When traversing grassy fields to beach dunes or dirt roads to wooded trails-wherever your heart desires, the Igloo Trailmate will get there with ease and be the life of the part day or night. Headed to the beach, a picnic, fishing or a camping trip, the Trailmate wheeled cooler from Igloo has you covered. Igloo Coolers have always been known for their attractive price points. While they typically won’t have the level of performance of higher ends brands like Yeti, RTIC, Orca, etc., they have always struck a happy balance between cost and usability. So more realistically, aim for around 2 ½ to 3 days of ice if you fill it up 1/3 to ½ way. Since there is only one size to work with (70 quarts), we decided to vary how much ice we put inside.
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.
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 igloo soft cooler 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.
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 water cooler 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 igloo trailmate 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.
If you are simply after an ice chest with the longest ice life and most impressive build quality (and have a very large budget), then stick to Yeti. But if you need something more mobile and plan on doing a lot of entertaining, the Trailmate should be on your list. As always, ice life is one of the most important metrics of a good cooler.