Updated Sep. 05, 2024
The Ninja FrostVault cooler is our favorite summer snacking cooler. It rings up at an affordable price and boasts a dry goods drawer for beach day munchies—but that's not all this ice chest offers.
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Coolers have come a long way. Whereas the clunky plastic options of yore kept their chill for just a few hours, sleek modern coolers (like Yeti coolers) retain their icy contents for days at a time. This is especially important for camping trips or long hours on the beach. Warm sand feels great between the toes, but it doesn’t bode well for keeping non-alcoholic beers and probiotic sodas ice cold. That said, contemporary coolers have one main failing: chilling food without creating a soggy mess. Luckily, the Ninja FrostVault Cooler solves this problem by offering additional features for those who want to take along a few snacks, too.
“I’m in love with the Ninja cooler, which has a slide-out drawer. You can store food in the drawer and ice and beverages in the main cooler,” says Catherine Ward, Prep Kitchen Manager. Like the rest of Ninja’s kitchen lineup, the FrostVault cooler comes from a reliable brand backed by years of solid reviews. However, Ninja’s pristine reputation isn’t the only thing this “cool” cooler carries along with its chilly compartments. Here’s why our expert Product Testing Team awarded this option a coveted spot in their lineup of the best coolers.
The Ninja FrostVault 50-quart Hard Cooler is a rotomolded hard side cooler that looks and feels similar to coolers from other popular brands like Lifetime. Featuring a fridge-temp dry storage drawer, the FrostVault offers a cool, separate place for food and snacks. Because they never come into contact with ice, there’s no danger of soggy sandwiches or damp desserts! It’s available in four colors, including green, grey, blue and white. Each color comes in a choice of two sizes: 30- and 50-quarts.
“You want the beach to be warm, but not your food and drinks,” says Product Tester Annamarie Higley. “This Ninja cooler has you covered with its smart DryZone drawer and above-average ice retention.”
The two-tone look adds a nice flair, and the orange on the drawer lever gives the exterior a fun pop of color. Additionally, the folding latch is easy to use for most folks—nothing like the complicated T-straps that became standardized with Yetis. It’s even lockable to keep bears (and little ones) out. Three layers of insulation ensure that ice stays intact for days at a time, meaning it’s the perfect pick for multi-day excursions and ultra-hot beach vacays.
VIA MERCHANT
With a DryZone drawer and excellent ice retention, the Ninja FrostVault cooler is perfect for a day at the beach.
For our piece on the best coolers, our Product Testing Team tried 12 popular options from familiar retailers, including BruTank and Orca. To thoroughly evaluate the performance of each cooler, the team looked at features, performance, and value. 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.
The DryZone drawer is the big draw of this cooler, and it compliments the overall performance incredibly well. It’s such a smart feature, and we’re admittedly smitten. It’s essentially like having a fridge on your person! Even just from the first five pounds of ice placed in the cooler as part of the “sacrificial” ice batch, the testing team could feel how cool and crisp the drawer was.
“I’m a big-time sandwich eater, and I love that this wouldn’t force me to choose between having hard bread from leaving it packed in ice or melty cheese from leaving it in my tote,” says Annamarie.
The plug is a standard twist-out held in place with a little rubber leash. The water feeds directly to the drainage hole, and a small divot running along the base’s parameter catches any water and motions it toward the drain. In terms of leakage, the cooler does an okay job of eliminating any errant drips. Unlike many of the options we tested, nothing leaks out the sides. All the water that leaked went through the back hinges—something we found pretty standard for most coolers.
When partially filled, carrying the cooler is a one-person job. That said, while durable and rather ergonomic, the plastic handles jut out from the side of the cooler. Our testers found that these extra couple of inches on either side of the cooler made it too wide for most doorways. Taking it inside requires tilting it to one side or turning it sideways—something we found a bit tedious.
One area where the cooler really shines is in its ice retention. By day three, the cooler still had around 20% of its ice remaining. Keep in mind that this will vary depending on the exterior temperature. For our tests, we sat the coolers in a hot car that hit up to 100ºF at its hottest—a rather intense stress test. On cooler days, expect the ice to last a little longer.
It’s also worth noting that, while easy to use, the latch on this cooler is prone to popping open, which could cause problems down the line. We recommend snagging a lock to thread through the latch to keep it safe from wildlife overnight.
Overall, our Product Testing Team finds this cooler to be a very good value. It falls into the lower tier in terms of price, but its ice retention was on par with the pricier options. The novelty and convenience of the DryZone drawer puts this cooler squarely into the “steal” category.
While the Ninja website claims that the cooler can hold up to 80 drinks, we weren’t able to fit more than 76 cans sans ice. We even had to stash a few inside the DryZone drawer to reach that number—something we suspect most folks won’t do. Despite this, 76 standard-sized cans offer plenty of refreshments for most moderately sized parties. Just plan on leaving a little room for ice!
The Product Testing Team has a combined decade of experience testing and evaluating products. We use fair and honest testing practices under controlled conditions for each test. Our team has thoroughly evaluated everything from food processors to ceramic cookware in our dedicated Testing Lab. We also put every product through a thorough testing process that ensures accurate, quality results.
According to our tests, the Ninja FrostVault cooler retains ice for up to three days in temperatures above 100ºF. On cooler days, ice lasts even longer!
The Ninja cooler weighs 28.40 pounds without any cans or ice inside, according to our measurements.
The Ninja FrostVault cooler works similarly to other rotomolded coolers, except it offers a convenient DryGoods drawer that stays cold without becoming wet and soggy. To bring down the cooler’s temperature, we recommend filling it with five pounds of ice before adding your cans, snacks and the rest of the ice. This helps the interior stay chilly for several days.
Snag the Ninja FrostVault Cooler for around $250 on the Ninja website before your next beach day. Alternatively, you can find the cooler at many outdoor retailers, including Amazon, Moosejaw and Dick’s Sporting Goods. While pricey, the cooler rings up at around $50 lower than competitors, making it a total steal for summertime soirees on the beach.
VIA MERCHANT
With a DryZone drawer and excellent ice retention, the Ninja FrostVault cooler is perfect for a day at the beach.
Originally Published: July 24, 2024
