Your level of enthusiasm for using a product can be affected by small details. Some features make a product easier to use, less burdensome to carry, or more compatible with your lifestyle. But not all features are created equal, and their value may depend on how and where you intend to use your gear. Other features that are still useful but are more specific to certain styles of use received lower scores.
In the world of coolers, YETI pioneered the high-end concept, and the Tundra is its best-selling and most versatile model. This popular line features premium cooling and ice-retention capabilities with a thick, rotomolded build that’s more durable and less prone to cracking than injection-molded options like the RTIC above. Further, you get a handy basket for dry goods, secure closures, and multiple tie-down slots to easily secure it on a boat or truck bed. What’s more, the Tundra is certified as bear-resistant (locks are sold separately for $30), which is great for those who plan to spend time in bear country. That said, if ruggedness is something you need, the Coleman may not be the best choice. Its handles, hinges, and latches don’t inspire confidence in their ability to last the years in the same way as the high-end, IGBC certified, and rotomolded models do.
If you’re wondering what kind of foam your cooler has, a good rule of thumb is to try to squeeze the foam with your fingers. If your fingers can compress the foam more than 75%, you’re probably dealing with open-cell foam. If the foam feels denser than that and doesn’t compress much at all, you probably have your hands on closed-cell foam. As with all igloo cooler with wheels soft coolers, you shouldn’t leave the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler out in the sun or resting on very hot surfaces like the back of a pickup truck or on top of a picnic table for a long time. Although the exterior of the cooler is made of a durable, thickly coated nylon—waterproof and tough—the sun and heat will degrade the material and slowly wear it out.
If you’re worried about re-stocking, ice packs are a viable alternative. Most major brands have their own designs that work well in their coolers, and the best part is that you can use them repeatedly without ever having to drain melted ice. 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. Most of the hard-sided coolers on our list have drainage systems to help you empty out water once your ice has melted. Typically, this comes in the form of a screw-on or pop-off cap at the base of the cooler—simply take it off and let the water pour out. Some also boast drainage channels that funnel water through the opening, which is a nice touch for helping with the clean-up process.
What began with bringing clean water to the worksite quickly moved into super-functional, best-in-class ice chests. Igloo products made the family outdoor recreation movement of the 20th century possible. Suddenly, taking your kids camping on the weekend became easy and cross-country road trips became a summer vacation staple. We’ve tested Polar Bear coolers for seven years now, buying them or receiving test units from Polar Bear.
So we tested these coolers the way that we, and most consumers, would use them. 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 hot summer trip by sealing them in a heated room for over a week while tracking and recording each unit’s internal temperature. We are impressed with the insulation performance of this rather inexpensive product. Up against models that are three or four times its price, the Coleman Xtreme 70 holds its own.
The Titan, Tundra 65, and Igloo all feature a simple basket that sits across the top of the opening. The drain plug isn’t the only factor that makes emptying water easy or annoying. Most of the contenders we tested also have a sloping channel behind the drain to help gravity pull water out. Still, several have unfortunately paired this with a large lip or other obstruction that then stops your drainage progress before it’s 100% complete. Models that we found the easiest and most thorough to drain include the RTIC Ultralight, Kenai, Xspec, Orca(s), Titan, and Tundra(s), which all feature either a tiny or sloped lip to make emptying your meltwater a breeze.