Does TikTok's Hack To Keep Your Cooler Chilled For Longer Actually Work?

Everyone loves a hack, and while there are plenty of tips for cleaning your cooler after a party or even building your own cooler by reusing items like an old mini-fridge, tricks to keep your existing cooler colder for longer might interest many. TikTok can sometimes be relied on for these kinds of tips, and a video showing a cooler lid being filled up with water and then frozen suggests this is a great way to keep the unit insulated longer. However, this TikTok trend might actually ruin your coolers or damage them enough that their warranty even gets voided. 

In a video shared by Igloo Coolers, you can see a small button on the underside of the lid. Some tops are hollow, and some people suggest to fill the entire lid up with water before placing it in your freezer to create a frozen layer that keeps in coolness after the ice inside has melted. The issue with this trend is that the water will expand and could either crack the lid's plastic or cause it to become too heavy and fall off the cooler itself. Neither of these are ideal outcomes, so this is best left alone.

The company even mentioned in the video's caption that the lids are not meant to be altered at all, nor should they be removed. Most coolers come with a warranty that allows you to get a replacement or have it fixed if it breaks within a certain amount of time.

According to a Igloo Coolers Customer Service chat, filling the lid does in fact void any warranty on the cooler, and is not recommended by the company. This, alone, should be enough to put people off from trying the TikTok trend, and it's better to play it safe than be sorry later. As water freezes, it will expand, and depending on your lid's materials, the hardened water will damage the plastic or even crack it, making it unusable. If this doesn't happen, chances are you will still end up with melted water that is difficult to get out of the small hole you filled it with, creating more work for yourself whenever it's time to unload the cooler.

Comments in the TikTok video about putting water in an igloo lid refuted this suggestion, explaining all the things that could go wrong. They also provided alternative suggestions, one of which can also be found on the Internet when searching this trend. The top suggestion was filling the hollow lid with expanding foam, like LockTite Expanding Foam from Amazon. This will insulate the lid, helping with temperature control, but unlike water which expands and recedes, this will remain in place and shouldn't damage your lid.

It's important to actually check that your cooler isn't already insulated with foam, as some brands include this step when assembling. Companies that leave their lids hollow do so to keep the cooler inexpensive, and also to make it more lightweight so it is easier for people to tote it around to different destinations or even areas in the yard. You would want to do some research to see if the lids are also insulated, and if they aren't you need to be sure you're willing to void the warranty when you add in expanding foam. It's also a good idea to research DIY foam insulation kits, check reviews, and even expert opinions before purchasing for this use.

This option certainly seems less controversial than freezing water, and if you don't have a hole that can be popped open, some DIYers suggest drilling a hole to get the foam inside. All of this seems like a lot of work for an item that was made with keeping food fresh already in mind, but the foam doesn't have as many drawbacks thus far and could potentially help keep items cold for longer. The water method certainly seems to have been debunked, and if you want to keep your cooler in good condition for as long as possible, avoid this TikTok trick.