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.
But you can anticipate the walls to be between 2.5” and 3” thick. 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. For a leak-proof, easily transportable cooler with excellent build quality, the 35-quart Ozark Trail premium is ideal. It also has lots of nifty features for versatility, from a waterproof interior light that can be removed for use as a flashlight to multiple tie-down points. Among hard coolers, if you’re using your cooler for something like grocery shopping, small weekend gatherings, or barbecues, 50 to 55 quarts is plenty.
We will break down the specific features for each type of ice chest in the sections below. 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. There have also been some other sizes available over the years but we are going to focus on these models. In addition to this, Ozark Trail also has some more mainstream designs for those who are simply on a tight budget and looking for a product to pack their lunch or picnic in.
On hot summer days when you can’t get any shade or coverage for the cooler or the van you can count on about 48 hours where there’s still a little ice. (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 just completed a review of the Ozark Trail Tumbler line, which is not only budget friendly but also well performing. Cooler’s have become somewhat of a status symbol in the outdoors and many equate the bigger brands with better quality. A higher price tag should mean a higher quality product, right?
But all models could make do with a few additional color choices. Also, there is nothing in the way of custom colors, decals, etc. 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 instance, you will have the small, simple coolers that are designed to hold people’s lunch for the day as well as higher-end premium coolers for those who are after longer ice life.
The result is a cooler that doesn’t have quite the level of fit and finish as, say, a Yeti or an Engel. Several models come with an expandable top that can increase the storage height by up to 3”. This makes it large enough to easily fit a 16-liter bottle or even stack 12oz cans on top of each other. So no matter what type of bottle you tend to carry, they have you covered.
The majority of coolers on the market claim to hold ice for an extended period of time. Temperature, how many times the cooler is opened, whether or not the cooler was pre-cooled, the type of ice being ozark trail canopy used, the type of insulation in the cooler, ect. If you’re on the fence about spending the money, consider how long you will be gone and what it would cost to add ice to your cooler everyday.