REVIEW – The Coolest Cooler is not just a box for ice. It is a 55-quart party cooler that tries to be a rolling bar cart, Bluetooth speaker dock, blender station, phone charger, picnic kit, and beach wagon all at once. The version with the blender, portable Bluetooth speaker, and USB charging port originally lands in the expensive gadget zone at $399.99, and the product details at the end of this post list the price as $449.99. That is a lot for a cooler. You can buy separate pieces for less money and probably get better performance from each one. The appeal here is convenience, style, and the fun of having everything built into one tidy package.
Why this cooler exists
The Coolest Cooler became famous through a huge 2014 Kickstarter campaign, then became just as famous for the delays that followed. The project was so successful that fulfillment turned into a long, painful slog for backers. By the time regular shoppers could buy the cooler, Coolest was still working through orders from people who had waited for years.
That history matters because this product was sold as something bigger than a normal cooler. It was pitched as the cooler that could handle the beach, a boat day, a tailgate, a picnic, or a weekend campout without making you pack a separate pile of gear. The design does cover an impressive number of situations. The problem is that most of the pieces perform around average, and average feels different when the price is close to $400 or more.
The shipping box is large and heavy, with a cheerful quote printed on it. For an early Kickstarter backer still waiting while the same cooler showed up on Amazon, that cheerful packaging probably landed a little differently.
Inside the box, the cooler itself acts like a protective case for the accessories packed into it.
Included in the box
- 1 Coolest Cooler
- 1 Blender Pitcher
- 1 Coolest Bluetooth Speaker
- 1 Speaker Charging Cable
- 1 3.5 mm Aux Audio Cable
- 1 20-volt Rechargeable Battery
- 1 Battery Recharging Adapter
- 1 Power Supply for Battery Recharging Adapter
- 1 Corkscrew
- 4 Hard Plastic Plates/Frisbees
- 1 Ceramic Knife
- 1 Cooler Divider/Cutting Board
- 2 Instruction Manuals
- 1 Mix Master Guide
Specs and hardware
- Cooler
- Dimensions: 26" (L) x 21" (W) x 19" (H)
- Internal Volume: 55 quarts
- Weight Empty: 38.3 lbs
- Insulation: Polyurethane foam
- Battery: Removable 20-volt rechargeable
- Speaker
- Casing: Water resistant
- Dimensions: 5.8" (L) x 1.9" (W) x 3.7" (H)
- Drivers: Dual 5-watt
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 and 3.5mm aux input
- Battery: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion
- Charging: Micro USB port
Layout and build quality
Open the Coolest Cooler and the first impression is that the main body is sturdy. The hardware feels substantial, the lid sits firmly, and the accessories have molded places to live. The downside appears before you add a single can: at 38.3 lbs empty, this thing is already heavy.
The hinges, screws, axle, and other metal pieces are rust-resistant stainless steel. At this price, that should be expected, but it still helps the cooler feel like a premium product rather than a novelty shell.
The left lid has a cup holder and a temporary resting spot for the blender pitcher, which is useful when you are getting ice or ingredients ready.
The organization is one of the best parts of the whole product. The pitcher, plates, knife, corkscrew, speaker, battery, and divider all have assigned storage spots. The seams look clean, the lid is solid, and the wheels feel tight. The telescoping handle is the part that feels less confidence inspiring, and I will get to that below.
Blender setup
The plastic blender pitcher drops neatly into the blender base. It feels secure enough that it does not seem like it would dance around during use, although I still kept a hand on it because it is a blender sitting on top of a cooler.
The pitcher has helpful side markings for drink mixes and ice levels.
The blender is controlled by the red spring-loaded switch on the left side. A magnetic kill switch keeps the motor from running unless the pitcher is seated correctly. There are no speed settings. Pull the switch down and the blender runs; let go and it stops. You can manually pulse it, but that is about as fancy as the controls get.
Speaker and music features
The Coolest Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker is one of the nicer extras. I like its look a lot: rubberized water-resistant body, large easy buttons, and a shiny grille that gives it a retro hot-rod feel.
The back side includes a small but surprisingly capable 2 by 3-inch bass driver.
Once set up, the speaker can link with other Coolest Speakers through Party Pairing so several speakers play the same source together.
The speaker battery is built in and not removable. Its side ports sit behind a water resistant flap.
The ports accept the included micro USB charging cable and the included 3.5mm aux cable, so non-Bluetooth devices are not left out.
Like the rest of the accessories, the speaker has its own storage spot. It slides into the front of the cooler behind a folding panel.
The design lets the speaker travel with the cooler while still playing music from the front compartment.
The panel clicks shut and keeps the speaker from falling out on the way to your spot.
The front bottle opener has a magnetized back plate that catches caps as they fall. It is a small touch, but it is exactly the kind of detail that makes the Coolest Cooler charming.
The included corkscrew stores inside the speaker compartment by sticking magnetically to the inner wall. Coolest also suggests using that magnetic area as a place to hold your keys.
Moving it around
The collapsible handle works, but it is the part I trust least. When extended, it has a lot of play. With the cooler loaded with ice, food, and bottled drinks, one bad twist feels like it could bend or break something.
Owners have also complained that sand gets into the handle sections and stops it from collapsing. Coolest says the looseness is intentional so sand can work its way out. That explanation sounds more like damage control than a great design decision.
The tires are wide and rubberized, and Coolest says they are twice as wide as wheels on most wheeled coolers. On hard, flat surfaces they are fine. On loose sand, owners have not been as happy.
In deep sand, the low wheels are much less useful than the fat balloon-style tires people use on beach wagons.
Coolest answers that complaint by pointing to the sled-like underside, which is meant to slide over loose sand. That sounds reasonable until you are the one dragging a very heavy $400 cooler across the beach.
Food prep and storage
The right lid stores the four hard plastic plates and the ceramic knife.
The rustproof ceramic knife sits in a plastic sheath that is secured by a red plastic retainer.
The knife is very sharp, so it deserves real caution, especially if you have already been using the blender for frozen drinks.
The four dishwasher safe plates slide back into a rubber-lined slot under the lid. They also work as simple frisbees. I was disappointed that my plates were plain white instead of color matched to the cooler like the photos on Coolest’s website showed.
The inside of the cooler is roomier than expected. The wheel wells take some space, and the battery pack under the left lid takes some too, but the 55-quart interior still holds a useful amount.
The removable divider lets you keep drink ice separate from ice used for food. Even with the divider installed, I was surprised by how much fit inside.
Take the divider out and it becomes a cutting board, which is one of the smarter built-in features.
Removing the divider opens up more space for food and drinks.
An LED light inside the cooler helps after dark. Press the metal button under the left lid and the interior lights up. There is an auto-off feature in case you forget it. The odd part is that with the divider installed, the light does not do much for the right side of the cooler, where most drinks would probably sit. It is more useful once the divider is out.
Battery and charging
The 20-volt rechargeable battery sits inside the left lid and powers the blender and USB charging port. Slide the battery into its dock and it is ready. My first full charge took about three hours. Coolest says the battery lasts about six minutes of continuous blending, which works out to roughly 16 pitcher blends of 20 seconds each. In my testing, it came in a little under that, and I was not using the USB port at the same time.
One warning bothers me: Coolest repeatedly says that letting the battery drain completely in storage can cause it to sustain irreversible damage. Since many people only use coolers during summer, it would be easy to put this away after a camping trip and forget about the battery for months. A replacement battery costs $50, so that is not a harmless mistake.
When the battery has power, the USB port on the back of the cooler can top up your devices. The port sits behind a waterproof plug.
The drain for the cooler compartment is on the right side of the interior.
The inner drain is recessed, which helps keep it from clogging.
The external drain plug sits under the cooler between the wheels.
My complaint is that the drain plug has no tether, so it would be easy to lose. That is especially annoying because Coolest tells you to leave the plug off to keep stored food from getting soggy.
Done in One bungee
The Done in One tie-down bungee cord stores inside the telescoping handle area on the back of the cooler.
The cord is long and adjustable, and it fastens around the front face plate.
I really like this idea. It is another example of the designers thinking through how the cooler will actually be used. My only concern is durability. The cord is thin, and I would have preferred something a bit beefier for repeated summer trips.
Performance in real use
In testing, the cooler kept ice cold for about as long as my old Coleman camping cooler. The Coolest Speaker was about as loud and clear as my Echo Dot on tracks like L’Trimm’s “Cars with the Boom.” The Coolest Blender crushed ice about as well as my $17 Hamilton Beach Personal Blender. That pattern says a lot: everything works, but none of the main features outperforms ordinary gear.
Still, the Coolest Cooler looks fantastic. I like the bungee crossing the front speaker panel, which gives the cooler a retro futuristic radio look. I like the big side handles, the wide low-rider tires, and the clean Coolest logo. If you care most about style, organization, and having the gadgets packed together, this cooler has a strong pull. If performance per dollar matters more, you can assemble a better setup yourself.
What works
- Great all-in-one functionality
- Sturdy construction of cooler itself
- Well-designed and intuitive features
What falls short
- Very expensive for what you are getting
- Overall performance lacking
- Pop-up handle feels weak
- Heavy even when empty
Final verdict
The Coolest Cooler succeeds as a stylish, clever, all-in-one outdoor gadget. It keeps food and drinks cold long enough, blends frozen drinks well enough, charges a device when the battery is alive, and plays music loudly enough. The catch is the price. You could build your own version of this feature set for well under $400, and the separate parts would likely perform better. But the do-it-all design is fun, and that is the reason this cooler exists.
Price: $449.99
Product Link: Coolest.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Coolest.
