Who doesn’t love spending time out by the pool over the summer? Or going out on a picnic, or hosting a barbecue? No matter what your favorite outdoor activity is during the summer, you need to make sure you bring a good cooler to keep all of your drinks frosty in the sunshine.
It’s tough to decide which cooler is the best, though. The top-of-the-line coolers are quite expensive, and the budget coolers might not keep your drinks cold. How can you narrow it down and find the best? No sweat! We’re here to help. We’ve done some extensive testing (who says work can’t be fun?) and experience has borne out a few clear winners. Here are some of our picks for the coolest coolers you should pick up this summer!
Igloo MaxCold
As far as value goes, you simply don’t beat the Igloo MaxCold. You can often find this cooler on sale for less than $50, and that makes it one of the best values as far as coolers go. It’s got great performance, even in direct sunlight, keeping drinks cold for hours. As for the negatives, it’s not as tough or durable as some of the competition, and it’s not rotomolded. That means that the plastic isn’t quite as good at keeping the cold air in as a comparably-sized rotomolded cooler.
In spite of its outdated and somewhat dorky design, the Igloo MaxCold is still a great value. It’s far from a looker, and it’s not going to make anyone think you’re a high roller. However, most people aren’t going to be calling you anything mean when you’re rolling up with a cooler full of cold beers. For those on a budget who still need a hard-working cooler, this is the one for you.
Orca Classic Cooler
For something stylish, durable and rotomolded, check out the Orca Classic Cooler. This well-designed and tough cooler comes in at $300, which is a lot, but it’s well-worth that price tag. Consider it an investment in summer fun to come! For that price, you get what may be one of the best coolers on the market, in terms of size-to-price ratio for a cooler with as good of insulation as the Orca has.
The Orca Classic Cooler has a lot of other things going for it, too. It look great and comes in a ton of awesome colors, so it’ll be stylish on your campsite as it keeps your beers cold all weekend. It’s also rather comfortable to carry, thanks to some smart design choices that make it ergonomic and hand-friendly, even when toting it around over long(ish) distances. It’s worth noting that this cooler is set in a tie with its direct competitor, the Cabela’s Polar Cap Equalizer Cooler.
Cabela’s Polar Cap Equalizer Cooler
Set in a complete tie with the Orca Classic Cooler is the also-wonderful Cabela’s Polar Cap Equalizer Cooler. It’s also rotomolded, durable and great at keeping the cold in. It’s also $300, and the two coolers have very comparable amounts of storage inside. The Polar Cap offers slightly more internal space, which is a slight bump in its favor, though.
The other major differences between these two equally-priced coolers is that the Polar Cap is a little more uncomfortable to carry. The handle design isn’t great, and it’s a bit of a hassle to lug around. Incidentally, it also sports slightly less options in terms of colors, making it somewhat dorkier by comparison. To make up for this, the Polar Cap sports some nifty bottle openers in the rubber latches that close it up. As such, it’s sort of a wash: just pick the one you like the look of better!