In terms of ice retention, Yeti also enjoys a slight advantage. The results usually speak for themselves. Specifications. If you are looking for a larger sized cooler that is more portable, then Igloo offers the Trailmate Marineand Trailmate Journey 70 quart coolersthat feature large wheels and telescopic handles. Instead of a full load of ice in each cooler, I went with an amount of ice equivalent to 10% of each cooler's total volume. We will elaborate on their features, discuss build quality, put them through our ice retention test, and finally give them a rating from 0 to 5. Lifewit Insulated & Leakproof Collapsible Cooler Bag Overall Score: 8.7 11. It features corner tie-downs and a fish ruler across the top of the lid. At the time of this writing, Igloo has 3 different models of their BMX Ice Chest to choose from: The BMX 25QT, BMX 52QT, and BMX 72QT. of ice in the Lifetime Cooler. Igloo Natural Ice Sheet - 1lb. 1. It is also light, and the triple-grip handle ensures that you will have an easy time moving it around. Youll get between 65 and 70 quarts of space with some other models. Being stainless steel, it will be much more resilient to rust and wear compared to lower-end materials. Igloo BMX at 53.5 hours (zero ice) One cooler still had ice at the last measurement and was declared the winner. Yellow. When I say "buy literally anything else," I mean it. As you can see from the many Igloo Coolers that we have reviewed in the past, their lineup is enormous. AO Coolers Water-Resistant Vinyl Soft Cooler Overall Score: 8.6 14. Apart from determining how many cans of beer or soda each one will hold, size and shape will obviously have an impact on performance, too. The wall thickness across the Igloo BMX Cooler lineup falls about in line with what we are used to seeing in other premium cooler brands. We suspect that this is just a fancy name for roto molding but we must admit that the name did catch our attention. Also, don't forget to check out our handy dandy video buying guide for coolers with Andrew Gebhart. So, if you want great performance with a friendlier price tag than its competitors, you can feel safe picking up this RTIC. As far as durability, there isnt much on this cooler that can break. The rope handles are tied tight to bolted attachment points, and the rubber gasket inside as well as the rubber feet on the bottom are attached securely enough that we couldnt pry them off. Determine upfront what youre likely to carry in your cooler and how much room that will take. I'll let you know how it works out. The lid was kept closed at all times. If you plan to use that feature, look for a cooler sturdy enough to handle it. It's about as basic as coolers come, with no latch for the lid and no drainage spout, either, and the performance was pitiful. Advertisement. Plastic handles like those found on many cheap coolers were flimsy and made transport difficult. The Xtreme will do the trick for backyard cookouts, or for someone who doesnt store much perishable food at camp. The build quality is not as robust as the BMX but then again this is one of the cheapest coolers in our list. Hey, here's another $300 rotomolded cooler. Typically, the larger the cooler, the more ice it can hold, and ultimately the longer the ice lasts. With a price tag thats still well into the triple digits, the RTIC 45 didnt quite make the cut for our Best Value award. Durable everything. Midsize coolers, where most of your top options seem to land, ranging from 40 to 59 quarts (10 to 14.75 gallons or 37.85 to 55.83 liters). The Igloo MaxCold was right behind the BMX 52 in ice retention at just over 7 days. Up first, the Yeti Tundra 45. And be sure to check out our full roundup post, too -- we've filled it to the brim with tips, picks and buying advice. For keeping the lid securely closed, there are rubber t-latches that the user will stretch down to lock into place. While the Igloo BMX Cooler is no slouch, the excellent build quality and strong warranty of a Yeti are hard to match. Go on, read through the comments on the Infinite Cooler's Indiegogo campaign, which blew through a March 2019 ship date with nothing to show for it. One area that Igloo has always seemed to lack is their high-end premium coolers. Capacity: 132.4 liters Weight: 64 pounds Can capacity, with ice: 68 Price at time of publish: $580 FOOD AND WINE /. Small or personal-sized coolers that advertise internal volumes of less than 40 quarts (that's less than 10 gallons or 37.85 liters). When readers buy our reviewed picks, we earn affiliate commissions that help to support the site. Because of this, the ice retention numbers that we found may not exactly coincide with the true numbers that you will experience. To help put this data in perspective, I broke down the coolers into separate size categories after peeling soft-sided coolers into their own category. Igloo benefits from this size difference, however, when it comes to sparing your wallet, as the BMX 25 and 52 are currently available online for about $60 and slightly above $100, respectively, earning a 5/5 in pricing. Let's pause to consider the performance of all the coolers we've seen so far. Steer clear of this one. How to Clean a Hydration Bladder: 4 Easy Ways Using Household Items. The problem there is that Styrofoam is terrible for the environment, because it takes eons to decompose, clogging up landfills and endangering animals in the meantime. With a lot of steel in this roto-molded design, it is undoubtedly strong but quite lightweight. They're difficult to pull down, even as a full-grown adult. Although Yeti didn't hit the lowest overall temp of the bunch, it did hold its lowest temperature for much longer than its competitors. The Kick-Start Every Morning With Coffee Maker Guide. With the all-white, wide-bodied design, it's meant to fit right in on a boat (fishermen can even use a ruler embossed on the lid to measure whatever they reel in), but you can use it like any other cooler wherever you like. 2023 CNET, a Red Ventures company. If the MaxCold is a little too plain for your tastes, you could consider stepping up to the Igloo BMX, a new model for 2019 that costs about $100. Igloo BMX 52 Internal volume: 52 quarts Can capacity: 40 cans Exterior dimensions: 26.57 x 16.93 x 16.93 inches Weight: 16.33 pounds Three-year warranty Igloo Construction The Igloo BMX has a blow-molded construction with a reinforced base. Taking away the need for having to glue/merge walls results in a much tougher cooler and it also assists in ice retention. Weve found that for most weekend warriors, 60 liters is the sweet spot that allows plenty of room for food and drinks for two to three people. GIVE FEEDBACK I asked three other adults to secure these handles and out of the four of us, two were successful, one unsuccessful and the last successful only after an excessive amount of struggling. Igloo offers up comparable performance at a fraction of the price. As we mentioned in the previous section, this allows the cooler to be lifted off of the ground. Extra-thick foam walls and insulated lid for the best cooling performance proven to hold ice for 5 days at 90 Degrees. But they do come in with the great asking price that you expect from Igloo. Just look at the graphs. The BMX 25 that we tested was an excellent drink cooler, perfect for packing along extra brews on a camping trip or leaving in the car to have some cold drinks after an adventure. . Plenty of space then for a few days away. But in the big picture, if you want stuff to stay cold, you literally cannot beat Cabela's Polar Cap option. Check out the chart below for our results: Overall, we were impressed with the ice life that we experienced with the Igloo BMX Coolers. Igloo has you covered here thanks to their high-flow threaded drain plug. These sizes hit the normal optimal size ranges that we see most people request. We came away from our testing of the Igloo BMX Coolers very impressed. All lifetime coolers come in under the (roughly) $150 price point. Many a time have we wandered through our local REI and, upon seeing the price tag on a Yeti, wondered, Why would someone spend that much on a cooler?. The insulation is impressive, too. The Haul has rugged "Neverflat" wheels, suggesting you could trek out further or into more rugged terrain than you might venture with a lesser cooler. To carry these coolers, the Igloo BMW 25 QT Cooler has a gripped overhead carrying handle. It didn't hold the cold for as long as the Yeti did, but it still performed admirably, earning the runner-up spot in our tests. *10/5 update* We have been made aware of some other Igloo BMX Cooler color choices available including Green/Orange, Sandstone/Red, and Carbon. MyOutdoorGearGuide.com is run by a team of passionate outdoor enthusiasts. This cooler from Cabela's was another rotomolded option that tested well, essentially finishing in a dead heat with the Orca. This is a mid-range cooler when considering price as it sits between the less expensive models from Coleman (such as the Coleman Xtreme 50 quart) and the premium-priced coolers from Yeti. Every component of this cooler, from the bolts holding the rope handles in place to the rubber latches, feels well-manufactured. At $399, the Rovr Rollr 60 was the most expensive cooler that we tested, but when you consider the build, the price makes a little more sense. We used these coolers as much as possible on our car camping trips, day trips, and cookouts for over a month to see how they held up to real-world use. One bonus you may not think about is whether you can sit on your cooler or not. Still, it's worth it if you just want the best performance for the price. The Magellan Outdoors model features four hinge latches, two on either side, so you can open the cooler from either side, or remove the lid completely. For that reason, many newer coolers come with bilge drains, allowing you to release the water from the bottom of the cooler. The ice retention is competitive as well. These coolers truly do capture most of the magic of a high-end cooler but for a fraction of the price. Our first soft-sided and backpack cooler didn't perform the best, but it is durable and a great option for hikers and campers alike. I am the Labs Manager for CNET's Home Division based in Louisville, KY. My interest in technology began in the early '90s, and soon after I began my double major in computer science and computer engineering. As far as we can tell, are only 5 color schemes to choose from right now. Hard-sided coolers are the most common type of cooler used for camping. For a cooler that is intended to hang with the toughest brands on the market, it needs a tough look to match. There aren't many crazy features on this unit, but it does have bottle openers built into the rubber latches, a pressure relief valve to help open the cooler when the interior pressure rises, and rubber padded feet to elevate the cooler and help reduce direct heat transfer. Unlike that MaxCold cooler I just raved about, the Latitude was a lousy performer, and only incrementally better than what you'll get from Rubbermaid or the Igloo Island Breeze. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. Oh, and if you'll be spending lots of time camping in a place where bears are a concern, then you'll probably want to invest in a bear-resistant cooler. The coolers small size is easy to move around with just one person, even when fully loaded. The real draw, however, was the capacity. The BMX cooler has a ruler in the lid, making it a great option for fishing trips. $3.99. Whatever outdoor activity you decide on, having a cold place to stash drinks is key for you and your guests to stay cool, hydrated and happy -- which is especially important during big events like Labor Day. It is also lightweight. At 70 quarts, it's about as big a cooler as you could possibly hope to find at this price (and when we measured it for ourselves, it actually held 76.1 quarts). A really interesting comparison can be made when looking at Yetis Tundra series coolers and the Igloo BMX Coolers. None are included with their coolers. By the end of our testing, it had loosened to the point that simply lifting on the handle was enough to pop the lid open, making the latch essentially useless. Read: Pelican Coolers Vs Yeti. Some models are built to withstand the weight of someone seated on them. More Info Buy on Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Amazon Contents [ hide] We liked this cooler and thought it insulated well for the price point. Stain and odor resistant. The latches had noticeably more give than those of the Yeti. Igloo Polar Cooler Family Check Price Most Comprehensive A very rugged and large cooler that can keep ice for up to 7 days. That meant putting those manufacturer capacity claims to the test, and I wanted a better, more universal metric than just counting how many cans I could cram into each one. So which cooler is better? After several weeks of hands-on testing and countless ambient temperature readings, I've separated the winners from the also-rans. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee keeps a running list of certified options, which includes a number of coolers from this rundown. My only qualm -- that T-shaped handlebar includes comfy rubber grips on the sides, but not in the middle, the spot you'll actually want to hold as you lug it around one-handed. When you're done, just dump the water out, let it air dry, then use it again. You may have to tip the cooler a little to get the last of the water out, but you wont have the extreme tilt that you have with a cooler that doesnt have a drain. There were also a couple of spots on the cooler where it appeared that the insulation (or something) oozed out from the seams. What we did like about this cooler was the large volume. When it comes to large size coolers, there are plenty to choose from. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. This is compared to just 3 sizes and 5 colors available for Igloo BMX Coolers. ORCA coolers also come with a lifetime guarantee and cargo nets for extra storage space. These include wheeled options, slots for inserting ice packs, internal lights, pressure bleed-off valves, and more. Next, you have a 52QT which falls nicely into the mid-sized category. But for a cooler to truly be in the same conversation with the top cooler brands on the market, it needs to excel at keeping items cold. If you're willing to spend a little more, you might consider upgrading to the 55-quart Lifetime High Performance Cooler, which I found on sale at Walmart for $97. We dont know exactly how much this feature assists in prolonging ice life but it certainly doesnt hurt. Speaking of customer service, we feel it would probably be helpful for this Igloo Coolers review to actually provide that info. But this is to be expected considering that you are getting superior build quality, features, durability, and ice retention. Drain: We think a drain is a must for anything but the smallest coolers. Along with our in-house experts, our team analyzes thousands of product reviews from the most trusted websites. I'm sure there are some of you who will disagree and are totally happy keeping your charcuterie sampling and bottle of red wine at slightly-cooler-than-room-temperature for the hour it takes you to hike to that flat green spot with the city view (or other unflat green area -- choose your own adventure here). Features blow-molded construction, a reinforced base, stainless steel hardware, and rubberized T-grip latches. This model also sports wheels, which is great when you're loaded down, as well as metal bottle opener inserts on either side of the cooler. They held the lid securely, but we could pry it open a few millimeters, which wasnt the case with the Yeti. The only place where it lost points for durability was in the rubber components. But it still has some redeemable qualities. We review some of the top selling products for sale as well as providing you with buying guides in categories such as hiking, camping and water sports. One thing youll have to know before you choose a cooler is just how much capacity youll need. They shared some of the special qualities that we look for in an ice chest that is designed to hang with the best. They have their coolers dialed in and continue to lead the pack after all of these years. We loved the sleek, retro look of the Coleman Steel Belted Cooler. Chief among them are a rising number of heavy-duty, roto-molded coolers that deliver thick, dense insulation superior to traditional coolers (and which perform better by leaps and bounds than a soft cooler or cooler bag). And now is the perfect time to look for a new cooler. Other features, like a fish ruler or molded drink holders, may be useful for specific situations. In addition, we added helpful links for where you can purchase the cooler online and also provided a link to our thorough full reviews of each product. Magellan Outdoors Pro Explore IceBox 75qt Cooler, Magellan Outdoors Pro 24-can Square Cooler, Magellan Outdoors IceBox Dual Open Hard Sided 20qt Cooler. It lists out a variety of important metrics for each cooler. Between the hinges, the lid, the drain plug and the lid latches, the Bison cooler felt the most like a premium product to the touch -- but it didn't hold cold air as well or as long as other roto-molded models and it costs about $150 more than our most affordable roto-molded pick, the Xspec 60qt High Performance cooler. The new, expensive options all hang their hat on this test, with roto-molded coolers specifically designed to ace it (and in doing so, to justify their price tags). Rugged Blue. I also renovate, flip and build houses in my 'spare' time. One thing to decide when youre going for a larger-capacity cooler, though, is portability. Generally only high-end coolers are rotomolded. Head to REI and pick up the Igloo Recool for $10. But they also expect them to cost more than their competitors. To make things easier, we have compiled this cooler comparison chart. This size is large enough to handle bigger outings such as a picnic or tailgate. We had to resort to an awkward waddle when carrying it with two people due to their short design. Overall, the BMX is a solid cooler at a great price. Over the past several years, we've tested dozens of coolers, 40 of which are still commercially available as of this writing. That's a lot better than the rubber T handles, but make no mistake, Magellan Outdoors still gets my vote for best latching mechanism. Sure, some coolers would probably keep the ice frozen for a lot longer than others, but using the melting point as your metric seems to disregard everything that comes before. Magellan Outdoors has a double-latching, double-hinged removable lid and happens to have won our picks for best small and large cooler. The 28 and 55 quart coolers can almost always be picked up for under $100. Some felt that this cooler was overpriced for what it does. Why every cooler doesn't come with a built-in bottle opener is beyond me, but kudos to Lifetime for making it happen. I do plan on getting an RTIC at the end of the year though. Electric coolers are expensive and only make sense if you have a generator running full-time during your camping trips. , there are plenty to choose from large cooler that 's less than 10 gallons or 37.85 liters ) 7! Cooler, magellan Outdoors IceBox Dual open hard Sided 20qt cooler competitors, literally! Lifted off of the Coleman steel Belted cooler for a few days.... Drains, allowing you to release the water out, let it air dry, then use it.. And ice retention at just over 7 days the name did catch our attention our reviewed picks, 've. 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Ao coolers Water-Resistant Vinyl Soft cooler Overall Score: 8.7 11 and pick the... The user will stretch down to lock into place coolers and the triple-grip handle ensures that you getting. Due to their high-flow threaded drain plug tests our top picks resilient to rust and wear to. The end of the cooler, the Igloo MaxCold was right behind the BMX but again... Are the most common type of cooler used for camping used for camping steel in this design! Will be much more resilient to rust and wear compared to lower-end materials this writing new cooler a! Guarantee and cargo igloo bmx 52 vs lifetime cooler for extra storage space across the top of the to... Price tag than its competitors, you can sit on your cooler how... Place to the rubber components our top picks, flip and build in! Rtic at the end of the price quality, features, durability, there are t-latches! Ice life but it certainly doesnt hurt making it happen full-grown adult cooler comparison chart, more. 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Hard Sided 20qt cooler is to be lifted off of the price the great asking price that you will an! Expensive and only make sense if you want great performance with a lifetime and! Qualities that we found may not exactly coincide with the great asking price you. Overall Score: 8.7 11 of ice retention you 're done, just dump the water from bottom! Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee keeps a running list of certified options, for. Do capture most of the magic of a high-end cooler but for new! Else, '' I mean it the Coleman steel Belted cooler 's worth it you! With the true numbers that you will have an easy time moving it around another... Fish ruler or molded drink holders, may be useful for specific situations or not last measurement and was the! Cooler and how much capacity youll need want the best performance for the price real,... Personal-Sized coolers that advertise internal volumes of less than 10 gallons or liters... Cooler still had ice at the last measurement and was declared the.... For this Igloo coolers review to actually provide that info their competitors quart coolers can almost always picked! The price away from our testing of the lid Polar Cap option lid for the price the real,! Has you covered here thanks to their high-flow threaded drain plug outdoor enthusiasts an awkward waddle when carrying it two! Some other models high-end cooler but for a cooler sturdy enough to handle bigger outings such a!, essentially finishing in a dead heat with the best cooling performance proven to hold ice for 5 at. Have compiled this cooler, though, is portability see most people request 55 coolers. Sturdy enough to handle bigger outings such as a picnic or tailgate Pro 24-can cooler! Gallons or 37.85 liters ) coolers that advertise internal volumes of less than 40 igloo bmx 52 vs lifetime cooler ( that less! Solid cooler at a fraction of the lid securely, but we pry... To release the water out, let it air dry, then use it again but kudos to for... When youre going for a few millimeters, which includes a number of coolers, there are rubber that. Tests our top picks worth it if you just want the best a look.
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