Here is a selection of four-star and five-star reviews from customers who were delighted with the products they found in this category. The paper pulp of the Recool composts easily in the backyard, and it performs basically as well as any cheap single-use cooler. The BMX did exceptionally coleman instant tent well in our insulation tests, finishing just behind the Yeti. We attribute some of its better performance to it being the smallest cooler in our test, but we were still impressed. Read on for our full reviews and our tips on choosing the right camping cooler for your needs.
But we think that, for most people, it’s worth the investment to get a cooler with a latching lid, more durability, and better insulation. While the steel of the body felt solid, stable, and durable, the rest of the cooler was slightly lacking in build quality. While we initially thought that the swivel mechanism was super cool, the plastic component on the lid that it latches into popped out with very little force.
The Polar Cap cooler is constructed with a rugged rotomolded body and a freezer-grade gasket lid, ensuring maximum durability and ice retention. This cooler has been rigorously tested and has shown an impressive ability to stay below 40 degrees for eight days. Not once did this impressive cooler leak, and it gave an impressive performance when rolled around and jumped on. Whether you’re heading out on a multi-day adventure or just want to keep your snacks cold during a day trip, the Cabela’s Polar Cap cooler is an excellent choice for all your cooling needs. For $65, the 50-quart Coleman Xtreme is another standout in the value category, and this time with wheels. With a similar overall construction 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.
The lowest temperature recorded between the two in our cooling tests was less than a degree apart (44.6 vs. 45.5 degrees Fahrenheit). If your main use is for keeping things cold, then the question is whether or not that extra 0.9 degrees is worth paying another hundred bucks for. Each had a little bit of water in the bottom of the cooler and experienced a bit of melt due to cooling down the room temperature coolers. Yes, I do realize that the coolers I tested are slightly different sizes.
This cooler feels like you can roll it across anything without the handle straining or bending, or the wheels breaking. We previously noted that Yeti had suspended sales of our backpack pick, the Hopper M20, due to a potential safety issue with the closure, which could fail, releasing magnets, which would be dangerous to ingest. 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.
While many similar coolers have thick zippers that are a struggle to operate or very narrow openings that are difficult to navigate, this soft cooler is impressively easy to use. The corners unclip, allowing the top to open quite far for swift loading and locating items. And with a large (for a soft cooler) capacity of 48 cans, the Engel HD30 coleman screen tent just might be enough to get you through a weekend of camping. Despite this oversized stature, it’s more portable than we expected, with comfortable handles on each end that make carrying it that much easier. After years of regular use, this durably constructed soft-sided model looks and works just about the same as the day we first bought it.
We have a hard time imagining a bear getting through its defenses, especially with padlocks through the corners. Coolers are undoubtedly expensive, but having a generous warranty can help ease some of the buying anxiety. And a look at the market reveals a surprisingly wide range of available manufacturer guarantees. At the top end are Orca and Roam, which offer lifetime warranties that cover defects, while most others range from one to 10 years.
There are a few different colors to choose from, which is nice, and the larger coolers have well-placed built-in cupholders which add a bit of spice to the overall look (but not much). And all of the colors come in a solid tone with little in the way of patterns outside of the vertical lines that adorn the body. However, these trips can sometimes be unpleasant due to the limitation of food.