If you’re looking for all the bells and whistles, dive into our review of the Yeti Tundra 65. This cooler has some of the best insulation and can withstand wear and tear. Unlike the feature-filled frivolity of a few of the other elaborate coolers we tested, the Coleman Xtreme doesn’t offer too much beyond the necessary. It does have several beverage holders molded into the lid, as well as measurements running across the top so you can easily check to see if your catch is a keeper.
Air bubbles that do not share cell walls and in effect stay insulated from one another are better at reducing the overall transfer of heat through the foam. Closed-cell foam is also much more expensive to produce coleman cooler than open-cell foam. The resulting product is strong and especially rigid feeling, and typically it weighs more than 1.7 pounds per cubic foot with more than 90% of its air cells closed to one another.
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If you’re on the hunt for an inexpensive option to get you through the weekend, you will be just fine using the Coleman Xtreme. Though it’s no tank and may not be something you pass on to your children someday, the money you save can be used to fill it with the best picnic and most delicious beverages. However, we would recommend another option if you’re searching for the best insulation. We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Coolers aren’t complicated, which is a good thing to remember in the face of all that advertising. After spending many years evaluating more than 40 cooler models, we’ve chosen eight that are well made, well insulated, and well suited for a range of outings. It’s also worth noting that the Coleman 316 Series Insulated Portable Cooler has also earned high praise from Yeti cooler loyalists. One impressed shopper said that it kept their food “nice and cold” on a camping trip and noted that the “Coleman kept up pretty well” with the Yeti cooler they also packed. And, as a matter of fact, another reviewer wrote, “Ice lasts way longer than my Yeti [cooler] of the same size.”
By measuring meltwater, we can produce data that illustrates the relative performance of insulation between coolers over time. For example, after five days, the Coleman Xtreme retained 11 more pounds of ice than the Igloo MaxCold did. That translates to the Coleman Xtreme being 20% more efficient than the Igloo MaxCold overall in ice retention during the same time period.
Importantly, this cooler also comes with a leash attachment for the drain plug – it’s one of the few in this review that does. While this metric is where the Coleman Xtreme performed best, it’s not without its downfalls. Additionally, the handles aren’t wide enough for two hands (if you grab a friend to help you lug it) nor reliable enough for heavy loads. What sets the Coleman cooler apart from its counterparts is the brand’s signature TempLock FX Insulation, which offers multi-day ice retention, according to Coleman. In fact, one reviewer was happy to report that the heavy-duty cooler “kept our ice solid for four to five days” while they were “traveling in 100-plus-degree Fahrenheit temperatures.”
In addition to wheels, many Coleman coolers come with other special features, including cup holders and easy-to-use two-way handles. On top of some coolers being built for sitting, many of them are built for stacking, making them more easily accessible. Others are explicitly built for keeping your haul on-ice during a fishing trip. Many Coleman hard coolers are recognizable with their bright blue bodies and white lids, though there are other colors available.
And don’t think that just because Coleman makes an extra-large cooler and also a personal cooler that they approach both in the same manner. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions.
Closed-cell foam is also water-impermeable—so it’s an ideal material for, say, surfers’ wetsuits. The RTIC 65 has rope handles with a plastic tube for gripping and two rubber latches for holding the lid closed, mimicking the design of most other, comparable coolers. The Coleman Xtreme features replaceable hardware, whereas some of the company’s cheaper models don’t. This is an important detail because the first thing that will wear out on a cooler is either a hinge or a handle, and having affordable replacements means a cheap repair rather than a brand-new purchase. At the moment, you can buy Coleman’s replacement hinges and replacement handles for less than $10 each. Many companies have spent an astronomical amount of money and time to convince people that they need to spend ridiculous sums just to keep a drink cold.