With that question being floated, we decided to travel down the path of discovery and start to take a closer look at Ozark Trail and some of their products. We just completed a review of the Ozark Trail Tumbler line, which is not only budget friendly but also well performing. It’s made of heavy-duty polyethylene ozark trail chair that is virtually unbreakable. The construction rivals that of the Yeti cooler and yet it’s a fraction of the price. We’ve put ours through the ringer the last several months and it’s stood up to daily use from van life. We are impressed with the lineup of features you get to enjoy here.
While some brands will have the base of the “T” be what catches the pin, Ozark Trail has instead decided to have a hole in the middle of the latch that catches onto the pin. In terms of size election, having three sizes is a bit lackluster. But Ozark Trail has managed to incorporate sizes that are most common for people to want.
Rounding out the exterior is a lid that features 4 cup holders and inch notches for measuring your catch of the day. I spend a great deal of time on the water every summer boating and fishing in Northern Michigan. I will often load a large cooler up at the beginning of the week and leave it on my Pontoon packed with drinks and ice. If you have a boat and bring kids or friends on the water, you know that once you leave the dock the requests for drinks start rolling in fast and furious. Sure, you can load a cooler out each morning packed with fresh ice, but it is just so much easier to cut down all that work with a cooler than can keep ice for days on end. Cooler’s have become somewhat of a status symbol in the outdoors and many equate the bigger brands with better quality.
(The less you open it, the longer it’ll last so keep the opening and closing to a minimum). All in all, it’s a pretty solid ice chest and a major upgrade from some of the stryofoam and even Rubbermaid coolers of yore. We like the sharp edges and progressive appearance of the Ozark Trail Coolers.
If you want your cooler to be both tough and durable, you can’t skimp on this one aspect of design. There’s a tick on that little detail on Ozark’s part because their coolers are, in fact, rotomolded. Ozark Trail decided to pass up the opportunity to create a simple cooler for the medium price range to the lower price range.
This is made for durability and convenience, providing the perfect storage for your best beers. For a more on-the-go option, the $88.00 Ozark Trail 26-quart high-performance cooler offers the perfect size and capacity. The heavy-duty, one-piece construction and blend of polyurethane insulation keeps ice frozen for days. This cooler is also made for easy carrying, featuring a stainless steel handle with a comfort grip. The Ozark Trail 45 quart cooler is known for its convenience and durability, with an industrial-strength locking plate to keep it sealed tight and wheels for easy transport.
Some soft-sided models also have expandable tops that can increase the height of the cooler by as much as three inches to fit stacked cans or larger bottles. 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. But it just seems to be a bit of hit and miss as to whether it’s going to last you or not. They have attractive features and sharp edges which all but catch the eye.
We will discuss these in greater detail in our reviews below. No matter which model you go with, you will get to enjoy multiple storage options. This comes thanks to both the large, insulated area as well as storage pockets on the front and/or sides. The pockets on the front will be zippered while any on the sides will be open and mesh.
We purchased four bags of ice – two for each cooler – and got started. The Ozark Trail held ice one day longer than the Coleman and in general, the cooler felt cooler inside than the Coleman. Unfortunately, the deal breaker is that it intermittently leaked water from the drain spout. Prior to purchasing the cooler I had read several reviews that said this cooler collects condensation around the drain spout. I didn’t think much of the comments until I saw the amount of water leaking from my cooler. We tightened the spout and it leaked three more times over two days, so the cooler went back to Walmart.