Lifetime 55 Quart Cooler Test - How does it hold up under real world testing
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- Headed out on some camping trips and wasn't going to be able to use my Dometic so we bought a new cooler. We chose the Lifetime 55 Qt cooler because it looks like it holds ice for a long time and is a fraction of the cost of a Yeti or other high end rotomolded coolers. But how will it do in real world conditions of getting in/out of the cooler regularly? Let's find out. To jump straight to the specs and testing, go to the 4:00 min mark.
I chose the lifetime cooler over the ozarks because it's made in the USA, and it's time we all start to choose made in the USA when you can time to support our neighbors and friends to hopefully maintain decent jobs
That was one of my deciding factors as well. I wanted a quality performing cooler that was made in the US and not at an overly inflated price. The Lifetime fit that bill very well.
I have the lifetime 28 and will be picking this one up based on your review. I totally agree about buying USA made products. Yeti’s r way overpriced and made overseas!!
This is a the REALEST cooler review that I’ve ever seen great job I spent many many hours looking at cooler reviews trust a ton of videos cus it took me a while to get my coolers I got 1 Otterbox venture 45 and 2 RTIC coolers. This is the best review I’ve seen
Glad you liked it and thank you for the positive comment.
Thanks for taking the time for this detailed review. I’ve debated several coolers with the lifetime being high on my list. This review really provided the answers I was looking for. Keep it up!
You are very welcome. Thanks for watching the video.
After viewing and reading lots of reviews on coolers, your video made my decision easier. Going to pick one of these up soon.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching the video.
Thank you for giving the test I've been looking for.
Thanks for watching
thanks for doing this review, i saw this ar walmart today and needed a well thought out review.
Thanks for watching.
Oh look, actual stuff in a cooler not just ice and a bottle of water. Great job buddy. Just might have to pick one up.
Yep. That is exactly why I did the video. The other type are good because it does set a level playing field to compare coolers head to head. They just don't give you an idea how it will do as real people would use it. So far, very pleased with it, but a second, smaller one to go with it so I have one for drinks and one for food.
*great test thanks for sharing very helpful*
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts.
thank you so much for the detailed review
Thanks for watching
Pretty solid cooler, great test/review, and made in AMERICA! I'm picking one up this morning.
Hope you enjoy it!
@@RoughRidersTV so far so good. I'm on day two.
Great review I’m a young guy looking for a great cooler in a good price range. Going to get me this cooler thank you!
You are very welcome. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.
I have two Yeti coolers and I also have the Lifetime 55 Cooler. As long as you prechill this cooler and freeze as much food as possible, the ice retention will last 4-5 days. This cooler is by far the best value for the money!!!
I've gone 7 days and still had most of the ice left. It's a great cooler for the price for sure.
Very well done review. Thanks.
Thank you for showing the leak test. Noone wlae dkes thst for some reason and inhabe been searching for it on this specific cooler too..
Great review, thank you
Thanks for watching!
Great review.. thanks! im buying one
Glad I could help. We liked it so much, we bought a 2nd, smaller one for short trips. Enjoy the cooler.
You should use block ice and keep the drain plug open, that's best if you have mainly groceries. Love the video.
Really nice and thorough review. You have made my mind up in getting the Lifetime 55q (I literally just ordered it online from walmart and will pick it up tomorrow). I was going to go with the Kong Cooler 50q for approximately $300. I can see going with something like Yeti or Kong if ur going to be off grid for a long period of time--a week or more. However, if ur going to be camping in state parks or within civilization, I can't see spending 3xs the money. thank you, again.
It's a rock solid performer at an incredible price. You might see an extra day or 2 out of a high end roto cooler but as you point out, the price point makes it hard to justify. I am very pleased with the cooler. Thanks for watching the video.
The yeti doesn’t hold ice as well as this cooler
I just bought 1 at Walmart for $133 today because it's made in USA before watching your video and glad that I bought it and watched your video
It's been a great cooler for us. Still use it frequently.
Great real world review. Its been a rough year for me and coolers. I've had two of them stolen this summer and was in need of a replacement.
Wanting a little higher end cooler but not wanting to spend alot of money for a yeti. I saw Walmart had the lifetime coolers on sale for $129. I picked one up and looking forward to using it next season in the boat.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video.
I didn't see any beer, had a lot of fruit and he forgot ice? How can we trust this man?
I was looking at one of those and the Ozark Trail last week. I prefer a fridge, but that's not always an option.
It held up well for both trips. For $97, it was a worthwhile buy.
This I am excellent review! Very helpful. I was curious about this blow molded cooler. Especially for the price.
Thanks glad to help
I like the 77 quart lifetime cooler box
Looks like a good cooler and a great price. It's overkill for just my wife and I but I could see on long trips with bigger families, it would be a great solution.
Very nice review. I want it, only problem that keeps me from buying it are the handles. Like you, I do not care for them at all. But great review
Thanks. For the price it is a really good cooler.
About to head out on a 10-day camping trip with my family of 6 and the fridge in our camper just isn't big enough. Thanks for the great review. This is what we'll use for the first five or six days and then we'll use the fridge.
Enjoy your trip. Thanks for watching.
I purchased an igloo cooler that said would keep ice for a few days. Took it out on a route on my sxs and by the time we got to camp it was nothing but water. I'm looking to upgrade to one of these instead.
It really does work great. We liked it enough to buy a smaller one for drinks and short trips and it works great too. Well worth the money.
Is there a difference in the old model and the new model, I notice the rubber seal is mounted on the top on that one?
Yes, they made some quality improvements in the manufacturing process and moved the seal to the top. I don't know that it improved performance but it did fix an issue they had with the lid warping on the older models.
Do you know if there’s a way to strap/tie down these coolers to the floor of a boat? This is the only thing holding me back from getting one in 77 qts.. I wish they had holes like the Yetis up top to put straps through..
Not sure what kind of boat you are talking about or what kind of conditions you will run into on the water. I have a 23' open bow I/O and don't really have tie down points in the boat. But when I put this in the back near the motor, it doesn't go anywhere. If I load it up and put it up front in the bow, it still doesn't move much and helps me plane out quicker. However, drinks inside get shaken up quite a bit in choppy water. When loaded, these things can get heavy. Now, if you need to tie it down, you could probably do something with the strap handles. However, they didn't build in tie down points which would be a nice feature.
Rough Riders I have an inflatable boat which has an aluminum floor in sections. I understand the items inside the cooler are going to move around, not really concerned about that, but I was planning on tying down the cooler and the Lifetime cooler offers no real good solution to do so. Yes, the handles could probably work but will not be firmly secure, specially on top of an aluminum floor which will make it slide easier. I could always come up with ideas to tie it down I’m sure, just saying I wish Lifetime would include holes/gaps on the sides up top like other coolers making it much easier to attach it to a truck’s flat bed or a boats floor. I found a really nice tie down kit on Amazon but I just don’t have where to put the straps through in the Lifetime cooler. It’s a bummer because I really like it.
I freeze 2 liter bottles to use as ice in my coolers. It keeps your food dry and you can just freeze them in your freezer. Fill them up, squeeze a bit out to allow for the expansion and pop them in the freezer. No need to buy ice. Anyways, will this cooler take a 2 liter bottle standing up? IE, standing one up in each corner? Four 2 liter bottles of ice gives you 18+/- lbs of ice.
I don't have any 2L bottles to try so I'm not sure. I think it would be tight. The interior depth is 12.5 inches. From what I find online is that 2L bottles can be 12-13 inches. So I guess depending on the bottle size, it may or may not fit. Probably the easiest way to confirm is stop by a Walmart with a grocery section as they will have both the cooler and the 2L bottles.
@@RoughRidersTV Ha, good idea. Thank you.
I love the rope handles. much easier for me to carry a heavy cooler. I know this is an ice test. do you use frozen jugs? I use jugs. I get excellent refrigeration on 10 day outings. keep a heavy blanket over the top for added measure. I like ice cubes for drinks, but everything else is block ice in jugs
Sometimes I use frozen jugs, depends on how much food, etc. I am bringing. This past weekend I did a quick trip the mountains and had a frozen water jug in there along with cube ice.
@@RoughRidersTV 👍
I laid this same, size and brand, cooler down in my trunk thinking it sealed. lucky I had one of those rubber mats in there. It was a small lake
Yep. Not a perfect seal. That is why I did the leak test…it’s pretty good but not perfect. I can see how over time it would creat quite a puddle.
Any tips for securing from theft? I was solo camping and moving it around in my small pickup. My back was bothering me from the cold weather. I am trying to come up with a solution. The only thing I can come up with is lock the front and run a cable through it and secure to the wheel or a tree ?
I think that is one of the challenges with this cooler. There is not an easy way to secure it from theft. Part of the reason I chose this one over the other rotomolded coolers was that it was relatively cheap in comparison and easier to replace if stolen. But that still leaves you without your food, etc. I would agree, a steel cable locked at the front opener may be the only option.
Run a lock through the bottle opener and lid then attach cable lock
Bicycle cable lock. 10$ to anything even your cars wheel
The rear side of the gasket is open and you can fix it by adding a piece of foam in the little hole...
Thanks for the tip.
I bought mine at Walmart last night for $119. Who knows what one will cost next year.
Yep, everything is going up. Hopefully the economy stabilizes soon.
Went down to $108!! Just bought one
August 2023 and is now $129
I just paid $129 today.
I just bought the same cooler, but the one with wheels and handle. It was $154 at Walmart.
👍
I can't find a wire basket to fit mine...
Very interested in the cooler but I'm just terrified of the reviews saying that it eventually warps and loses it's seal.
Thanks for the comment. I will certainly keep an eye out for that. The plastic is a softer material than the roto molded coolers but I don't see it warping anytime soon. I suppose if left in the sun for days on end, it could. The way I'm looking at it, even if it did, I'm only out $97 and at that price, I can buy 3 for the price I would pay for a Yeti or Orca cooler. So, depending on how long it would take to warp if it does, it may still be cheaper than buying a roto cooler. Though, the cooler I need that fits in the galley of my trailer is an Orca because they have the right size that fits nearly perfectly. Unfortunately, it is very pricey at$240. So it will be a while before I plunk down the money for that small cooler.
You can call LifeTime about it and they will give you a new one.
@@RoughRidersTV Jay, which Orca size will fit in our CampInn galleys? It's hot in Texas, so I don't want to go out in the garage & measure. lol
@@mccjmj It was the Orca 26 should be nearly a perfect fit. I will double check my measurements in just a bit but pretty sure that is the correct model. If wrong, I will leave another comment. I plan on eventually getting one for drinks and then use the lifetime for foods.
Lifetime redesigned the lid and gasket on the 55. Liked the flex too.
Held better then my coleman. 2nd morning at camp and my beer is floating in cold water in the coleman. I was gonna get a rtic, think ill get this brand now. Made in usa makes it even better. ( coleman is a 38qt cooler, not rodo mold or how ever ya call it )
Yep. This holds up pretty good. I also like it is US made. It's not perfect but it's very solid for the price.
How can I send you a video of my warped lid and failed latches
I heard they had some problems with the earlier designs. So far, no issues with mine at all.
I was going to buy one but...according to many reviews the lids on these coolers are suppose to warp after a few months. The company even admits it. They have a fix for the warp. They say it on it's back in the sun to fix the warp to the lid. Reviews say the fix doesn't work. Sides are also supposed to warp.
Hmm, I've had mine for 3 years now and no warping issues at all. I have 2 of them and neither have had any issues. I did hear that the early production units had an issue but mine hasn't. They have held up great for 3 years now.
Thanks for your information. Today I went to the lifetime site and read several reviews, recent reviews, complaining of warped lids and sides. @@RoughRidersTV
@@Tinstared It could be that I don't leave mine in the sun when I'm using it. In hot weather, I tend to try to keep it in the shade and keep it covered with a wet towel to help prolong the ice. Perhaps that is why I haven't had any warped lid issues.
I’m using this right now and the ice only last 2days real world with 6 people using it
I'm not sure what to say. I didn't do anything special. In the weekend case, it was easily 90 degrees out side, I was coming and going, did not keep it in the shade nor do anything to try and extend the ice retention and I still had a ton of ice at the end of day 3. In my trip to Yellowstone, again, nothing special. I did not add any ice, now it did sit in a bear box so it wasn't in direct sun but the bear box was a dark brown box that did get direct sun so it was a bit like an oven when it wasn't shaded. Again getting in/out of it all week and I still had most of the ice at the end of that weeklong trip. I will say the temps were milder than the weekend trip so that probably helped some but the cooler did awesome for me. It still does on every trip I've had it out since the initial review.
Lid warped on mine customer service is great sent me another cooler
Good to hear. I am under the impression that they redesigned the lid to address warping issues. However, it's good to know they stand behind their products. Thanks for sharing.
How is it holding up after a couple of years? ICAN'T BRING MYSELF TO SPEND $400 ON A COOLER.
Still holding up fine. I haven't had a lot of time to camp this year but it's still solid as the day I bought it.
@@RoughRidersTV Based on your review, I bought the 55Q unit at WM. They are $107.99 now. Haven't used it yet, but the build looks very solid. Thank you for the experience!
WalMart I went to today had these for 99.00$.
Good to see that the price is holding steady. It was almost a year ago when I bought mine.
our yeti 65 kept ice and our food for 5 days after hurricane irma
Yeti's are nice coolers but crazy expensive. I was pretty pleased with how well this worked for $80.00.
@@RoughRidersTV i like lifetime, my yeti is cable locked in the back of my truck, we've had it since just before irma,, that's 7 years ago ?? i wash it a few times a year, florida humidity likes to breed mold, i keep the inside wiped out , we put our frozen in it when we go grocery shopping,
Get some cooler shock and it will do even better.
Thanks. I will have to check those out.
Just bought one my father in law bought one keeps in the back of his truck and he swears by it and it sits in the son all day
A year in and it continues to perform well under various conditions. It's been a good purchase for me.
U tested in 40 degree weather!
Actually, I tested in various temps. While in Yellowstone, the weather was as low as the low 40s but also as high as the mid 80s. The weekend trip was in the 90s and the cooler was in the sun most of the time.
He said Yosemite, and then the next part he said yellow stone ".)
Yep, mixed up the names but did do a review of Grant Village at Yellowstone. I used to live in the bay area and did a few trips to Yosemite over the years. Another great state park. Hiking the backside of Half Dome will wear you out for sure.
My lid warped!
Yes, there was a manufacturing issue on some of the early models. They have since changed the design to eliminate that problem. You might contact lifetime, I think the were offering some warranty replacements at one time.
@@RoughRidersTV is the revised version... still warped
You can get this cooler for as low as $85 on ebay if you live in the states. For that money seriously you can't pass this up
Good tip. Didn't look there but that is a good price for a great cooler. Thanks for watching.
hmmm littile bit disappointed with the leak test
I personally don't have any use cases where its going to get flipped over or anything so it's not an issue for me. For the price, I really can't complain about the quality or performance.
O
That’s not enough ice for that much food.
Actually, it worked fine for the entire trip. Everything stayed ice cold and the ice lasted for the entire time of each trip.
Decent review. Some great information. A major suggestion. I skipped my way through your video because 80% of it was meaningless conversation. Edit your video down to 4 minutes or less - just the valuable info - and people would appreciate it.
Everyone has their own personal style. I tend to provide a bit of backstory so people understand the amount of research I did, why I chose what I chose, etc. However, I know not everyone likes that type of review. I'm just a regular guy review stuff I buy. I don't make a ton of money on the channel nor is that my goal. I'm just trying to help others that might be in a similar situation as myself. Thanks for the feedback.
Lol so if you flip your car I won’t leak much. These videos kill me.
If you're buying those Chinese coolers you need an intervention.
Theses are US made which is one of the reason I chose it.
@@RoughRidersTV one of the reasons I'm considering it. Typically, I don't mind paying a little extra for USA made but in this case I may pay less. Who'd have thought?
@@brassteeth3355 I know, right? It's a decent performer at a fraction of the price of a Yeti. Pretty happy with it still.
Lifetime coolers are junk and warranty sucks
That's not been my experience.
Lifetime Replaced a few of the one's we had no questions asked