The asking prices for the various Ozark Trail Coolers will fluctuate quite a bit depending on which model you are going with. 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). An example of the color choices for the popular 24-can soft cooler is shown in the image below. If you’re a boater, as Carolyn Shearlock of The Boat Galley wrote, a “65- or 70-quart cooler is about the minimum size needed to have enough ice and space for food” for a weeklong trip for two. Again, the right size for you depends on how you pack your cooler and how long you need to keep things cold (more ice takes up more volume).
If you have a boat and bring kids or friends on the water, you know that once you leave the dock the requests for drinks start rolling in fast and furious. Sure, you can load a cooler out each morning packed with fresh ice, but it is just so much easier to cut down all that work with a cooler than can keep ice for days on end. Though it’s a bit too tall to be able to leave in place when we want to make the bed, it fits just fine on the front seat.
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 ozark trail canopy 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.
The Ultra-Light Cooler has two drain ports with cap stays made of wire. While the Ozark Trail Hard-Sided Coolers are mostly designed to compete with the premium coolers of the industry, their soft-sided coolers are more balanced. Ozark Trail’s soft-sided coolers have gone through quite a bit of variation over the past couple of years.
Ozark Trail, despite their best intentions, doesn’t quite live up to the level of ice retention and toughness of a Yeti. While they do have many of the same features, there are more notable quality issues with Ozark Trail models. This can include things such as premature leaking, warping of the lid, and stitching coming undone. No matter which model you go with, you will get to enjoy multiple storage options. This comes thanks to both the large, insulated area as well as storage pockets on the front and/or sides. The pockets on the front will be zippered while any on the sides will be open and mesh.