I just wanted to see how two coolers I already owned stacked up against each other under normal usage conditions. After the 6th day, the Yeti joined the Coleman Xtreme and was all out of ice as well. This combination of shade and sun is typical of what you might run into if you have a cooler with you out camping.
It also has a pair of indented handles hiding underneath both sides of the top for two-handed carry. The Pelican 20 isn’t very enjoyable to carry, with a hard plastic top handle and a tall, gangly shape with too many rigid edges that smacked our legs and ankles as we walked. Knowing your investment will last through years and years of adventures is important for any piece of gear you own, and these products are no exception. Though we didn’t have ten years to spend testing each model, we spent months subjecting them to prolonged use and a fair amount of abuse to see how they stood up to the pressure.
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. The RTIC 65 has rope handles with a plastic tube for gripping and two rubber latches for holding the lid closed, mimicking the design of most other, comparable coolers. Similar to any other true roto-molded cooler, the RTIC 65 is practically indestructible, which makes it great for tougher outdoor environments. In our testing, the RTIC 65 kept ice frozen for 10 days with some periodic draining. We’ve also used this cooler for nearly five years for grocery runs in Hawaii, and it’s still going strong.
A coleman screen tent’s latch or closure system is one of the defining characteristics of a premium model and plays a significant role in overall cooling performance. Among high-end hard-sided coolers, you’ll commonly find two rubber T-handles along the front that keep the lid locked securely in place. These handles are fairly user-friendly, extremely strong, and minimize any openings for cold air to escape.
This metric is also the source of a lot of really extraordinary claims from manufacturers. From models with “5-Day” in the name to stickers boasting up to 16 days of ice retention, it seems that just about every product out there will knock your socks off. We bought some ice, filled each model about ⅓ full, and put a mixture of cold and room temperature cans in them. Then we simulated a midsummer trip by sealing them in a heated room for over a week while tracking and recording each unit’s internal temperature.
The largest coleman sundome bin of any cooler we tested, the Rovr’s bin is also the only one that hand screws into place. The Orca models we’ve tested prove themselves not only to be durable, but to look clean, polished, and put together as well. The Orca 40 is a mid-sized cooler with impressive insulation and convenient features.
From our picks above, the coleman ice chest Products RollR 45, Igloo Trailmate Journey, Pelican 80QT Elite, and Coleman Xtreme have rear wheels and tow handles, and YETI’s Tundra series also includes the wheel-equipped Haul. Downsides are even more weight (the RovR and Igloo weigh around 35 lbs.), bulk, and cost. Additionally, these wheeled beasts still struggle over rough terrain and may require carrying if you don’t have a defined path to follow.