Some also boast drainage channels that funnel water through the opening, which is a nice touch for helping with the clean-up process. YETI’s Roadie 24 and Pelican’s 20QT Elite are two notable exceptions that don’t come with drain plugs, which can make dumping out extra water a bit of a hassle. However, given these coolers’ smaller capacities, most users will be restocking the contents frequently anyway. 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.
This is a very attractive cooler bag that is quite durable thanks to quality materials and decent construction. It is also easy to use thanks to the multiple access points. But the ice life is a little lackluster and the zipper design could be improved upon. The Contour is a small but potent cooler that can handle ice for a weekend excursion. It is an adequate size to fit most items a small group would need and is designed to take up minimum storage space.
We’ve got lots of easily haulable, rugged coolers for that. Yes, yes, yes and yes — we design dependable coolers for it all. And we do it so you can have a more enjoyable experience with fresh, cold snacks and beverages just a cooler away at all times. That’s about as fantastic of a result as I could have hoped for from the MaxCold, and easily the best cooler performance I was able to find for under $100. The next step up would be the Lifetime High Performance Cooler, which I found on sale at Walmart for $97. It finished my performance tests in a virtual tie with the MaxCold, and it offers a bigger, better design that features a pair of heavy-duty lid latches and roped handles, plus a built-in bottle opener.
While it won’t hang with the “big boys”, it will hold its own against most other coolers at its price point. There are also plenty of sizes to choose from including wheeled options. They include having rather weak handles and hinges as well as needing a bit of a styling update.
We’ve removed that pick and are continuing to monitor the situation. If you want a backpack cooler, we recommend the Polar Bear Original Nylon Backpack Cooler. Hard-wearing, chill-keeping, strategically sized ice chests that can hold up to the needs of life on (and by) the water. The Igloo MaxCold will give you the most cold for your cash. Igloo Ice Coolers are cool boxes and are definitely worth purchasing. We have used many Igloo coolers over the years and have really enjoyed them.
And the features that are in place make this a very portable and reliable product. The Igloo BMX is Igloo’s latest lgloo Cooler attempt to compete in the premium cooler market. The overall performance and ice retention numbers are good.
Insulation obsessives may want to fill those cup holders with Styrofoam, but considering how well this cooler performed in our tests, doing so doesn’t seem to be all that critical. Unlike most of the other models, the Coleman Xtreme has a channeled drain, which made draining much easier and required very little tilting on our part. For example, when heading on a camping trip, igloo electric cooler you’re sure to need a cooler that will keep ice cold for long periods of time, since you’ll be away from electricity and refrigeration. For this task, the Igloo Latitude 60-Quart Rolling Cooler might be your best choice. A cooler’s latch or closure system is one of the defining characteristics of a premium model and plays a significant role in overall cooling performance.
This cooler is lockable and is made from polyurethane foam. It can hold up to 35 cans and is made with your injection-molded construction. One of Igloo’s most attractive coolers, the stainless steel stands out from the plastic we are used to seeing. lgloo Cooler It also helps (or at least doesn’t hurt too badly) the ice life. But this aesthetically pleasing cooler does come at a much higher asking price and also suffers from some very weak latches. Also, the attractive steel outer finish is easily scratched.
That makes it my top value pick in the cooler category, and an excellent choice if you just want something dependable that won’t break the bank. Igloo’s old design, the Gripper needs a facelift both in terms of performance and looks. What it does have going for it is being extremely mobile and being assembled with high-quality components.
Many injection-molded designs also allow for various mounting locations for accessories like tables, cup holders, and cutting boards—something you don’t typically get with rotomolding. By measuring meltwater, we can produce data that illustrates the relative performance of insulation between coolers over time. For example, after five days, the Coleman Xtreme retained 11 more pounds of ice than the Igloo MaxCold did. That translates to the Coleman Xtreme being 20% more efficient than the Igloo MaxCold overall in ice retention during the same time period. We also started tracking the internal temperature of the coolers with the ThermoWorks Signals thermometer to see exactly when temperatures began to rise. We’ve tested Polar Bear coolers for seven years now, buying them or receiving test units from Polar Bear.