The 6 Best Coolers of 2023 Reviews by Wirecutter

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.” Both Pelican models we tested — the Pelican Wheeled and the Pelican 20 stand out to our testers as having exceptionally easy to use latches. 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. Closed-cell foam is considered a better insulator than open-cell foam because the tiny bubbles of gas in closed-cell foam remain independent from one another.

Though these won’t last you an entire week in the desert (unless you chill the cooler and its contents beforehand combined with mostly ice), it is an excellent option for weekend trips or day excursions. Both models are rotomolded with freezer-style gaskets designed to keep cold air in and hot air out. Though our scoring system of each contender’s performance does not include the cost of the unit, we recognize that this is a crucial aspect influencing the decision of which one to purchase. This particular market includes a huge range of prices that make one wonder if a plastic ice box could be worth that much money. In some cases, that extra cash does bring excellent insulation performance, greater utility, and convenience.

But their foray into coolers hasn’t gone unnoticed, combining the ruggedness and utility that Roam is known for with a myriad of functional features. And importantly, all these features are integrated nicely and have the same solid and confidence-inspiring feel as the rest of the aptly named Rugged. Mid-sized models offer a middle ground between the many large options coleman sundome that can often be overkill for a simple picnic or road trip but offer more storage space than the small personal chests. It fits a full 40 quarts of contents and whatever you can cram into the large external storage pocket covering the back of the box. Its taller, narrower shape is also more comfortable for a single person to carry from the car to the beach.

Additionally, the RTIC tie-down kit is compatible with this design. Though it’ll still set you back a few hundred dollars, this option is on par with its competitors that go for a significant amount more. Performing well across the board, this is an excellent companion for your next trip.

After 48 hours (72 hours for the largest coolers), I had a nifty graph showing me the temperature inside each cooler on a minute-by-minute basis — and the difference from cooler to cooler was striking. To help put this data in perspective, coleman screen tent I broke down the coolers into separate size categories after peeling soft-sided coolers into their own category. That left me with small coolers (less than 40 quarts), midsize coolers (40-59 quarts) and large coolers (60 quarts or more).

Yet, every unit we’ve tested from Orca appears clean and polished. 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. We ran and re-ran insulation tests under controlled but harsh laboratory conditions. We dragged our test subjects through the gravel, sand, mud, and grass while road-tripping, tailgating, camping, and hanging out on the beach. We asked our friends and family, who span three generations, to help us dive into these coolers (sometimes literally) and identify the top performers.