But for those on day trips or shorter overnight outings with access to new ice, an inexpensive cooler like the Coleman 316 Series or Igloo Ecocool is a fine option. In the world of coolers, Yeti pioneered the high-end concept, and the Tundra is its best-selling and most versatile model. This popular line features premium cooling and ice-retention capabilities with a thick, rotomolded build that’s more durable and less prone to cracking than injection-molded options like the RTIC above. Further, you get a handy basket for dry goods, secure closures, and multiple tie-down slots to easily secure it on a boat or truck bed. What’s more, the Tundra is certified as bear-resistant (locks are sold separately for $30), which is great for those who plan to spend time in bear country.
But it is limited in features, size options, and it will be a bit more expensive than most other Coleman Coolers. Many of Coleman’s coolers have helpful little features or accessories built into the coolers to make things as convenient as possible. Examples of this include features such as coleman ice chest molded cup holders, easy-access lids, multiple carrying methods, stacking capabilities, and much more. A lot of these unique twists and features you won’t find in many competing brands, and it goes to show that Coleman has a nice understanding of what it takes to make a viable cooler.
The Kenai 65 features mostly rubber, stretchy latches but swaps out the rubber T-grip section for short metal posts that grip grooves underneath the rim of the body. Though they’re comfortable and easy coleman ice chest to use, they proved to be less secure when jostled or dropped and occasionally popped open during our testing. When it comes to handles, models with immobile handles have an additional advantage.
And for wheeled models, of course, we considered how that pair of spinning discs affects the chest’s usage when you’re not actively pulling it around. Ease of use is a critical factor in your overall happiness with any given product. We gauged how easy each cooler was to open and close — whether or not the lid fully shut after closing, latch maneuverability, ease of loading, capacity, and if it included any convenient features like dry bins.
Many of the options we tested have this feature, including the Pelican Wheeled, Arctic Titan, Xspec, and Igloo IMX. Still, others have specific slots to tie them down in your boat, backseat, or truck bed. There are two critical temperature thresholds we made a note of — 40º F, and 50º F. Based on FDA regulations, 40º F is the maximum acceptable temperature recommended to ensure food safety, as it minimizes the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
I also took each cooler’s design and features into consideration as I tested and kept an eye out for durability concerns. I wasn’t impressed with the lid on the Igloo Latitude wheeled cooler, for instance. Give it a modest yank and the whole lid comes right off — and the cheap plastic wheels didn’t leave me impressed, either. To that end, I carefully filled each cooler with water to the point that closing the coleman ice chest lid would cause some water overflow. Then I measured out the exact number of quarts each cooler could hold — important information to have when you’re dealing with large quantities of melted ice. If anything, the smaller, cheaper models were mostly conservative in their estimates, with ones like the Coleman Xtreme and Igloo Latitude wheeled coolers coming in several quarts more sizable than advertised.
Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. While the Cabela Polar Cap 80 boasts impressive features, there are some areas where it falls short. First, it is a heavy cooler, which can make it difficult to move around, especially for just one person.
Discard the stem as it will not be used.Next, screw the pipe nipple onto the ball valve. Slide the pipe nipple into the cooler through the washer, outside nut and rubber washer. The other end of the pipe nipple should be visible on the inside of the cooler. Slide the 16mm washer over the pipe nipple and make sure the threads of the pipe nipple are visible. External patterns and color schemes and even attractive metal coolers are part of their vast selection.