We use our cooler to hold drinks, lunch meats, etc during our stays. They are the same size as the average dorm refridge and can sit up on the side like a fridge or you can lay it down like a normal cooler. They stay super cool like a regular fridge. Yes, the fan on it can be noisy, but my family can't sleep without the noise of a fan blowing, so it serves 2 purposes while we are on vacation.