For quite a lot of years, coolers have been all the trend. With about one million choices for what looks as if the identical cooler again and again on the cabinets, how do you even know which one to decide on?
Let’s face it. We’re nonetheless dwelling within the period of YETI. It’s nearly inconceivable to evaluate and even discuss a cooler with out evaluating it to what’s change into the trade’s gold normal for bins that preserve your stuff chilly. If I’m being sincere, it actually will get all the way down to splitting hairs in terms of rotomolded coolers.
I’ve examined plenty of coolers, and for probably the most half, all of them appear to be kind of carbon copies of their rivals, every performing fairly dang effectively. However in the long run, I nearly all the time find yourself tossing one in every of my favourite YETIs again within the truck and hitting the highway.
The Blue Coolers 60 Quart Ice Vault is likely to be the primary “different model” cooler that has carried out simply as effectively, if not higher, than my YETI coolers. It ought to converse volumes that this Blue Cooler has been in my truck mattress for over a month now, being drained and replenished with ice as wanted. I didn’t have the perfect first impression (which I’ll get into later), however this factor definitely hangs with the massive canine, mirrors them, and would possibly even outperform.
In brief: It doesn’t have an attractive title like Roadie or Tundra, however the very completely named Blue Cooler 60 Quart Ice Vault Roto-Molded Cooler With Wheels does all the things your favourite YETI does with a portion of the value tag.
- Collapsible Seize-N-Go Deal with
- All-terrain wheels
- Hermetic gaskets and seals
- Tie-down slots
- Utility port
- Dry ice suitable
- Chrome-plated lockable lid system with built-in bottle opener
- Non-skid ft
- Speedy drain system
- Dry basket & divider-ready design
-
Retains ice simply as lengthy (if not longer) than competitors -
Simple to maneuver round, even when full -
Latches securely -
Good chrome-plated nook particulars -
Launch port for draining whereas closed
-
Plug not connected -
Latches get in the way in which of closing
Blue Cooler Ice Vault Evaluation
I discovered Blue Coolers by probability. After reaching out to Caddis Sports activities about its legacy float tubes, the model nudged me about this cooler model I ought to take a look at. Not one to shrink back from a cooler take a look at/beer-tasting alternative, I obliged.
I had my preconceptions, after all. I figured it could be a barely lower-quality cooler that held ice roughly so long as my go-to model. And when the cooler arrived, I instantly acknowledged it. It was a “… rose by some other title would scent as candy” second.
At first look, disregarding minor variations in colour, branding, latches, and one small further characteristic, the 60 QT Ice Vault with Wheels ($320) seems to be nearly equivalent to the YETI Tundra Haul ($425).
To be frank, I didn’t plan for this evaluate to be a head-to-head, however the manufacturers actually gave me no selection. This isn’t a side-by-side take a look at, however it’s an apples-to-apples comparability.
Almost Equivalent … however Barely Totally different
The general building of the 2 is mainly the identical. It doesn’t take a cooler surgeon to see that.
As an individual with a slighter construct than most, shifting coolers, even whereas empty, is tough for me. Wheels and a stable, drop-arm model pull deal with are large perks for little folks. Plus, they each have bottle openers, “rugged” wheels, and lockable lids.
Now … let’s cut up these hairs.
Latches
The latches are clearly completely different; truthfully, a latch is a latch. The rubber pull-down T-Rex-style latches on the YETI work simply high quality, as do the lock-down latches of the Blue Cooler. The one factor I can say is that the Ice Vault does have a tendency to shut on the latches, whereas it appears the YETI latches keep out of the way in which.
‘Utility’ Port
The Blue Cooler Ice Vault has what’s labeled a “Multi-Use Utility Port,” which appeared odd to me.
I spotted it’s actually an airlock vent. So far as I can inform, it simply helps the factor drain faster with out having to open the lid.
Dimension and Capability
The YETI Tundra Haul weighs 37.5 kilos empty. The Blue Cooler is 1 pound lighter at 36.5 kilos.
In the case of measurement, I needed to do some mathmatizing. Have been all of it metric, it could have been faster. However that is America — we’re gonna do that factor in inches.
Exterior Dimension: The YETI Tundra Haul is bigger general by 4.05 inches.
- Blue Cooler 60 Quart Ice Vault: 26.75″ x 18″ x 17.5″
- YETI Tundra Haul: 28.1″ x 18.6″ x 19.6″
Inside Dimension: The Blue Cooler Ice Vault has extra inner capability. When transformed to quarts, since that’s how coolers are usually measured, the Ice Vault gives an extra 8 quarts of capability.
- Blue Cooler 60 Quart Ice Vault: 20.5″ x 13.25″ x 13″ = 3,531.125 cubic inches
- YETI Tundra Haul: 19.1″ x 11.4″ x 14.1″ = 3070.134 cubic inches
The YETI Tundra Haul is larger and heavier general however has barely much less inner capability.
The Blue Coolers Ice Vault would possibly win this spherical, however is it at the price of holding issues chilly?
Ice Retention: YETI vs. Ice Vault
That’s the massive query, proper? That’s how the cooler manufacturers battle it out.
Blue Coolers calls the Ice Vault a 10-day cooler, whereas YETI says its coolers are good for 5-7 days. These time frames rely upon many variables and more often than not, I’m making ice runs effectively earlier than these days are hit.
What I can say is I truthfully don’t discover an enormous distinction between my YETI Coolers and the Blue Coolers. Each completely preserve issues colder than a budget coolers of yesteryear.
I preserve my coolers at the back of my truck below cowl and within the shade. After per week of utilizing the Ice Vault in 90+ diploma temps, I nonetheless had chilly drinks, chilly meals, and ice.
Drawbacks of the Blue Coolers Ice Vault
It was onerous to search out drawbacks right here. The 60 Quart Ice Vault from Blue Coolers is a superb cooler at an excellent value.
The one large flaw is the drain plug. It isn’t connected, which means I could ultimately lose it. Scratch that. I WILL LOSE IT. Fortunately, the model sells replacements, however dangit, simply connect the stinkin’ factor.
If I’m going to be actually choosy, the latches are inclined to fold in when the cooler is open, which means while you pop the lid down, the latches are in the way in which of it closing. Not a biggy.
Lastly, I can’t say precisely what it’s, however the look or really feel of the plastic physique of the cooler simply doesn’t look as high-end because the YETI. It’s shinier and perhaps not fairly as cool of a colour. I don’t know learn how to clarify it. However that’s it. That’s all I can discover, and it was a attain to search out even these flaws.
Is the Blue Coolers Ice Vault Value Its Weight in Ice?
Sure. Sure. And sure, once more. The truth that the Ice Vault will price $100 lower than its nearly equivalent rival whereas having simply as high-dollar efficiency makes it a no brainer for me. The large disadvantage is that I could dip into a few of these price financial savings to interchange the drain plug, however I may additionally attempt onerous to not lose the dang factor.
In case you want a cellular cooler that may maintain a heap whereas holding it chilly with out paying high greenback, you actually can’t go mistaken with an Ice Vault.