rotomolded (rotomold) coolers (e.g. Yeti, Rtic, Engel, Grizzly, Ozark Trail, etc.) [Archive]

rob_s

06-05-2023, 06:22 AM

Some old discussions here, but thought I’d start a new thread. Want to hear others’ experiences and use-cases.

Sub-topics could include

Best US-made?
Best budget brand?
Get what you pay for, or no?
Best applications or use-cases?
Best size? For what use?
Etc.

What I’m NOT terribly interested in is “you don’t need rotomold” or “my 1977 Igloo does just fine” etc. this thread is to discuss rotomolded and similar, not alternatives.

Listed a few brands in the title just to get the ball rolling, but by no means should the discussion be limited to those brands.

Links to tests, charts, YouTube’s, (legit) review sites, etc. encouraged.

vcdgrips

06-05-2023, 07:22 AM

Data Point of 1

Noted trainer made the switch from a 316 Series Coleman to a Yeti in the the 2015 training season. Primary use was to keep soda/tea/water/Gatorade and lunch cold for himself ( and AI when applicable) as well as drinks and snacks on the road.

Noted trainer believed that Yeti “paid for itself” over the season (April to Nov) in ice cost savings as the Yeti could easily go 2x to 3x as long before the ice/ice water lost its cooling “power”.

Watching this thread with keen interest.

RoyGBiv

06-05-2023, 07:35 AM

Apologies for the political nature of this post... Thought it might be relevant to product selection.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/nra-calls-cease-fire-austin-based-yeti-coolers/

“If it wasn’t bad enough that YETI dropped The NRA Foundation as a client, now they’re calling us liars because we informed our members and friends of their actions,” Hammer said in a new statement. “YETI’s attempts at damage control is to say our statement is not accurate. Shame on you again YETI. You know you made a mistake. A big one. Now you must live with your mistake.”

Crazy Dane

06-05-2023, 08:33 AM

rd62

06-05-2023, 08:54 AM

I broke down last year and bought the 77qt Lifetime.

Mine is also marked as made in the USA.

Primary reason for my purchase was to age venison post initial butchering and pre further processing before packaging for the freezer.

To that end it has worked very well.

I've also used it for a few camping trips and ice retention is good but as with any cooler, precooling is a thing and increases performance.

I'd buy again and haven't yet had a need for anything more.

lwt16

06-05-2023, 09:49 AM

I own a Lifetime 55 and the smaller 28.

The 55 lived in my patrol SUV and, at first, retained ice for days. I combined ice and an Engel 20 cooler pack and was astounded at the days I could go without replacing the ice.

Alabama summer hit and I noticed I got about a third of the performance I was getting. The lid had warped just enough to let cold air escape on both ends. One could consider that user error but my coworkers who owned RTIC, Yeti, etc didn’t have lids that warped. They all said they kept theirs in the patrol rides 24/7.

Still, for what I paid, they are both still great coolers but they may not be top tier.

Regards.

mmc45414

06-05-2023, 10:02 AM

I have a 55Q Lifetime from Walmart that keeps just as good as my 55Q Artic.

I broke down last year and bought the 77qt Lifetime.

A few years ago we shot enough antelope that we needed to go buy a cooler and had to snag what was available on short notice in Riverton, WY, and that pretty much means something from Walmart. Since I wanted a nice cooler anyway I got one of the Lifetimes, and it has worked as expected (I like the latches).

@Littleebowski posted this (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?26630-Practical-testing-shows-that-the-Walmart-Ozark-Trail-Yeti-cooler-clone-is-better&highlight=cooler) some time ago.

And if you don't get a Yeti there will be more room on your truck window for a bigger Salt Life decal. :cool:

Default.mp3

06-05-2023, 10:05 AM

Lifetime High Performance Coolers are not rotomolded, they are blow molded. AFAIK, typically the insulation and durability rule of thumb is rotomolded > injection molded > blow molded.

I'll note that many of Pelican's hard coolers are also not rotomolded, but are instead injection molded (the ones with using polypropylene bodies are injection molded, and consist of all their coolers 70 quarts and below, besides the 65QW, which is rotomolded and has a body of polyethylene, like the few larger coolers that Pelican has).

I've had a Yeti Tundra Wheeled for the last couple of years. No real complaints, it's a cooler with wheels.

rob_s

06-05-2023, 10:11 AM

I have a 55Q Lifetime from Walmart that keeps just as good as my 55Q Artic. I was needing a new fish cooler for the boat and didnt want to pay 3 prices for one and decide to take a chance on lifetime. It worked very well.

The one I got is USA made and I would assume that the whole line is. Comes with a 5 year warranty. Hinges, latches, handles have held up very well. If I needed to replace one today I would get another Lifetime.

https://www.walmart.com/browse/sports-outdoors/coolers/4125_546956_4128_4547850_6877179_6956589?adid=2222 2222220202664918&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=33161613938&wl4=kwd-18712448355&wl5=9010328&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhc6R9pus_wIVRPLICh3UzwlKEAAYAiAA EgJVr_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lifetime+cooler+55+quart+revi ew

A few years ago we shot enough antelope that we needed to go buy a cooler and had to snag what was available on short notice in Riverton, WY, and that pretty much means something from Walmart. Since I wanted a nice cooler anyway I got one of the Lifetimes, and it has worked as expected (I like the latches).

@Littleebowski posted this (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?26630-Practical-testing-shows-that-the-Walmart-Ozark-Trail-Yeti-cooler-clone-is-better&highlight=cooler) some time ago.

And if you don't get a Yeti there will be more room on your truck window for a bigger Salt Life decal. :cool:

Buddy had a lifetime on the dock over the weekend, which is what prompted this post (his, and me deciding I need something of my own).

also LL's previous thread is what led me to include Ozark Trail in the thread title, thanks for linking to it (I couldn't find it, but didn't try all that hard).

is today's lifetime yesterday's ozark trail?

PNWTO

06-05-2023, 10:59 AM

Our big Yeti’s have been solid for years now, it’s still amazing to see ice still frozen after a week. Mind you, in that instance the daytime high was about 43 but still cool.

Looking at adding one of the Yeti soft packs soon.

Haven’t heard of lifetime but have friends swear by ozark.

A good “lunch bag” option is the LBT SixR, I thought it was kind of gimmick but mine is impressive for a day trip.

Don’t buy at full price, LBT usually does a sale of a specific pattern every Friday and the cooler gets discounted to about $70.

rd62

06-05-2023, 12:12 PM

I assume the Ozark Trail was probably made by Lifetime but I certainly don't know that to be fact.

mmc45414 that's exactly how I ended up with my Lifetime but it was Whitetail not Antelope. I usually actively avoid Walmart but it was all that was available to me at the time.

mmc45414

06-05-2023, 12:28 PM

that's exactly how I ended up with my Lifetime but it was Whitetail not Antelope. I usually actively avoid Walmart but it was all that was available to me at the time.
In Wyoming you can come in with pants covered in blood (whoops, rookie mistake...) and when you are mentally calculating how much dry ice you should buy the elderly female cashier might interject with "How many animals do you have? How far are you driving back?" :cool:

BobM

06-05-2023, 12:51 PM

I bought my daughter and her husband an Ozark I found on clearance last Christmas. They used it for a several day event and only bought ice the one time. They put it in the garage when they got home and forgot to clean it out for several days. It still had ice in it.

I bought myself a smaller Ozark for myself also on clearance earlier this year. I’ve used it on an overnight camping trip and as a lunchbox on a couple training weekends, including this past one that was unseasonably hot. I have some of the biggest Ozark ice packs and used two. It’s kept everything cold. In fact, on the overnight, I pulled some shaved beef that had been in it almost 24 hours and found it almost frozen.

I’ve also heard that Yetis are hot items to steal and that no one wants to steal your Ozark, Igloo, etc.

Anyone know anything about the Coho brand? Costco has one on sale right now that’s a useful size for me.

tango-papa

06-05-2023, 02:05 PM

Cookie Monster

06-05-2023, 04:28 PM

I've got 75, 65, 45, and 35 Yeti hard coolers. Just got a Soft 18 for a lunch box.

Good coolers, durable. Mostly got with my REI dividend (kinda of free). I am sure you can find lots of You Tube tests and comparisons.

I am pretty brand loyal and have no complaints. I did grind around the lock holes so the coolers fit real locks, I was surprise how thick the plastic it.

I am a big fan of the wire baskets that keep food out of the ice/water - though on rough roads during fire assignments the splash would soak my dark chocolate bars - plastic wrap those bitches now.

DDTSGM

06-05-2023, 05:02 PM

Like several other posters have indicated. I'm perfectly happy with my Lifetimes.

I initially bought a 77 but when loaded it was too heavy for me to lug to and load onto the pontoon, hey. I'm supposed to be kicking back, right? This prompted me to buy a 28 for the next trip.

My initial trip with the 77 was a mid summer outing to Lake Wilson in Kansas. Filled the cooler with ice and water/sodas/bottled tea, still had ice after three days of getting into it for drinks. It was kept under the canopy and there was only myself and my wife getting into it, but I was happy. When we got home I unloaded it and set it on the covered patio between our house and garage. Several days later I remembered it and while the ice was melted, the water and what drinks we had left were still cool. This prompted me to buy the 28 with no hesitation.

I think that it depends on your usage. For my usage, weekend boating and camping, they work fine. They also work fine when we travel with the trailer and they spend most of the trip sitting on the floor of the shower.

Would I necessarily buy these for more rugged use? Don't know.

Casey

06-05-2023, 06:34 PM

I've used both Yeti and Pelican coolers for training classes. Started with a Pelican Elite 45QT and then added their 20QT model. After doing a bit of research, I sold the 45QT model and bought a Yeti Tundra 45. The Pelican was good quality and I liked the latches, but comparing overall size and weight, the Yeti in the same capacity was lighter and had smaller external dimensions, which made it a little easier to pack for classes in the Hyundai CUV I was driving at the time.

In terms of performance, both could maintain ice through a three-day class in Florida without issue, although a 45 isn't large enough to hold all the water I need for a three-day, at least not without having to restock the cooler with supplemental water. And every time you do that, presuming you're restocking from a case of water in the car, the cooler is now having to chill that water from whatever the ambient temperature is, which means your ice melts faster.

Ultimately I ended up with a soft-sided Yeti. The Hopper Flip is big enough to hold all the fluids I need for a single range day, plus lunch, and it's super easy to tote back to the hotel room at night. My practice is to keep my drinks in the hotel fridge and pre-chill the cooler overnight with ice, then refresh the ice each morning of class and load up for the day. I don't love the zipper on the Flip, though—even when maintained with the lube Yeti provides, it's just not as easy to open as a hard-sided cooler with two latches. Conversely, the Flip is the way to go if you're going to be lugging the cooler any significant distance. I once went to a class where I had to park about 50 yards from the firing line, coincidentally the first class I took the 45QT Pelican to, and there was no way I was dragging that thing from the car to the range every day.

If I was in the market right now, I'd be looking at the Yeti Roadie 60 for ease of movement and capacity. On paper, I think it would be big enough to get me through a class without refilling, and it would be easy enough to move from the car to the range.

perlslacker

06-05-2023, 07:53 PM

littlejerry

06-05-2023, 07:58 PM

My company evaluates coolers as an accessory for the products we sell.

Based on recent testing I would avoid Engel.

I've spent some time with the Dometic Patrol series recently and liked it. Good performance, good design. Haven't done a side by side with Yeti.

Don't go anywhere near Coleman.

WDR

06-05-2023, 08:20 PM

Last September it was 107 degrees here in town, before I left for my elk hunt. I was really worried about losing meat, since I was by myself, and it was so damn hot. I loaded my two large Lifetime coolers with as much ice as I could pack into them, between block and crushed. Two weeks of sitting sorta in the shade under a tarp, and a couple bags of crushed added at the midway point, and they still held most of the ice from the start. Had I been more careful about keeping them in the shade, I'm sure they would have lasted even longer, but there wasn't much in the way of trees near camp, and I had to make due with tarps between my trailers. I was able to take enough ice out of them to fit almost all my meat in the coolers, and tarp/ice down what I couldn't fit. I still had some ice in them 36 hours after getting home and finishing processing all the elk meat.

Mine are the 55qt and 115qt. They are made here locally in Utah, and I like supporting USA made products. I bought both of mine as "blemished" discount items from their local outlet... And honestly can't tell you why they were considered blems. The larger one is for sure a two man lift if fully loaded. The 55 is a nice size for shorter trips, but it is a lot bigger than my crappy old Coleman cooler. They are "bear" rated, if that's a requirement for you. I'm sure the fancier brands are slightly tougher, if that's a consideration, but I've been very happy with my Lifetime coolers.

My friend is a big Yeti fan... and his coolers do seem to perform at least as well as mine, ice retention wise.

JCN

06-05-2023, 08:29 PM

Anyone with any experience with this brand? Said rotomolded.

105601

https://rticoutdoors.com/52-QT-Ultra-Light-Wheeled-Cooler?size=52&color=Dark-Grey-Cool-Grey

littlejerry

06-05-2023, 08:46 PM

Anyone with any experience with this brand? Said rotomolded.

105601

https://rticoutdoors.com/52-QT-Ultra-Light-Wheeled-Cooler?size=52&color=Dark-Grey-Cool-Grey

Their UL series is injection molded.

Injection molded isn't necessarily less durable than rotomolded. Depends entirely on the design of the parts, material, and wall thickness.

Dimensionally injection molding is superior and also has a plethora of resin options with vastly different mechanical properties. In theory it allows better sealing(tighter tolerances) less sensitivity to heat(better materials), and less mass(better materials).

Chain

06-05-2023, 09:30 PM

I have experience with both Canyon and Big Frig, just to give you more brands to put in the mix if you want to try to catch a sale. Performance is good, price is in line with the other rotos but IMO it seems like the lesser-known-than-Yeti brands realized they don't have to compete on price as much as they did 5 years ago and so there's a lot of parity.

rob_s

06-06-2023, 05:51 AM

I wonder if we haven’t reached a point of them all being relatively equal and the deciding factor being about aesthetics, price, handle placement, size, etc.

Size, in particular, seems all over the place and I could see a situation where one has X width to fit within (like between canoe rails), or Y height to fit under (like a tonneau cover), which would be a stronger limiting factor than one keeping ice for 72 hours vs another going 74.

To whit, re: accessories, these are pretty neat

https://youtu.be/VrAQVfmu6ys

https://youtu.be/_uua4PFARZQ

rob_s

06-06-2023, 05:54 AM

My company evaluates coolers as an accessory for the products we sell.

Based on recent testing I would avoid Engel.

Engel is from where I live. As such, you see a LOT of them here. Also as a Florida native I like to buy from Florida companies (I still drink from plastic Tervis, not metal Yetis). I have one of their bait boxes I use as a bbq cambro. That said, is likely choose US-made over Florida-based and I believe Engel are offshore manufactured.

Curious to know if the testing of their rotomolded cookers (presuming you mean those, not the bait box) revealed some catastrophic failure or major weak point, or just didn't do as well as the others in one criteria or another?

perlslacker

06-06-2023, 08:25 AM

I wonder if we haven’t reached a point of them all being relatively equal and the deciding factor being about aesthetics, price, handle placement, size, etc.

That was my takeaway from the article I linked in this post (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?57301-rotomolded-(rotomold)-coolers-(e-g-Yeti-Rtic-Engel-Grizzly-Ozark-Trail-etc-)&p=1483899&viewfull=1#post1483899).

They never mention "keeps stuff cold" as a differentiator. It's always "this one costs too much, this one has janky handles/hinges, this other one is shaped weird and is tough to fit in the trunk of a car."

rob_s

06-06-2023, 08:53 AM

I've been shopping for one myself and based on Wirecutter's rundown (https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-hard-cooler/) it seems like the major differentiators in roto-molded coolers are price and hardware (handles and hinges). It looks like they all cool more or less the same.

That was my takeaway from the article I linked in this post (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?57301-rotomolded-(rotomold)-coolers-(e-g-Yeti-Rtic-Engel-Grizzly-Ozark-Trail-etc-)&p=1483899&viewfull=1#post1483899).

They never mention "keeps stuff cold" as a differentiator. It's always "this one costs too much, this one has janky handles/hinges, this other one is shaped weird and is tough to fit in the trunk of a car."

I've long been a huge fan of Wirecutter, and have been happy with just about every purchase I've made based on their recommendations. I *do* think that they sometimes miss the mark on outdoor gear (and maybe should stick to their geek roots).

there are quite a few Youtube ice-tests out there. One example that appears to keep doing "tests" from time to time. But they rate the "days with ice" measuring by days which makes it harder to figure out exactly how different they might be. I say "test" in quotes because they can't even be bothered to control for overall cooler volume. but even these guys point out that their Orion is the "best overall" but sucks for actual use (lack of lid hand-hold, and I believe it's heavier than the others at 36lbs for a 65 quart) which leads me to think that there's a ratio of usabiliyt:retention where as one goes up the other can be negatively impacted. Clearly weight increases as ice-retention increases, but also things like that hand-hold in the lid would lead to a reduced thermal barrier in that location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Nel351sbg&t=1192s

camsdaddy

06-06-2023, 09:00 AM

Its crazy to me what these things weigh? There isn't much room inside considering the outside dimensions of the cooler. Do you take weight into consideration?

HCM

06-06-2023, 09:19 AM

We had a prior thread on this in 2017 predicated on testing that the Ozark Trail (Walmart house brand) Roto molded coolers worked better than Yetis.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?26630-Practical-testing-shows-that-the-Walmart-Ozark-Trail-Yeti-cooler-clone-is-better&highlight=YETI

Based on my experience with Rtic, Coho and Magellan (Academy house brand) I would agree that they all cool pretty much the same and price features accessories are the main differentiators.

rob_s

06-06-2023, 09:28 AM

Its crazy to me what these things weigh? There isn't much room inside considering the outside dimensions of the cooler. Do you take weight into consideration?

Of course you do, but sometimes it also doesn't matter, or it's a factor of the requirements of the equipment. If you are going on an 8-day kayaking trip and you need (want?) cold items, you're probably not moving the cooler much AND there really isn't another way to keep your stuff cold for that long.

The whole initial Yeti craze (and Engel before them, if you believe the marketing) was based around a cooler that was insulated well enough to keep stuff cold all day at a minimum (and sometimes longer) AND you could stand on it. In neither of those cases is "picking the thing up and trucking it all around over and over again" part of the equation.

In my particular use-case, I want something I can keep ice (and only ice) in for several days. Only opening the lid at most 1x/day to get ice to feed other (possibly smaller) coolers to keep food cold and/or use in drinks.

One of the things I've seen in a lot of testing is that if you load up your Coleman and your Yeti with ice and drinks and then spend all day going in and out of it retrieving said drinks, getting left open by kids, etc. it really doesn't matter how thick the walls are, you're going to blow through ice.

Spartan1980

06-07-2023, 12:22 AM

Well once again PF has cost me money. I just ordered a 65qt Lifetime from Sam's Club. I had some Sam's cash and I have a deep freeze in the garage to defrost so I jumped.

I also utterly hate the Igloo I keep in the back of the SUV for grocery runs as it has an angle connecting the wall and floor at the back for it's wheel clearance and you lose a lot of space. I'll be placing it on the curb in about a week. Call it my donation to the homeless because I guarantee the first one through my block on that day (it's a daily occurance) will snag it. :cool:

littlejerry

06-07-2023, 05:48 AM

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-cooler

rob_s

06-07-2023, 05:52 AM

As I'm sure will come as no surprise to anyone...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DOWzqhnMcF_vOov-wpdEBA3rP_haPgQ4Mx4kzFlEqWY/edit

Cookie Monster

06-07-2023, 08:39 AM

Its crazy to me what these things weigh? There isn't much room inside considering the outside dimensions of the cooler. Do you take weight into consideration?

That is why I continued to buy smaller and smaller Yeti coolers. A 75 or 65 with ice and food I am not removing from the truck by myself. I actually have a garden hose attachment on those coolers and a length of fire fighting toy hose to drain and change the ice out.

Also a reason they probably started making soft coolers which are much much lighter.

My main reason for expensive coolers is durability. Before I booths Yeti (actually as a winter expansion for a dorm fridge) I would break off a cooler lid every year. The waste was killing me.

Skullybones

06-07-2023, 10:44 AM

I lived for years utilizing only a pelican cooler. Block ice was a key to success. My favorite method is to freeze potable water in jugs for a continuous supply of cold water as the ice melts. I’ve since moved onto a 12v fridge with a portable power station and briefcase solar panel.

I’m not up to speed on all of the other offerings out there these days, but have seen plenty of other great looking models in the field. The one thing that drew me to the Pelican was the grizzly bear rating and latch system.

Pre-cooling any of the coolers in a deep freezer or walk in cooler will also extend the range, as will keeping the cooler packed full and starting with already chilled goods.

Agreed wholeheartedly on the weight issue. Buddy lift for the big ones.
105669

rob_s

06-07-2023, 11:53 AM

Sister thread on re-usable ice-packs (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?57322-Reusable-Ice-Packs-for-Coolers)

Default.mp3

06-28-2023, 08:34 AM

An FYI, for those looking for a smaller cooler, Pelican has a special edition 30 quart on sale (red, white, and blue colorway for 4th of July): https://www.pelican.com/us/en/product/coolers/elite/30qtus

It's 175 USD, but if you qualify, you can stack ID.me on top of it to bring the price just under 150 USD.

lwt16

06-28-2023, 09:26 AM

106482

Used one of mine last Saturday on a hot range session. Sat outside all day with students constantly opening it.

I stuck it back in the car with some ice and waters in it and forgot about it. Drove that car to work Monday and after sitting in direct sunlight all day, I drained it before leaving work. No ice left but the water was cold and the bottled water inside was cool enough to be refreshing.

Even with the lid warped it’s still doing decent.

rd62

06-28-2023, 06:43 PM

How'd the lid warp?

lwt16

06-28-2023, 06:59 PM

How'd the lid warp?

It lived in the back of my patrol suv in Deep South heat. Internal temps must have got too high when it was parked and the engine shut off.

Bowed up on each end.

106506

WDR

06-28-2023, 09:38 PM

Not sure, but Lifetime might warranty that... might be worth a call.

mmc45414

06-29-2023, 06:52 AM

Not sure, but Lifetime might warranty that...
Being "Lifetime" and all... :cool:

Tuefelhunden

06-29-2023, 02:15 PM

I have a pair of Yeti's that work very well. Heavy and expensive but I don't know how I could break one or need to ever replace. Word of caution last Elk season I did something stupid and used dry ice instead of block when I couldn't find block readily available. It works great if the goal is to make a freezer not a fridge. Blew up a bunch of beer and wrecked all produce, etc. I learned don't do that and there is still a place and purpose for a cheaper type of cooler.