For example, YETI covers its Tundra series with a five-year warranty, while their soft-sided Hopper is only covered for three. Summer is just around the corner, and what better way to keep your drinks and food chilled than with an Igloo cooler? Head igloo electric cooler over to Walmart.com where you can snag a deal on a selection of Igloo coolers to keep things cool all summer long. The paper pulp of the Recool composts easily in the backyard, and it performs basically as well as any cheap single-use cooler.
Design features that make this a popular choice include a bottle opener on each side, a snap-on holder for fishing poles or umbrellas, and a removable butler tray with two cup holders that works as a small table for food and drinks. Plus, you can use the lockable storage section or storage pocket to keep necessities, like keys or a phone, safe and dry. During our tests, we appreciated the rugged wheels and the easy-to-maneuver handlebar but noted that the cooler came open during a drop test because it’s lacking a latch. Before rolling, make sure you don’t have melted ice inside to avoid spills or leakage. In the world of coolers, YETI pioneered the high-end concept, and the Tundra is its best-selling and most versatile model. This popular line features premium cooling and ice-retention capabilities with a thick, rotomolded build that’s more durable and less prone to cracking than injection-molded options like the RTIC above.
When you need a simple, portable cooler, a soft-sided model is a worthwhile alternative, especially for picnics, tailgating, and other one-day uses. The Coleman 42-can Soft Cooler with Wheels may not offer the same ice retention as its hard-sided siblings, but it is crafted with extra foam insulation that keeps snacks and refreshments cold for at least 12 hours. The durable two-wheel design and a telescoping handle offer easy transportation, while side handles let you carry it as well. Other practical features include a top hatch that allows for easy grab-and-go drinks, multiple pockets for dry packaged snacks, extra ice packs, and more accessories, including an integrated bottle opener.
Of course, you can expect to pay more for those that keep your ice for longer but this extra is certainly worth it if you’re planning extended trips. Seeing as this is the primary purpose of a cooler, this is something you’ll want to learn about any particular model you’re considering buying beforehand. Some will be able to keep your beers cold for a good day or two while some of the better performing coolers will be able to keep you in a good supply of cold beer for longer than a week in hot weather. These things will be able to store your food, be used to be able to carry other items via being pulled along on wheels, and most importantly, keep your precious beers sitting at just the right temperature for days on end. All of that is well and good, but what really sets the Igloo MaxCold apart is its outstanding level of performance. In my tests, I filled each cooler with 3 pounds of ice, then tracked their internal ambient temperatures on a minute-by-minute basis over 48 hours in a climate-controlled room set to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
It will actually retain the ice that you put inside for as long as five days in hot conditions which means some ice cold beer for almost a week. A cooler’s latch or closure system is one of the defining characteristics of a premium model and plays a significant role in overall cooling performance. Among high-end hard-sided coolers, you’ll commonly find two rubber T-handles along the front that keep the lid locked securely in place. These handles are fairly user-friendly, extremely strong, and minimize any openings for cold air to escape. At the other end of the spectrum, budget-oriented models like the Coleman Xtreme and Igloo ECOCOOL forgo latches completely and rely on a good fit between the lid and cooler body.
For example, after five days, the Coleman Xtreme retained 11 more pounds of ice than the Igloo MaxCold did. That translates to the Coleman Xtreme being 20% more efficient than the Igloo MaxCold overall in ice retention during the same time period. We also started tracking the internal temperature of the coolers with the ThermoWorks Signals thermometer to see exactly when temperatures began to rise.
In our testing, the Coleman Xtreme kept ice frozen for a full week (170 hours), 30 hours longer than the Igloo MaxCold (140 hours). It measures 28.4 by 15.8 by 17.5 inches, its design incorporates bevels and angles all over the place, and it has a ruler and cup holders molded into its lid. Insulation obsessives may want to fill those cup holders with Styrofoam, but considering how well this cooler performed in our tests, doing so doesn’t seem to be all that critical. Unlike most of the other models, the Coleman Xtreme has a channeled drain, which made draining much easier and required very little tilting on our part. The pathless terrain from your car to that perfect off-grid camp spot can be dangerous for your beer.
Downgrade to the $20 Rubbermaid Ice Chest Cooler or the $15 Igloo Island Breeze Cooler, for instance, and you won’t get a lid latch or a drainage spout at all. And, to the MaxCold’s credit, it’s both comfortable to carry and sturdy enough to sit on, which makes it a pretty good pick for a camping trip. Finally, you can get bottle opener attachments and mounted cup holders to make your cooler nearly as functional as a Swiss Army knife. And for trendy campers and indefatigable party hosts, don’t forget to snag a cool wrap to decorate and customize the chest for a festive occasion or just show off your personal style.
Shop around for a cooler and you’ll find a flurry of new, expensive, “rotomolded” designs from names like Yeti and Orca. With higher-quality materials and extra-thick insulation, each of them promises superior performance, but they cost hundreds of dollars. Beyond choosing a cooler with wheels, there are a variety of additional products that can improve its usability and aesthetic, as well as help to maximize the rolling ice chest’s overall capabilities. Cooler enthusiasts have realized that using them in lieu of regular ice can have several benefits, including the fact that they are reusable, less messy, and easy to tuck away to help maximize storage volume. Road trips and camping adventures are great, as is maxing and relaxing in your own yard. The thermoelectric Koolatron is an intriguing alternative to all the typical one-trick-pony coolers on the market.
Over the years we have expanded our selection of commercial equipment and wholesale supplies to include healthcare, educational, food, beverage, office, parts, hotel, shipping, and industrial supplies. Cooler lights are also helpful if you’d like to illuminate your cooler at night. It’s a no-brainer to assist in finding specific items in the dark, and lights also just add a cool visual effect to enhance your evening environment. We previously noted that Yeti had suspended sales of our backpack pick, the Hopper M20, due to a potential safety issue with the closure, which could fail, releasing magnets, which would be dangerous to ingest. If you want a backpack cooler, we recommend the Polar Bear Original Nylon Backpack Cooler.