At full price, the Moosejaw Ice Fort 55-Quart Rolling Hard Cooler is competitive, but when it’s on sale it’s a steal. We appreciate the little details, like the included bottle opener and the Moosejaw antler traction tread on the wheels. The Coleman 316 Series 100-Quart Wheeled Cooler is huge but also affordable. It’s not going to give you the 10-day ice retention you can get out of the Blue Coolers Ark Series, but you still get the volume you need to host massive back-yard barbecues and friends and family events. We like the Coleman 316 Series because it’s affordable and has a great blend of quality for the price point. We appreciate the fully-insulated lid, which is also strong enough to sit on.
The lid is also insulated, though fairly easy to open and close, which could indicate that it’s not the most airtight cooler on the market. On the positive side, there’s no visible gap between the lid and body, unlike many affordable cooler models. The “have-a-seat” lid can support up to 250 pounds and also conveniently features four cup holders. This Coleman cooler is proof you don’t need to spend a lot on a quality cooler. The lid has a smooth texture that wipes dirt and debris easily, even after spills at a tailgate or outdoor party. Plus, the lid supports up to 250 pounds if you want to take a seat (one less folding chair to carry) and features four molded cup holders to keep your drinks within reach at all times.
Get across any type of terrain with its rugged wheels and a telescoping handle that locks in place while pulling the cooler. The 50-quart capacity cooler holds up to 84 cans that will stay cool thanks to the insulated walls and lid. With the right wheeled cooler, cold igloo electric cooler beverages and snacks will stay at the ideal temperature for at least the length of the party, game, or performance. The best rolling coolers make it easy to bring favorite food and drinks to the park, to the beach, or even across rugged terrain during camping trips.
If you’re just planning a day out rather than a weekend or longer, the Picnic at Ascot Ultimate Travel Cooler is one that we feel you should take a look at. It is smaller than most on this list at 36-quarts but it will still hold up to 32 cans of drink and keep it cold for a good 24-hours. It also doubles up as a general carry case when not being used as a cooler.
Also, shoppers will want to keep in mind that hard coolers tend to be better insulated and keep items cooler for longer than soft coolers. This might not be the toughest cooler, or the one with the fanciest features, but it definitely can hold some ice, food, and drinks. It held ice for longer than the 5-day period, and its average in that window was a chilly 36.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which was our lowest average temp in the test. Our only complaint was that the latches seem really cheap and don’t snap securely, though the lid fits snugly on its own. Coolers with wheels come in a wide range of costs, and in some cases you may wonder what makes a product worth the higher price.
Also, for items that don’t necessarily belong in the bag but that shouldn’t get wet, the included dry-goods basket inside the cooler was great. The RovR RollR 45 held ice throughout with an average temperature of 38.5 degrees Fahrenheit. But despite those impressive numbers, this model is a small cooler on wheels for its price tag. Features can include drain plugs, removable butler trays, built-in bottle openers, or storage pockets. Think about what will be the most useful for your needs and prioritize choosing a cooler that offers them. Also, make sure your wheels are made of durable materials (think rubber or sturdy plastic) and offer traction to get you across any terrain at any weight.
The biggest complaint that we had was a bit of a fit-and-finish issue on the back of the cooler, as some of the polyurethane insulation was visible in the model we tested. For serious cooler capacity, check igloo cooler with wheels out Igloo’s 110-quart large cooler with wheels that holds an impressive 168 cans. Its high-performance Ultratherm foam-insulated walls and lid keep cans cold, offering up to 5 days of ice retention.
It offers up large heavy-duty eight-inch wheels that have been designed to make traversing over rough terrain so much easier. Seeing as this is the primary purpose of a cooler, this is something you’ll want to learn about any particular model you’re considering buying beforehand. Some will be able to keep your beers cold for a good day or two while some of the better performing coolers will be able to keep you in a good supply of cold beer for longer than a week in hot weather. You want a cooler with wheels that has ample space and can hold at least a case of beers in our opinion with a few inches of space for other less important stuff like food and water. Yes, it is safe to use dry ice in some coolers, as long as you follow some precautions. The cooler needs to have a ventilation method to release the evaporating gas.
Technically less insulating than closed-cell foam, open-cell foam performs fairly well for most applications as long as the cooler isn’t left in the open sun. The Original can do exactly what you need it to do, which is to keep things cold for the day while you focus on the fun at hand. Similar to any other true roto-molded cooler, the RTIC 65 is practically indestructible, which makes it great for tougher outdoor environments. In our testing, the RTIC 65 kept ice frozen for 10 days with some periodic draining.