How Long Do Engel Rotomolded Hard Coolers Hold Ice ?

Ice retention is often talked about as a way to measure the efficiency of a high-end cooler. And it is definitely an important factor to consider. However there is no industry standard for measuring it and a number of variables can affect an individual user’s results. Here at Engel, the research – as well as feedback from the field – has shown that our hard coolers retain their ice for up to 10 days.

There are a number of things you can do to retain ice in your cooler for longer:

  • Pre-cool your Engel cooler by leaving a bag of ice (amount of ice varies, dependent on the size of your cooler) for at least 12 hours. Twenty four hours is even better.
  • Always freeze or refrigerate the contents prior to packing your cooler.
  • Pack your cooler as full as possible without over-filling it. This will make the cooler more efficient. Over-filling, forcing the lid down and latching could damage your cooler, but, at the very least could compromise the seal.
  • Make sure the cooler is latched when closed. Keep cooler closed/shut as much as possible.
  • Block ice and dry ice work best for retention.
  • If space allows, pack frozen water bottles throughout your cooler’s contents to provide extra cooling.
  • Leave the excess melted water in the cooler as this transfers colder than the ice left after draining. Drain your cooler and clean it after you’re finished using it.
  • Don’t leave your cooler in direct sunlight.

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