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. 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.
Their 40-quart cooler gives premium rotomolded models here a real run for their money. Its flexible side handles make carrying a breeze, and we found the exterior organizer pocket to be a nice addition coleman cooler for storing small items like koozies, kitchen utensils, and a bottle opener. Starting at 20 quarts and going all the way up to 140, there’s an Orca cooler for just about any activity.
Also, many of the weak hinge issues they suffered from in the past have been corrected. Outside of the somewhat weak handles, these are solid-performing ocean-friendly ice chests that can be had at a reasonable price. Simply put, if you want a low-cost, relatively effective ice chest for most typical outdoor excursions then Coleman has just the product for you. Quite frankly, most people don’t need a cooler that can hold ice for 6 days and be able to survive a bear attack. If you’re looking for all the bells and whistles, dive into our review of the Yeti Tundra 65.
Coleman makes coolers available in every size you could need, from as large as 120 quarts of packing capacity to as small as a 5-quart personal cooler and a wide range in between. There are coolers fit to take on a day trip to the beach with the family, on a fishing excursion, hosting a small backyard party or even handing out cold cans to the neighborhood at a block party. These simple soft-sided coolers are surprisingly resilient and should last for a few years without major issues. The major issues include water easily leaking out and a challenge in storing as many cans as Coleman states that it can. Beware, the narrow plastic handles tend to dig uncomfortably into the bent fingers of whoever takes this cooler for a stroll.
This cooler is simple in design, with a wide-opening lid and solid lid latch. The lid latch takes some getting used to, and one must occasionally get down and visual with it in order to assure that it is secured. The latch is a two-part contraption that remains secured to the main box portion. Hooks on the latch and lid mate to secure the lid, while an articulating cam pivots to pull the lid and press the gasket tight.
Even better, that capacity came in at a bigger-than-advertised 58.1 quarts when I filled it with water to double-check. In addition to wheels, many Coleman coolers come with other special features, including cup holders and easy-to-use two-way handles. On top of some coolers being built for sitting, many of them are built for stacking, making them more easily accessible. Others are explicitly built for keeping your haul on-ice during a fishing trip. We’ve tested Polar Bear coolers for seven years now, buying them or receiving test units from Polar Bear.
We also started tracking the internal temperature of the coolers with the ThermoWorks Signals thermometer to see exactly when temperatures began to rise. 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. 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. That said, if you don’t need multi-day ice retention, even a cheaper hard-sided cooler should be around for many years as well.
Also, if you are needing a simple solution for an afternoon picnic (ice life of just a few hours) or a more long-term solution that will keep your items chilled for several days, Coleman has you covered. Some specific attributes and qualities would benefit one size more than another, and Coleman has a good understanding of what modifications to make to their design based on its size. It is refreshing to see them put thought coleman canopy into the applications of their products. Remember, storage volume that you can’t use is just extra weight and storage consideration you’ll have to deal with! And don’t think that just because Coleman makes an extra-large cooler and also a personal cooler that they approach both in the same manner. The paper pulp of the Recool composts easily in the backyard, and it performs basically as well as any cheap single-use cooler.
But for those on day trips or shorter overnight outings with access to new ice, an inexpensive cooler like the Coleman 316 Series or Igloo Ecocool is a fine option. As we prefaced above, if your cooler must-haves include easy mobility, large capacity, and maximum ice retention, it’s best to consider a rolling hard-sided model. Downsides are even more weight (the RovR and Igloo weigh around lb.), 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. But for camping, days at the beach, or even tailgating, a rolling cooler can be a solid choice.