We are your local hardware store providing the best home improvement products to your community. When they made this cooler they envisioned it to be an all-around type of cooler and that’s the sense you get when you explore the features. Apart from the wheels, we have some stands for when your cooler is stationary.
Two built-in stainless steel bottle openers help you quickly and easily enjoy your bottled beverages. A dedicated slot in the lid holds your mobile device upright for easy viewing and access. There are four built-in cup holders in the lid for easy access to your beverages. The Trailmate Marine is loaded with features designed to make your next outing on the beach or in the water a great one. The huge wheels have excellent grips and, combined with the glide handle, allow you to easily tow the ice chest over rough terrain. In addition to the mobility aspect, there are tons of other awesome features that very few other coolers can say that they have.
One of the major selling points of the Igloo Trailmate, in our eyes, is the myriad of features that come standard with this cooler. We were initially pumped about this array of features, though our excitement lessened throughout testing. The plug leash – a great feature for any cooler – is attached in a way that we had a pretty hard time unscrewing the actual plug, and typically had to use two hands to accomplish. The extra boxes and fishing rod holders on the outside kept popping off when we lifted the cooler or pushed it up against something in a certain way. The butler tray isn’t quite the right size to fit snugly in the trolley handle, and so slides a lot when in place. We did find the internal dry basket and two bottle openers on the outside to be fairly useful though.
igloo water coolerFor less sensitive items, there is also a large storage pocket directly below the dry storage bin. But we still would encourage you to be cautious with storing items that are particularly sensitive to wet environments, even if you are putting them in the dry storage bin. Seeing how the primary way to transport this cooler is by rolling it, having a handle that is designed to allow you to tow or push it is essential. This handle is a special Igloo Glide Design that allows you to pull your load up to 50% easier. This is accomplished by the added leverage that you get from the handle.
Another brand that offers quality coolers with standards that are as high as we’d like them to be is the Vibe. Their wheeled cooler is pretty basic without a lot details to it which personally speaking reminded us of Yeti’s cooler. However, Vibe’s wheeled cooler is quite something with its roto-molded design, color variety and the fact that it can hold up to 70 qt. Pelican is a name that weighs a lot in the coolers industry; it’s a name that’s directly linked to pride and strength. All of Pelican’s coolers are proven to be extremely durable with some of the best rates ever recorded of ice retention.
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. It won’t be on the level of toughness as an IGBC-certified rotomolded cooler but it will still be more than capable in most settings. In the case of the Trailmate Marine, it comes with special UV inhibitors built into the wall. They help to protect against sun damage (which can be a major concern in marine settings).
You will find plenty of storage space inside the insulated area but that is only the beginning. The Igloo Trailmate Cooler also comes with additional storage for your non-chilled items. You will find a special dry storage bin that is perfect for your electronics, wallets, or other items that you want to stay secure and not get wet.
In addition, a few users have requested an extra latch on the lid. While the absence of lid latches ensures easy opening, we suggest using a bungee cord or a similar item in the lockdown loops if you anticipate your cooler being overturned during use. If you go with the Trailmate Liddup or Trailmate Marine models you will only have a single color to choose from. The Liddup comes in a gray/red combo and the Marine comes in white (similar to all of Igloo’s other marine-inspired products). Why we didn’t quite reach the 4-day mark that Igloo suggested, it wasn’t far off. Most people aren’t going to use this much ice as it would take up way too much valuable storage volume.