Review of Coolers Made in the USA

Last Saturday, June 20th, at 5:44 pm Eastern Daylight Time, the sun reached its highest point in the sky. This was the summer solstice – the longest day of the year, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.  For the next three months, we’re officially in the good old summertime. Strolling down the shady lane. Sailing up a lazy river. Fishing. Traveling. Grilling out. Chilling out.

But as much as we all love to be immersed in the joys of summer, it’s nice – maybe even necessary – to have a few cubic feet of winter within easy reach. These coolers will supply the arctic environment needed to keep drinks, food, and ourselves icy cold, even in the doggiest of dog days. And they’ll continue to serve us well as the days grow shorter – camping, tailgating, and serving as overflow iceboxes for all the feasts of fall and winter.

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The Elephant – er, Yeti – in the Room

Let’s get this one out of the way quickly. Yeti coolers may be the 600-pound gorilla in terms of what people think of when it comes to high-end ice chests, but their products are not 100% made in the USA. Yeti’s website says that their Tundra coolers are made at facilities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Philippines, so that’s a roll of the dice. To give them an E for effort, their website does say that you can call them if you really want to make sure you purchase a 100% made in the USA cooler, and they will source it for you. However, with all the other great coolers to choose from – often with smaller price tags – you might as well save yourself the trouble. 

Rumor has it that Yeti’s five-gallon bucket is made in South Carolina. If you’re feeling lucky about that, here’s the Amazon link:

Rotomolding: a new spin on an old process

Rotational molding, the process that sets Yeti and the other high-end coolers apart from traditional ice chests, has been around since the 1950s. Polyethylene resins are placed inside a mold, heated, and rotated simultaneously around two different axes. This distributes the resin throughout the entire mold. As an added benefit, centrifugal forces place an extra amount of resin in those areas where shock absorption is most needed.

If Roto is your Goto, but Yeti is a Nyeti, then here are your Affordable Snowmen

The rotomolding process undoubtedly produces some coolers with outstanding insulation properties. That comes with a price – both literally and figuratively. Rotomolded coolers are generally much more expensive than other types. They are also considerably more heavy. The irony here is that the very quality that makes them desirable in remote locations also makes it harder to get them there. When it comes to the Yeti brand, there is also the problem that they are not all made in the USA. However, if you’re really looking for the Yeti experience without going full Yeti on your wallet, then these American-made coolers – representing a variety of sizes – should fill the bill. Just be aware that all of the Rotomolded offerings are going to be more expensive than a traditional cooler.

Bison Coolers

Bison Coolers is a family-owned company and their coolers are made entirely in the USA. They set forth the entire USA production chain in detail on their website.

Bison’s Rotomold line comes in 25, 50, 75 (not shown) and 125 quart models. If you follow the links to Amazon, you can also view the color choices.

All models feature non-skid feet and silicone gaskets that retain their shape and ensure a great seal. Bison reports ice retention in excess of a week when you start with a pre-chilled and full cooler.

Bison’s soft-sided models are also made in America. They’re not going to offer the superior ice retention capabilities of the rotomolded coolers, but they still do a great job. As an added feature, the exteriors don’t sweat.

Cordova Outdoors

All Cordova hard-sided coolers are rotomolded. The company is headquartered in Nampa, Idaho. If you really want to amp up the made-in-America quotient, their website offers even more patriotic choices than are available on Amazon on their Americana page.

Grizzly Coolers

Grizzly Coolers is headquartered in Iowa. All hard-sided Grizzlies are rotomolded and are certified bear-resistant by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. You can download a coloring book from the IGBC in pdf format.

Icehole Coolers

Icehole Coolers is a family-owned business that has been supplying equipment to the military for 35 years. When they decided to start making coolers, they knew they wanted to go full USA and they consulted with customers to learn what they wanted. You’ll need to go to Icehole’s website to order their coolers online.

Traveler: 20 cans of beer, 26 pounds of ice. Six colors

Weekender: 38 cans of beer, 56 pounds of ice. Four colors.

The company also lists a Basecamp (110 quart) rotomold cooler, but there is a broken link on the website.

A portion of every sale goes to veterans, their families, and survivors, so please order on their website if you can. You can also learn about the organizations they support.

Icon Coolers

Icon’s founders grew up together on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. They founded Icon in 2012. In 2014, they stopped importing and began designing and sourcing materials for USA manufacturing.

Some of Icon’s features include:

• Commercial grade gasket
• Tie down and cable lock ports
• All-rubber, flush-mounted pull latches
• Optional cork and rope handles
• Self-draining bottom

The 75-quart model is not currently available on Amazon, but you can order it on Icon’s website.

Kong Coolers

Kong Coolers are made in the USA by Elkhart Plastics, Inc., which has been designing thousands of components for the marine, agricultural, food processing, heavy trucking, and other industries since 1988.

Kong coolers are also certified grizzly bear resistant by the IGBC.

Lifetime Coolers

Lifetime Coolers is part of the Lifetime family, which makes a wide variety of outdoor, sporting, and gardening equipment. The all-American coolers boast these attributes:

• Easy-to-drain spout with garden hose compatibility
• Up To 7-day ice retention
• Stainless steel hinge rod
• Rubber latches, which can be easily opened with one hand
• Stainless steel bottle opener with padlock compatibility
• Dual-purpose grip and slide feet
• Heavy-duty polyethylene construction
• 5-Year limited warranty
• Certified to withstand a bear for up to an hour

You can also purchase a two-pack of the 55-quart model here for a volume discount price.

ORCA Coolers

Through a stroke of luck, the company’s full name is Outdoor Recreation Company of America. It’s kind of a chicken and egg thing – or maybe whale and cooler is the better analogy. The company was founded in 2012 “by outdoor enthusiasts for outdoor enthusiasts” with the goal of creating an American made, roto-molded cooler. They are based in Nashville.

Appearing below is a wide variety of ORCA coolers that are available on Amazon. Besides being bear-resistant, ORCA also boasts of their customizable designs available on their website, with licensing rights from just about every college and professional team.

Orion Coolers

Orion is part of Jackson Adventures in Tennessee. Jackson Adventures manufactures pieces of outdoor equipment, including kayaks.

Winston’s friend Tripp lives in Tennessee on a lake in the Smoky Mountains. Tripp’s dad went to the University of Tennessee and is a huge Vols fan. He has one of Orion’s custom-made “Go Vols” coolers and it is a beautiful orange and white sight to behold, even if my colors run more toward blue, red, and white.

Otterbox Coolers

Chances are you already know of Otterbox from their excellent line of iPhone and Galaxy covers. Their Venture line of hard coolers expands the Otterbox commitment to durability and quality from phone cases and applies it to coolers.

Pelican

Pelican has developed quite a customer base with the military, law enforcement, fire, EMS, government, industrial, energy, aviation, and aerospace industries. Some of Pelican’s qualities include:

• Stainless steel hardware
• Press and pull latches, not rubber
• Raised rubber feet
• Lifetime guarantee

If you’re looking for a roto-molded cooler but also want the mobility of a wheeled one, then this Pelican is the only way to go:

Taiga

Taiga coolers are injection molded rather than rotomolded, but they have additional insulation and are extremely durable. The coolers come with a full lifetime warranty. They specialize in camouflage, and the colors are solid throughout the cooler walls. They also come in white and tan, or you can contact them for custom colors and logos. Oh yeah: a “taiga” is a subarctic forest, in case you were wondering.

Taiga was founded by two retired military guys in Texas. They give a 10% discount to all military veterans if you order on their website, so I recommend that you take advantage of that benefit if you qualify – and thank you for your service. Otherwise, three of their coolers are available on Amazon Prime.

Winston’s Wags and Woofs

If you’re looking for a wheeled, rotomolded cooler, the Pelican is the way to go. If you’re current or retired military, please considering buying directly from Taiga. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with any of these coolers. And you know you’ll always be glad you bought American!