In its closed state, full of water, I sloshed it around without spilling a drop, so it's safe to assume that leaks won't be an issue. From a performance standpoint, Yeti has a slight advantage. You will find features such as tie-down slots, a high-flow drain port, stainless steel hardware, and comfortable grip handles. That being said, there are currently limited choices for sizes and colors, and for those after the absolute top in performance, these will be a slight step down. Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze Zipperless Hardbody Cooler. But which one? Rugged. Now let's compare that to most of the newer cooler designs on models like Yeti, RTIC, Orca, Cabela's or Frosted Frog that have rubber T-shaped handles you have to stretch to secure the lid. As the BMX 52 is more compact, your more likely be able to fit in in the trunk of a smaller car. Their latest attempt at this comes in the form of their BMX series. So glad you asked. There are no latches since this is a soft-sided cooler, just a zipper. Its good to see that Igloo has carried a lot of the features over from the BMX 72 to its smaller and cheaper cousin. That said, finding the best cooler for your needs is complicated by a crowded field. Thats a liter more than the Yeti. Theyre perfect as a supplemental drink cooler or for toting snacks on short camping trips. Tracking the ambient temperature up above it was much more telling, and it gave us some additional variables to consider. But still missing is any sort of team logos and/or custom color options. If Igloo hopes to compete with the likes of the other heavy hitters in the premium cooler world, then they need to have many of the same features that people expect when they are spending this kind of money on a cooler. A cool design feature of this plug is that it is garden hose compatible. Igloo Natural Ice Sheet - 1lb. But, to be fair, my personal opinion is that all soft-sided coolers are bad choices. Coolers are essential for backyard get-togethers, camping trips and tailgating events. So, if you want great performance with a friendlier price tag than its competitors, you can feel safe picking up this RTIC. But you will pay an extremely high price to enjoy one. If you care about the way your cooler "feels," well, this one felt the most premium to me. Plus, it's just as big as Orca says it is, coming in at a very sizable 58.1 quarts. Head to REI and pick up the Igloo Recool for $10. Features blow-molded construction, a reinforced base, stainless steel hardware, and rubberized T-grip latches. As an Amazon Associate 99Boulders LLC earns from qualifying purchases. You can also look forward to a butler tray, two bottle openers and self-training. But outside of this, most of the features are retained across all 3 models. Taking away the need for having to glue/merge walls results in a much tougher cooler and it also assists in ice retention. Igloo BMX 52 Qt Cooler ($99.99) Photo courtesy of Academy Sports + Outdoors. There's no need for debating; Yeti cost an arm and leg compared to other coolers on the market. At the end, we rated each coolers durability out of 10. Since the lid and body are well insulated, you'll also enjoy five days of ice retention, which makes this cooler a great choice for camping trips. It's probably the most popular "rotomolded" cooler out there, and at $300, it ain't cheap. Cooler divider: Dividers help keep your food and drinks organized in your cooler. With this sort of ice range, you can use these coolers for a wide variety of applications: a weekend camping trip, a fishing excursion, a large tailgate, or even a week-long road trip. I also took each cooler's design and features into consideration as I tested and kept an eye out for durability concerns. Our goal? 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). But while this cooler impressed in some ways, it suffered from a disappointing lack of durability in some of its smaller components. Read our Magellan Outdoors Dual Open 20qt Cooler review. 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. We found that, for a given size, Yeti Coolers would hold ice longer than Igloo BMX coolers by anywhere from a few hours to up to a day or more. Many premium models are fully leak-proof and can hold their own against the insulation of hard-sided coolers. The easy-to-use, double-latched design means you can open the cooler from either side and, if you'd prefer, you can disengage the latches on both sides to remove the lid altogether. Igloo has expanded things some and there is now a larger selection of colors. 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. Like the larger BMX 72, the BMX 52 has a hinged lid which is both sturdy and aids single-handed operation. Available in a variety of sizes and configurations. We are real fans of this tough-look style of cooler, and the BMX 52 backs up its heavy-duty styling withheavy-duty blow moulded construction and thick insulated walls (although not as thick as the more expensive Yeti models). You could tell before the tests were run that this cooler was going to be the better performer. Igloo BMX Cooler More than 6,000 people recommend the Igloo BMX cooler on Amazon and give it rave reviews. The Tundra Haul is no different. These are pretty typical features found on most premium coolers. The different model sizes and available colors on Yeti Coolers are seemingly endless. In fact, Rubbermaid finished dead last in our tests. Traditionally, Igloo has competed in the budget and mid-range categories. At a push, this cooler can be handled (safely) by one person. Compared to other high-end cooler brands on the market, these ice numbers fall about in line with those brands. A cooler this size (around 50 quarts) is great for an extended road trip or a few days away camping. Its worth a close look if the Yeti is out of your price range. The 28 and 55 quart coolers can almost always be picked up for under $100. Extra-thick foam walls and insulated lids are best-in-category for cooling performance. This can make it helpful for quickly cleaning out after a fishing trip or camping trip. All rights reserved. Igloo MaxCold Cooler, 50 quarts -- $45 For a fantastic value pick, consider the Igloo MaxCold Cooler, which I scored on sale for just $45. In terms of color range, Igloo has some cool and fun color options from which you can pick. While this market isnt new to Igloo, the BMX Cooler series is their latest rendition of this. Coleman sells a boatload of different coolers, including the popular Coleman Xtreme Marine Cooler, which I picked up for $42 at my local Walmart. Yeti has never knocked it out of the park when it came to built-in features on their coolers. Coolers range in size from 6-pack sized to a whopping 350-liter beast ready to hold a quartered elk. For instance, the Bison Gen 2 Cooler goes so far as to advertise itself as an ideal casting platform to stand on during your next fishing trip and even sells nonslip traction mats for the lid in a variety of designs. The best cooler overall. While there are examples of coolers with thicker walls out there, Igloo strikes a balance between ice retention and mobility. It's also worth considering whether or not your cooler is sturdy enough to sit on, something that comes in handy when you're out camping. The Xtremes light weight also made it relatively easy to carry, though we couldnt get past the awkward plastic handles. We came away from our testing of the Igloo BMX Coolers very impressed. That's a lot better than the rubber T handles, but make no mistake, Magellan Outdoors still gets my vote for best latching mechanism. But the Igloo BMX Cooler ramps up the styling. Let's take a pause to dive into hinges and latches a bit more. Up first: The Igloo Island Breeze Cooler, which I grabbed on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods for $15. Why every cooler doesn't come with a built-in bottle opener is beyond me, but kudos to Lifetime for making it happen. water, isn't as good at keeping drinks cold). Polar Bear Coolers Overall Score: 8.6 12. But if you are more budget-minded and just after the good performance without breaking the bank, then we have to give a slight nod to Igloo. Dry goods basket (aka cooler basket): Cooler baskets keep your food suspended above the ice. The Bison Gen 2 Cooler is another heavy-duty, rotomolded option with lots of room for your beer. I wasn't impressed with the lid on the Igloo Latitude wheeled cooler, for instance. Yeti Hopper Two 30. The hinges themselves are the latches, and they're featured on both sides of the cooler, so no more walking around to "the other side," reaching over the lid or asking someone to grab your drink. How to Contact Igloo. . COPYRIGHT THE E.W. Our recent Magellan Outdoors soft-sided cooler (title holder for Best Soft-Sided Cooler) has the same zipper setup. Although the MaxCold is a rolling cooler it comes with handles as you would expect on a non-wheeled cooler. This heavy duty blow-molded cooler has it all! (Bonuses like a cup holder or a bottle opener are important, but the most critical thing a quality cooler does is keep your cold drinks cold.) Performance is important, but design matters, too -- and sometimes, it's a deal-breaker. Dimensions are 35 x 15 x 12 inches. The side handles arent the most durable, either. Like that Igloo cooler in the previous slide, it lacks both a latch and a drainage spout, and the performance was, again, pitiful. Igloo BMX 25 Quart Cooler with Cool Riser Technology, Fish Ruler, and Tie-Down Points - 11.29 Pounds - Carbonite Gray and Blue Storage Volume 72 Quarts 52 Quarts 25 Quarts Tested Ice Range (Hours) 85-135 72-105 48-72 Cost (Amazon) $159.99 $119.99 $79.99 Prime? Yeti is already a name people tend to associate with better performance (if not higher prices), and at least with coolers, for good reason. It isn't anything special to look at, but it performed better than any of the cheap coolers I tested -- and better even than some of the really expensive ones. This is compared to just 3 sizes and 5 colors available for Igloo BMX Coolers. On paper, the Igloo BMX Cooler seems to check most of the boxes for features that we look for in coolers that will hold ice for long periods. When we initially wrote this review, we could only find one color option. As you can see from the many Igloo Coolers that we have reviewed in the past, their lineup is enormous. Specifically, I wanted to track the ambient temperature in each cooler, so I spread the ice in each one I tested beneath an elevated jar of propylene glycol solution (watered-down antifreeze) with a temperature probe in it. More Info Buy on Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Amazon Contents [ hide] We liked that the Yeti came with a dry goods basket. If it's sunny and you're thirsty, then you're going to want one of these coolers on standby. Lifetime is a value-packed cooler that features some similar features to a Yeti. It can store a weeks worth of food and drinks or all the items that a large outdoor party would need. The Igloo BMX 25 isn't the most rugged option out there, but it's a solid personal cooler that's bigger than we expected on the inside and is easy to carry, even when loaded with beverages or the day's catch. It has even sparked a debate if Yeti coolers are worth the price. 2023 CNET, a Red Ventures company. Soft-sided coolers, which don't have a specific capacity range, but tend to line up with the same offerings as small or personal-sized coolers. Still, the RTIC barely flinched at our durability tests. As a matter of fact, at $220, this cooler is currently the cheapest of any cooler in either our midsize or large cooler category, with the exception of the Igloo BMX 52qt Cooler, which happened to be the poorest performer of the aforementioned categories. Read on for our full reviews and our tips on choosing the right camping cooler for your needs. Hey, here's another $300 rotomolded cooler. One of the other key features of a high-quality cooler is the hardware. 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. For a fantastic value pick, consider the Igloo MaxCold Cooler, which I scored on sale for just $45. It's not exactly a ruler you can use to take photos while holding fish, but it will certainly let you measure your catch of the day. Soft-sided coolers are perfect for carrying drinks or lunch. The Igloo BMX 25 filled with equally affordable refreshment. The BMX cooler has a ruler in the lid, making it a great option for fishing trips. Other notable features include tie-down slots, diamond plate metal inserts, and a molded fish ruler. The big differentiator that you'll hear a lot about as you shop for a cooler is ice retention -- specifically, how long a cooler can keep a full load of ice frozen (melted ice, a.k.a. If youre on a budget and insulation is your top priority, this cooler is not a bad choice. And despite their BMX series creeping up in price, they are still quite a bit cheaper than other premium coolers on the market. If you are looking for a great cooler on a budget, Igloo is the obvious choice. 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. $29.99 - $44.99. When readers buy our reviewed picks, we earn affiliate commissions that help to support the site. I just wish it cost a little less, since you'll get better performance from the slightly less expensive Yeti and Orca coolers. Buy literally anything else. First off, it is a backpack. Stick with an old-fashioned cooler like the ones I recommend above. Magellan Outdoors, Frosted Frog, RTIC and even the Amazon Commercial coolers are worth a look pretty much across their product offerings based on what I've seen. The competitors sport very thin walls, and that's just not going to do much for your insulative capabilities. And for people who enjoy camping and the outdoors, it will be able to handle ice more multiple days (more on that later). And be sure to check out our full roundup post, too -- we've filled it to the brim with tips, picks and buying advice. Even the 52-quart model can be found for a third of what our other award winners retail for. Helpful (3) Not helpful (1) Report. Not all Igloos are created equal. For a rotomolded option that's a lot bigger at the same $300 price, consider the 58-quart Orca Classic. I've worked in many areas, including computer hardware, software, technology, networking, graphic design, instruction, construction, music and even ballroom dancing! These coolers are currently commercially available from the dozens we've tested over the last few years. Small or personal-sized coolers that advertise internal volumes of less than 40 quarts (that's less than 10 gallons or 37.85 liters). Locking mechanism: A locking mechanism for the lid is important, not just to prevent spills but also to ensure a good seal and insulation. We gave them a rating out of 10, where 10 was no water spilling out and 1 was no seal at all. 1 of Igloo BMX 52 Quart Cooler with Cool Riser Technology, Fish Ruler, and Tie-Down Points (7,996) $149.99 Heavy duty blow-molded construction with reinforced base for increased strength and protection. 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That all soft-sided coolers are worth the price pick up the Igloo Island Breeze,. As tie-down slots, a high-flow drain port, stainless steel hardware and!