Top 5 Insulin Coolers - Pros and cons
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2024
- Insulin can go bad if it’s kept too cold or too hot, losing its ability to lower blood sugars as expected.
You can store your unopened insulin in the fridge at home, but keeping it at the right temperature can be challenging when traveling. In this video, I’ll show you my favorite 5 insulin coolers that can help you keep your insulin at the right temperature.
And since I have them all, I’ll share what I like about them and what’s not ideal, so the pros and the cons.
0:00 Introduction
0:55 4AllFamily Insulin Cooler & Portable Medical Fridge
3:24 Dison Insulin Cooler
5:04 Frio Insulin Cooling Case
7:17 Breezy Packs Insulin Cooling Cases
9:04 Sugar Medical Insulin Travel Bag
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Thanks for this information. I’ve traveled overseas for weeks at a time with FRIO packs. I love how easy they are to maintain- just soak in water.
They’ve been my go-to for years. Finally had to retire one, but that’s ok, I’m loving the new pouches they’ve come out with
Thank you for all the great information. I am new to your channel and have been watching all morning. So much information I wish I knew before. I've been T2D for over 20 yrs. I travel and of your information is what I could have been using for years. You are now my favorite go to person for diabetes tips.
Wow, thank you. And welcome to my channel. Let me know if there are any type of videos you think are missing
Love my sugar medical products
Hi there! Thank you so much for doing this video. I am currently doing a thesis research to develop a compact diabetes kit that can keep insulin cold for 24 hrs at least. This video is extremely helpful with all the information you've listed down. A big big Thank you!!
All theses videos are so helpful. As a diabetic and traveling out of the country for the first, this helps a lot.
Awesome, I’m glad it’s helpful (I have another travel video coming out Saturday)
I didn't realize that you have a UA-cam channel. I've read the same article that you published on the internet about blood sugar levels rising post exercise several times and I posted a question about what to do about it. I love your subject matter and you now have another subscriber. 👍
Thank you, welcome
Thanks tons for your great info. I travel to Spain 3 times a year. And looking forward to not having the worries of insulin over heating !
I also followed your info on Tresiba. I also tried it last year for 6 months. And agree the 48 hour length is too long to change up in my active life that changes quickly. So back to my tried and true Lantus. But hear in Canada I have to pay full cost of it. Quite frustrated in that. But thats the way she goes as i choose it.
Been insulin dependent for 45 years. And Diabetic Strong !!! This your coin of course.
Great video thanks , Breezy product looks good, and travel bag also
Thanks for watching!
Even with the old gel ice packs, you don't need to freeze them and you shouldn't, just let them moderate the temperature as the insulin you're carrying are your in-use insulin which should be just kept between room temperature and 30C (86F). Note that when they ship you insulin in the mail, they don't freeze the ice packs. Besides, when I've traveled with the ice packs, if I leave it with the hotel kitchen staff to freeze or chill overnight before my trip home, I have to then explain to the morning kitchen staff to go through their freezer or refrigerator to find it. On the occasions where I've had that absorption refrigerator in the hotel room stocked with over priced drinks, I've had occasions where on the day that I was to check out, they've locked the fridge on me with my supplies inside and I have to have them unlock it. I tried one of those thermoelectric insulin coolers once, they are loud as they have a fan over the peltier effect thermocouple and the power in a hotel room is only on when your hotel card key is in the card key holder on the wall, I've been able to keep the power on by putting a bussiness card in that holder but the housekeeping staff will often remove it. I wound up going with Frio and now I'm considering switching to Breezy Pack, though both are over priced. I did find some insulin pen carriers with a hard plastic PCM brick molded to hold the pens but they don't say if it's a phase change material with a melting point of 27 Celsius like the Breezy pack or a melting point of 2 Celsius which would be suitable for unopened insulin I have left questions as to which temperature their phase change material is at and ideally I would want a single or dual pen carrier with a PCM at 27 Celsius and a larger five pen carrier with a PCM with a 2 Celsius phase change but so far, only Breezy Pack says what their phase change temperature is even though the other manufacturers say they have PCM as well.
Nice imma buy a frio
Wish i have 1 of this for my daughter with T1D 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks for explaining that the 4 Allfamily cooler shuts itself off when the outside temperature drops too low. I panicked about that on a camping trip last summer.
It’s such a unique feature. Glad it could give you peace of mind
The insulin that sits in my Medtronic pump is not cooled and I’ve never had an issue with heat. Great products and great review, but that’s a lot of prep and it’s hard enough being a diabetic with BG and watching carbs.
I'm partial to the Frio brand but that Sugar Medical bag might be great for a US to Bangkok trip.
I really do like the Frio pouches as well. But agreed, the size of the Sugar Medical bag makes it ideal for longer trips
Thanks💚
Thank you for watching ❤️
It would be worth several videos to discuss the optimum ways to pack depending on how you admninster your insulin and how you travel. You have more experience with the full gamut of injection methods than I. I found it easiest to travel with vials and syringes. For a larger amount of insulin, it's easier to keep vials cool than any other form factor and with siliicone vial jackets they are very light and durable. I was disappointed by the supplies needed to travel for a cross-country trip with a tubed pump compared to MDI a glucometer. I chose to use Frio wallets because they're passive. A good comoact stainless thermos that's less expensive than an insulin thermos can transport water cooler than is good for insullin, including frozen, and keep it cooler than tap water (55-58F) for several days. The water takes 800x as long to warm to ambient as space air in a thermos, and it provides an emergency water supply. By the time I needed to recharge my wallet, enough ice had melted to do it. Pouring the water into a bowl raised it above 35F. All the dry goods and the wallet fit in the pockets of a travel cosmetics bag.
Those are some good points, thank you for taking the time to comment.
And you’re right, pump (and I’d add CGM) supplies take up a LOT of space
Excellent video and thank you. I just ordered the Nomad cooler for my trips.
I use the Frio bags, all are over 5 years old, however, I sometimes feel a slight slimy fell from the crystals.
Is it time to replace them? Thanks
Thank you. Sounds like it might be time to change your Frio. I usually know it’s about time to change it out when it doesn’t fluff up that well anymore, don’t think I’ve had any turn “slimy” 🤔
I’m a big cheat about this. I’m U.K. and we don’t usually have the hottest weather here and I use rapid acting Fiasp rarely because i stick to a low carb diet so I keep the same cartridge in my pen for months after it has expired… it still works if I need it!
I am a faithful viewer of your channel and appreciate the time you take to produce these videos. I find them very helpful. What would you recommend using for unopened vials or unused pens if we lose electricity for several days and don't have generator backup? Like you, I live in Florida and have followed the devastation that Hurricane Ian caused to SWFL. I am trying to figure out how I would keep my unused insulin at refrigerator temperature without electricity. Any suggestions are most appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you. As long as you can keep it under 86 F your risk of it going bad is probably minimal. I would keep it in the fridge (and try not to open it) or if it’s really warm I’d go for Frio since those don’t rely on electricity
@@DiabetesStrong thank you for your prompt answer. I feel much better now!
Yes it does suck to be without electricity, the DISNCARE Insulin Cooler, without the need for electricity or ice water, relies on 2°C gel slow release cooling, even at a room temperature of 35°C (90°F), it will stay cool for up to 48 hours, which will be more than enough to withstand a power cut or other bad situations, won't it?
Hello love the video but quick question, for the disoncare can you fill the empty cooling element with water and freeze it like the prefilled cooling element, or is it exclusively meant to be filled with regular water and not supposed to be frozen?
You don’t want your insulin to be stored directly up against ice so I’m not sure that’s a good idea. The prefilled cooling element is filled with a jell that won’t damage your insulin when frozen
@@DiabetesStrong thanks
I have a question I am going on a cruise in March I was think of getting the dison care cooler for my insulin any tips
Sounds cool, for travel I would suggest the DISONCARE B003 (316L) large capacity to hold 7 pens and the blue gel bottle is also a bit bigger and holds heat for longer, what do you think?
@@disoncare5016 thank you
hi i hope you are doing super well! the first, small All4Family rambler one got too cold and ruined a cartridge of my novolog on a trip. it was really stressful. i messaged them and they said to leave it out for 10 minutes before putting it in the cooler. i tried that and put the dison thermometer top on to check the temp and it was still O degrees celsius. they then told me to run in under warm water for 2 or 3 minutes before putting it in the cooler. just a warning to anyone who wants to use it! question- have you used an inPen in any of these? i'm worried about the moisture messing up the electronic element.
Really, that's not good. I haven't had any issues and also use it with my InPen. The InPen internal thermometer will alert me if it gets too cold or warm, and so far no alarms, and no damage to the device
i got the frío thanks im going to panama cz4ever
Have a great trip
Hi
Is Frio okay for eye drops that is needed to kept below 25C? Outside temperature is around 45 C
I believe so. This is their wording: Great in HOT weather!!! FRIO® have been used in temperatures in excess of 120°F with complete success. Tests prove that FRIO® retain their contents at around 25°C (77-79°F) for a minimum of 45 hours per immersion period in a constant environmental temperature of 38°C (100°F).
What would you recommend to use, if your power is out for a few days , and it’s on the middle of the summer?
If it's below 86, I would just leave it somewhere reasonably cold or keep the fridge closed. If temperatures are creeping up above that I would go for the Frio pouches
While a power outage sounds bad due to the many uncertainties it brings, including timing or other unexpected situations, DISONCARE not only keeps insulin fresher for 60H for longer, but you don't have to worry about occasionally getting your package wet with ice water if you need to go out.
I've gone canoe camping for a week without electricity and taken an extra insulin pens that was not in-use. I kept it refrigerated using the All4Family mini-frig and ran it off a battery pack. I would recharge a second battery pack with a solar charger.
@@phillip-tx9565 thank you . Appreciate your feedback
What do you think about VIVI CAP1 ?
I haven’t tried that one yet
My Toujeo Insulin says, keep it between 8-30°C after first use. So where to store and transport in summer?
All the coolers I show in this video will keep your insulin at that temperature
Becky here - going to Disney world in September….temps will be high of 87….I use a InPen and novalog pen….which case would you recommend to keep my insulin from overheating while being out and about in those temps? I was interested in the Breezy packs….I think they may work…… Thank you!
Brain cramp….InPen and Tresiba flex touch pen…
Breezy packs are a good choice. But since you’ll be walking a lot I’d suggest one of the Frio packs. They hardly weigh anything
@@DiabetesStrong thank you!
Hi, I see that my insulin says it must be maintained at 2-8⁰C yet the Frio case says it keeps the temperature at 26⁰C for 45 hours. How is this safe for the insulin? I love the idea of traveling with this lightweight case but am afraid the insulin will go bad. I can't find any information about this and do find lots of people love the product (which I already bought). Can you alieve me of my fear?
The rule is that insulin can be kept at room temperature, out of the fridge for a month. Insulin that you are using shouldn't be stored in the fridge, but it need to be stored at room temperatures under 86°F (30°C). Any temperatures higher than this can spoil the insulin and make it unsuitable for use.
My main concern is always to just keep it below 86F
i want to store my mesacol suppositories will it work?
I don’t know. You can see the sizes of the products on their websites but if you have specific questions you might want to contact the manufacturer
Do these travel kits work for Enbrel?
I don't know the size of that product. You might be able to get an answer if you reach out to the manufacturers directly
Can I place my FRIO pack inside a themoflask to avoid damage?
No, you don't want to place it in a vacuum. The gel has to "breathe" to cool
I want some to buy but I'm in Ghana. How do I get one for myself?
I don't know, but I would try doing an online search and see what you can get in your area
Hi Friend I want wich price
It will depend on which one you choose. I don’t sell them, but you can find links in the video description
I need something with max capacity about 20 pens.
I think the best option would be to get 3-4 of the extra large Frio cooling cases. But please let me know if you find a good solution that can hold 20 pens
Hi, I see that my insulin says it must be maintained at 2-8⁰C yet the Frio case says it keeps the temperature at 26⁰C for 45 hours. How is this safe for the insulin? I love the idea of traveling with this lightweight case but am afraid the insulin will go bad. I can't find any information about this and do find lots of love for the product (which I already bought). Can you alieve me of my fear?
@@DiabetesStrong all I can think of, is an insulated bag with ice. I will have an 18-20hr flight, plus traffic time to the hotel refrigerator.
@@CaliforniaBear619 you have to be careful with using ice as you insulin can't handle getting too cold either. If you go for that solution make sure the ice isn't directly touching the insulin
@@DiabetesStrong yes like a towel or clothes?
Thank you for your amazing and helpful videos. What do you suggest using for opened pens in the Florida heat? I’m planning a trip to Universal Studios and am worried about keeping opened pens cool! Thanks!
I bring the small 1-pen carrier from 4AllFamily