What Cooler has the Longest Ice Life?
Updated by Brandon F. on December 3, 2021
So what cooler has the longest ice life? There can be a wide range of performance features and requirements of the many coolers on the market but the one common trait that just about everyone looks for is maximizing how long your items stay cool. This may seem like an obvious thing, but you would be surprised at how many people purchase an ice chest without doing proper research to determine how long items will stay cold.
The worst feeling in the world is loading up your ice chest with ice and chilled items only to discover soon after that all of the ice is gone and your items are in jeopardy of going bad. Before we get into the various components that help to maximize ice life we will list the coolers with the longest ice life that we have reviewed. All of these examples would be great products for those looking to maximize the cooling ability of their cooler. Check out the table below to view that list!
Coolers with Longest Ice Life
| Grizzly | K2 Summit | Pelican Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | |
| Our Rating |  | |  |
| Price by Volume (Amazon) | $$$$$ | $$$$$ | $$$$$ |
| Ice Life | 7-10 days | 6-8 days | 7-8 days |
| Our Full Review | Link | Link | Link |
Is a Week or More of Ice Life Necessary?
While having an extremely long-lasting cooler might seem pretty nice, for most applications it is a bit of an overkill. Somebody who is packing their daily lunch or planning on going out on a small picnic for two doesn’t need a huge, bulky cooler with an extremely long ice life.
However, someone who needs a large cooler that can store a week’s worth of supplies in the middle of July or someone who needs to house a large amount of food for a huge weekend tailgate that will result in constant access to the cooler would put ice life at the top of their priority list.
So it is first important to figure out if you need an extreme level of ice retention and the associated high price that goes along with it or if your typical application will be much less demanding (which can save you money in the end). We have found that in many cases, people way overestimate just how much ice retention they need.
Components of a Cooler with Long Ice Life
So what are the coolers with the longest ice life? Before we go into that, let’s discuss what makes a cooler have long ice life. While there isn’t a secret recipe, there are certain features that are oftentimes present on higher-quality coolers that directly contribute to maximizing ice life. Some of these might have a bigger impact than others, but all play a part.
Material Used
Denser, higher-quality plastics and metals are generally comprising the top coolers. These plastics and metals are not very permeable and are tough enough to not have any obvious weak points where cold air could escape. This is why the coolers with impressive ice retention are also oftentimes some of the toughest on the market. The materials that they use not only insulate well but are also capable of handling bumps and scrapes that are typical of coolers that are actively used.
Thickness of Material
A somewhat obvious one, the thicker the material generally the longer it can perform before becoming exhausted. Some of the longer-lasting ice chests can be 2 inches thick or more!
This comes at the expense of becoming bulkier and heavier, but that is the price you have to pay for longer chill times. We do see a few diminishing returns in how long ice will stay in relation to the thickness of the walls. For instance, a cooler that is 4 inches thick probably won’t last twice as long as a cooler that is 2 inches thick. This is because other components of the cooler such as the lid seal will become the limiting factor. From what we have seen from a majority of the premium brands, 2 inches seems to be the magic number that a lot strives for.
There has to be a balance between wall thickness (which increases ice retention) and practicality. Nobody wants to have to deal with a thousand-pound behemoth of a cooler even if it offers great ice life. On the opposite end of the spectrum, people don’t want to enjoy the benefits of an extremely light cooler if it can’t hold ice for more than a few minutes.
Construction
Almost all of the top coolers are comprised of rotomolded construction. This is simply where the chest is made of a single piece of plastic. What this means is that there are no weak points, which makes the product much durable and long-lasting in the ice department. For a better idea of what exactly rotomolding entails check out this helpful video:
Size
While there isn’t some sort of direct relationship, typically larger ice chests will outperform smaller ice chests, all else equal. This is because the internal environment at a given temperature is more resilient to outside conditions, especially when the ice chest is opened. For example, opening a small ice chest to remove a drink can easily result in all of the cold air quickly escaping, and the ice has to then work harder to chill the air back down to acceptable temperatures.
In a larger cooler, however, opening the lid won’t have as huge of an impact on the internal temperature, meaning things can get back to being cold much quicker and they are less affected by sudden influxes of warm air.
And, of course, the premium coolers with long-lasting ice life will typically be on the larger size to begin with due to their extra-thick walls. But there are some diminishing returns: thicker walls are better but at some point, adding extra thickness sacrifices too much storage volume for not as big of an increase in ice retention.
Quality of Lid Seal
This is oftentimes called the gasket and it is basically how well of a seal the lid and the body create to keep the cold air trapped inside. Since typically the lid and the drain nozzle are the only designed open areas on the walls of the cooler, having a good seal is extremely important.
The top coolers’ gaskets will oftentimes be made of high-quality rubbers and have relatively tight design tolerances, resulting in a firm fit when closed. They will also be very large, which not only increases the squeeze but also makes them more resilient to the occasional scrape or cut that might pop up.
Hinge and Latch Quality
How “tightly” the hinges and latches keep the lid shut also plays a role. A loose or weak latch can mean that the lid can ultimately push itself back open some, especially when being moved around. This is a feature that can also get significantly worse with age. A cooler that has been through a few seasons of use might start to have a less optimal latch and this could make an ice chest that once had acceptable cooling capabilities begin to struggle.
If you start to notice that your hinge or latch is deteriorating, consider replacing them.
Various Other Performance Features
There are a lot of small features that different products will have that are advertised as helping to prolong ice life. This includes raised legs to get the base off of the ground, slots for additional ice packs, segregated storage areas to minimize how much of the chilled volume is exposed when being accessed, and the lists go on. Some of these might seem minor but when combined they can make a difference and a lot of the top cooler companies utilize many of them in their designs.
How Long will Ice Stay Frozen?
So when we say the “longest ice life”, how long are we typically talking about? Hours? Days? Weeks? Amazingly, the top coolers can have an ice life that goes a week or more! This number can fluctuate depending on the environment, how much ice is used, and how often it is accessed but it is completely reasonable to expect several days minimum with the top-tier products on the market. You can see many of our ice retention tests within our various reviews to get a better idea of what sort of ice life you will be working with.
With that, here are our top choices for the coolers that have the longest ice life:
Grizzly
Our Rating:
For maximizing ice life, it doesn’t get much better than this. High-quality materials and optimal construction are used and it shows up both in the performance as well as the looks. The only drawback is the price but if someone is looking for a cooler that will last them for years and provide continuous great performance, it is well worth the price.
Pros: Some of the best ice life on the market, incredibly durable, aggressive look, easy to carry considering the size
Cons: Very expensive, heavy
K2 Summit
Our Rating:
This is a fantastic line of coolers and has no real weak points, although many people might not have ever heard of them. With ice life of potentially a week or more, great construction, and a resilient look, anybody that is looking for long-term cooler investment will be pleased. However, with this high-end offering, you will expect to pay in the top price bracket for it but, in this case, we think it is worth it, especially considering that many of the comparable coolers on the market are more expensive.
Pros: Incredible ice life, wheeled option for mobility, very sturdy construction, great tough look
Cons: Quite expensive, very bulky
Pelican Elite
Our Rating:
Another one of our favorites and has some impressive cooling ability. However, it comes it a hefty price and you don’t get as many bells and whistles as some of the other premium brands on the market. But in terms of performance, it can’t be beaten.
Pros: Incredible cooling life, very durable, rugged look
Cons: Very heavy and difficult to move, expensive
Igloo Yukon Cold Locker
Our Rating:
This is the best-performing cooler in regards to ice duration on the market from the well-known Igloo company. It has enough features and sizes to appeal to most people looking for a premium large ice chest, but it does come with a rather high price tag that will rival some of the other higher-end brands on the market. If you are willing to spend the money we recommend checking this one out.
Pros: Amazing cooling ability, extremely tough and long-lasting, aggressive styling
Cons: Very heavy and bulky, expensive
Yeti Tundra Series
Our Rating:
Yeti is probably the most well-known premium cooler brand on the market, and they do a great job at keeping items cold for a long time. But for someone willing to drop this kind of money on a cooler we recommend shopping around for all of the competition as well because they are extremely expensive.
Pros: Great cool life via thick insulation, easy gripping, high-quality build construction
Cons: Very expensive, quite bulky, not many additional features
