Featuring a fish ruler and confirmed bear-resistant by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, it’s perfect for back-country adventures. Not to mention, it has a built-in bottle opener and four drink holders on the lid, so you can have a good time no matter the temperature. Luke is a co-founder of bestcooler.reviews, a cooler expert and author of 70+ reviews on this website. From fishing to hiking, from family camping to solo bike trekking, Luke adores spending quality time enjoying nature, oftentimes checking out new coolers while doing so.
Depending on if you go with an Ozark Trail hard-sided cooler or an Ozark Trail soft-sided cooler, you can expect different features. We will break down the specific features for each type of ice chest in the sections below. As is typical of most other cooler brands, the smaller coolers will utilize an overhead carrying handle while the larger coolers will stick to traditional side rope handles. We will go into more detail about the specific features later in this review. We take it disc golfing and our last few beers are as cold as the first ones. If you don’t love your purchase in the first 45 days, you can get a full refund with our hassle-free return process.
Also, another practical aspect of these coolers is how easy it is to replace external pieces if damaged whereas other brands would give you no other option but to live with it. One of the hardest conclusions to digest was the fact that a brand like Ozark Trail can argue its rivalry to someone like Yeti. Impressively, Ozark Trail has pulled the trick of the century in the realm of coolers when they managed to create highly dependable coolers for a budget cost. While quality is paramount to the durability and performance of an ice cooler, design is still relatively important. Indeed, it would not make sense to design a Yeti the same way as some off-brand cheap copy because the look of a cooler says a lot about it.
However, the ice retention performance the build quality and durability is not as good. On the contrary, the premium soft coolers and particularly their hard-sided coolers have more of the traditional features we look for when we think of long ice life. So you can expect them to allow for much longer ice retention. I half expected these Ozark Trail soft coolers to struggle to keep ice over a day.
Still, if you happen to get an ice chest that has these kinks ironed out, you will enjoy a solid competitor. These are IGBC certified and that certification isn’t possible without a tough product. It is ozark trail cooler also worth mentioning that all of the metal components you will find are comprised of quality stainless steel. This helps to minimize the change of corrosion or breaking, even after many years of use.
Accordingly, this cooler measures 19 x 8.5 x 13 inches, totalling in an impressive 2.4 pounds. If your budget is slightly expendable and would rather buy a cooler that you would not regret later on then you’re better off with a premium Ozark Trail cooler. First on the list is the 6 can cooler with an expandable top which is your basic soft-side cooler. The cooler at hand is definitely small, measuring 8.5 x 7 x 9 inches & weighing around 12 ounces straight out of the box. First cooler is the 26 quart which is mainly targeted towards adventurous folks who enjoy a relaxing night at the woods, beach hang-outs and the occasional small catch angling. Accordingly, this is relatively a compact cooler, measuring 23 x 15.5 x 14 inches while in the package, totalling in an impressive 14 pounds.
All models are super easy to transport thanks to multiple carrying methods including optional wheels, padded shoulder straps, and more. The asking prices for the various Ozark Trail Coolers will fluctuate quite a bit depending on which model you are going with. But seeing how Ozark Trail is in the business of making cost-effective products, all models should be affordable (particularly when compared to their industry competition). This is about average among premium coolers that we have tested in the past. And these thick walls are coated in a UV-resistant layer that helps to protect the cooler from sun damage over time. Currently, you can choose between a 6-can cooler, 12-can cooler, 24-can cooler, 36-can cooler, 42-can cooler, premium backpack cooler, and premium tote cooler.
It has anti-microbial properties and it’s strong enough that a bear can’t break into it. Yeti coolers are a well recognized ozark trail chair brand and they are backed by a 3-year warranty. If you’ve got the money then this is probably going to be your best option.
In most cases, the coolers feature a large, insulated inner compartment and exterior storage pockets on the front or sides. Front pockets usually have zippers, while side pockets typically have no closure and are made of mesh to hold non-food items. Some soft-sided models also have expandable tops that can increase the height of the cooler by as much as three inches to fit stacked cans or larger bottles. Ozark Trail soft-sided coolers have soft fabric exteriors and are lightweight and easy to carry.