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). Don’t worry about the heavy lifting with this extra-large cooler that takes away 50% of the effort with its specially designed telescoping handle. This bright pink cooler is the perfect size to carry a lunch to work or the great outdoors. Other features, like a fish ruler or molded drink holders, may be useful for specific situations. We’ve found that for most weekend warriors, 60 liters is the sweet spot that allows plenty of room for food and drinks for two to three people.
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.
Coolers range in size from 6-pack sized to a whopping 350-liter beast ready to hold a quartered elk. The cooler’s small size is easy to move around with just one person, even when fully loaded. During testing, we set out for a weekend adventure with an 18-pack of beer and about 15 pounds of ice in the BMX. At the end of the weekend, we still had a small amount of ice left. It’s expensive, but if you want a top-of-the-line camping cooler, this one is well worth the investment. Considering that the Tundra product line is certified as bear-resistant by the IGBC (when used with bolts or padlocks), we’re not surprised by its durability.
This cooler feels like you can roll it across anything without the handle straining or bending, or the wheels breaking. 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. We’ve removed that pick and are continuing to monitor the situation. If you want a backpack cooler, we recommend the Polar Bear Original Nylon Backpack Cooler.
The drain plug isn’t the only factor that makes emptying water easy or annoying. Most of the contenders we tested also have a sloping channel behind the drain to help gravity coleman instant tent pull water out. Still, several have unfortunately paired this with a large lip or other obstruction that then stops your drainage progress before it’s 100% complete.
The rope handles lift well above the cooler, so you won’t hit your hands during transport. Not only that, it scored well across the board, specifically impressing us with its features and ease of use. Draining was no trouble at all, thanks to this double-drain system. Thanks to these, you can separate your cooler into compartments and keep it cool.
The most crucial aspect of any wheeled model is how easily it gets you there, which the RovR does spectacularly. That said, it lags a little in the insulation department compared to some intense rivals, which is likely due to the imperfect seal between the top of the body and lid. It is important to remember that you’re probably not interested in taking a wheeled chest on a ten-day rafting trip or a three-week road trip, but rather to the picnic down the road or a tailgating party. We think the latches are a bit stiff to manipulate but can become easy to learn with some practice.
While many similar coolers have thick zippers that are a struggle to operate or very narrow openings that are difficult to navigate, this soft cooler is impressively easy to use. The corners unclip, allowing the top to open quite far for swift loading and locating items. And with a large (for a soft cooler) capacity of 48 cans, the Engel HD30 just might be enough to get you through a weekend of camping. Despite this oversized stature, it’s more portable than we expected, with comfortable handles on each end that make carrying it that much easier. After years of regular use, this durably constructed soft-sided model looks and works just about the same as the day we first bought it.
At the other end of the spectrum, budget-oriented models like the Coleman 316 Series and Igloo Ecocool forgo latches completely and rely on a good fit between the lid and cooler body. This results in reduced insulating performance and means you need to keep a close eye on the lid to make sure it doesn’t pop loose or fall off in transport. Well over half of the coolers on our list cost $200 or more, which coleman ice chest goes to show how pricey these units can be. Hard-sided coolers from Yeti, RTIC, Orca, and others are able to keep ice frozen for significantly longer than budget options from companies like Coleman or Igloo. And while bags of ice come relatively cheap, it can be a real pain to have to drain your cooler and replace the ice on a daily basis (not to mention having to travel and purchase more of it).