And for wheeled models, of course, we considered how that pair of spinning discs affects the chest’s usage when you’re not actively pulling it around. Ease of use is a critical factor in your overall happiness with any given product. We gauged how easy each cooler was to open and close — whether or not the lid fully shut after closing, latch maneuverability, ease of loading, capacity, and if it included any convenient features like dry bins.
Other high-end coolers are becoming more popular as well, such as those from Engel, RTIC, and Grizzly as well as the Igloo Yukon and Coleman Xtreme. The Company Store is located in the lower level of the Werner Enterprises Global Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. We have satellite stores located in the Atlanta, Dallas, Fontana, Joliet, Lake City, Lehigh Valley, Phoenix and Springfield terminals. Payroll Deduct, Safety credits and Credit card payments are allowed at all terminal locations. 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.
The Engel has part-rubber-part-metal latches, and the Xspec mixes plastic clasps with rubber straps that ditch the brawn for a bit more finesse when securing them. After multiple years of use, we’ve noticed the Xspec rubber sections have tightened up over time. This makes them just as secure as ever but requires slightly more force to operate. The Roadie 24 has plastic and rubber latches similar to the Xspec, but both are exceptionally easy to use, requiring less finagling and feeling much stronger overall.
Though it can’t match the premium models’ rotomolded insulation prowess and rugged durability, the Coleman clearly shows its worth and value, considering the massive chunk of change you’ll save. It’s also much lighter than the majority of the rest of the competition, even lighter even than several of the personal-sized models we tested. And to top it off, it has a deceptively large internal volume for a comparatively small overall size. With a simple pull-open lid and no latches to slow you down, the Coleman is one of the most natural-feeling chests to use — like opening your fridge at home.
However, dry ice can be dangerous to touch (you have to wear heavy gloves to prevent frostbite), doesn’t last long, and many coolers aren’t even rated to handle it. All told, it might take some finessing to perfect your ice strategy, but we think a combination of crushed and blocks is the best (and safest) method. The RovR RollR, Arctic Titan, Yeti Tundra 65, and Igloo IMX all come with practical interior dry storage options, which is great for holding aside some clean ice for drinks or keeping sensitive food out of ice water.
It also has a pair of indented handles hiding underneath both sides of the top for two-handed carry. The Pelican 20 isn’t very enjoyable to carry, with a hard plastic top handle and a tall, gangly shape with too many rigid edges that smacked our legs and ankles as we walked. That said, there’s something a little bit extra about a plastic box that’s not only well-designed and durably built but also clearly shows attention to detail at every turn. These details perhaps don’t matter in the long run from a durability standpoint but go a long way toward making your expensive cooler look as impressive as its price tag and performance suggest.
It gave the lowest temperatures in the midsize cooler category, and low enough to play ball with the largest of coolers we tested. Keep shopping and you’ll find coolers on wheels, thermoelectric coolers, coolers with power and even a cooler backpack or two — truly coolers as far as the eye can see. We make regular work of testing coolers in our climate-controlled lab, with the ultimate goal of making it a little easier to find the best cooler for your buck. Each had a little bit of water in the bottom of the cooler and experienced a bit of melt due to cooling down the room temperature coolers.
The American Homebrewers Association breaks down the optimal serving temperature range for different types of beer, which we based this threshold on. Without a buddy to help you lug the fully-loaded Engel HD30 to the beach, it can feel quite heavy while using its shoulder strap. We also discovered after a rainstorm that coleman ice chest the external pocket isn’t waterproof, though this is a small gripe. All in all, this big cooler bag is our favorite thanks to excellent insulation and great features like rounded handles and a removable bottle opener. A very user-friendly and cheap backpack that retains most of the mobility of a traditional backpack.
However, this is just speculation and not something we witnessed during our extensive testing. The Igloo BMX also has T-grip latches with slightly different shapes and thicknesses that both get the job done just fine. The IGBC specifically states that this does not mean the product in question can’t be opened or destroyed by a bear, nor does it mean the product is leakproof. That said, even the minimum construction standards coleman sundome required to deter a hungry 10 foot long, 900 lb grizzly lend a lot of credibility to the durability of a product. Models we reviewed that are IGBC certified include the Yeti Tundra 65, Orca 58 and 40, Pelican Wheeled 80 and Elite 20, Engel 65, Arctic Zone Titan 55, and RovR RollR 60. These products proved to be very durable, despite the fact our team was unable to find a grizzly bear willing to test each of them rigorously.
While all these things will help extend the life of your ice and, therefore, the freshness of your food, it’s unlikely that every consumer will follow these stipulations for each use. So we tested these coolers the way that we, and most consumers, would use them. We bought some ice, filled each model about ⅓ full, and put a mixture of cold and room temperature cans in them. Then we simulated a hot summer trip by sealing them in a heated room for over a week while tracking and recording each unit’s internal temperature. For the ultimate in portability, the IceMule Pro is where we turn to.