Coleman Steel

(I left a shorter review of this cooler earlier, but after further use wanted to return to leave a more comprehensive review.)INTRODUCTIONI purchased this cooler on the recommendation of a friend who had several at a tailgate party I attended. After searching around for the best price I settled on purchasing the green colored cooler (which was the cheapest at the time) from Amazon. As a prime eligible purchase, it arrived two days later in perfect condition. Absolutely no dings, scratches, or dents like other reviews mention. It was perfectly packaged in factory boxes.APPEARANCEThe cooler is plastic encased in steel. The colored portion you see is steel whereas the white portion is plastic. Some people seem to believe this cooler is all steel. It is not. It is steel belted as the description clearly states. The latch is metal and plastic. The handles are also metal but with plastic grips. The cooler's appearance is stylish. Also, there is NO bottle opener on this version of the cooler. Some reviews allude to the presence of a bottle opener on the outside of the cooler. There is certainly not one on the version I ordered.FUNCTIONALITY AND USEHands down this is the best cooler I have ever owned. I take a lot of road trips and travel a lot for work and used to carry along an old generic plastic cooler with me to keep snacks, water, and soda. This cooler has replaced my old beat up travel buddy. It fits nicely in the back of my Ford Escape and has more then enough storage space for meats, cheese, bread, yogurt, fruit, beer, and ice. I can stock it with enough food for a 3-5 day trip easily. The cooler keeps ice for about two to three days outside of extreme temperatures. Two or three two liter bottles of ice are enough to keep everything cold for at least 2 says. If necessary, the ice can be supplemented with a bag of two from the motel to get you through the last day or two of your trip. I do not use the chemical ice packs (except one small one, see below), but they might last a little longer.Now just one thing to consider before you purchase this item. The cooler can get heavy especially when fully loaded. Of course it depends on what you put in the cooler, but I have loaded mine up to what was probably more then fifty pounds. That can be a lot of weight to carry especially longer distances. Unless you are a large burly man don't plan on carry this cooler, fully loaded, around all day long. (The plastic grips do a good job of stopping the handles from cutting into your hands when carrying and it is on the heavy side). To get around this limitation, I keep a small cold pack in the cooler and a small insulated bag I got as a freebie at a convention. Whenever I need to take something from the car to a different location and do not want to lug the entire cooler I just place what I need in the insulated bag with the cold pack.TIPS1. Don't waste your money buying bagged ice at convenience stores. Fill recycled two liter bottles 3/4 way full of water and freeze them. Use these bottles as ice packs. It will not only save you the mess of melted ice, but also a few dollars because you won't have to buy ice.2. Make sure to chill everything that will go in the cooler at least overnight. This will help extend the life of the ice in the cooler.3. It is useful to keep something like a bottle opener or cork screw in your cooler. Even a small folding knife can be a lifesaver when you need to cut open a package or some food.CONCLUSIONThis cooler is well worth the money. Yes, you can find cheaper alternatives in stores and online. But, the value of this cooler cannot be surpassed. You may save a few dollars by buying a generic plastic cooler, but those savings will quickly be lost with all your ice purchases and loss of food due to heat.

I absolutely love this cooler.

Nice cooler, use it when I go camping, it will hold ice up to 3 days as long as it's not in the sun. It seals well and is the perfect size for me as an older person. Definitely a good value for the money. Would buy again.

Awesome Coleman Bran. Great size cooler. This Cooler will keep you items cold for abou 3 days. And I live in Phoenix metro.I rated a 4 star for a couple reasons. 1- the handles need some extra cushions. 2- I Ordered red,they sent silver.3- they sent another tipe of Coleman, a little different, but this went my way,this one,has a bottle opener. My parents had a green one .It lasted for over 20 + years. Updated on 02/04/25 I still wish, I had red one. Ok, I used the cooler for work , it works great a couple of dents later, which add Character. Some negatives, I work night shift, the inside is black, Yep ,I couldn't see 👀 the inside. I bought a light for the inside, it didn't work to good, it didn't stick. Sow I made sure ,I had a flash light with me. Sow Coleman should add a real thick rubber to cover the handles, and a suitable light, for the inside of the cooler. And test it all. Coleman thanks for this Cooler. I purchased a couple of rubber grips, they didn't stay. Sow, I used Ducktape and taped the rubber hand grips. It works great. Thanks you all.

I bought this as a gift for hubby. I put a nameplate on it, a couple of chrome decals denoting his favorite football team & he LOVED it. He wouldn't keep it on the back of the truck, because he didn't want it scratched or stolen. So he put it in the cab of the truck. Now, reasonably, because it's been triple digits this summer, that could be why it's not holding ice. It could also be because it's inside the cab where those triple digits get higher, that the ice melts quicker. Hubby says his old cooler kept ice longer.It's a beautiful cooler. I am not going to remove stars because ice is melting when the temperature is at 110°F outside and 150°F+ locked in a a truck cab.Husband is obviously wanting a new truck with a refrigerator capability. I see through his "scheme".

I have used these coolers for years and they better or as good as yeti if you precool the cooler as described in the yeti materials they are just as efficient at keeping ice and much lighter recommend the product and seller

Perfect size to pack and store food for a week. Ice stays good for 4 days and only need to supplement with a small bag of ice for another 1-2 days. Great size and side handles are sturdy for easily carrying to/from the car. The front lock seals well to hold in the cold. This is our 3rd Coleman cooler like this. Easy to get replacement parts for lock, handles and drain. Highly recommend!

I did my research, and the Coleman 54-Quart Steel-Belted Cooler kept coming out on top. It isn't the largest or least expensive offering, and it isn't rated to keep things iced for more than four days. However, it is built like a tank with tough metal components and hard shell, and it does keep things iced for at least 3 days (dependent on usage). My candy red model arrived with a tiny cosmetic ding on the front, but was otherwise unblemished. The hinges, handles and lock are all constructed from sturdy metal, and the cooler feels as if it were built like a tank. It has a black, plasticized bottom that keeps it from sliding around and scuffing whatever surface it is placed on. The floor of the cooler features a channel for optimal drainage of melt water via the plug on the bottom right side.I just got rid of a bunch of older coolers that had outlived their usefulness. This is a perfect replacement. It is tough enough to handle use and abuse during road trips, and is a welcome addition to my hurricane season preparedness equipment. If you want a sturdy cooler built with premium components that keeps your food and drink cold for more than a couple of days, this vintage-styled Coleman is worth checking out.~ Kort