Arctic Zone Ultra 50 Cooler Review

Storage Size: 50 cans (approx. 35 quarts) size

Construction: Plastic and metal composition

Cost: Intermediate-priced

Features: Easy access lid, SuperFoam insulation, Therma-reflect radiant barrier, large external storage pocket, padded shoulder strap, side handle, side mesh pockets

Pros: Quick-access lid is super handy, tons of storage space, mobile for its size

Cons: Can be quite bulky, not enough color choices

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Last Updated by Brandon F. on December 22, 2022

The Arctic Zone Ultra 50 Cooler is the largest offering by Arctic Zone, fitting an impressive 50 cans.  Despite being a soft cooler, the lid is hardened and has an easy-access hatch and even two cup holders.  This smaller hatch allows you to be able to access the inside contents without opening the entire lid.  A layer of insulation is injected into the side walls which helps with cooling. 

In addition, a liner was inserted to help make it entirely leak-proof.  Carrying is accomplished with a padded overhead shoulder strap.  There are also side zipper pockets where you can store your non-perishable goods.  It is available in a few different colors, is made of plastic and some metal, and has approximately 50 cans (or 35 quarts) of storage volume.

Insulation ability – 

While not as impressive as many of the more rugged hard-sided coolers on the market, this still does a pretty good job of keeping items cold.  The insulation and relatively well-sealed lid mean that you can expect 1 to 2 days of cooling before you will need to add ice or replace ice packs. 

The quick-access hatch helps to prolong ice life since you don’t have to open the entire lid to get an item inside.  While the overall insulation thickness is comparable to some of their smaller coolers, the fact that this cooler simply holds more volume means that it is less easily affected by exposure to outside warm air.

Mobility and durability – 

This is a rather large soft-sided cooler, so when full it can be quite heavy and bulky.  The fact it isn’t hard on all sides helps with mobility as it will form better to the inside contents.  The shoulder strap is large enough and tough enough to handle the task without the worry of failure. 

The inside liner is, for the most part, waterproof which is nice considering the Arctic Zone line can struggle with this attribute in their smaller sizes.  We like that they added the quick access hatch, cup holders, and side zipper features to this size of cooler as we felt the smaller coolers were a bit sparse.  The fabric used is also quite strong and should resist tears that could form from bumping or scraping.

Visual Appeal – 

The color scheme and fabric designs on this product are quite progressive and give off a much higher-quality feel.  We do wish that there were more color selections, though.  How big of a deal this may be is up to you.

Cost – 

This cooler can typically be had in the intermediate price tier online.  We are sort of “middle of the road” at this price point given the product they are offering.

Overall Rating – 

This product attempts to combine a relatively large storage volume with soft-sided technology and it overall does an acceptable job of it.  With up to 2 days of cooling life, a variety of helpful features, and a decent price it should make most people happy that are wanting to go the soft-sided route.  That being said, there are better options out there (even at this price range).