But when it comes to value for money, given how bad the quality of some of the ozark trail coolers are I don’t feel they offer great value for money compared to a Yeti. Consequently, you do not have to worry about water spilling outside once the ice has melted nor water getting inside on a rainy day. Indeed, hard shell Ozark Trail coolers are highly resourceful in the sense that they are equipped with everything you’ll need on your little adventure. Cover much more space is the 36 can premium model that is a much better option for picnics and small gatherings.
Depending on if you go with an Ozark Trail hard-sided cooler or an Ozark Trail soft-sided cooler, you can expect different features. We will break down the specific features for each type of ice chest in the sections below. As is typical of most other cooler brands, the smaller coolers will utilize an overhead carrying handle while the larger coolers will stick to traditional side rope handles. We will go into more detail about the specific features later in this review. We take it disc golfing and our last few beers are as cold as the first ones. If you don’t love your purchase in the first 45 days, you can get a full refund with our hassle-free return process.
This is a much larger and diverse selection of products than the Ozark Trail hard-sided coolers. Also, you will find a larger variety of layouts and cooler types. For a cooler of more manageable size and only $97.00, the Ozark Trail 35-quart hard sided cooler is a great choice. Its premium insulation makes for impressive ice retention, and the freezer-grade gasket is removable for quick cleanup. This model’s interior bin features a handle, along with a locking plate on the outside. Yeti is a premium brand cooler with premium quality and sells for a premium price.
While it may not be the time of year to spend time outdoors, this is the perfect time to begin thinking about next summer while scoring a deal on a cooler! If you’ve been wanting a new one, do yourself a favor and look through this post. REI had a member sale over Memorial Day weekend and we were able to save 20% on our cooler. We still spent more money than I’d like but at least we saved 20%. Just as with the other cooler test, we purchased four bags of ice and put the Coleman and YETI Tundra 65 in a head-to-head test. We ended up purchasing a YETI but let me tell you how we got there.
The ice melted in the Coleman in 24 hours and the YETI in 48 hours. What I found most fascinating about this test is that the water in the YETI stayed cold for three additional days after the ice melted. The water was cold enough that had the gallon jugs been milk, we would have been able to drink out of them for three days after the ice melted. All-in-all, the YETI lasted for five days and the Coleman for one day. Our favorite feature of the Ozark Trail Soft Coolers is their additional storage options. Every model will come with at least one separate zippered pocket and many will have multiple zippered pockets in addition to mesh side pockets.
Having a soft sided cooler that holds ice for almost two full days is better than most budget hard sided coolers. So for the price I think the performance isn’t too bad, ozark trail chair not as good as premium soft sided coolers but not too bad. And the premium cooler backpack and cooler tote take this up a notch by having an EVA compression molded base.
Accordingly, this cooler measures 19 x 8.5 x 13 inches, totalling in an impressive 2.4 pounds. If your budget is slightly expendable and would rather buy a cooler that you would not regret later on then you’re better off with a premium Ozark Trail cooler. First on the list is the 6 can cooler with an expandable top which is your basic soft-side cooler. The cooler at hand is definitely small, measuring 8.5 x 7 x 9 inches & weighing around 12 ounces straight out of the box. First cooler is the 26 quart which is mainly targeted towards adventurous folks who enjoy a relaxing night at the woods, beach hang-outs and the occasional small catch angling. Accordingly, this is relatively a compact cooler, measuring 23 x 15.5 x 14 inches while in the package, totalling in an impressive 14 pounds.
All models are super easy to transport thanks to multiple carrying methods including optional wheels, padded shoulder straps, and more. The asking prices for the various Ozark Trail Coolers will fluctuate quite a bit depending on which model you are going with. But seeing how Ozark Trail is in the business of making cost-effective products, all models should be affordable (particularly when compared to their industry competition). This is about average among premium coolers that we have tested in the past. And these thick walls are coated in a UV-resistant layer that helps to protect the cooler from sun damage over time. Currently, you can choose between a 6-can cooler, 12-can cooler, 24-can cooler, 36-can cooler, 42-can cooler, premium backpack cooler, and premium tote cooler.
However, the ice retention performance the build quality and durability is not as good. On the contrary, the premium soft coolers and particularly their hard-sided coolers have more of the traditional features we look for when we think of long ice life. So you can expect them to allow for much longer ice retention. I half expected these Ozark Trail soft coolers to struggle to keep ice over a day.
An example of the color choices for the popular 24-can soft cooler is shown in the image below. But you can anticipate the walls to be between 2.5” and 3” thick. Yeti soft sided coolers are actually one of these best soft sided coolers out there. I’m not saying that Ozark Trail soft sided coolers are horrible.