Igloo Coolers Review.

Which Igloo coolers are the best? How long will an Igloo ice chest keep ice? How much lid weight can a Marine 25 Qt. take?

In 1947 Igloo started making metal water coolers that were made to replace the wooden buckets of the time. They didn't make the first igloo coolers until 1960. The outside was made of metal while the inside was constructed from plastic. In 1962 they made their first all-plastic cooler which was nice because plastic is of course rustproof. Igloo has been owned by several different companies over the years, including Coca-Cola®, and was more recently bought by Westar Capital in October 2001.

If you believe Igloo's calculations, they state that 3 out of 4 U.S. households has at least one Igloo cooler. That is pretty impressive when you consider they started out as a small metal shop with 2 employees.

Hard-sided Igloo coolers

The outside of their hard coolers are made of high-density polyethylene (Ultratherm®) while the insides are made from polypropylene. The insulation is a polyurethane foam.

Soft-sided Igloo coolers

The materials vary with the soft-sided versions, but the outside is constructed from nylon, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), or polyester, and the interiors are made from PVC. The insulation is polyethylene foam (Polartherm®).

As with other coolers some people have complained about flimsy latches. Actually, I've heard this before from other companies and the flimsy latches have a purpose. They're designed to be able to release from the inside in case a small child were to get inside.

If you're looking at Igloo coolers to add to your current camping gear I'd have a look at their hard-sided coolers for camping because they are usually a little more durable than soft-sided coolers. If you're looking to add a small cooler to your hiking equipment though, a small flexible soft-sided cooler is going to make carrying it less of a chore, especially if you want to stuff it in a backpack.

Their 5 day Maxcold® coolers have thicker insulated bodies as well as tops to keep ice frozen longer. Although they claim ice can last up to 5 days in 90 degree temperatures, obviously this will vary with whether the cooler is kept in the shade or in direct sunlight, how many times the cooler lid is opened and closed, whether or not the food was added frozen, and whether or not the cooler was cool when the food was placed inside.

If you're looking at small to medium-size Igloo Coolers, the Marine 25 Quart (23 Liter) measures L 20" x W 11.25" x H 13.13". It can fit up to 36 cans beer or soda, of course you'll want to subtract from that to add ice and sandwiches. This particular igloo ice chest is made to withstand life on a boat, which means it has a built-in fishing ruler and the lid is designed to support up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms). The white color and UV (ultraviolet) treatment help to protect this series of Igloo coolers from extended periods of time in the sun. It's a nice small to medium-size chest.

The Maxcold® 50 Quart (47 Liter) is also by Igloo Coolers and measures L 25.5" x W 15.25" x H 17.38". It offers room enough to hold 72 cans of your favorite beer or pop and can even swallow 2 liter bottles whole and upright without choking. It offers up to 25% more insulation than their previous models to keep your ice around for as long as possible.

If you think that a bit of thought went into this cooler you're right. The outside plastic has been designed to resist cracking and fading, and stainless steel has been used where you won't even notice it much, inside the hinges and handles. It also comes with a threaded drain plug so you can attach a hose to it.

Although some claim the light blue color protects drinks from sunlight, it would seem like white would be better at reflecting light to keep things cool.

What's really cool though, no pun intended heh, heh, is that this Igloo cooler has been designed so that all the parts are replaceable. Now if you happen to break the drain plug off on your tailgate while pulling your cooler out of the back, you won't have to buy a whole new cooler. That's what I call well thought out.

Most Igloo coolers are warranted for 1 year against "defects in material or workmanship", although their European Thormoelectric coolers are covered for 2 years.

Pros: Both of these Igloo coolers are well thought-out and should last you for years. The decision comes down to deciding between longer ice retention, how much room you need, and whether or not your 300 pound cousin is going to use your new cooler as his favorite camping chair or not. ;-)

Personally, unless your limited by space, I'd go with the 50 quart because you can always add more to a cooler that's half-full. It's rather difficult to stuff more into a full cooler though.

Cons: Igloo coolers latches are weak by design like most coolers, but it's to protect small children from getting trapped inside.

If you would like more information about how to select camping coolers, have a look.