A boat-bound cooler, or one you plan to take to the beach or lake, will also need to be waterproof. Any cooler you plan to bring outside beyond your own deck or yard should be reasonably able to withstand the elements. If you choose a soft cooler on wheels, make sure the fabric can handle being loaded up with ice and the resulting leftover water. Most hard coolers on wheels can withstand water, from inside or out, but it’s still a factor you’ll want to double-check.
We’ve tested Polar Bear coolers for seven years now, buying them or receiving test units from Polar Bear. Recently, however, we’ve been let down by the lifespan of its soft coolers (though not this backpack in particular). But with care, you can extend the lifespan of any soft cooler—the number one rule seems to be not to leave it out in the sun. The Original is made with an exterior of 840-denier UV-resistant nylon wrapped around open-cell foam. Technically less insulating than closed-cell foam, open-cell foam performs fairly well for most applications as long as the cooler isn’t left in the open sun.
Get across any type of terrain with its rugged wheels and a telescoping handle that locks in place while pulling the cooler. The 50-quart capacity cooler holds up to 84 cans that will stay cool thanks to the insulated walls and lid. Add that to the four day ice retention and hundred-plus can capacity and you see how the eponym came about. If you wanted something that lgloo Cooler is not an Igloo, Coleman, or Yeti cooler with wheels, the EVO Premium Rolling Cooler is one that you might consider. It is a 50-quart cooler that claims to be able to store up to 72 cans of beer at a nice and cold temperature for up to 72-hours. Where this differs from other coolers on the list, however, is that it has been designed to be extremely lightweight.
Their wheeled rolling cooler offering is a thirty-quart ice chest built with more insulation than other coolers in its range. The bungee net up top helps you haul extra stuff on game day and Canyon also offers a no-hassle, lifetime warranty. Over half of the lgloo Cooler coolers on our list cost $200 or more, which goes to show how pricey these units can be. Hard-sided coolers from YETI, RTIC, ORCA, and others are able to keep ice frozen for significantly longer than budget options from companies like Coleman or Igloo.
Sure, these are not ideal for longer trips but not everybody goes away for days. A good addition to game-day trailer parties, BBQs or just general trips where you need to bring the party with you. If you’re just planning a day out rather than a weekend or longer, the Picnic at Ascot Ultimate Travel Cooler is one that we feel you should take a look at. It is smaller than most on this list at 36-quarts but it will still hold up to 32 cans of drink and keep it cold for a good 24-hours.
That said, ice packs are fairly expensive (YETI’s range from $15 to $30 depending on size) and require refreezing once they lose their coldness, which limits practicality for longer trips. As committed cooler enthusiasts know, the type of ice you use heavily impacts how much you’re igloo cooler with wheels able to store and how long it stays cold. Crushed ice is the most readily available—you can find it at most gas stations and supermarkets for fairly cheap. The major draw is that it easily fills the gaps between your food and beverages, cooling them quickly and efficiently.
If we had to generalize it, we would say that you should expect to get approximately half of the claimed ice retention time in real-world use, give or take depending on your specific circumstances. ROAM is primarily a rooftop tent manufacturer and well regarded among serious outdoor-goers like overlanders and those who like to get off the grid. But their foray into coolers hasn’t gone unnoticed, combining the ruggedness and utility that ROAM is known for with a myriad of functional features. And importantly, all these features are integrated nicely and have the same solid and confidence-inspiring feel as the rest of the aptly named Rugged.