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. I’ll be totally honest, I was not expecting this cooler to be as nice as it was. It’s easy to get caught up in brand perception and often times very difficult to break away from what you think you know about a brand. I used the word “think” intentionally, because what I thought I knew about Ozark Trail was not correct. Ozark Trail is proving to be a really solid competitor for outdoor products.
However, I don’t think these Yeti coolers come even close to the Yeti Tundra. There was a similar amount of ice remaining in ozark trail cooler both tumblers when I came to check them in the morning. However, there was more melted water in the Ozark Trail tumbler.
Ozark Trail soft-sided coolers have soft fabric exteriors and are lightweight and easy to carry. Smaller than hard-sided coolers, soft-sided coolers are sized in terms of how many cans they can hold. Ozark Trail soft-sided models are less expensive but less insulated than hard-sided coolers.
This cooler has a number of features that you would find on more expensive coolers and a few that you won’t find. There are no latches since this is a soft-sided cooler, just a zipper. We put that to the test during our capacity evaluations, where the entire cooler is filled to the top with water, then closed. In its closed state, full of water, I sloshed it around without spilling a drop, so it’s safe to assume that leaks won’t be an issue. Our recent Magellan Outdoors soft-sided cooler (title holder for Best Soft-Sided Cooler) has the same zipper setup. Now let’s compare that to most of the newer cooler designs on models like Yeti, RTIC, Orca, Cabela’s or Frosted Frog that have rubber T-shaped handles you have to stretch to secure the lid.
The performance wasn’t close enough for me to pretend like I could name another victor even if I wanted to. Our experts tested multiple brands to bring you the best cooler to fit your needs. This plain-Jane lowball made by Walmart and sold under the Ozark Trail brand name is actually a pretty good alternative to the model described above.
We must admit that the huge price cut and supposed similar ice retention and features are tempting. And to maximize how much squeeze the gasket produces, having strong latches that provide a lot of clamping force is necessary. You will find the popular “T-latch” design on s. 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. My own personal beverage drama every summer has really pushed me to do this review. To me, worrying about the temperature of the drinks I have on my boat is the absolute last thing I want to be thinking about when I am heading out on the water.
Not only will the rubber allow for a slightly smoother roll when you are pull this cooler along, but it will also be quieter. You won’t wake the neighbors up when you are pulling this down your dock. Rounding out the exterior is a lid that features 4 cup holders and inch notches for measuring your catch of the day. With a mass of test data in hand showing us just how well these things perform, I’ve gone ahead and separated the winners from the also-rans.
But the best value doesn’t have to mean the least amount of money. It gave the lowest temperatures in the midsize cooler category, and low enough to play ball with the largest of coolers we tested. CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
Not everybody has the money to buy the most premium hiking water bottle out there. To make transporting your ozark trail chair from place to place as easy as possible, it’s important to have durable, easy-to-grip handles or straps. At BestReviews, we make choosing the best products easy with our in-depth research and testing. If you’re ready to buy an Ozark Trail cooler, our shopping guide has all the information you need. The ice retention of this cooler makes it top-tier for road trips or camping. Still, if you happen to get an ice chest that has these kinks ironed out, you will enjoy a solid competitor.