If you're living with insulin-dependent diabetes and frequently on the move, mastering the art of keeping your insulin cool and properly stored is vital for your well-being.
Insulin is highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. It must be stored refrigerated between 2°C and 8°C before use, and kept cool below 25°C once opened. Failure to maintain these temperatures can lead to spoiled insulin, disrupting your travel and health plans.
Whether you're heading to work, travelling across the globe, or enjoying a day out, having the right insulin cooler can make a significant difference, especially during summer.
But what are the best cooling packs to use for insulin? Should you opt for ice packs, gel packs, or PCMs? Let's break down the different options.
Related article: How to Travel With Insulin That Needs Refrigeration or Cooling!
Different Cooling Pack Options for Insulin
When the mercury climbs, or you're on the move with unopened, refrigerated insulin pens or vials, it's vital to have a good insulated cooler bag or travel case at hand. It's your first defence in keeping your insulin cool and working perfectly.
So, what should you pop into your cooler to keep the chill inside? When picking out cooling packs for your insulin while travelling, you've got a few choices:
- Traditional Ice Packs: These are straightforward-just water in a plastic bag. While they're easy to use, they can freeze your insulin if they touch directly, tend to get a bit messy as they thaw, and can lead to inconsistent temperatures inside your cooler bag.
- Gel Packs: A more dependable option, these packs are filled with a gel that helps keep a steady temperature, which is much better for keeping medical use.
- Phase Change Materials (PCMs): Specially designed to absorb and release heat as they melt and solidify, PCMs offer an excellent way to keep your medication cool.
But choosing the right type also depends on how long you'll be travelling and your specific insulin storage needs. Each type has its pros and cons, so it's all about what works best for your situation.
Traditional Ice Packs
These are the simplest option-just water sealed in a plastic container. They're budget-friendly and do the job for quick jaunts. But, they're not without their drawbacks:
- Risk of Freezing: If they touch your insulin directly, ice packs can freeze it. Insulin should never be frozen!
- Messy Meltdowns: As they thaw, ice packs can drip and create a soggy mess inside your cooler, while also upping the humidity, which isn't great for your insulin.
- Unreliable Temperatures: The temperature inside your insulin cooler can swing wildly with ice packs, a real issue for medical injections that need a steady environment.
- Airport Security Checks: UK, EU, and international airport security checkpoints mandate that all cooling packs must be solidly frozen at security checks, which can lead to hold-ups during long travels where your cold pack might start to thaw.
Gel Packs: A Great Cooling Option!
Gel packs are a more modern and highly effective cooling pack option for travelling with insulin.
The gel packs made by 4AllFamily, known as the Buddy Biogel Cooling Packs, are housed in sturdy plastic and filled with a refrigerant Biogel alongside an eco-friendly phase-changing material (PCM).
They are crafted specifically for medical purposes and are perfect for transporting insulin and other temperature-sensitive medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, Victoza, or Trulicity.
Here are some of the benefits they provide over ice packs:
- Extended Cooling Duration: Within our specialised travel coolers, the Buddy gel packs are capable of keeping insulin chilled for up to 33 hours and at a cool room temperature below 25°C for up to 52 hours.
- Medical-Grade Reliability: Adhering to rigorous quality standards, these gel packs offer minimal temperature fluctuations and are certified non-toxic (MSDS-certified).
- Leak-Proof Design: Their robust, leak-proof build ensures there's no mess inside your cooling case.
- Anti-Freeze Protection: The Biogel inside the cooling pack has a freezing point of 2°C, which is safely above insulin's freezing threshold, ensuring your insulin pens and vials stay unfrozen, even when in direct contact.
- Approved for UK Air Travel: The Buddy Biogel packs meet all airport standards for air travel within the UK, EU, and internationally, allowing you to pass through airport security with your insulin smoothly and without delay.
4AllFamily's Buddy Biogel Insulin Cool Packs are available in Small, Medium, and Big sizes. They are compatible with the following insulin cooling cases:
- The Voyager Mini Fridge for Insulin
- The Explorer 72-Hours Insulin Travel Cooler
- The Nomad Travel Cooling Cases
- The Companion Diabetes Cooler Bag
- The Rambler Small Insulin Pen Case
Innovative Insulin Cool Packs with Hydrogel Crystals
The most advanced cooling pack option for insulin on the market is the cold pack featuring water-absorbent hydrogel crystals, like those in 4AllFamily's Chillers Insulin Pouch Coolers.
These aren't your typical cooling packs. Packed with jelly-like, water-retaining crystals, they harness the cooling powers of water evaporation to reduce temperatures effectively.
Here's why they're often preferred by frequent travellers with insulin:
- Easy Activation: Just submerge the cool pouch in water to activate the cooling crystals. There's no need to freeze them before use.
- Long-Lasting Cooling: Once activated, these insulin cool packs can keep your insulin cool for more than 45 hours. To reactivate, simply re-soak them in water.
- Infinite Reusability: These eco-friendly cold packs can be reused endlessly with just water, delivering excellent value and cutting down on waste.
- UK Airport Security Ready: The Chillers Cool Pouches meet UK, EU, and International airport regulations for carry-on luggage, ensuring smooth passage through airport security when travelling with your insulin.
Important Note: The Chillers Insulin Pouch Coolers are designed for maintaining insulin at cool room temperatures, below 25°C. They are not suitable for carrying insulin that needs to be refrigerated. If your insulin needs to be transported at fridge temperature, please consider our other insulin cooling options!
We'd Love to Hear Your Thoughts
What's your go-to cooling pack when you're travelling with insulin? Got any clever tips or burning questions about keeping your insulin cool and correctly stored whilst you're out and about?
Share your experiences or questions in the comments below to lend a hand to fellow travellers with diabetes!
