But even if Yeti’s cooler is cooler than being cool, even if it’s ice-cold for days, that functionality does not necessarily equate to being beloved. Roy coolly refers to the pricing of Yeti’s first model as “ten x”—ten times what a typical cooler cost at the time. In spite of this barrier to entry, or maybe because of it, a Yeti became more than a functional way to keep your beer frosty. Owning one grew into a great source of “weekender braggadocio.” In 2017, the company opened a flagship store, complete with a bar and a stage for live music, in Austin’s South Congress neighborhood.
If we had to generalize it, we would say that you should expect to get approximately half of the claimed ice retention time in real-world use, give or take depending on your specific circumstances. For example, when heading on a camping trip, you’re sure to need a cooler that will keep ice cold for long periods of time, since you’ll be away from electricity lgloo Cooler and refrigeration. For this task, the Igloo Latitude 60-Quart Rolling Cooler might be your best choice. With its impressive 70-quart capacity, this cooler offers ample space to store all your essentials. The MaxCold insulation technology provides extended ice retention, keeping your items cold for up to five days, even in scorching temperatures.
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Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). Note that RTIC coolers are not IGBC (International Grizzly Bear Committee) certified. If that’s necessary for you, here’s IGBC’s list of certified bear-resistant products (PDF). The RTIC 65 weighs 36.5 pounds and measures 32 by 17 by 18 inches on the outside.
If you’re wondering what kind of foam your cooler has, a good rule of thumb is to try to squeeze the foam with your fingers. If your fingers can compress the foam more than 75%, you’re probably dealing with open-cell foam. If the foam feels denser than that and doesn’t compress much at all, you probably have your hands on closed-cell foam. As with all soft coolers, you shouldn’t leave the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler out in the sun or resting on very hot surfaces like the back of a pickup truck or on top of a picnic table for a long time. Although the exterior of the cooler is made of a durable, thickly coated nylon—waterproof and tough—the sun and heat will degrade the material and slowly wear it out.
This is an important detail because the first thing that will wear out on a cooler is either a hinge or a handle, and having affordable replacements means a cheap repair rather than a brand-new purchase. At the moment, you can buy Coleman’s replacement hinges and replacement handles for less than $10 each. We gauged the ease of grabbing the handles without looking and noted whether they required extra steps to slide them out into place or push them back down out of the way. We evaluated each drain (if there was one) to see how thorough a job it does and how simple it is to use. And for wheeled models, of course, we considered how that pair of spinning discs affects the chest’s usage when you’re not actively pulling it around.
Whether you’re headed to the beach, tailgating before your favorite sporting event, or camping in the wild, there’s a good chance you’ll want to keep your food and drinks cold. Thankfully, the market is packed with high-quality coolers that excel at everything from short day trips to week-long adventures. Below we break down our favorite hard-sided designs of 2023, including budget-friendly Coleman models, ultra-premium YETIs, and popular offerings from brands like RTIC, ORCA, Pelican, and more. For more background information, see our cooler comparison table and buying advice below the picks.
When it’s time for storage, the dry bin folds flat and can be easily and securely stored on top of the lid. And if you are so inclined to make additional purchases, the RovR can be mounted to the back of your bicycle like a tiny, ice-filled wagon. As for large, igloo ice chest non-wheeled models, we still noticed many differences that lend themselves toward making specific units more portable than others. The Coleman Xtreme is just a few ounces heavier than the personal-sized Igloo BMX, which is astounding for its 68 quart capacity.
For $65, the 50-quart Coleman Xtreme is another standout in the value category, and this time with wheels. In the same family as our top budget pick, this basic cooler certainly is a far cry from the RovR RollR, Igloo Trailmate, and Pelican 80QT Elite above, but the functionality is decent for the price. All told, like the non-wheeled Xtreme above, this Coleman cooler should meet the needs of many recreational campers, concert-goers, and tailgaters without breaking the bank. For those who don’t know, Pelican is an industry leader in tough, dependable cases for storing and protecting everything from camera equipment and laptops to guns and drones.