Ice-Chest Throwdown: 12 Top-End Coolers Ranked and Reviewed | Field

So you ask, "Which ice chest do I buy?" Let me start out by stating that I have an Engel Cooler​, and have been generally pleased with performance. While it was tied for second to the Cabelas Polar Cap in ice retention, ahead of Yeti, the Field and Field & Stream​ criticisms of the latch system are valid. Though I'm not worried about bear, I do stand on my Engel all the time and a latch sometimes comes undone due to compression. This really shouldn't happen. I do not believe any of their coolers are made in America anymore, and I really want to try and BUY AMERICAN whenever possible. This, first and foremost, is why I will likely look at the Pelican in the future. YETI Cooler fans, before you pat yourself on the back, there's a good chance your cooler is made in the Philippines, and you're paying $80 more for a lesser product according to a number of independent testers, so hey, #yeticoolers :) Yeti does a great job marketing, but that doesn't keep ice longer. Another cooler not tested here is RTIC Coolers​, which is making a name on the internet and claiming better ice retention at half the price of many tested in the article below. However, they are made in China, and when I contacted RTIC, found out that you get charged the full price to wait about 135 days to receive an order.  I will say that spending a couple of hundred on a cooler might seem a bit ridiculous to many, but once you have a nice one that holds ice for days, can take the punishment of 260lb. jumping up and down, and doesn't end up brittle and cracked after a season or two, you'll consider your $$$ well spent.  

Ice-Chest Throwdown: 12 Top-End Coolers Ranked and Reviewed | Field