The 7 Best Coolers Of 2022 | Reviews By Wirecutter

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Best cooler for casual adventures

RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler

Better insulated and less expensive than the competition, this hard cooler keeps things ice cold for five days, and well-designed drain ports make it easy to clean.

$195 from Amazon$195 from Walmart

Lightweight and well-insulated, the RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler is a perfect cooler for a long weekend away, car-camping trips, tailgating, or keeping as a backup cooler in your garage in case your power suddenly goes out.

It’s lightweight but sturdy. The Ultra-Light Cooler compares in strength to roto-molded coolers (roto-molding creates evenly distributed plastic parts through a heated rotating mold), such as ones from Yeti, but at 21 pounds, it’s significantly lighter. This is because, despite looking like a roto-molded cooler, the Ultra-Light series is injection-molded, which uses less plastic and results in a lighter cooler. It is true that injection molding is potentially less durable than roto-molding, but at this quality level you’re essentially splitting hairs between the strength of a concrete wall versus a brick wall.

It’s easy to move. It’s lighter than any of the other comparably sized hard coolers we tested and the easiest to move around. The Ultra-Light Cooler has two nylon ropes slotted through plastic handles that are easy enough to use. It also has a small area to insert your hand for lifting, but it’s less comfortable to carry that way.

The RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler has two drainage ports for easy draining from either direction. Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterMarine-grade nylon and plastic tubing for handles are good for carrying the cooler, even when it’s fully loaded. Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterIn our experience, the easy-close handles on the Ultra-Light Cooler keep the cooler shut, but some people found them a touch loose. Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter

It has plenty of insulation without sacrificing capacity. The Ultra-Light Cooler has less insulation around the sides while keeping the standard 3 inches of insulation within the lid (similar to a Yeti cooler). Compared with our roto-molded picks, the interior is very spacious. It can easily carry a week’s worth of refrigerated groceries for two. I use the 52-quart model every week to pick up groceries in Hawaii and drive them home. It fits easily in my trunk, and I can count on it, with a few ice packs, to keep dairy cold even after hours driving around in tropical heat. In our testing, we also found that the Ultra-Light Cooler consistently keeps ice frozen and maintains a food-safe temperature (40 °F) for up to three or four days in the shade with use. RTIC also sells a freezable divider and basket. They’re good if you prefer a little extra organization while packing your cooler.

It cuts price, but not details. RTIC coolers—both the ultralight and rotomolded variety—are somewhat notorious for being two-thirds of the price of Yeti coolers without sacrificing performance. Yeti can (and does) charge a premium for its name. But cutting the price doesn’t necessarily mean that RTIC cut any corners. The latches on the Ultra-Light Cooler are made from a stiff rubber and seal down the gasket of the lid with the telltale exhalation of air from a full seal. However, over time I wouldn’t expect this seal to remain watertight—it’s just not built to that high a specification. The Ultra-Light Cooler has two drain ports with cap stays made of wire.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The three-year warranty seems a bit chintzy. Used correctly, the Ultra-Light Cooler should last a lot longer than that (and ours already has). We’d love to see a company warranty that extends deeper into the life of the gear.

People don’t love the latch handles. The biggest complaint we’ve seen online is that people feel the latch handles aren’t secure enough. I haven’t had an issue with it and, for day-to-day life, it shouldn’t be a problem. Strapped to the back of an ATV? Yeah—maybe I’d start to worry.

It’s tough, but not bear-tough. Despite borrowing the looks of a roto-molded cooler, the Ultra-Light Cooler is injection-molded, which means it’s just not as heavy and durable as those roto-molded coolers. You can stand on it, but I wouldn’t fish from it for hours on end. And they are not grizzly-certified.

Specs

Exterior dimensions: 27.25 by 17.25 by 17 inches (WDH)Interior dimensions: 21.25 by 12 by 12 inches (WDH)Weight: 21 poundsCapacity: 52 quarts