Every day during our test, the lid temperature of the Trailmate was 100°+. To be fair, the cooler was filled to capacity with ice, as we do with all of our ice retention tests. However, 4 days should be easily attained with a decent amount of ice used. For what it’s worth, this was one of our “fan favorites” among friends and family while we were conducting an ice retention test which included 25 different coolers. A quick look at the Igloo Trailmate will reveal its’ unique stance. This is not a run of the mill budget cooler yet not a roto molded cooler, it falls somewhere in between.
igloo soft coolerThe first thing we always want to look at in a cooler is how well built it is. In this case, the Igloo Trailmate Cooler wasn’t a disappoint because Igloo put a lot of thought into its construction, making sure it is made to be tough and durable. If you’ve used this product, log in and leave a review to tell us and other customers what you thought about it. Get paid up to $16 for submitting one of the first text, photo, or video reviews for this item. The company designed the rechargeable lantern for easy use and high performance.
A few factors are holding these coolers back from significantly longer ice life. They include a lack of rotomolded insulation, a lack of thick rubber gasket, and lack of a more advanced latch system that creates a tighter seal. As always, ice life is one of the most important metrics of a good cooler. And we have seen instances where a cooler loaded with features ends up having subpar ice performance as a result of all of these additional features. In terms of build quality, all of Yeti’s hard coolers are roto-molded and bear proof including the wheeled ones.
The Igloo Trailmate, due to its many additional features, large size, and decent ice life, does fetch a higher asking price than most other Igloo products. For those on a tight budget or for someone who doesn’t care about the extra mobility features, there are cheaper options out there that will perform just as well (if not better) in terms of ice life. But for someone who is after a truly unique, mobile, and well-performing ice chest, the asking price is more than fair. The Igloo Trailmate 70 is the best rolling cooler for the money we have tested to date.
A common complaint that people have when it comes to these large coolers is their lack of mobility. Igloo has found a way to solve that issue in addition to offering up a lot of really cooler other features. The ice life and build quality are at acceptable levels and the styling is really sweet.
We took a deeper look into the cooler that is currently selling out online, so you don’t have to. With its impressive ice retention capabilities powered by Igloo’s eco-friendly Thermacool technology and a host of convenient features, it will easily become your favorite tailgating companion. While you will pay more for the Igloo Trailmate than most other Igloo products, we still feel that it is a bargain for what you are getting. The sheer number of great accessories justifies a lot of this higher asking price and even as a simple cooler, it does a decent enough job to not make us gasp too much at the asking price. We’ve discussed many of the Igloo Trailmate’s features related to convenience and usability.
At the most, it will make the cooler 50% lighter to carry due to the leverage that comes with having a long handle. Just pull the handle to the point where you want it, lock it in, and use it to haul your cooler. The very first, and most prominent feature, is the set of large 10-inch wheels on this cooler. They have a very strong tread that makes them ideal for just about any kind of terrain. They also never go flat, which means you have a set of wheels you can take anywhere that is also going to last you a very long time. One of the drawbacks of this cooler not being rotomolded is that all the extra insulation has made the cooler larger, heavier, and more expensive than it would be had it been rotomolded.
igloo trailmateToday, Igloo revealed the brand-new, expanded Trailmate Series of high-performance hardside coolers at Outdoor Retailer Summer trade show. The all-new series — featuring the Trailmate 25 Qt Cooler and Trailmate 50 Qt Cooler — is available now at igloocoolers.com/trailmate. First, you have the butler tray that is built into the inside of the lid.