For those who plan to carry or move their cooler with any regularity, weight should be an important consideration. Even when empty, hard-sided options weigh anywhere from pounds for low-capacity models up to 50+ pounds for premium designs with 75+ quarts of storage. And despite including carry handles, they’re simply too hefty to travel with for long distances. If portability is a priority, we recommend looking at options with wheels, such as RovR’s RollR 45 or Igloo’s Trailmate Journey. For $65, the 50-quart Coleman Xtreme is another standout in the value category, and this time with wheels. In the same family as our top budget pick, this basic cooler certainly is a far cry from the RovR RollR, Igloo Trailmate, and Pelican 80QT Elite above, but the functionality is decent for the price.
An internal light assists in finding that last beer in the dark, and a tall interior easily accommodates your celebratory champagne. A free app on your phone lets you easily control and monitor your powered cooler without having to get out of your sleeping bag or camping chair. Those inflatable walls can be a bit tricky to get the hang of at first, finding the happy medium that matches appropriate insulation with reasonable comfort, but we think is worth the effort. The durable fabric edges of the roll-top and thick sides make it very difficult to get a truly watertight seal when the cooler is inverted, so be careful when setting it down in the back of your car.
We’ve also tested the top powered coolers for those who have access to a power source and prefer an iceless approach. Whether you’re planning on a relaxing beach day or a weekend camping trip at your favorite spot, we’ve done the hard work to help you find the best camping gear. We’ve got your outdoor needs covered, from the top-ranked camping chairs to get comfy in at the end of the day and our favorite camping tents for when it’s time to hit the hay. coleman ice chest Simply put, coolers are unlike most other categories of outdoor gear that may last for just for a couple seasons before needing to be replaced. This means that when you’re making the calculation of whether spending $300 or $400 on a cooler is worth it, you are getting a product that literally should last for decades. That said, if you don’t need multi-day ice retention, even a cheaper hard-sided cooler should be around for many years as well.
Closed-cell foam is also much more expensive to produce 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. Closed-cell foam is also water-impermeable—so it’s an ideal material for, say, surfers’ wetsuits. With better insulation, a cooler can maintain lower temperatures for longer, thus consuming less ice.
Many of the top hard-sided coolers are listed as bear-resistant, which is a worthwhile consideration should you be camping in bear country. However, not all coolers listed as bear-resistant carry this certification—you can see a full list of certified coolers here. If you frequent the backcountry or will be traveling where bear-proof gear is required, make sure your cooler is on the list. ROAM is primarily a rooftop tent manufacturer and well regarded among serious outdoor-goers like overlanders and those who like to get off the grid.
For example, if you’re taking a picnic lunch to a park in town, perhaps a soft-sided Coleman cooler is all you need. A soft-sided cooler is easy to pack, fits easily in your vehicle, takes up little space, and keeps your food and drinks cold. Mid-sized models offer a middle ground between the many large options that can often be overkill for a simple picnic or road trip but offer more storage space than the small personal chests.
It also comes with a removable dry basket inside the top to keep sensitive items out of melty ice water and can be outfitted with loads more accessories for all kinds of activities. The Tundra 65 is a reasonable weight for its size, and its low profile makes the last beverage coleman sundome easy to find. 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.
The Coleman® 30 Qt Performance Cooler has everything you would want in a cooler. The insulation keeps food and beverage extra cold, the hinged lid includes two molded cup holders for quick access to your beverage, and the new, stylish outer casing will impress all your friends and co-workers. When it’s time for storage, the dry bin folds flat and can be easily and securely stored on top of the lid.
Though they’re comfortable and easy to use, they proved to be less secure when jostled or dropped and occasionally popped open during our testing. Without a buddy to help you lug the fully-loaded Engel HD30 to the beach, it can feel quite heavy while using its shoulder strap. We also discovered after a rainstorm that the external pocket isn’t waterproof, though this is a small gripe. All in all, this big cooler bag is our favorite thanks to excellent insulation and great features like rounded handles and a removable bottle opener. It’s also become an expectation that your cooler should keep your food cold and ice frozen not just for one or two days but for at least a solid week.