Simply put, if you want a low-cost, relatively effective ice chest for most typical outdoor excursions then Coleman has just the product for you. Quite frankly, most people don’t need a cooler that can hold ice for 6 days and be able to survive a bear attack. Their ice chests are designed to last for many days and you can put them through the extremes that nature can throw at you and they will typically come out the other side unscathed. There are also some unique features exclusive to Yeti as well as some accessories that harness their power. But you will pay a very high asking price to enjoy this Yeti experience. Oh, and if you’ll be spending lots of time camping in a place where bears are a concern, then you’ll probably want to invest in a bear-resistant cooler.
The Engel has part-rubber-part-metal latches, and the Xspec mixes plastic clasps with rubber straps that ditch the brawn for a bit more finesse when securing them. After multiple years of use, we’ve noticed the Xspec rubber sections have tightened up over time. This makes them just as secure as ever but requires slightly more force to operate. The Roadie 24 has plastic and rubber latches similar to the Xspec, but both are exceptionally easy to use, requiring less finagling and feeling much stronger overall.
This latest version of the Roadie includes numerous upgrades we love, including redesigned latches that let you easily open the lid one-handed and a flexible, webbing top handle. The Roadie 24 is just over 13 inches tall inside, which allows standard wine and 2L bottles to stand upright. The Roadie also outlasted all other personal-sized models in our insulation testing.
You can find coolers in this line that offer anywhere from 28- to 120-quart capacity, guaranteeing you have plenty of room for all kinds of food and drink. These options also ensure that ice inside the cooler remains frozen for 3-5 days, depending on conditions. By measuring meltwater, we can produce data that illustrates the relative performance of insulation between coolers over time. For example, coleman instant tent 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.
I also took each cooler’s design and features into consideration as I tested and kept an eye out for durability concerns. I wasn’t impressed with the lid on the Igloo Latitude wheeled cooler, for instance. Give it a modest yank and the whole lid comes right off — and the cheap plastic wheels didn’t leave me impressed, either. To that end, I carefully filled each cooler with water to the point that closing the lid would cause some water overflow. Then I measured out the exact number of quarts each cooler could hold — important information to have when you’re dealing with large quantities of melted ice. If anything, the smaller, cheaper models were mostly conservative in their estimates, with ones like the Coleman Xtreme and Igloo Latitude wheeled coolers coming in several quarts more sizable than advertised.
The semi-recent update to the design resulted in more attractive styling and subtle ice life improvements. It can be an adequate personal cooler for an afternoon outing but may struggle beyond that. Also, if you are needing a simple solution for an afternoon picnic (ice life of just a few hours) or a more long-term solution that will keep your items chilled for several days, Coleman has you covered. The Yeti Hopper Backflip 24 was the first backpack-style cooler that we’ve tested, and although its overall performance wasn’t stellar, there were things I did like.
Also, the thicker insulation and higher quality materials result in quite good ice life for the size and price. That being said, the lid can be a bit stubborn to open and close and screws used on the hinges can also strip prematurely. You will enjoy a bump up in ice coleman ice chest life and toughness with this cooler but it also comes with a bump up in the asking price. Plus, for the size, it is quite mobile thanks to the side handle and attached wheels. The only weak point comes with the handles and hinges potentially coming loose over time.