First, you have the butler tray that is built into the inside of the lid. Second, there is a removable dry storage box on the front of the cooler so you can and keep the phone/keys in there without fear of water or sand damaging then. As we mentioned in the opening, we feel the Trailmate is the best bang for the buck when it comes to wheeled coolers. This cooler others impressive ice retention, more features than most competitors, yet doesn’t break the bank. Prices are constantly fluctuating, but normally the Trailmate can be picked up for under $250. Some may find this price point to be steep, but a comparison of a similar sized roto molded cooler will reveal the value.
Love learning about all the new products that we get to test? Overall, it tackled the trail, even fully loaded with ice and beer, in remarkable fashion. I took it on a trail with the intent to getting to the top and enjoying a beer at the top. The trail had plenty of igloo water cooler rocks and elevation that it went over pretty easily. Some of the rocks had it wanting to twist over, but the worse that happened was some water drained out. This brings me to a point that if it did turn over all the contents would come out, as the lid is not locking.
The Igloo managed to hold refreshing brew temperatures at or below 50º for an additional several hours, for a total of 3.4 days of cold beers. Though we aren’t totally shocked at this lackluster performance when considering the Trailmate is a relatively thin cooler, standing igloo soft cooler up to some rather thick, rotomolded competition. In which case this level of insulation will surely get you through a single warm summer’s day. The Trailmate Journey features an included dry food basket, storage compartment, fishing rod slots, and a massive interior space.
The interior has been treated with a stain and odor resistant coating so the cooler always stays fresh. 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. As for toughness, the cooler is comprised of an aluminum frame and utilizes stainless steel hardware. You don’t have to worry about this ice chest falling apart when you are towing it to your next adventure. However, it still won’t be quite as tough as the simpler premium coolers on the market from Yeti, RTIC, Engel, etc.
For web orders returned in store, please take the item in original packaging, along with invoice to any
Camping World retail locations for a refund or exchange. Refunds
are issued to the original form of payment; some exclusions may apply. Why we didn’t quite reach the 4-day mark that Igloo suggested, it wasn’t far off. Filling the cooler with ½ ice is pretty extreme, however. Most people aren’t going to use this much ice as it would take up way too much valuable storage volume.
It may require a firm push to securely close the lid as well. The very radical business of producing igloo water cooler products people love. Party anywhere you want with the ultimate all-terrain cooler.
It is large enough to fit all of the food and drinks for a decent-sized group while still not being overly large to the point that it is a challenge to transport and store. But for someone after the maximum storage space, the 70-quart model may prove to be a bit limited. On numerous occasions, we found our hand searching for a front handle that doesn’t exist, only to latch onto the bottom of the little white box nestled on the front. Unfortunately, that little white box slides up and off the cooler as soon as you apply pressure – not a great handle, so the retracted trolley arm will have to do. Our least favorite aspect in terms of usability is the drain found in this cooler. Though it has a wide channel to help empty it of meltwater, the inside of the drain also is turned into a protruding tunnel into the interior by a white plastic tube.
This cooler has been out a few years and we finally got our hands on one to put to the Tailgating Challenge. The Trailmate cooler claims to keep ice for 4 days and go anywhere with it’s 10 inch all-terrain wheels. We are on the quest to find the best coolers for whatever adventure life gives you, so now let’s learn more in the Igloo Trailmate Cooler Review. Additionally, its telescoping trolley handle provides an ample amount of space between the front of the cooler and the backs of your heels. This added space makes the Igloo the only wheeled cooler we tested that we never hit our heels on – a pretty big deal. And while we greatly appreciate this fact, we feel that the Trailmate still can’t quite live up to the smooth ride we got from coolers with air-filled tires.
These two round discs are the most redeeming feature of the whole cooler. At just over 35 pounds, the Trailmate is also one of the lightest wheeled models we tested. To experience the Trailmate Journey firsthand, we suggest purchasing it on Igloo’s website now before it sells out.