Best Ozark Trail Coolers: 8 Models That Suit Every Outdoor Need

Various wholesalers offer a variety of AC units suitable for all customer needs. For a day-trip or shorter adventure, the Ozark Trail 12-can cooler is ideal to keep drinks cool all day long and is perfect for budget-conscious shoppers at $29.97. This high-performance, water-repellent cooler has a removable hard liner and shelf featuring antimicrobial protection for the ultimate freshness.

The Soft Pack Cooler has a design similar to that of the Yeti Hopper Flip but costs less than half the price. That said, when you compare all the details—the hardware, the stitching, the material design—the Yeti cooler is likely to last longer with daily use. We recommend the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler 20 Can if you need a simple soft cooler for a lunch box or daily ozark trail canopy carrying that’s durable enough to stand up to some decent abuse and time in the sun. The wheels are a single-construction plastic and not hollow or feeble-feeling as on so many other coolers. This is because, despite looking like a roto-molded cooler, the Ultra-Light series is injection-molded, which uses less plastic and results in a lighter cooler.

The constant color feature among the two are the orange rimmed wheels which I don’t love but, it is not a deal breaker. In a sheer stroke of luck for this test, we are having a very aggressive heatwave in Southeast Michigan with temperatures around the 90’s during the day and staying in the 70’s overnight. I’m using my North facing deck as the staging area which receives direct sunlight at almost all hours of the day. I also placed  a small weather system on the deck rail to help get a sense of how hot surface temperatures are in the area. On one of the hottest days, the remote sensor reported temperatures exceeding 107 Degrees Fahrenheit while the air temp was in the high 80’s.

Our favorite feature of the Ozark Trail Soft Coolers is their additional storage options. Every model will come with at least one separate zippered pocket and many will have multiple zippered pockets in addition to mesh side pockets. All models are super easy to transport thanks to multiple carrying methods including optional wheels, padded shoulder straps, and more. While this isn’t quite as high as we have seen in other premium coolers, the much lower asking price helps to justify it. For most people, being able to keep ice for 3 days or more is plenty.

The adjustable padded shoulder strap makes for easy transport, and the mesh pockets provide extra storage space. This Ozark Trail cooler is made for durability and convenience, providing the perfect storage for your best beers. Generally, the more expensive the cooler, the better it insulates, the better the foam. After nearly a decade testing coolers, I can say one thing for certain. The coolers with the most insulation tend to keep ice frozen the longest.

The Ultra-Light Cooler has two nylon ropes slotted through plastic handles that are easy enough to use. It also has a small area to insert your hand for lifting, but it’s less comfortable to carry that way. Better insulated and less expensive than the competition, this hard cooler keeps things ice cold for five days, and well-designed drain ports make it easy to clean. The lower-end can models take a very traditional approach in styling. Also, there aren’t a lot of colors to choose from (3 is the maximum we have found for a particular model). The tote and cooler backpack look much more progressive but are limited to just one color choice.

ozark cooler

My own personal beverage drama every summer has really pushed me to do this review. To me, worrying about the temperature of the drinks I have on my boat is the absolute last thing I want to be thinking about when I am heading out on the water. Our sister site Alloutdoor.com recently reviewed a hiking backpack sold by Ozark Trail that had an overall stellar performance and it triggered a question among our staff. Is Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand a true sleeper, putting out products that deserve much more attention among outdoorsmen? With that question being floated, we decided to travel down the path of discovery and start to take a closer look at Ozark Trail and some of their products.

Top of the Rock Sunset Ceremony is offered during daylight savings. Actively engages with the outdoor community to continually improve and tailor products to real-world needs. Offers high-quality outdoor equipment at competitive prices, making outdoor adventures accessible ozark trail canopy to all. In the heart of the Ozarks’ wilderness, a passion for exploration was kindled. This space serves as an homage to that undying spirit of adventure and as a community for those inspired by Ozark Trail’s commitment to crafting reliable outdoor gear.