Chief among them are a rising number of heavy-duty, roto-molded coolers that deliver thick, dense insulation superior to traditional coolers (and which perform leaps-and-bounds better than a soft cooler or cooler bag). I’ve owned both and under different circumstances at different times my Yeti kills the Coleman especially on the lake on a hot day. I love Coleman products but when it comes to coolers if the end goal is a cold drink or cold food Yeti is my preference. Keep food and drinks cold as you head out to a tailgate party, a camping adventure, or anywhere else you may go with a new Coleman cooler from Kohl’s! No matter if you’re heading out for just the day, or need a cooler that will ensure freshness for days on end, Coleman is a name brand you can trust.
Even after regular use over several years, the Tundra 65 performs just as well as the day we bought it. Yeti also continues to diversify the colors and personalization options available for this cooler, providing more choices to match your style better. If you plan on covering any kind of distance from your vehicle—whether it be to your campsite, a spot along the river, or the beach—wheels can make transport a whole lot coleman ice chest easier. And no cooler is better equipped for the job than the RovR Products RollR 45. This Boulder-based wheeled-cooler specialist offers its signature RollR in four capacities ranging from 45 to 85 quarts. On all models, you get big and burly wheels that truly work over a variety of terrain, a long pull handle, and you can even attach this cooler to the back of a bike (BikR Kit attachment sold separately for $70).
You can also pick up the handy bike attachment and tow the RovR behind your bicycle. It costs extra, but we bought it, tried it, and now we can’t imagine life without it. Well over half of the coolers on our list cost $200 or more, which goes to show how pricey these units can be. Hard-sided coolers from Yeti, RTIC, Orca, and others are able to keep ice frozen for significantly longer than budget options from companies like Coleman or Igloo. And while bags of ice come relatively cheap, it can be a real pain to have to drain your cooler and replace the ice on a daily basis (not to mention having to travel and purchase more of it). Another benefit of high-end hard-sided units is durability—the difference in quality is immediately apparent and some of the best out there are truly meant to last a lifetime.
The Igloo IMX’s wire basket is a tighter wire weave, which helps keep smaller items contained. The Titan, Tundra 65, and Igloo all feature a simple basket that sits across the top of the opening. The 50ºF threshold we highlight represents the average maximum ideal temperature to serve beer.
We’ve got your outdoor needs covered, from the top-ranked camping chairs and best flip flops for relaxing at camp and our favorite camping tents for when it’s time to hit the hay. Among hard coolers, a 70-quart size is big enough for a variety of tasks. Another example came up last year during a power outage, as one of our staff members was able to store most of the contents of a fridge in a 70-quart cooler, along with the necessary ice to keep it cold. If you’re worried about re-stocking, ice packs are a viable alternative. Most major brands have their own designs that work well in their coolers, and the best part is that you can use them repeatedly without ever having to drain melted ice.
Enter RTIC’s tougher 45 QT Hard Cooler, which represents another strong value from the brand at just $20 more than the Ultra-Light. In fact, at $220, it’s the cheapest rotomolded design on our list—even undercutting the diminutive Yeti Roadie 24 ($250). For those who don’t know, Pelican is an industry leader in tough, dependable cases for storing and protecting everything from camera equipment and laptops to guns and drones.
Below, we discuss our test results and which models stand out in each area. This is an extremely attractive cooler and will certainly stand out from coleman instant tent the crowd. Recent improvements make it adequate in ice life and the toughness is bumped up a notch thanks to steel construction and hardware.
Much to no one’s surprise, personal cool-boxes like the Pelican 20, Yeti Roadie, and Igloo BMX are much more portable than larger models. A combination of low weight, small size, and large carrying handles help make this possible. But small size isn’t the only aspect affecting portability performance. Among these smaller coolers, the Igloo BMX has a much broader and more comfortable handle and a smoother overall design, which makes carrying this product full of heavy glass bottles a much more pleasant experience. It also weighs less by a significant margin, which adds to its portability. The Roadie 24 has a flexible webbing strap that more comfortably facilitates an over-the-forearm carry.
With better insulation, a cooler can maintain lower temperatures for longer, thus consuming less ice. That’s important, especially if you, like most people, don’t have a freezer that can produce enough ice to fill a cooler and you tend to resort to buying bags of ice from the grocery store or liquor store. Similar to any other true roto-molded cooler, the RTIC 65 is practically indestructible, which makes it great for tougher outdoor environments. In our testing, the RTIC 65 kept ice frozen for 10 days with some periodic draining. We’ve also used this cooler for nearly five years for grocery runs in Hawaii, and it’s still going strong. One charm of the RTIC 65 is its reasonable price, which allows us to be far less careful with this equipment than we are with something as expensive or desirable as a Yeti.
On the flip side, one that’s too narrow and tall is easier to carry but harder to locate items that have wormed their way to the bottom. The Xspec strikes a very happy medium, narrow enough for simple solo carrying, tall enough to fit an upright bottle of wine, yet shallow enough to find whatever you’re looking for easily. If you’re interested in a smaller capacity option, we’re big fans of the exceptionally useful 40-quart volume and compact shape of the Orca 40. Additionally, several other aspects add to each one’s overall durability beyond just a sturdy hinge and a set of bearproof locks. The latches and handles don’t factor into an IGBC rating, as they are irrelevant to bear safety but pertinent to any model’s longevity. Rubber T-grip latches are popular as a durable, easy-to-use solution for keeping your ice chest closed.