That’s all well and good, but I worried that a standard ice retention test on its own wouldn’t tell us the whole story. Sure, some coolers would probably keep the ice frozen for a lot longer than others, but using the melting point as your metric seems to disregard everything that comes before. I wanted to get a good sense of performance not just days in, but hours in, before any of the ice had even melted at all. The last time I tested coolers for this list, I had Cabela’s 60-quart version of this cooler listed as the best large cooler.
Most of the hard-sided coolers on our list have drainage systems to help you empty out water once your ice has melted. Typically, this comes in the form of a screw-on or pop-off cap at the base of the cooler—simply take it off and let the water pour out. Some also boast drainage coleman sundome channels that funnel water through the opening, which is a nice touch for helping with the clean-up process. Yeti’s Roadie 24 and Pelican’s 20QT Elite are two notable exceptions that don’t come with drain plugs, which can make dumping out extra water a bit of a hassle.
The Xspec strikes a very happy medium, narrow enough for simple solo carrying, tall enough to fit an upright bottle of wine, yet shallow enough to find whatever you’re looking for easily. If you’re interested in a smaller capacity option, we’re big fans of the exceptionally useful 40-quart volume and compact shape of the Orca 40. That said, there’s something a little bit extra about a plastic box that’s not only well-designed and durably built but also clearly shows attention to detail at every turn.
We’ve seen people start to think of their cooler as an investment that will last a lifetime rather than just a few years. If you have any questions about our products or your purchase, make sure to visit our customer service page. Here you’ll find our company details, answers to frequently asked questions and different ways to get in touch with us. If you’re an angler, you might appreciate a model with an integrated ruler across the top to measure your catch. Many of the options we tested have this feature, including the Pelican Wheeled, Arctic Titan, Xspec, and Igloo IMX. Still, others have specific slots to tie them down in your boat, backseat, or truck bed.
It does still contain the patented Thermozone insulation which helps prolong ice life some, however. And frankly, for a reasonable price, you can’t expect miracles in regard to ice life. We coleman ice chest are just looking for enough ice retention to be serviceable at this price bracket. The Coleman Chest Cooler is Coleman’s standard offering for those looking for an “everyday” type of cooler.
You can also pick up the handy bike attachment and tow the RovR behind your bicycle. It costs extra, but we bought it, tried it, and now we can’t imagine life without it. 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.
This, in part, is due to raised feet and its airtight seal created by the freezer-grade lid. Uniquely, it includes a release valve to alleviate the pressure created by the lid’s seal. 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.
But the best value doesn’t have to mean the least amount of money. It gave the lowest temperatures in the midsize cooler category, and low enough to play ball with the largest of coolers we tested. The performance of Magellan’s largest offering was very close to Cabela’s Polar Cap Equalizer.