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Happy owner of two Cordova coolers since 2020 with no issues. I got the 20qt and 48qt Basecamp versions and have exceeded my expectations. The features you mentioned are why I bought them. Being a shorter person, I hated the rope handles which Cordova fixed with sturdier handles that can’t physically pinch you by accident as they lock out (design feature), the drain plug design, reverse lid handles which was genius as they don’t catch on the lid. Lastly they are Veteran owned business making coolers in 🇺🇸🤘🏼
Yes, very cool company right down the road from me. I got to tour their factory and did a video on it. Check it out if you haven't seen it yet! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cmGcCYXIB38.html
Great video, love the subtle humor😉. One feature that I think that is underappreciated and seldom mentioned, it a vertical divider to wall off a section. We have a big old Coleman Xtreme and absolutely HATE pulling a gallon of milk out of one end and having the ice fill in the hole if the ice has gotten a little melty. It's also nice to be able to get a dry goods basket to keep egg cartons and other absorbent items from getting wet.
Picked up an Engel 60QT UltraLite back in February for $200. I think it's a newer addition to their lineup but it came with a divider that can be used as a cutting board and a wire basket for dry goods or whatever else you want to use it for. The insulation isn't quite as good as their other models which explains the ultralight feature but it's been great so far and is a good rotomolded option at a good price IMO.
Lucked out in early 2017 and got a RTIC 45 before they got big. Only paid $122 no tax because Amazon did not have to collect state tax than. Near Yeti quality at 1/3 the price, so best money I every spent. And using Shock Cooler packs you can actually keep ice cream frozen!
Man this was exactly the video I was looking for. I'm so skeptical of written lists nowadays, who knows what they've actually tested. You're passionate and clearly put in the work and it shows!! Can't wait to present my top 3 cooler suggestions to my brother to serve as his tailgate companion for the next decade. :)
These videos are great! Please do one of the same model but different colors and covered or not with blanket or space blanket to see how much that changes the ice retention.
Love these videos! You mentioned you went camping with a few of the coolers. I think it would be cool to see some footage from your real-time use impressions for the next one
That's good feedback, thanks! I take a cooler every time I go somewhere and either take mental or written notes about them, but some real-time impressions in a video is a good idea.
This is a great video, thanks for all the information. Now imagine being your neighbor and you step outside to see someone just tossing $500 coolers off a truck lol
Best latches IMO are the discontinued OtterBox coolers. Had one in bed or truck in SoCal for 3 years or so uncovered outside 24/7 works perfectly still.
Mines going on 4+ year outside on the concrete in MN weather. Never seen the inside of a house or garage. All rubber still feels like the day I got it, color hasn't faded either.
this a great review. One aspect of importance to some is the External Height dimension. My Ridgeline’s bed with tonneau installed is only 16.00 high. If I want to travel with the tonneau on, this eliminates many of coolers you evaluated, including your top pick. Even going the next size down in many cases does not solve the problem. Only the Coho and the mid-size Yeti Tundras fit from what I can tell (did not check every last one). Blue and Grizzly don’t fit either. Unless you want to downsize to like 20 qts which does not work for me as a main cooler. So when I went looking for coolers the height was the very first filter I applied.
@@devinprice7129 Lookee here folks, we have another Not A Real Truck guy emerging from wherever. Do your homework and you will discover that the Ridgeline is the overall best mid-size truck for personal use that you can buy in North America, for 90% of the users. Better than Tacoma, Colorado, Canyon, Maverick. Unless you have real or imagined needs to tow more than 5,000 pounds, haul more than 1500 lbs., or spend weekends rock-crawling - in which case this truck is indeed not for you. Otherwise, it offers an unbeatable combination of drivability, comfort, roominess, practicality, reliability, gas mileage, adverse weather sure-footedness, cargo versatility and value that no other mid-sized truck offers. Period. Enjoy your archaic body-on-frame, harsh-riding, gas-guzzling, in-the-shop-all-the-time ride. Educate yourself.
Outdoor Empire score - nice ring to it! I went all in on RTIC, one of each model I think by now. Took advantage of sales, etc.. been extremely happy with the products, especially for the money. Hell we got the dog bowls, soft coolers, bags and all lol
Good stuff! I've been pretty happy with their stuff too. I really like that new ultra light wheeled cooler. And I drink from an RTIC tumbler every day.
Great video. I like your attention to detail and information you provide keep going... can you please review a kong cooler either a 50qt or 70qt up to you. Thanks
I get these coolers are tanks. But I got a Igloo 52 BMX for $65 and it's going to do, for 95% of people, what they need these coolers to do. And the igloo isn't 30lbs empty, so when fully loaded one person can carry it a distance. And the inside volume isn't lost to 5" thick side walls. I added my own freezer gasket to the lid ($5 at Home Depot) and it's been great for 4 years. Holds ice for 7 days in the summer. Rugged enough and good features. Again, I know it's not rotomolded, and it's not built like these. But as I said, realistically 95% of people it will do just fine... And 65 bucks. I know people who see hunters/fishers or similar people on TV or RU-vid and think they need a $500 Yeti to because they also fish. Being a brand endorser or full out sponsorship makes it easy for this people to show off their Yeti collection
@@zman8340 golden on a boat how? On a boat for how long? The 5% I was referring to are people that go camping or off grid for 7+ days, which of all the Yeti owners is more likely 0.001%
I don't totally disagree with you. It's true not everyone should spend $500 on a cooler. Nice work on the $5 freezer gasket add-on! I bet that helps quite a bit. For a variety of reasons, these rotomolded coolers have a pretty high perceived value and are marketed heavily though influencers, etc. At the end of the day a lot of people want them and when people are willing to buy them, companies are gonna make them. Outdoor Empire is not sponsored by any of these companies and we purchased almost all of these at full price, so I don't have any bias here. I just wanted to really compare and contrast them and call out some of the fluff. Cheers!
I have had an Orca 20 Quart for about 6 years. I'm very satisfied with it. My only complaint is how heavy it (and all roto molded coolers) is. i usually load cold drinks and ice packs in it for road trips. ive gone 3 days with it and still had ice cold drinks and snacks.
I bought a pelican cooler at a pawn shop for $200 it was brand new with stickers ….it is a great cooler …if it was $450 new retail im not sure i would buy it but i wouldnt buy any cooler that expensive …but for $200 it is a great deal and worth every penny …its better than my Yeti …i like the fixed handle and the latches are more to my liking
My parents have a 100qt Blue cooler and we went camping with them a few months ago. We were there for 5 days and not once did they need to put new ice in. Kids were in and out getting drinks, leaving the lid open because that what kids do. I was blown away how well it kept ice. I have a 60qt Blue cooler with wheels on the way. Gonna use it on a 8 hour long float trip. That will be the true test
@@Nobody95008 I returned the blue cooler and got the Bru Mate cooler. Only reason was because the Blue Cooler didn’t make it in time for our float trip so we ran to Scheels and bought the Bru Mate. When we got back from the trip I returned the Blue Cooler because the Bru Mate was an absolute beast
Wow! Such a practical video with humor and no click bait, you also gave your answer for the next video away which is awesome. I feel like this guy gets to the roots of a good video which is so hard to find
Awesome review! A lot of information and real world tests with honest opinions. Can you compare the new moosejaw coolers in a future review? Would be cool to see how those compare.
Really enjoy your comparison videos. Very informative and you do a very good job of explaining them. Could you do one on the BruMate and the MooseJaw coolers as well please??? I am interested in both. Thank You
You should have really included the Pelican cooler. I have several Yeti coolers, Coleman Marine and a Pelican. My Pelican 40qt is better than the Yeti counterpart that I have, for 1/3 the price. Legitimately, the best I have isn't technically a cooler. I have two large Cambro 1/2 sheet Hot Boxes. They make Yeti look like a styrofoam gas station cooler.
Well, you have me curious about the Cambro now! Regarding Pelican, I like one of the two I have. I don't like the rotomolded wheeled Elite version in this video because the wheels and handle are janky. The handle is a poor design and the cooler hits me in the calves when I tow it. The wheels are like a little Red Wagon, cheaply made, and one wheel got permanently jammed up after a minor fall and doesn't spin anymore. Plus the ice retention was a bit weak and it's super bulky. I like the non-wheeled Elite cooler pretty well. It did better on ice retention and, while still bulky, it functions well. But it's injection molded, not rotomolded, so I didn't include it in this video. Plus, both Pelicans I have cost as much or more than a Yeti. So maybe their prices have gone up in the recent past.
Would love to see how moosejaw rolling cooler stacks up against your list. I watched every video I could find before going with it. I love the wheel size. There were not any good videos on it. As it looks new to the market. Went for it based on futures for price ratio.
i suppose with the compass you can orient the cooler at night most favourably (yes i'm english, so no, i don't know why i'm watching a video about coolers) to the sun position when you first wake up and can adjust it again. i'm presuming narrow end on is better?
That is the best theory yet. 😂 I just imagining how optimizing the aspect of your cooler could potentially lead to a 0.01% increase in ice retention and the thought process of the fellow who added the compass into the design.
My Lifetime "High Performance" rotomolded cooler has really impressed me after years of service, and I appreciate that it's American-made. The latch design is fantastic, and the carry handle is way better than Yeti's design.
I do really like the latches on the Lifetime as well. I didn't include it in this video because, as I understand it, it is actually made by blow-molding polypropylene plastic and not rotational molded polyethylene. But it's fantastic all the same and at a great price to boot!
For those reading, don't discount how important slick sides and nothing to catch on other gear is if you're doing anything other than going to the beach. Sliding the Canyon in and out of the back packed in and around lots of other overlanding gear is incredibly important.
That’s a good point I hadn’t thought of. I’m really ramping up my fall camping this year and I have a new used pick up. I’m stuffing all the big stuff in the back. Getting a big funky shaped cooler with rubber feet might make that difficult. Thanks for bringing it up! Something with wheels and a big handle might be the way to go.
@@MrTmax74 You might also take a look at my Best Wheeled Coolers video if you're looking for one with wheels. Otherwise the Canyon Outfitter is a good non-wheeled option that slides in and out of the truck easily and is a compact shape compared to many others.
One that I think you should test is Maluna. It supposedly outperforms the Yeti. At least their site says so. I own a couple, and have been happy with them. I’d like to see real world testing like this done on one to see if their sites claims are accurate.
Bought a Magellan 55 qt a while back and the drain plug busted on it. Haven’t been able to find a replacement so been considering a Costco brand for the price. Might have to stop by the Rtic store instead to see if they have anything on sale.
Have you ever used a grizzly? I bought a grizzly 165 to use for hot holding briskets while I’m catering. For Thanksgiving it’s going to be phenomenal for holding my 20 cooked turkeys Ultimately I’m going to buy several more. One for holding cold raw meat, one for cold drinks and one for cold sides.
Yes I have, got one recently. In fact the latest cooler ice challenge video I did has a Grizzly in it if you wanna check out how it did.i love hearing how you use it! How long can you keep meat hot in there? How long is it safe to eat like that?
Hey I'm thinking about doing a video about using coolers to keep things hot and would love to chat with someone with a BBQ or catering business. I remembered your comment so I thought I'd try you first. Would you be willing to tell me more about this?
@@theoutdoorempire I didn’t see an email in your description so on your website I saw different emails. I sent one to the media email, and it has my RU-vid name with my business name in the subject line.
Yeah compass is completely useless, unless you’re taking itr somwhere where you’re unfamiliar with the terrain and wanted to have a better chance at not setting it somewhere the sun would hit directly.
Yes, larger coolers can hold more ice and therefore have more thermal mass which makes it possible for them to hold that ice longer, all else the same. But some smaller coolers can hang with big ones and if a big one has just a little ice it'll melt faster.
I agree. Took our lifetime to West Yellowstone, MT/ Island Park, ID for two weeks in summer. It worked much better than any other coolers that were brought along by family members. It became our side-by-side practical evaluation of the different brands. BTW we also went to the Grizz & Wolf Discovery center. The display of coolers and trash cans that had been attacked by bears was eye opening.
Really well done video. Covered lots of brands and features. I have a Yeti 45, Engel 60 and 2 Canyon 35. Overall I think the Canyons are the best designed. Also great customer service. I think my oldest Canyon is more than 10 year sold before they went lifetime.. My Yeti is the prettiest. But I like the Canyons the best,, I'll probably get the mule next.
Very interesting video. I like that you talked about the Orion that was made in the USA, but I would have liked better to know where all the coolers were made. Cause I always prefer to favor a north american company, that actually build their products here. It's always one of the primary criteria in my purchases.
Thanks for watching! I have an entire video on that very topic where I list out dozens of coolers made in USA vs abroad. Might be interesting to you. Here's the link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bmL_ZpC60L8.html
I bought the Orion core 65 based on this video and it doesn't hold ice any longer than my 60 quart igloo $50 b******* non rotomolded non-insulated regular ice cooler. Extremely disappointed I paid this much and could have just stuck with my $50 igloo
Dang man that's a bummer to hear! How long did it last? And how much ice to start? I've had a great experience with mine, ice for over a week camping in the summer no problem.
@@theoutdoorempire 20lbs lasted a day 1/2with the drain plug out so water didnt accumulate and less than a day with the plug in ... it was in direct sunlight but so was the igloo
@@Kevin-w1z1y Indeed, 6 out of 15 of them in this video were sent to me for free with no strings attached (Bass Pro Shops sent us the Cabela's, Orca, and Yeti Tundra 65, then we got the Cordova, Orion, and Guide Gear from the brands directly). But the other 9 I did in fact purchase outright like anyone else. We've spend about $10k on coolers in the past year and a half. 😳
I didn't have one yet when I filmed this video, but I do now! You can check out my latest ice challenge video from a few weeks ago. It's in there and it performed well!
The Coleman Xtreme Marine if you can find one (try Camping World) or the Coleman 316 series. Both around $80 and solid performers. Or if you can find a Lifetime on sale for around $150 they're great too!
All rotomolded coolers should be compared to Icey-Tek, the original rotomolded cooler. Yeti did a great job of duplicating their cooler and marketing them in popular outdoor sports.
In my experience it doesn't really matter which direction you're going with coolers that are very airtight. Just the difference seems to make it harder to open sometimes.
Indeed wheels are nice. But they add weight and bulk that doesn't always help. Whitewater rafting, back of work truck, and a lot of camping situations come to mind where they might get in the way. Thanks for watching and for the tip!
I hear ya, but I'm trying to review products, not brands. Indeed one brand can make good and bad stuff, but I find it less helpful to say "Pelican is usually pretty good" than to say "the Pelican Elite Wheeled is subpar, but the non-wheeled Elite cooler is great." Make sense? Also getting every product from every brand is quite a challenge and I don't quite have the budget for that just yet. 🤪
@@zachansen8293 Is it not what you expected? How would you title this video? I'm sincerely interested in your point of view. I hear what you're saying, but the video is precisely about what's in the title and the thumbnail so as to not bait people in with one thing then have the video be about something different (my interpretation of clickbait). I talk all about a bunch of different rotomolded coolers, whats good or bad about them, and finally disclose what I find to be the best one. And it's a surprise cuz everyone expects Yeti, but it's not. Appreciate your feedback!
Yeah. I bought the Moosejaw 55 wheeled and the Lifetime 55 wheeled. They both performed well. Both did not leak. I kept the Moosejaw and returned the Lifetime. Both are great coolers. No idea about their durability. But I take care of my gear. Anyway, look forward to your review of the Moosejaw 54 Wheeled.
