The 9 Best Rotomold Coolers of 2023
When it comes to ensuring your food and drinks stay cold on an outing you need to be using one of the best rotomold coolers.
Rotomolded coolers are not the cheapest, but they are the best coolers available. These beasts can keep ice frozen for days on end with some boasting it takes 10 days for it to melt.
They come in different sizes and with different features. The 50 quart and larger coolers are great for weekend outings with a few people. The one under 50 quarts are great for short trips, picnics, and day trips.
THESE TYPES of coolers are known for durability and will perform the best in any situation you put them in. They will last a lifetime if you take care of them making this the last cooler you will ever have to buy.
You can even find rotomolded coolers with wheels that make transporting these big, heavy beasts easier.
You are most likely familiar with the YETI brand as they were the first in this consumer market. These days there are other companies like Pelican, ORCA, RTIC, and RovR just as good if not better than YETI.
Let’s take a look at some of the best rotomold coolers on the market.
What is the Best Rotomold Cooler?
- YETI Tundra 45 Quart – The Best Overall
- EchoSmile 35 Quart – The Best Budget
- RovR RollR 60 Quart – Best Cooler with Wheels
- RTIC 65 Quart
- Canyon 35 Quart
- Cordova 48 Quart
- Pelican 70 Quart
- Pelican 45 Quart With Wheels – The Best for Camping
- Yeti Roadie 24 Quart – The Best for Traveling by Car
YETI Tundra 45 Quart Cooler
The Best Rotomold Cooler for Most People
YETI Tundra
When it comes to coolers, YETI is a household name. This name is synomous with high quality coolers. In my opinion YETI tundra coolers are the best cooler you can buy. You can never go wrong with a YETI and when you want a cooler that will last a lifetime, this is the one you want.
When it comes to the best rotomold coolers, no list is complete with a YETI or two on the list. A YETI is a great choice for anyone looking for a cooler. The Tundra 65 is the classic example of a rotomolded cooler.
You will be hard pressed to find one better than this. The name YETI is so prominent for these coolers that any rotomolded cooler is called a YETI regardless of which company made it.
What I love about the YETI Tundra
What could be better
This is Why you Should Pick a YETI Tundra
You can never go wrong with a YETI. If you cannot or do not want to try to find a better rotomold cooler, just pick this up. You will never regret it.
EchoSmile 35
The Best Budget Buy
EchoSmile 35
The EchoSmile 35 is one of the best budget rotomold coolers we have come across. This cooler is for you if you want the permformance of a rotomolded cooler but do not want to pay for a YETI. This will keep drinks and food cold for several days.
YETI is the most recognizable name when anyone thinks of rotomolded coolers. However, not everyone can afford or wants to pay for a YETI.
The Echosmile 35 is a rotomolded cooler that is much more affordable. It is not flashy and does not come with a variety of features. This is a basic design that works.
What I love about the EchoSmile 35
What could be better
This is Why you Should Pick am EchoSmile 60
This is for you , if you want an affordable rotomolded cooler that performs well. It keeps your drinks cold for up to 4 days, enough for a long weekend. At a budget price, you keep more cash in your wallet. You do get what you pay for as this cooler is basic and does not have any extra features.
RovR RollR 60 Quart
The Best With Wheels
RovR RollR 60
This cooler does a marvelous job of solving one of the biggest problems all these coolers share: weight. The RovR uses air filled tires eaiser to pull by hand or behind your bike. The large capactiy and accessories let you carry everything you need to enjoy a day at the beach.
One of the downsides to a rotomolded cooler is the weight. When you buy a cooler large enough to hold enough drinks and ice for multiple people, the coolers can become very heavy.
The RovR RollR 60 weighs 37 pounds empty. Once filled, they can become VERY heavy. Good thing they come with wheels.
The obvious solution is to add wheels. The RovR RollR is the best rotomold cooler with wheels. These coolers are tanks that can go anywhere with their air filled tires.
This is Why you Should Pick a RovR RollR 60
What could be better
This is Why you Should Pick a RovR RollR 60
This is an excellent cooler if you need a large cooler with wheels. Pack and carry everything you need for a day trip or an overnight campout in one cooler. It is heavy and hard to carry around, so it is not the best if you are going places where it is too rough to roll a cooler.
The Rest of the best rotomolded coolers
RTIC 65 Quart Hard Cooler
When I think of YETI competitors, RTIC is the first one that comes to mind. RTIC makes a fantastic cooler rivals YETI in many ways. The performance of RTIC coolers is top notch and, in some ways, I find they are better than YETI and in other ways I think they are every bit as good. The RTIC 65 Quart cooler won an award from Wirecutter for its performance. With an RTIC you get the performance of a YETI without the high cost.
The RTIC 65 comes in at 40 pounds empty. Fully loaded with ice and drinks this will grow considerably heavier and can push 70 pounds. This is not a cooler to carry around a lot. It is best for a basecamp or in a boat.
Considering how heavy this cooler can get when fully loaded, the comfortable handles are a great addition. This makes it much easier for you, alone or with help, to carry the cooler to your destination.
The RTIC is durable and very well built allowing it to survive the worst nature can through at it and still last for years. It is packed with useful features. The cooler is rotomolded meaning there are no seams, and the plastic body is practically indestructible. The hinges are super strong and will last for years.
The nonslip feet will keep the RTIC from moving. The cooler will stay in place in a truck bed or on your boat. You will not have to worry about a heavy cooler sliding around and slamming you in the legs.
TThe latches are made from stretchy rubber. They are not stiff and are remarkably easy to use. The two drain plugs make it easy to get water out of the cooler.
The freezer quality gasket is impressive. It really creates a seal that will keep the hot out and the cold inside. This stretches the ice retention to the limit and provides days of cold to keep food and drinks at a constant cold temperature.
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
The bottom line is this is a great cooler. You get YETI performance with the RTIC price tag. This is a high end cooler without the expensive price tag. This cooler will meet all of your expectations for a rotomolded cooler. You will not regret purchasing this.
Canyon Outfitter 35 Quart Cooler
Canyon is a well know brand among rafters. They got into the rotomold cooler game back in 2010 and have been suppling them to rafters ever since.
This really is a bomb proof cooler. The company is so confident about this they offer a lifetime warranty.
Breaking from tradition, this cooler uses an EZCam latch instead of rubber straps. This makes it much easier to get the cooler open, especially if you are not as strong as a body builder. The cam system ensures the lid stays tightly closed to prevent air leakage.
This latching system and the gasket keep anything inside the cooler cold for 6 days. This is long enough for a weeklong rafting trip down the Colorado or any other river.
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
The Canyon is a great medium capacity cooler. It will last a long time with proper care. With the lifetime warranty you can relax knowing that Canyon will take care of any problems you have with the cooler.
Cordova 48 Quart Basecamp Cooler
The Cordova Basecamp rotomold cooler is a great cooler. Just like the name says this cooler is meant to be used in a base camp and will not work well if you are frequently moving campsites.
The Cordova weighs 26 pounds empty and 66 pounds if fully loaded with ice. This means the cooler is great in a stationary camp but will not work well if you plan to move your campsite daily.
This company was started by a Navy Seal and all the coolers are proudly made in the USA. The company has been around since 2015, so they do not have a long track record of performance.
The coolers use a patented “lid lock” system that will keep the lid open at both 70 and 90 degrees. This prevents the heavy lid from slamming down and crushing your fingers because camping with broken finger is never fun.
The handles are anodized aluminum and lock in place when carrying the cooler. And the rubber latches are designed to be opened from the top, so you do not have to move gear around to open the cooler.
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
This is a great cooler to have. They even offer customization so you can have your own design printed on the cooler. If supporting veterans and buying American is important, then is a great match for you.
Pelican Elite 70 Quart Cooler
The Pelican Elite 70 Quart is a large cooler meant to keep your supplies for a long weekend camping trip for four people. Fully loaded this is a very heavy cooler and you might need 2 people to haul this one around. You can take this one fishing and it will hold all your catch.
One of the drawbacks of such a large cooler is the weight. It is 33 pounds empty and holds 65 pounds of ice taking the total loaded weight to close to 100 pounds. Not the lightest by far!
Pelican has been in the game since 1976 so they know what they are doing when it comes to making fantastic storage boxes and coolers. They back this up with a lifetime warranty.
Most coolers do not have the actual storage they advertise. For example, a Tundra 65 only has 56 quarts of space inside. The Pelican 70 has 70 quarts of storage.
This does not use rubber latches. It uses a press and pull latch that will be easier to open, and seal shut.
Some extra features are 4 self-draining cupholders, a fish ruler in both inches and centimeters, nonskid feet, and a built-in bottle opener. Having these items built in provides a great user experience.
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
This is a large cooler. It can hold enough to support you in the wild for a week or more. The performance is great and the quality is what you would expect from a brand like Pelican. If you need a large cooler, this would be a good choice.
Pelican Elite Coolers with Wheels
When I think of YETI competitors, RTIC is the first one that comes to mind. RTIC makes a fantastic cooler rivals YETI in many ways. The performance of RTIC coolers is top notch and, in some ways, I find they are better than YETI and in other ways I think they are every bit as good. The RTIC 65 Quart cooler won an award from Wirecutter for its performance. With an RTIC you get the performance of a YETI without the high cost.
The RTIC 65 comes in at 40 pounds empty. Fully loaded with ice and drinks this will grow considerably heavier and can push 70 pounds. This is not a cooler to carry around a lot. It is best for a basecamp or in a boat.
Considering how heavy this cooler can get when fully loaded, the comfortable handles are a great addition. This makes it much easier for you, alone or with help, to carry the cooler to your destination.
The RTIC is durable and very well built allowing it to survive the worst nature can through at it and still last for years. It is packed with useful features. The cooler is rotomolded meaning there are no seams, and the plastic body is practically indestructible. The hinges are super strong and will last for years.
The nonslip feet will keep the RTIC from moving. The cooler will stay in place in a truck bed or on your boat. You will not have to worry about a heavy cooler sliding around and slamming you in the legs.
The latches are made from stretchy rubber. They are not stiff and are remarkably easy to use. The two drain plugs make it easy to get water out of the cooler.
The freezer quality gasket is impressive. It really creates a seal that will keep the hot out and the cold inside. This stretches the ice retention to the limit and provides days of cold to keep food and drinks at a constant cold temperature.
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
The bottom line is this is a great cooler. You get YETI performance with the RTIC price tag. This is a high end cooler without the expensive price tag. This cooler will meet all of your expectations for a rotomolded cooler. You will not regret purchasing this.
YETI Roadie 24 Cooler
Another YETI hits our list. This time it is for what I think of as a personal cooler. This is a 24 quart cooler designed to hold what you need on a day trip. You probably could squeeze drinks and meals for 2 people but not much else. This is a great lightweight cooler that is easy to carry around when you travel.
One of the best features of a small personal cooler is the weight. This YETI comes in at 13 pounds making it very light weight and perfect for road trips. Loaded with ice, drinks, or food it will not weigh that much more.
The other benefit is the small size. This cooler will fit easily into any car either in the front or in the back seat on the floor. This is fantastic for short trips because you do not have to struggle with a larger cooler for just a few items. It will also save you money since you will not need to buy a lot of ice for each trip.
This cooler is well built just like you expect from YETI. It has a very strong integrated hinge and easy to use latches that can be opened with one hand. The top handle is a webbed strap. This makes a great handle for carrying the cooler, but it can get in the way when opening it up.
One the downside, there is no drainage plug, but honestly with a cooler this small it will not be difficult to empty it and turn it upside to drain. The other drawback is the gasket seal. The seal is not a true 360 seal. YETI uses tape to seal the gap where the two ends of the gasket meet. This is not a deal breaker, but it does allow some of the cold air to escape.
While not exactly a negative, the price makes this a very expensive cooler for its size. If you don’t really need a small cooler, you will be better off with a cheaper one. On the flip side, if you use a small cooler regularly, this is the cooler you want to pick up.
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
This is a great cooler if you need one to use on solo day trips. It has enough storage for a day’s worth of food and drinks. It is easy to use and you will enjoy it. It is very expensive for such a small cooler. You need to decide if you really need a small personal cooler or if you will be better off with a larger YETI. If you only occasionally need a small cooler, you will be better off with a cheaper cooler.
What are Rotomolded Coolers?
The best rotomolded coolers are fantastic coolers. These are high end coolers with superior build quality and unbelievable durability. These are not your father’s igloos. They are premium coolers. Your rotomolded cooler can last you a lifetime if you take care of it.
The build quality is so high on these coolers that it is likely to be the last one you will ever buy. That’s a good thing too, since these coolers are very expensive.
Rotomolding describes the process of how these coolers are made. In rotomolding plastic is melted and poured into a mold. The mold is rotated around until the plastic cools. This creates a super strong plastic form that has no seams. This process makes highly durable and extremely insulated cooler walls.
Rotomolded coolers have thick insulated walls, often 2-3 inches thick. A rubber gasket is set around the lid to create an airtight seal. These combine to keep your food cold for days.
What You Need to Consider Before Buying Rotomold Coolers
Price
Price is most likely the first thing you are going to look at. Probably because when you see the price tag for any of these coolers, you are going to face some sticker shock. These types of coolers are not cheap. They are built to last and this could possibly be the last cooler you will ever need to buy. Set your budget. Once you have a budget, you can begin to see which brands and sizes fall within it.
If you can’t afford one of these coolers right now, I think you will be much happier in the long run if you save up and buy a rotomolded cooler a little later rather than buy a cheaper cooler now. A good YETI or RTIC cooler will last for your lifetime if you take care of it.
Weight
How much the cooler weighs matters a lot. Some of the large Rotomold coolers can weigh over 100 pounds when fully loaded. These are not the easiest coolers to handle. Before buying the largest cooler that you can afford, think about where and how you will use it.
You should not buy more than you need. You don’t want to have to haul around a large heavy cooler, when a smaller one will work just fine for your situation. Or buy one with wheels so you can haul if farther with less effort.
Wheels or Not?
Thinking about how heavy a 50 quart rotomold cooler can be should make you consider buying one with wheels.
Wheels make it much easier to transport a large heavy cooler around. They are great for camping trips, beach trips, or picnics in the park where you need to take a lot of stuff.
That said, if you do not have a clear path to follow and are constantly battling obstacles, these can be more trouble than they are worth.
Size
I would think this would go without saying, but I am going to say it anyway. You should not buy a huge 70 quart cooler if you only need a cooler for day trips. Match the cooler you buy with the purpose. You also need to consider storage space at home and in your vehicle. Large coolers hold more, but they take up more room at home and in your car.
One downsides to many rotomolded coolers is the stated capacity is not the actual capacity. For example, a 65 quart YETI actually holds closer to 56 quarts while the Pelican 70 quart actually holds 70 quarts. It depends on whether the brand uses the outside or inside dimensions for the calculations. Double check before you buy to know what you are getting.
Bear Resistance
Many of you will not need this or care about this. If you regularly or are planning to camp in bear country, you need a bear rated cooler to keep food in.
Many of these coolers are bear rated. Check with the manufacturer to make sure. You want to verify they are rated by the IGBC (Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee).
You will need to check if you need to purchase extra accessories for the bear resistant rating. YETI coolers need to use two locks to keep bears out and these are sold separately.
Ice Retention
This is one of the main reasons, if not the main reason, people by Rotomold coolers. They are fantastic at keeping cold things cold. For the best ice retention buy a larger cooler. They will keep food colder for longer.
You want to look for a gasket. A freezer grade gasket is better. This is the secret sauce for the coolers. The gasket is what creates the seal between the body and the lid. This prevents cold air from escaping and hot air from getting in. The better the gasket the longer the cooler will stay cold.
Take the ice retention claims of manufacturers with a grain of salt. Most coolers will actually get between half and three-quarters of the stated amount. The main reason is the manufacturers test their coolers in ideal conditions.
In the real world you will have varying outdoor temperatures, sun exposure, how much ice you put in the cooler, how many times you open the lid, and many other environmental differences.
Drainage Plugs
This is a small matter but one that can cause problems for you. Coolers need a drain plug. Well, large coolers need a drain plug.
Without a drain plug you will need to flip the cooler over to drain any water out. This is easy for say a 24-quart YETI roadmaster.
You simply empty a few cans and then flip it over. It is much more time consuming to unpack a 70-quart cooler, flip it over to drain the water, and then repack it so you can haul everything out.
I promise you, you will only do that once before making sure any cooler you buy has a drain plug. Also, look for a drain plug with a leash to prevent losing it.?
Service Life & Durability
The best rotomold coolers are essentially indestructible and they will last for years if you take good care of them. You could even leave it to your kids as part of your legacy. The key here is to take care of it. Follow the maintenance routine recommended by the manufacturer.
These coolers are made from a single piece of plastic resulting in no seams and fewer stress points. This and the thicker walls mean the cooler can take one heck of a beating and keep on going.
Wrap up
You will never go wrong buying one of these coolers. They are durable and well built and with proper care they will last a lifetime. They will keep your food and drinks cold or they will keep your food hot for days.
The performance is light years ahead of any other kind of cooler on the market today. In my opinion, and of the best rotomold coolers are worth every penny you pay for one.
