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Based on you "To Drain vs Not To Drain" video. It's clear that just having ice in the cooler isn't the full story. It would be awesome if you repeated this with the Bluetooth thermometers in each cooler. (If not with all coolers, do just the top ten.)
I was going to buy an expensive one but, when I am using a cooler, it usually ends up in the bed of my truck traveling. I was afraid it would just end up being stolen.
Last year, I was shopping for a cooler with better ice retention. I found your video to be the most valuable review resource available online. I'm really happy with how my new cooler performed in Florida and in Memphis on really hot days. I live in Minnesota and will definitely check out the Maluna coolers after watching your updated review video. Thanks a bunch!
Wow, thanks! I'm glad to hear it was helpful to you. Florida and Memphis both make Idaho look nice and cool in the summer. Pretty cool that Maluna is a local company for you.
Canyon is local to me here in Flagstaff AZ. I like how Canyon offer bear resistance certification. I'll happily support them even if they are #1. Nice review
Thanks a ton Outdoor Empire for putting those coolers through their paces! Your dedication to the cause is seriously cool (pun intended). I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates your efforts - you're the 'coolest' guy in town (okay, I'll stop with the cold jokes now)!"
Great review! I’ll stick with one of those $9.00 per day coolers. Don’t want to fill out a loan application for a $400 to $500 cooler. By the way, what are you ever going to do with all those coolers.
I love mine. 5 years outside all summer in garage in the winter. Put ice in it twice a week. Keeps beer cold all week. I finally had to replace the straps. Best cooler. I have the white one.
I wish someone would make a cooler where the lid itself is either the ice pack or can attach ice packs to the lid. That way when you go to swap out the ice pack for a cold one, you don't have to dig for it underneith all your food/drinks. I think the Oyster Tempo would've been perfect candidate for that idea.
Side note I’d love to see a comparison video where you compared all the coolers and you made a chart on their advertised size vs the real world size you actually get. Just cause they say 65, 60, 45 etc… doesn’t mean that’s what you actually end up getting per se.
Good review. Liked your scoring system and how it went beyond ice retention. Would be cool if you did one on small coolers (30qt or smaller). Really interested to see if the top brands from this come in atop the field on the small end.
Maluna seems highly underrated. Price is not terrible, USA made. Bottle opener, pressure release. More features than most. Metal brand badge that is customizable on their website. Hate orcas stickers that fall off in the heat. Pretty cheap of them.
Coming to this video after making a last minute purchase this past Monday.. I'm actually extremely pleased to find out how well my RTIC 52 stacked up, and I feel way better about not getting the one with wheels now! Directly after getting mine I put 3 bags of ice in it and topped it off once.. High 80's in the sun for 4 days straight while we packed up my parents house and moved things to storage. It's still sitting on my porch now with ice and cold as could be.
The Lifetime 28QT cooler is amazing, especially for the price. I have not been satisfied with the larger versions though. They just don't seal as well. Their warranty process is amazing as well. A latch broke and they had 2 new ones there in a day or 2.
Glad to see the Moosejaw Fort Ice 55-quart rolling hard cooler. I did an ice comparison with the Moosejaw and the Lifetime 55-quart rolling cooler a year ago. Both were bought from WalMart. Filled them booth with ice and placed them in my minivan during the Summer. Both did well. Kept the Moosejaw and have been pretty satisfied with the Moosejaw. Glad to see the Moosejaw in your video. The WalMart in my area doesn't carry those anymoore. Thanks for another great review.
I like the Moosejaw a lot too and was going to do another video about it, but I recently learned that it's discontinued already. Since Dick's Sporting Goods acquired Moosejaw last year, they decided to quit making hard coolers. So the Ice Fort didn't even last a year. Too bad!
Just bought a Yeti Roadie and I’m very relieved to see it performs as well as I’d hoped it would. I’ve wanted one for years and finally got it without really researching the options since it had been a wishlist item for so long but then was getting nervous it was a bad purchase with how people bash the brand.
It's a nice rough test, but any of your top ten could be in any order since you were so rough in your testing protocols. Then again, two people managing 38 coolers would be difficult.
Great video, one thing I'll note is that the radiant heat coming off that fence could be significant- IF the other side is in direct sunlight. You might put a thermometer right up against the fence and one a few feet away. I know in my yard, the shade under a tree is very different than the shade up against my fence when the sun is at an angle.
I use the $40 Walmart Coleman cooler. Went camping for a weekend with 70-80 degree highs and there was still plenty of ice inside of it by the end of the trip
My study found the cablelas coolers superior. I keep 2 25’s covered in the bed of my truck, the assumption being while I fanned the door on one using ice, the other remained buttoned up until needed. I often wonder if one big cabelas, such as used by you here, might not be better. I did have access to a 60 quart off brand to test, which my friend sang full praise of and looks like a rebranded yeti, but the results recommended the second cabelas.
Happy to see Blue & Kong added to this test. Surprised the Rtic ultra light lasted longer than the Rtic 65. I’m most interested in the Blue & Rtic 52(no wheels) Love your videos, keep up the great work!
Those are some good choices for sure. I was surprised by the RTIC 52 as well. Last time I did this the 52 dropped out a day before the 65 when it was a lot hotter out.
Thanks for a great real world test!! That was awesome. The only person that I could think of that may need a cooler with ice retention over 14 days would be Gilligan. 😂
Wow, that was a lot of work!! Thanks so much for the effort. For future tests I recommend raising all the coolers off the ground, for example having them sit on two pieces of wood 4x4's. The ground the coolers sit on can make a difference in thermal conductivity depending on what the ground material is if not all identical. Elevating the coolers using 4x4's would take that out of the equation. I would also make sure that the space between the coolers is all the same on all sides. Maybe 12" between each cooler on every side. These two changes would take even more of the variables out of the testing equation to reveal the coolers true insulation properties.
Spacing beyond 6 inches wont make a significant difference except by shading it could help in that regard so thats a good idea. Elevating thw coolers doesnt seem like real world use. Ive never put one of my coolers on 2×4 in my life. Its either in my car (on a floor) or at home on the floor. I dont think its realistic to ask people to elevate the coolers. If youre putting the coolers in the shade elevating them isnt going to make a significant difference although maybe slightly due to conductive temperature transfer from the ground. But no one is putting 2×4s down are they? I guess i dont use these rotomolded coolers i only use soft coolers placed inside my yeti v series which is a nice setup. Really vacuum coolers are what you want for daily use and rotomolded for outdoor/children/others/work/ anything rough on the cooler. The vacuum isnt as durable id say but it performs better based on my testing it defeated the cabelas solidly. The best test is to test 2 coolers the same size as determined by filling them up with water and measuring that water as you drain it out the drain plug. Then with 2 same sized coolers fill them up to full capacity so you know you have almost exactly the same amount of ice. Amount of ice is huge so this test just favors larger coolers obviously. Its still helpful you just have to mentally adjust for the capacity factor.
@@epg423 My suggestion for elevating the coolers is only for the test,....this takes the ground conditions out of the equation. if a cooler sits on a layer of leaves for days, those leaves can ferment and cause heat. Coolers sitting on grass versus concrete will also have different levels of thermal conductivity. Elevating all the coolers off the ground just makes all the testing conditions identical.
Interesting. Didn't think some coolers could hold ice or keep cold for 10 to 15 days. I never had to keep so long. But finally purchased heavy duty cooler from Costco called Coho with a fish emblem. It was relatively cost effective. Think made in USA. Costco is everywhere. Should evaluate the Coho looks thick all the way around. I haven't used it yet, purchased for preparation for the volunteer work I do.
Indeed, these went a long time, but the weather got really cool, so don't count on that in hot weather. Maybe half. I know that Coho as well, I had it in the first ice challenge video I did if you want to check that out. Not the best of the best, but did great.
I have had my 65qt Lifetime cooler for two years now. I take it camping and boating. Just went for a 5 night camping trip with day time highs in the 90s and lows in mid 70s at night. I always have ice left in the cooler. For the Money It has great performance! I am on Mississippi Gulf coast if that helps.
What I'd like to see is an comparison of all the coolers with wheels. What with age, injuries, and arthritis... My wife and I still like to go camping in 85-100+/-°f and don't want the food to spoil before the week is up. Also some of the smaller coolers for toting sodas and water in?
Got an RTIC 65 for $200 about a year ago plus some Rakuten cash back. Shop around and be patient. The RTIC “replaced” my older Coleman. Both have their uses. What I learned from the newer, fancier, more expensive one is that the kind of ice you use and how you pack your cooler (notwithstanding outside temperatures) determines the longevity of your stuff staying cool about as much as the cooler itself. Point is you can get a much less expensive cooler to do well for most use scenarios.
I've just bought the Maluna 111 qt. cooler for almost half of what you paid for that 70 qt. They sell some factory blemished coolers for about haft off and one area and they where trying to get ride of them for the year so I got even more off. The only problem is how difficult it is to fit in any vehicle.
I wonder how different colors of the exact same cooler perform against each other. i would imagine white would be the best but maybe color has no bearing on its function, could be a cool future test.
I got one of those moosejaws last year on clearance for $75 it a 55 qt doesnt have wheels like that one but i use it camping and its amazing. Csmping in the middle of summer and the ice and contents will freeze together and last for days before starting to melt. Its an amazing brand that i have never heard of until i seen it at wal mart and i fell in love with it
You are simply amazing, extremely detailed video and very through breakdown of the data gathered. Also the engagement is shocking to see. I will be using you guys as a reference when me and my friends buy coolers for our annual weeklong camping trips. I will be subscribing and turning the bell on.
I don’t suppose that I could talk you into a lunchbox challenge? (Ice retention, cost, durability, etc) I’ve been looking at primarily soft sided insulated ones.(Rtic, Attic Zone, Yeti, Carhartt, and various other Amazon options.)
I love your videos. i just wish you would have mentioned more about the rtic 52, like the weight. i mean im very impressed it made it to top 10, not being rotomold. and its half the weight under 200 bucks. also the one with wheels, has less insulation where the wheels are. that's why it didnt last as long. i consider myself a everyday man. weight of the cooler should be a factor or atleast mentioned. lugging it around the campsite, to the boat, or in and out of the truck. i hope this information is helpful. and i look foward to future videos.
Thanks for watching! I actually did a whole video on the RTIC 52 wheeled version a while back. You could look that up for more insight. The thing is, it is lighter, but it's not half the weight by a long shot. If I recall, the wheeled ultralight cooler weighs 31 pounds compared to a Yeti tundra haul, for example, which has more capacity and weighs something like 38 pounds if memory serves. So yes, lighter, but not by a huge amount. All loaded up with ice and food, both will still be super heavy. The RTIC is still a nice price, but just wanted to debunk the ultralight idea.
Im sure some of these have been said but catergator, ninja, pacbak, camp zero, fatboy, lincoln outfitters. Also a couple test to consider adding is a shake or tip test to see how much water may leak out if it were to tip in the car on a drive. A sit/stand on the cooler to test how much flex the lid has.
Several years ago for a family reunion we built a 2’ X 2’ X 8’ plywood box and lined it with 2” of styrofoam. Made a split top and painted it to look like a casket. We filled it with ice to hold everyone’s drinks. It worked a little too well as it froze several of the soft drinks. After the reunion it stayed outside in 80 degree plus weather. I kept all the leftover drinks in it, until they were gone. The last of the ice disappeared on day twenty! For a novelty item, I think it did better than any of the coolers reviewed above in very warm weather. At the time seven years ago I had invested around $70. Unfortunately, I no longer have any pictures of it to post with this comment.
Once you open the coolers numerous times you may as well minus 50% of the days retentions. So you’re lucky to get 5-7 days of ice retention after opening closing to get stuff.
Easily the largest cooler guru on the net. I’m stuck between the brumate, Roadie, and tundra. If you had to stick with one of those three forever, which would you choose and why?
Oh man, that's a tough one. I'm not sure what you're into and that would probably be the deciding factor. For tailgates, BBQs, and beach days with a little camping sprinkled in there, I'd go with the Brumate. For hunting, fishing, tossing in and out of a truck, or something like whitewater rafting and long campouts, I'd go with the Tundra. For something more in the middle of those two scenarios, like some camping and some of that other day use stuff, but nothing that requires a ton of space, gets a ton of abuse, or requires mixed drinks, I'd go with the Roadie. And FYI, neither the Roadie nor the Brumate are bear-resistant certified. So if you need a cooler you can lock up and use in some national parks and places with bears that require that where a park ranger will check, the Tundra is the only one of those three that is IGBC approved.
Love my kong 110 for deer hunting. Chose it for the handles and latches. The only issue is latches can be annoying if the truck bed is slam full and the plastic is real soft against bone. My grizzly 40 is a TANK but handles hurt when heavy and ice is only eh. Glad to see Maluna still makes a good product after they sold. I always liked the bison, but always was more spendy. Yes im a cooler nerd and know way too much about this stuff
Haha, right there with you man! And I hear ya on the handles. I've noticed that latches that require a lot of space to manipulate make it hard to access your cooler when in the back of the ruck or SUV. I like the Cordova for that reason because the latches open from the top instead of bottom. So it's a lot easier to access even when there is gear squished up against every side of it.
Have three Malunas 22, 50 and 70. All are awesome though a bit heavy but tough. Going on 9 years with the 70 and it’s made it through lots of trips and events.
I've got a Trailmate, great cooler! I had it in the ice retention challenge the first time around. It didn't do 10 days, but did as well as advertised (4 or 5 days if I recall). Cheers!
Looking at the Maluna website...See your pic there!! Great job on the review! They are expensive though just like Yeti and a few others. It really boils down to how you are going to use a cooler for most of the time that it will be used. Or... could be buy once cry once??? I plan on using my cooler(s) for home parties where the ice and drinks should last a day or two and not 17!!! For this, you could buy 3-4 lower level coolers for the price of one expensive selection. $500.00 for a cooler is a bit much for most. Again, if you are a serious outdoorsman, it may be the way to go.
Is there a spreadsheet or results compilation page available for this expanded test? I only see your previous test on your website and would like to take advantage of all of your hard work as I narrow down my selection. Thanks !!!!!
In my line of work I need a cooler where it keeps ice for upto 13hrs without melting in the summer time. I had been through tons of 30-60 dollar coolers and they only keep ice for upto 3-4 hours and then another hour til the melted water is warm. My coolers sit in around 120+ temperatures for 8-13 hour day's and my Yeti Roadie 15 has been the best one holding upto the temperatures and keeping my water, lunch/dinner, and cooling towels on point for me
Love these reviews. It is hard to make a good decision on a decent cooler, currently own a Lifetime 55 and a Lifetime 28. (Amount a few older Coleman) Still looking for a good rotomold at 65 qt or better. Man my wife would kill me if I owned all these coolers. Lol
Just give me the cheapest one that lasts 7 days, to simulate the 3 actual days of opening and closing. I've never needed a cooler to hold the same batch of ice for 37 f***ing days. Looks like the Igloo MUL or cheapie Coleman for the win.
Maybe they were all stoked they did so well on your test and jacked the price, because the Oyster Tempo is currently priced at $590!!!!!! Are you freaking kidding me!?!? Who is buying that!?!?
I imagine something worth testing is how consistent coolers are but that might be a wee bit expensive. I'm thinking of maybe picking a single brand/model and running the same test on 5-10 coolers to see how well they all perform. Just wondering if the winners here are just winners because you got lucky or because the model is indeed better than all the others.
Good to know on the RTIC cause I got one coming in the mail in the next couple of days. The price was too good for the lighter weight and larger storage vs other 45 roto coolers including from RTIC for me.
Speculation: With more frequent opening, the better insulated coolers (especially those with a gasket) would show more difference than the lesser insulated ones (ie: the range would compress with less difference between the coolers). That is, the heat gain would be through-wall + air infiltration + openings; good insulation reduces the first, tight closure reduces the second, but the third would be pretty close to the same for all coolers (favoring large coolers somewhat tho). The more that the total is affected by the last effect, the less that differences in insulation or sealing would create different outcomes. It would be interesting to test that. For example, a preliminary test would have two of the same cooler (or at least ones of similar size and tested outcome), and see that one is opened some number of times for some period of time per day while the other is only opened once a day. I can imagine rigging a mechanical opener/closer with a timer. We would learn whether opening a cooler for 1 minute 20 times a day (for example) made a minor or a major difference. If minor, then the once-a-day tests are pretty valid for the real world too. If the difference is more major, then testing a few coolers which fared best, middle, and worst with the frequent opening regime would be an interesting test.
Thank you for mentioning Arizona (Sonoran desert) temps. We are in a 'state' of our own when it comes to heat (not including California's Death Valley which is below sea level for God's sake.) 🥵🌵 I'm surprised the outer layer most plastic coolers don't melt around the ice. Good information, but I'm looking for a personal to small-size cooler... say 14-16qt for half-day trips and a catio. (Because it only takes one forgotten can of opened wet food sitting out in 110+F for 24 to make you realize you need a cooler out there before next summer! 🙀🤢)
![เปิดบ้าน พี่ตูน Bodyslam หลังใหม่คนแรก ที่ภูเก็ต l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/flFwcmyDQSk/mqdefault.jpg)
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Based on you "To Drain vs Not To Drain" video. It's clear that just having ice in the cooler isn't the full story. It would be awesome if you repeated this with the Bluetooth thermometers in each cooler. (If not with all coolers, do just the top ten.)
Holy cow man. I bought one "good" cooler 8 years ago, i still haven't recovered financially.
Hahaha. I don't expect I'll ever recover from this.
I was going to buy an expensive one but, when I am using a cooler, it usually ends up in the bed of my truck traveling. I was afraid it would just end up being stolen.
Imagine peeking over this guys fence and seeing all those coolers 😂
The neighbors are suspicious.
And then to see he could have got all the hotdogs and cans in just one of them
Best comment 😂
Waiting for a lunch box comparison video 😢
He just showed you.
They're all built the same
Maluna will still come out ahead
Last year, I was shopping for a cooler with better ice retention. I found your video to be the most valuable review resource available online. I'm really happy with how my new cooler performed in Florida and in Memphis on really hot days. I live in Minnesota and will definitely check out the Maluna coolers after watching your updated review video. Thanks a bunch!
Wow, thanks! I'm glad to hear it was helpful to you. Florida and Memphis both make Idaho look nice and cool in the summer. Pretty cool that Maluna is a local company for you.
What cooler did you end up getting
Canyon is local to me here in Flagstaff AZ. I like how Canyon offer bear resistance certification. I'll happily support them even if they are #1. Nice review
Ozark trail has been very good to me, pretty solid piece. Ozark trail 45 qt with wheels rolls excellent on beach ⛱️
It's a good buy too.
I have a yeti, artic , a canyon and a ozark trail. The OT holds up e the best! Facts
Thanks a ton Outdoor Empire for putting those coolers through their paces! Your dedication to the cause is seriously cool (pun intended). I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates your efforts - you're the 'coolest' guy in town (okay, I'll stop with the cold jokes now)!"
You gave me chills. 😂 But really, thank you.
Great review! I’ll stick with one of those $9.00 per day coolers. Don’t want to fill out a loan application for a $400 to $500 cooler. By the way, what are you ever going to do with all those coolers.
@@robertgarrett7007 Maybe build a boat and sail across the ocean. 😜
My cabelas cooler is hands down the best cooler I've owned. Constantly outperforming my yeti by days
Very cool!
Really?? Im in the market for one. I already have a yeti.
I love mine. 5 years outside all summer in garage in the winter. Put ice in it twice a week. Keeps beer cold all week. I finally had to replace the straps. Best cooler. I have the white one.
I wish someone would make a cooler where the lid itself is either the ice pack or can attach ice packs to the lid. That way when you go to swap out the ice pack for a cold one, you don't have to dig for it underneith all your food/drinks. I think the Oyster Tempo would've been perfect candidate for that idea.
Interesting idea. I should test how well that works.
Side note I’d love to see a comparison video where you compared all the coolers and you made a chart on their advertised size vs the real world size you actually get. Just cause they say 65, 60, 45 etc… doesn’t mean that’s what you actually end up getting per se.
Ok, great idea. Thanks for sharing.
YES 👍
As an FYI - Industry standard is to measure quarts of water until it overflows with lid open.
Easiest way to measure it is by weight.
Good review. Liked your scoring system and how it went beyond ice retention. Would be cool if you did one on small coolers (30qt or smaller). Really interested to see if the top brands from this come in atop the field on the small end.
I like that idea too. Give me a while to collect 40 small coolers. 😜
@@theoutdoorempire just do a few of the top Made in USA brands, that's all that matters, lol
Yes please? Me too. Interested!
Maluna seems highly underrated.
Price is not terrible, USA made. Bottle opener, pressure release. More features than most. Metal brand badge that is customizable on their website. Hate orcas stickers that fall off in the heat. Pretty cheap of them.
Coming to this video after making a last minute purchase this past Monday.. I'm actually extremely pleased to find out how well my RTIC 52 stacked up, and I feel way better about not getting the one with wheels now!
Directly after getting mine I put 3 bags of ice in it and topped it off once.. High 80's in the sun for 4 days straight while we packed up my parents house and moved things to storage. It's still sitting on my porch now with ice and cold as could be.
You rolled the dice well, my friend.
Mine did well with ice packs for a 3 night camping trip. I bought some Calcutta wheels off Amazon and they work great.
Impressive work! Thanks for all your testing
Thank you for watching!
Love my Kong 70. Even though they always looks dirty, I prefer white coolers.
You’re just fun! I’ve been binge watching all of your cooler videos. It’s great that you’re providing us this valuable information!
graphs and all! so glad I found a quality analysis on this, thank you for your service sir
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the thanks and I love me some graphs. Cheers!
Sweet! I bought a Maluna from their kickstarter back in the day a few years ago. Love it and now it’s good to know they’re the best!
Nice!
Is no one else impressed with the Cabelas cooler cause I know I am.
I got that same ozark trail cooler in the back of my work truck. Best cooler ive ever had and a fraction of those other top dogs. Awesome video.
Awesome comment.
why are coolers so expensive?
Where to start...maybe I should do a video on that question.
Dude for real. That oyster bundle is freaking $500!!
Rotomolding is an expensive manufacturing process that the high end coolers use
Oh no, not today its not!!!! They raised the price to $590!!!!! @normrubio
They are amazing and you’ll never regret the money you spend on a good one.
I would love to see a Lone Mountain cooler. They are manufactured 25 miles down the road from me in Toston, Montana. Cool people too.
Sweet, I'll check them out. Thanks.
thank you for your service!
The Lifetime 28QT cooler is amazing, especially for the price. I have not been satisfied with the larger versions though. They just don't seal as well. Their warranty process is amazing as well. A latch broke and they had 2 new ones there in a day or 2.
Glad to see the Moosejaw Fort Ice 55-quart rolling hard cooler. I did an ice comparison with the Moosejaw and the Lifetime 55-quart rolling cooler a year ago. Both were bought from WalMart. Filled them booth with ice and placed them in my minivan during the Summer. Both did well. Kept the Moosejaw and have been pretty satisfied with the Moosejaw. Glad to see the Moosejaw in your video. The WalMart in my area doesn't carry those anymoore. Thanks for another great review.
I like the Moosejaw a lot too and was going to do another video about it, but I recently learned that it's discontinued already. Since Dick's Sporting Goods acquired Moosejaw last year, they decided to quit making hard coolers. So the Ice Fort didn't even last a year. Too bad!
I'm really happy that I snatched one of these up while it was available! I got a really great deal on it, too!
Just bought a Yeti Roadie and I’m very relieved to see it performs as well as I’d hoped it would. I’ve wanted one for years and finally got it without really researching the options since it had been a wishlist item for so long but then was getting nervous it was a bad purchase with how people bash the brand.
It's a nice rough test, but any of your top ten could be in any order since you were so rough in your testing protocols. Then again, two people managing 38 coolers would be difficult.
Great video, one thing I'll note is that the radiant heat coming off that fence could be significant- IF the other side is in direct sunlight. You might put a thermometer right up against the fence and one a few feet away. I know in my yard, the shade under a tree is very different than the shade up against my fence when the sun is at an angle.
Smart thinking. I just wish I had a bigger yard so I could arrange things in a way to rule out all the variables. Alas.
@@theoutdoorempire alas indeed. It's a good test overall, and it is REALLY easy to be an armchair scientist on TH-cam :)
I use the $40 Walmart Coleman cooler. Went camping for a weekend with 70-80 degree highs and there was still plenty of ice inside of it by the end of the trip
That'll work!
My study found the cablelas coolers superior. I keep 2 25’s covered in the bed of my truck, the assumption being while I fanned the door on one using ice, the other remained buttoned up until needed. I often wonder if one big cabelas, such as used by you here, might not be better. I did have access to a 60 quart off brand to test, which my friend sang full praise of and looks like a rebranded yeti, but the results recommended the second cabelas.
Best video on coolers EVER! THANKYOU FOR MAKING MY DECISION FOR ME! THE MALUNA I WILL PURCHASE!
Thanks for the support and enjoy!
I love my Rtic cooler. Solid ice retention for the price
I want/need a wheeled cooler and I do own Yeti products, but dropping another 400 bucks is tough when I see Rtic has a 45 qt with wheels for 225
Happy to see Blue & Kong added to this test. Surprised the Rtic ultra light lasted longer than the Rtic 65. I’m most interested in the Blue & Rtic 52(no wheels) Love your videos, keep up the great work!
Those are some good choices for sure. I was surprised by the RTIC 52 as well. Last time I did this the 52 dropped out a day before the 65 when it was a lot hotter out.
Thanks for a great real world test!! That was awesome. The only person that I could think of that may need a cooler with ice retention over 14 days would be Gilligan. 😂
Hahahaha. Here's to Gilligan! 🍻
Gilligan going on a 3 hour tour with a cooler that last 14 days. He knew something was up.
Wow, that was a lot of work!! Thanks so much for the effort. For future tests I recommend raising all the coolers off the ground, for example having them sit on two pieces of wood 4x4's. The ground the coolers sit on can make a difference in thermal conductivity depending on what the ground material is if not all identical. Elevating the coolers using 4x4's would take that out of the equation. I would also make sure that the space between the coolers is all the same on all sides. Maybe 12" between each cooler on every side. These two changes would take even more of the variables out of the testing equation to reveal the coolers true insulation properties.
Spacing beyond 6 inches wont make a significant difference except by shading it could help in that regard so thats a good idea. Elevating thw coolers doesnt seem like real world use. Ive never put one of my coolers on 2×4 in my life. Its either in my car (on a floor) or at home on the floor. I dont think its realistic to ask people to elevate the coolers. If youre putting the coolers in the shade elevating them isnt going to make a significant difference although maybe slightly due to conductive temperature transfer from the ground. But no one is putting 2×4s down are they? I guess i dont use these rotomolded coolers i only use soft coolers placed inside my yeti v series which is a nice setup. Really vacuum coolers are what you want for daily use and rotomolded for outdoor/children/others/work/ anything rough on the cooler. The vacuum isnt as durable id say but it performs better based on my testing it defeated the cabelas solidly. The best test is to test 2 coolers the same size as determined by filling them up with water and measuring that water as you drain it out the drain plug. Then with 2 same sized coolers fill them up to full capacity so you know you have almost exactly the same amount of ice. Amount of ice is huge so this test just favors larger coolers obviously. Its still helpful you just have to mentally adjust for the capacity factor.
It was a lot of work! But hopefully was entertaining for you. Nice idea, that's really diving deep to eliminate variables.
Agreed on the real world use statement.
@@epg423 My suggestion for elevating the coolers is only for the test,....this takes the ground conditions out of the equation. if a cooler sits on a layer of leaves for days, those leaves can ferment and cause heat. Coolers sitting on grass versus concrete will also have different levels of thermal conductivity. Elevating all the coolers off the ground just makes all the testing conditions identical.
Interesting. Didn't think some coolers could hold ice or keep cold for 10 to 15 days. I never had to keep so long. But finally purchased heavy duty cooler from Costco called Coho with a fish emblem. It was relatively cost effective. Think made in USA. Costco is everywhere. Should evaluate the Coho looks thick all the way around. I haven't used it yet, purchased for preparation for the volunteer work I do.
Indeed, these went a long time, but the weather got really cool, so don't count on that in hot weather. Maybe half. I know that Coho as well, I had it in the first ice challenge video I did if you want to check that out. Not the best of the best, but did great.
Would love to see Calcutta Renegade series coolers tested next time!
Noted.
Awesome video man, I know things could be more controlled but to have that many brands under similar conditions is rare and helpful!
I have had my 65qt Lifetime cooler for two years now. I take it camping and boating. Just went for a 5 night camping trip with day time highs in the 90s and lows in mid 70s at night. I always have ice left in the cooler. For the Money It has great performance! I am on Mississippi Gulf coast if that helps.
Nice! That one is definitely great bang for your buck.
How about a test of the Amazon specials? Vevor, serene life, echo smile, driftsun etc. would be interesting to see how they stack up
Good idea. I'll check them out next round.
What I'd like to see is an comparison of all the coolers with wheels. What with age, injuries, and arthritis... My wife and I still like to go camping in 85-100+/-°f and don't want the food to spoil before the week is up. Also some of the smaller coolers for toting sodas and water in?
You got it! th-cam.com/video/GEskj_pzKXg/w-d-xo.html That was from last year, but most are still available.
Got an RTIC 65 for $200 about a year ago plus some Rakuten cash back. Shop around and be patient. The RTIC “replaced” my older Coleman. Both have their uses. What I learned from the newer, fancier, more expensive one is that the kind of ice you use and how you pack your cooler (notwithstanding outside temperatures) determines the longevity of your stuff staying cool about as much as the cooler itself. Point is you can get a much less expensive cooler to do well for most use scenarios.
A very good point indeed.
What kind of ice do you recommend? I just buy the big bags at the grocery store.
@@joshgrami I use block ice. Or freeze water in water bottles/ milk jugs. I’ve heard of people using dry ice as well.
I've just bought the Maluna 111 qt. cooler for almost half of what you paid for that 70 qt. They sell some factory blemished coolers for about haft off and one area and they where trying to get ride of them for the year so I got even more off. The only problem is how difficult it is to fit in any vehicle.
Coolest cooler comparison from a cool guy
I wonder how different colors of the exact same cooler perform against each other. i would imagine white would be the best but maybe color has no bearing on its function, could be a cool future test.
Definitely, it's on my list. Thanks for bringing it up.
I got one of those moosejaws last year on clearance for $75 it a 55 qt doesnt have wheels like that one but i use it camping and its amazing. Csmping in the middle of summer and the ice and contents will freeze together and last for days before starting to melt. Its an amazing brand that i have never heard of until i seen it at wal mart and i fell in love with it
Good stuff! I just ordered Blue Coolers 60 qt wheeled. Hoping you do a review on that sometime. I’m glad it performed well here.
I hope so too!
Thank you home slice for this, ty
You are simply amazing, extremely detailed video and very through breakdown of the data gathered. Also the engagement is shocking to see. I will be using you guys as a reference when me and my friends buy coolers for our annual weeklong camping trips. I will be subscribing and turning the bell on.
Wow, thank you so much for the support and your kind words, it means a lot!
I don’t suppose that I could talk you into a lunchbox challenge? (Ice retention, cost, durability, etc) I’ve been looking at primarily soft sided insulated ones.(Rtic, Attic Zone, Yeti, Carhartt, and various other Amazon options.)
I like this idea. I'll see what I can do!
@@theoutdoorempire Thanks!
I am curious how the Magellan coolers from Academy Sports stand up to these
I would be curious to see how Roam coolers do in this test. Mine has been working great for me
I love your videos. i just wish you would have mentioned more about the rtic 52, like the weight. i mean im very impressed it made it to top 10, not being rotomold. and its half the weight under 200 bucks. also the one with wheels, has less insulation where the wheels are. that's why it didnt last as long. i consider myself a everyday man. weight of the cooler should be a factor or atleast mentioned. lugging it around the campsite, to the boat, or in and out of the truck. i hope this information is helpful. and i look foward to future videos.
Thanks for watching! I actually did a whole video on the RTIC 52 wheeled version a while back. You could look that up for more insight. The thing is, it is lighter, but it's not half the weight by a long shot. If I recall, the wheeled ultralight cooler weighs 31 pounds compared to a Yeti tundra haul, for example, which has more capacity and weighs something like 38 pounds if memory serves. So yes, lighter, but not by a huge amount. All loaded up with ice and food, both will still be super heavy. The RTIC is still a nice price, but just wanted to debunk the ultralight idea.
Im sure some of these have been said but catergator, ninja, pacbak, camp zero, fatboy, lincoln outfitters. Also a couple test to consider adding is a shake or tip test to see how much water may leak out if it were to tip in the car on a drive. A sit/stand on the cooler to test how much flex the lid has.
I like those ideas, thanks for sharing!
Dude, what the hell are you doing with all these coolers when you're not using them for ice retention tests?
I'll be picking up that oyster I know it's $500 right now but it's a. Cooler that doesn't need ice. The ice packs do a perfect job for short camps.
Ya, it is nice for shorter jaunts. It's great with ice too, keeps drinks super cold!
12v coolers also exist…
thanks for the hard work!
Thanks for watching!
Several years ago for a family reunion we built a 2’ X 2’ X 8’ plywood box and lined it with 2” of styrofoam. Made a split top and painted it to look like a casket.
We filled it with ice to hold everyone’s drinks. It worked a little too well as it froze several of the soft drinks. After the reunion it stayed outside in 80 degree plus weather. I kept all the leftover drinks in it, until they were gone. The last of the ice disappeared on day twenty! For a novelty item, I think it did better than any of the coolers reviewed above in very warm weather. At the time seven years ago I had invested around $70. Unfortunately, I no longer have any pictures of it to post with this comment.
Purchased my Maluna years back during a Kickstarter campaign. Still my favorite, even over my Yeti's and RTIC's
Nice choice!
With you on the kickstarter campaign, added two more over the years. 22, 50 and 70 all awesome performers.
I've had that same Blue cooler for a few years and it is so much better than my previous, results did not surprise.
Once you open the coolers numerous times you may as well minus 50% of the days retentions. So you’re lucky to get 5-7 days of ice retention after opening closing to get stuff.
Sounds about right.
I don't have anywhere near as many coolers as you do, but of my 4-5 coolers the Cabela's cooler is far and away the best.
I had no idea this was even a product segment… thought Coleman was it 😂
There are SO MANY cooler brands now.
Easily the largest cooler guru on the net. I’m stuck between the brumate, Roadie, and tundra. If you had to stick with one of those three forever, which would you choose and why?
Oh man, that's a tough one. I'm not sure what you're into and that would probably be the deciding factor. For tailgates, BBQs, and beach days with a little camping sprinkled in there, I'd go with the Brumate. For hunting, fishing, tossing in and out of a truck, or something like whitewater rafting and long campouts, I'd go with the Tundra. For something more in the middle of those two scenarios, like some camping and some of that other day use stuff, but nothing that requires a ton of space, gets a ton of abuse, or requires mixed drinks, I'd go with the Roadie. And FYI, neither the Roadie nor the Brumate are bear-resistant certified. So if you need a cooler you can lock up and use in some national parks and places with bears that require that where a park ranger will check, the Tundra is the only one of those three that is IGBC approved.
Love my kong 110 for deer hunting. Chose it for the handles and latches. The only issue is latches can be annoying if the truck bed is slam full and the plastic is real soft against bone. My grizzly 40 is a TANK but handles hurt when heavy and ice is only eh.
Glad to see Maluna still makes a good product after they sold.
I always liked the bison, but always was more spendy.
Yes im a cooler nerd and know way too much about this stuff
Haha, right there with you man! And I hear ya on the handles. I've noticed that latches that require a lot of space to manipulate make it hard to access your cooler when in the back of the ruck or SUV. I like the Cordova for that reason because the latches open from the top instead of bottom. So it's a lot easier to access even when there is gear squished up against every side of it.
This is awesome! Thank you so much for such a thorough test. Technically, the Blue Coolers 60 Quart is priced at $249.99. Not bad for 3rd place!
Great point! That Blue cooler is a great performer, so when on sale it's a great deal.
Maluna for the win! Made in MN too!
🏆🥶🎉
Do you have one thinking getting the 50 qt or 70
Have three Malunas 22, 50 and 70. All are awesome though a bit heavy but tough. Going on 9 years with the 70 and it’s made it through lots of trips and events.
Igloo trail mate. Marine edition. 10 days all day Antimicrobial inner lining, And key spot floats 😂
I've got a Trailmate, great cooler! I had it in the ice retention challenge the first time around. It didn't do 10 days, but did as well as advertised (4 or 5 days if I recall). Cheers!
Like and followed before I even got 3 minutes in. Appreciate the work you put into the video.
Thank you, I sure appreciate the support!
Should three in a shiti cooler for new production cooler testing but it would be cool to see you compare against some quality vintage coolers.
I would love to see an analysis of performance vs. weight. Some of those large coolers are heavy and cumbersome to move around.
That's the truth. But once any 50+ qt cooler is filled with ice, it's a heavy mammer jammer.
i got my coleman vintage cooler(the green metal one) a few years ago for about 60 bucks while i love it i can’t not imagine spending 200 on it
Times are changing!
Looks for Yukon ice chest that we find here in Texas at Buc-ees stores.
Noted thanks!
Bet your a real popular guy around grad party time.
Looking at the Maluna website...See your pic there!! Great job on the review! They are expensive though just like Yeti and a few others. It really boils down to how you are going to use a cooler for most of the time that it will be used. Or... could be buy once cry once??? I plan on using my cooler(s) for home parties where the ice and drinks should last a day or two and not 17!!! For this, you could buy 3-4 lower level coolers for the price of one expensive selection. $500.00 for a cooler is a bit much for most. Again, if you are a serious outdoorsman, it may be the way to go.
All good points, thanks for sharing!
70qt is $280 right now. Definitely more affordable than Yeti. Not sure what you e looked at….
Feels like for most scenarios any cooler would work just fine.
You're not wrong.
Is there a spreadsheet or results compilation page available for this expanded test? I only see your previous test on your website and would like to take advantage of all of your hard work as I narrow down my selection. Thanks !!!!!
Indeed, I still need to update that page. It's on my to-do list, so stay tuned!
@@theoutdoorempire Thank you. Eagerly awaiting!
Picked up that ozark trail for $30 on clearance, worth every penny.
Wow! Can't beat that.
Your videos provide us with such great info, so we don't have to do these tests. We're buying a new cooler soon to bring on our adventures. Thanks!
Glad to help. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment!
This is an amazing video! Unbelievably excellent work sir!
Thank you kindly! Glad you enjoyed it.
In my line of work I need a cooler where it keeps ice for upto 13hrs without melting in the summer time. I had been through tons of 30-60 dollar coolers and they only keep ice for upto 3-4 hours and then another hour til the melted water is warm. My coolers sit in around 120+ temperatures for 8-13 hour day's and my Yeti Roadie 15 has been the best one holding upto the temperatures and keeping my water, lunch/dinner, and cooling towels on point for me
Kong and Maluna..yes
Got 'em in there this time!
Now I'm going to save some money for the top contender..excellent reviews. Thanks!
Got an Oyster Tempo recently, really excited to take it out on the SUP
Sweet!
We’ve got a 25 year old Icytek. Latches have been broken for years. Still comes to the woods to hold food every trip
Can't complain about that, awesome!
whoohoo up the kiwis
Love these reviews. It is hard to make a good decision on a decent cooler, currently own a Lifetime 55 and a Lifetime 28. (Amount a few older Coleman) Still looking for a good rotomold at 65 qt or better. Man my wife would kill me if I owned all these coolers. Lol
Hahaha. Lucky for me, my wife acknowledges my cooler problem graciously. But they did have to move out of the house into a storage unit. 😂
Try cubix in your next challenge please
My take away is if you just need to keep beer cold for an afternoon, it doesn’t really matter
I know a guy who has a Rtic ultralight and it warped from the sun. So just be aware don’t leave it out in direct sun light.
Just give me the cheapest one that lasts 7 days, to simulate the 3 actual days of opening and closing. I've never needed a cooler to hold the same batch of ice for 37 f***ing days.
Looks like the Igloo MUL or cheapie Coleman for the win.
Maybe they were all stoked they did so well on your test and jacked the price, because the Oyster Tempo is currently priced at $590!!!!!! Are you freaking kidding me!?!? Who is buying that!?!?
Wow! I saw they raised the price but looks like they keep going. Nuts.
I imagine something worth testing is how consistent coolers are but that might be a wee bit expensive. I'm thinking of maybe picking a single brand/model and running the same test on 5-10 coolers to see how well they all perform. Just wondering if the winners here are just winners because you got lucky or because the model is indeed better than all the others.
Wow, that's diving deep. I love that idea.
Coleman: Finally makes a good cooler that people love.
*Discontinue!*
Very impressive video I really appreciate all your work that you’ve done on this. It’s very useful information.
Glad it was helpful!
Good to know on the RTIC cause I got one coming in the mail in the next couple of days. The price was too good for the lighter weight and larger storage vs other 45 roto coolers including from RTIC for me.
It's a great size for a weekend or longer trip for one or two people.
Get Kodi coolers from HEB in Texas.
Speculation: With more frequent opening, the better insulated coolers (especially those with a gasket) would show more difference than the lesser insulated ones (ie: the range would compress with less difference between the coolers). That is, the heat gain would be through-wall + air infiltration + openings; good insulation reduces the first, tight closure reduces the second, but the third would be pretty close to the same for all coolers (favoring large coolers somewhat tho). The more that the total is affected by the last effect, the less that differences in insulation or sealing would create different outcomes.
It would be interesting to test that. For example, a preliminary test would have two of the same cooler (or at least ones of similar size and tested outcome), and see that one is opened some number of times for some period of time per day while the other is only opened once a day. I can imagine rigging a mechanical opener/closer with a timer. We would learn whether opening a cooler for 1 minute 20 times a day (for example) made a minor or a major difference. If minor, then the once-a-day tests are pretty valid for the real world too. If the difference is more major, then testing a few coolers which fared best, middle, and worst with the frequent opening regime would be an interesting test.
Sounds like a great idea, thanks!
Thank you for mentioning Arizona (Sonoran desert) temps. We are in a 'state' of our own when it comes to heat (not including California's Death Valley which is below sea level for God's sake.) 🥵🌵 I'm surprised the outer layer most plastic coolers don't melt around the ice.
Good information, but I'm looking for a personal to small-size cooler... say 14-16qt for half-day trips and a catio. (Because it only takes one forgotten can of opened wet food sitting out in 110+F for 24 to make you realize you need a cooler out there before next summer! 🙀🤢)
Thanks for watching and for the feedback! I've been thinking about doing a small cooler comparison sometime.
Would love to see an Iceland cooler comparison with big name brands, they are a company out of Abilene,Tx
Your next test you should do 2 of the same cooler. See how similar they are manufacturer vs manufacturer.
Your wish is my command.