Updated Sep. 05, 2024
This Lifetime Cooler review covers this affordable option. Our team tested against similar (but pricier) picks like the Yeti and BruTank.
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Investing in a good cooler instantly elevates any outdoor excursion or gathering. A heavy-duty chilly chest brimming with bountiful drinks is the perfect way to enjoy a day at the beach, campsite or backyard barbecue. But with the popular Yeti ringing up higher than appliances like our favorite single-serve coffee makers, finding a cooler that keeps beverages below room temperature for hours (or even days!) at a time can get costly. At least, that’s what we thought before we tried the Lifetime cooler.
In our quest to locate the best coolers, our expert Product Testing Team tried 12 of the most sought-after options. Contenders include the fabulous and feature-rich BruTank cooler and the bear-proof Yeti Tundra. However, the Lifetime 55-Quart High-Performance Cooler impressed not only with its ice retention but also with its value. At around half the price of its competitors and boasting some of the best insulation of the bunch, it’s no wonder that this “cool” cooler made our list of the top six best coolers as the best budget option!
The Lifetime cooler is a budget-friendly cooler that retails for around $180. Despite being around half the price of its competitors, it doesn’t skimp on the details or quality. Boasting a five-year warranty and a bear-proof shell certified by the IGBC (Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee), it’s one of the more durable options on the market. Two rubber latches keep it securely closed, and the cooler itself is padlock-compatible for added security when you step away to tend your charcoal grill.
On the rope handles are plastic grips for easy handling, and it’s relatively effortless to maneuver around thanks to its lightweight. While it won’t fit in a Sedan trunk, it offers a fine trade-off with a roomy interior that fits up to 91 cans of beer (or NA beer, if you’re sober) without ice.
VIA MERCHANT
The Lifetime Cooler is just as dependable as its pricey counterparts with a bear-resistant shell, heavy-duty latches and a built-in bottle opener—all under $200.
Our Product Testing Team tried 12 popular options from familiar retailers, including Ninja, Orca and Engel, for our piece on the best coolers. The team looked at features, performance, and value to thoroughly evaluate each. Over the course of a week, the Product Testing Team:
Our Testing Team taped thermometers to the inside of each cooler and tracked ambient temperature/percentages of remaining ice after 24 hours, 72 hours, and 96 hours. We kept the coolers outdoors in a van during the year’s hottest weekend. Temperatures maxed out around 95 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning the temperature inside the van was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit—a seriously unrelenting stress test. We also considered weight, leakage, drainage, capacity, insulation, maneuverability and accessories.
Weighing a modest 23.8 pounds, the Lifetime cooler is one of the more mobile coolers of the bunch. It’s made from strong polyethylene and boasts a stainless steel hinge rod and bottle opener. While we tested the 55-quart option, this particular model also comes in 5-, 28-, 48-, 65-, 77- and 115-quart options. The 55-quart option fits lots of beverages—no need to bring along an additional wine carrier! Each comes in a single shade of utilitarian grey, with a few fun pops of bright blue along the heavy-duty latches and jump rope-style handles attached to each side.
Lifetime labels this cooler as bear-resistant, and we can see why. Of all the coolers we tested, these were some of our favorites. Not only is the construction incredibly durable, but the latches that secure the straps keep the entire thing well-insulated. This is a great pick if you plan on keeping food cool for camping.
Additionally, the interior is incredibly spacious and fits up to 91 standard-sized cans without ice—by far the largest capacity of all 12 coolers tested. No need to skimp on probiotic sodas at the beach! As a bonus, it features a bottle opener that’s easy to use and conveniently placed directly below the center of the lid.
We don’t find this cooler particularly leakproof, as a full stream of droplets streams out of the back and left side of the cooler when it’s closed and tipped. The front and right sides don’t seem as affected. However, this is on par with the performance of all the coolers, even the pricier ones.
A bit more concerning is that this cooler drains incredibly slowly, likely due to the high placement of the drain. It requires an aggressive tip to fully remove all the water inside, which is rather inconvenient. However, given the price point, we find this is something we can live with—especially since this cooler doesn’t feel flimsy or cheap in any way despite the incredibly affordable $180 price point.
“Not many of these heavy-duty coolers carry a price tag below $200. But Lifetime does—and without compromising much of the quality. We were especially pleased with its latches, capacity and bottle opener,” says Product Tester Annamarie Higley.
Our expert Product Testing Team conducts each test in our product testing lab under controlled conditions. The team has a combined decade of experience testing and evaluating products. We’ve tried everything from the best food processors to comparing Shark vs. Dyson vacuums. The team is totally committed to fair testing practices, and we’d never recommend a brand that performs poorly in our analysis.
According to Lifetime, it’s safe to use dry ice to pre-chill your Lifetime cooler.
According to our tests, Yeti offers the overall best ice retention of all the coolers we tested. However, if you’re looking for an option that performs very well and costs less than half the price, you can’t go wrong with the Lifetime cooler.
To get the best ice retention for your Lifetime cooler, we suggest filling it with ice and pre-chilling it before adding your drinks. For our tests, we added five pounds of ice, closed the cooler, and let it sit for around 3.5 hours. After 3.5 hours, 15 additional pounds of ice were added to the cooler for the true ice retention test. Overall, the cooler stayed nice and chilly inside for around three days before requiring more ice.
The Lifetime cooler is available on the Lifetime website and on many other popular merchant websites, including Amazon, Walmart, and Wayfair. It retails for around $180—nearly half the price of its competitors! For those on a budget, this is an incredible option that will last throughout the years without breaking the bank.
VIA MERCHANT
The Lifetime Cooler is just as dependable as its pricey counterparts with a bear-resistant shell, heavy-duty latches and a built-in bottle opener—all under $200.
Originally Published: July 22, 2024
