How much ice to buy.
For drinks, with an option for chilling bottles and cans.
Pounds of ice
0
Kilograms
0
20 lb bags
0
How it works
The math, in the open.
A pound of ice per guest covers drinks for a three-hour party in mild weather. Heat roughly doubles that, each extra hour adds a quarter, and tubs for chilling bottles need more on top. The numbers are planning ratios. Buy a bag or two extra: leftover ice is cheap, running out is not.
| Step | Formula |
|---|---|
| Base | 1 lb per guest for 3 hours (2 lb in hot weather) |
| Longer events | +25% for each hour past 3 |
| Chilling | +0.5 lb per guest |
| Bags | pounds ÷ 20, rounded up |
Example: 100 guests for 4 hours in mild weather: 100 × 1 × 1.25 = 125 lb, or 7 twenty-pound bags.
By guest count
Pounds of ice for your party.
| Guests | 3 h, mild | 5 h, mild | 5 h, hot | 5 h, hot + tubs | Bags (last column) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 25 lb | 38 lb | 75 lb | 88 lb | 5 |
| 50 | 50 lb | 75 lb | 150 lb | 175 lb | 9 |
| 100 | 100 lb | 150 lb | 300 lb | 350 lb | 18 |
| 150 | 150 lb | 225 lb | 450 lb | 525 lb | 27 |
| 200 | 200 lb | 300 lb | 600 lb | 700 lb | 35 |
| 300 | 300 lb | 450 lb | 900 lb | 1050 lb | 53 |
Make it last
Four ways to use less.
Keep drink ice and chilling ice apart. Ice that has sat around bottles in a tub is not for glasses. Buy bagged ice for drinks and cheaper block or bagged ice for tubs.
Shade and coolers stretch it. A closed cooler in shade loses far less than an open tub in the sun. Bring ice out in batches.
Chill early. Bottles chilled in a refrigerator the day before need much less ice to stay cold.
Water speeds chilling. In a tub, a mix of ice and cold water chills bottles faster than ice alone because more of each bottle touches something cold.
FAQ
Questions people ask.
How much ice per person for a party?
About 1 pound per guest for drinks over three hours, 2 pounds when it is hot.
How much ice to chill beer in a tub?
This tool adds half a pound per guest. A full tub needs layers of ice around the bottles, plus water to speed chilling.
How far ahead can I buy ice?
On the day if you can. If not, keep it in coolers in the shade.
How much ice for 100 guests?
About 100 pounds for a 3-hour party in mild weather, 125 for 4 hours, 300 for 5 hot hours, and 350 if you also chill bottles in tubs.
How many bags of ice do I need?
Divide the pounds by 20 for standard 20-pound bags and round up.
Related
Keep planning.
Estimates for planning, not quotes or legal advice. Formulas tested Oct 8, 2026.