It’s compact yet has plenty of room for a meal and a drink. Even the smallest hard-sided coolers are too large to make an effective lunch box. Smaller Ozark Trail soft-sided coolers have padded shoulder straps for comfortable carrying. Larger models often have wheels on the bottom and a telescoping handle, so you can easily pull the cooler to transport it. Ozark Trail also offers backpack and tote soft-sided coolers, which allow for hands-free carrying. Ozark Trail soft-sided coolers usually have a durable polyester exterior and an FDA-compliant polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) hard liner that’s fully waterproof to prevent leaks.
Whether or not these fit and finish issues haunt you almost seems like luck of the draw. Ozark Trail is one of the most common brands we have been asked about as a potential “Yeti replacement”. We must admit that the huge price cut and supposed similar ice retention and features are tempting. The asking prices for the various Ozark Trail Coolers will fluctuate quite a bit depending on which model you are going with.
Ozark Trail plastic coolers are extremely easy to clean, too. Ozark Trail’s lineup of soft coolers tries to adhere to their “affordability first” approach. This includes ozark trail canopy simple lunch boxes and tiers up to premium totes and cooler backpacks. Specifically, you will find 6-can, 12-can, 24-can, 36-can, 42-can, totes, and cooler backpacks.
But seeing how Ozark Trail is in the business of making cost-effective products, all models should be affordable (particularly when compared to their industry competition). Several models come with an expandable top that can increase the storage height by up to 3”. This makes it large enough to easily fit a 16-liter bottle or even stack 12oz cans on top of each other.
On the contrary, the premium soft coolers and particularly their hard-sided coolers have more of the traditional features we look for when we think of long ice life. So you can expect them to allow for much longer ice retention. Melting ozark trail chair ice is the last thing you want to worry about when you’re out in the woods, on the boat or kicking back at the beach. Protection against the growth of bacterial odors and stains that is guaranteed to last the lifetime of the product.
The most affordable models, the non-premium soft-sided coolers, come in a very safe, solid color. There may be some subtle grays or white pieces of fabric but, for the most part, the primary color will dominate. The hard-sided coolers are designed to try to compete with the ozark trail cooler top-tier of the premium cooler world. They have attractive features and sharp edges which all but catch the eye. There are orange accents on the latches and handles which definitely give them a premium look. In terms of color options, however, you only get silver and white.