While Rtic coolers aren’t the cheapest coolers on the market, a 20-quart model will run you about $159, and the 65-quart comes in a little under $300. They’re certainly cheaper than their Yeti counterparts, and they’ll still get the job done with flair. With its hard-bodied style and blocky black logo, RTIC is clearly making ozark trail canopy a run at Yeti’s business model. Honestly, a lot of the time the decision really does come down to Rtic cooler vs. Yeti cooler. On the beach or the deck, this Pelican cooler has the ice retention and skid resistance you’ll want for life by the waves. This soft side cooler is ever-popular online and perfect for a day outdoors.
The Pelican 50-quart Elite Cooler is made for life on the water. Built to be skid-resistant, it can handle choppy surf without sliding around. It opens with one hand and even sports a ruler on top, with cupholders and a bottle opener. Our testers noted that the Arctic Zone Titan Cooler kept ice cold for about 2.5 days, which should be more than enough for most people. There’s a reason the Rtic Ultra-Light 52 Quart Hard Cooler is one of the most value-packed ice coolers you can buy. Stuffed with ice, it kept our sensors under 40 degrees for three days.
And it makes Ozark Trail Coolers great for any weekend outing. Lastly, being able to safely and comfortably transport the cooler is extremely important. And when you fill it up with drinks, food, and ice, it can weigh 100 pounds or more!
Air bubbles that do not share cell walls and in effect stay insulated from one another are better at reducing the overall transfer of heat through the foam. In contrast, open-cell foam is permeable to air and water like a sponge (which is why it frequently appears in foam pillows, as it’s squishier and it breathes). The handle and wheels on the Tundra Haul are the best we’ve come across. This cooler feels like you can roll it across anything without the handle straining or bending or the wheels breaking. After spending many years evaluating more than 50 cooler models, we’ve chosen six that are well made, well insulated, and well suited for a range of outings. The Igloo Marine Ultra Cooler might not look like much, but it can keep ice cold for a respectable 3.5 days.
These coolers are available in 26-quart, 52-quart, and 73-quart and fall somewhere in the intermediate to lower premium price tier. You will find both low-cost models as well as a “premium” lineup. The low-cost model won’t wow you with features, build quality, or long ice life but instead tries to find a happy medium while still being extremely cost-effective.
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 ozark cooler 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?
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 ozark trail chair for five days and the Coleman for one day. So there you have it, when looking at just the ability to keep ice cold over a period of 6 days the Pelican has just slightly won, but we are talking about decimal points. I have to say that I am very impressed with the performance of the Ozark Trail 45Q cooler.
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.
As for the testing units themselves, well, they’ve disappeared now. The Tundra Haul is expensive, but when you’re choosing a wheeled model, it’s worth paying for hardware that won’t break or strain under heavy loads. It has taken us a few years to recommend a wheeled cooler simply because none have seemed built to last longer than a season or two—especially in the handle.
The more capable premium models should keep ice for up to a day and a half. Ozark Trail’s lineup of soft coolers tries to adhere to their “affordability first” approach. This includes simple lunch boxes and tiers up to premium totes and cooler backpacks.