Coolers Review

Looking for the best coolers and ice chests

Coolers aren't just for picnics and fishing trips. They can also be useful during power outages and natural disasters. When packed with ice, coolers can keep some essential food items from spoiling longer than they would last in a refrigerator. So if you have some ice on hand, you can save some essentials for two to four days (depending on the model of course) in a cooler.

We found the best -- and most entertaining -- cooler review at Slate.com, where Tom Bartlett puts six ice chests through several tough tests. He fills the coolers with ice, ice cream and Popsicles, places them in full sunlight and monitors melting. The sticky mess that results allows him to gauge whether the coolers are easy to clean. In another test, he simulates beach use by filling coolers with ice, drinks and sandwiches; leaving them on a covered porch; and opening them every 20 minutes. He rates each cooler on "chill factor" (how long they keep food cold) and ease of use.

In the other detailed comparison test we found, with the help of five beach-tennis players, a reviewer for The New York Times tests five large-capacity chest coolers with wheels, telescoping handles and heavy-duty insulation. Testers range in size from petite to burly and they helpfully comment on how easy or hard it is to lug the coolers over sand. The Wall Street Journal's Charles Passy, along with a passel of "softball moms and dads," tests five chest coolers by filling them with drinks and ice packs and leaving them in a hot garage for several hours. Testers also rolled coolers across an unkempt lawn. This article is, however, somewhat dated and some of the coolers have been discontinued.

Other cooler reviews don't discuss testing methodology in much detail. Editors at Real Simple select and describe their top small, medium and large coolers, but they don't reveal how many coolers they tested, nor do they discuss the coolers that didn't make the cut. Good Housekeeping's short review is similar in nature, with few details. Consumer Reports has not tested coolers at all.

We supplemented these professional reviews with user ratings from Sears.com, Amazon.com, Cabelas.com and Target.com. These reviews are particularly helpful because only owners can comment on coolers' durability and usability. Note that many manufacturers claim that their cooler can keep items cold for five days or more. Clearly, many factors will affect how long a cooler can keep items cold, including the temperature of the outside air, whether the cooler is in direct sunlight and how many times it's opened and closed.

One of the gutsiest claims comes from Igloo, which says that its 100-Quart Sportsman Cooler (Est. $85) can keep ice from melting for five days in 90-degree heat. Coleman makes a similar claim for its Coleman Xtreme coolers (Est. $45 to $100, depending on size). We didn't find many reviews for the Igloo version, but of the three users we did find at Amazon.com, all are disappointed in its performance. We found far more reviews for the Coleman coolers, and the vast majority is happy, with many saying they were surprised how long their items stayed cold.