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, igloo ice chest which offer lifetime warranties that cover defects, while most others range from one to 10 years. It’s also important to point out that some companies provide different warranties for their hard-sided versus soft-sided offerings.
If you’re worried about mold or mildew, the antimicrobial liner is removable for easy cleaning. Functional features include pockets for snacks or personal items, extra ice packs, a top hatch for grabbing drinks on the fly, and a bottle opener. For fishing, cookouts, and everything in between, this 150-quart cooler will keep your items ice cold. The ultratherm foam interior is meant to keep ice cold for up to five days in surrounding temperatures of 90 degrees. Plus, the polyethylene exterior is made with UV inhibitors and infrared technology to protect against sun damage.
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. We have a family member who purchased an original YETI Tundra back when the line first hit the market in 2008, and the cooler is basically like new today (he had to replace one rubber latch after more than 10 years of use, but that’s it). 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.
Not only do the brand’s reputable toughness and durability hold up against the competition, the cooler boasts superior insulation and a comfortable towing design. The cooler walls boast up to two inches of insulation to maintain ice integrity, even withstanding triple-digit temperatures. The commercial-grade polyurethane foam pressure-injected into the cooler’s walls and lid keep ice and other contents extra frosty for days. Anything smaller, and you end up carrying a lot of bag and not carrying much of anything else. There just isn’t enough room in those smaller sizes for them to be functional for anything except an individual lunch or a few drinks.
The Coleman Xtreme features replaceable hardware, whereas some of the company’s cheaper models don’t. This is an important detail because the first thing that will wear out on a cooler is either a hinge or a handle, and having affordable replacements means a cheap repair rather than a brand-new purchase. At the moment, you can buy Coleman’s replacement hinges and replacement handles for less than $10 each. Quantum Leap, quantum entanglement, Nuka Cola Quantum — examples of awesomeness, all of them. So, find your ideal beach, hike, trail or party cooler with big wheels among all that lot?