grid adventures, as well as air and road travel, urban explorations, and business trips.
3. The Nomad Insulin Cooling Cases
4AllFamily's Nomad Insulin Travel Cases
How does it work?
The Nomad Insulin Travel Case coolers work exclusively with biogel cold packs (no electricity needed). They are equipped with a robust built-in insulation layer function like thermos bottles, but adapted for medical use.
How many insulin pens can you carry?
The Medium Nomad Insulin Cooling Case can store 3 insulin pens, while the Big Nomad can hold up to 7 pens.
The storage capacity varies based on the specific dimensions of your injection pens. Please refer to the product page for more compatibility details.
How long will it keep insulin cold for?
Refrigerated Storage: The Nomad insulin cooling cases keep insulin at fridge temperatures between 2°C to 8°C for up to 33 hours.
Room Temperature Storage: keep insulin at room temperature below 26°C for up to 52 hours!
We recommend this insulin cooler for:
- Storing unopened insulin that requires refrigeration.
- Carrying opened insulin that can be refrigerated or kept at room temperature
- Travel scenarios where electricity is unavailable, including off-grid journeys, flights, and more.
4. The Rambler Small Insulin Pen Cooler
4AllFamily's Rambler 12H Insulin Pen Travel Case
How does it work?
4AllFamily's Rambler Pocket-size Insulin Pen Cooler is a super lightweight cooling case weighing about 300 grams, designed to keep one insulin pen cool and protected from heat wherever you go.
This small insulin cooler works with biogel cold packs. It does not require electricity.
How many insulin pens can you carry?
This is a small and compact insulin cooler, designed for daily use to carry one single insulin pen, typically your in-use injection pen.
How long will it keep your insulin pen cool?
The Rambler keeps insulin cool at room temperature below 26°C for up to 16 hours when it's 30°C outside or 12 hours if it's 40°C.
To keep your insulin pen cool for longer, simply replace the cold pack with a freshly frozen one and go out for another round of 12 to 16 hours of adventures!
We recommend this insulin cooler for:
- Carrying your opened insulin pen at a controlled temperature (not refrigerated).
- Daily use and short travels
- All types of travel where electricity isn't an option, daily outdoor activities, city tours, off-grid travels, air travels, etc.
5. The Chiller Cool Pouch for Insulin
4AllFamily's Chiller Cooling Pouches for Insulin
How does it work?
These super cool pouches operate without the need for ice or electricity. Instead, they utilize a cutting-edge evaporative cooling technology that only requires water to maintain insulin at a cool temperature across various travel environments.
How many insulin pens can you carry?
The Chiller Cooling Pouches for insulin are available in different sizes, for one to five insulin pens.
How long will it keep insulin cool?
The Chiller Insulin cooling pouches use cutting-edge cooling technology powered by water evaporation. They guarantee your insulin is transported within the safe room temperature range of 18°C-26°C for at least 45 hours, even on hot summer days when temperature soars 37.8°C!
We recommend this insulin cooler for:
- Carrying insulin at a controlled room temperature (not refrigerated)
- Daily use and off-grid travels.
- Any travel situations without access to electricity or a freezer, including daily excursions, city tours, off-grid travels, air travels, etc
6. The Companion Insulin Cooler Bag
4AllFamily's Companion Insulin Cooler Bag
How does it work?
The Companion is an medical-grade insulated travel bag for insulin and medicines that keeps insulin cool thanks to biogel cold packs. It does not rely on electricity.
How many insulin pens can fit?
The Companion Insulin Cooler Bag offers an ample storage space, allowing you to carry up to 5 insulin pens. The storage capacity depends on the exact dimensions of your specific injection device.
How long will it keep insulin cool for?
This medical cooling bag reliably keeps insulin cool below 26°C for 14 hours when it's 30°C outside or 10 hours when it's 40°C.
We recommend this insulin cooler for:
- Protecting insulin from heat (not refrigerated)
- Daily use and short travels
- Any travel situations without electricity, including daily excursions, city tours, off-grid travels, air travels, etc.
Why Do You Need an Insulin Travel Cooler?
How to keep insulin cool when traveling
Insulin must be refrigerated between 2°C to 8°C before opening. Once opened, your pens or vials can stay at room temperature (up to 25°C) for about a month.
However, it's vital to ensure that even when unrefrigerated, insulin is never exposed to temperatures over 25°C, even briefly.
Therefore, temperature control is crucial when traveling with insulin. Planning ahead and equipping yourself with a suitable insulin travel case cooler will help keep your insulin safe and effective throughout your journey.
What to Look For in an Insulin Cooling Case?
Opt for a cooler that is robust, yet light and easy to tote around. Also, consider how much insulation or cooling it offers and its storage capacity to ensure it meets your travel and lifestyle needs. Here are some important things to keep in mind:
- Insulation & Cooling Efficiency: Choose an insulin cooler with solid insulation to maintain your insulin and other medications within the appropriate temperature range. If your insulin needs to stay refrigerated, look for a case that can consistently maintain fridge temperatures between 2°C to 8°C for extended periods
- Storage capacity & Size: Select a cooler that can hold all your insulin supplies. Consider the number of insulin pens or vials you'll need to carry for the entire length of your trip.
- Durability & Quality: Search for an insulin travel case constructed from top-notch, enduring insulation materials that can endure travel stresses. Check if the case is water-resistant or waterproof and features a robust exterior to shield your insulin pens and vials against shocks and knocks.
- Approved for Air Travel: If you plan to fly with insulin, make sure your cooler meet the airport security standards. All 4AllFamily insulin coolers are approved for air travel.
We'd Love to Hear From You!
Share your experiences or favorite insulin coolers below, along with any tips or questions you have about traveling with insulin. Your insights can guide others in our community to make well-informed choices.
And if you're unsure about which of our insulin cooler is right for you, please reach out. We're eager to help you!
