ENGELENG65 58 Quart High-Performance Hard Cooler and Ice Chest

Originally I was a little over the moon on this cooler based on the build quality and all the videos that I watched of "ice tests" and comparisons. After having the cooler for a couple of weeks, I wanted to update this to be as helpful as possible to potential buyers.Pros:Price compared to the others I was considering (Yeti, Pelican, and K2)Built like a tank. I don't abuse coolers, so I would expect this to last decades.All the materials are high-quality, and the thing is nearly airtight.Truly 65 quarts - so it can hold a lot of drinks, ice, etc.Fairly simple latches that I think are better than the Yeti - can even be used as a bottle opener!Easy to drainNice accessories that don't break the bank (divider and wire basket delivered for ~$40)Good companyCons:Heavy (but all the high-end roto-molded coolers are, so this is not a huge ding specifically against the Engel)Ice retention is good, but for what I need not worth paying so much more for ANY roto-molded coolerPretty bland aesthetically - not much of a wow factor, and if you didn't know you'd think this was just a storage boxDrain plug is not attached - so you have to only unscrew part way (it has holes in the plug so it will drain - so part "pro") or to drain faster unscrew all the way and hope that you don't lose the plugOverall:If you need a cooler for 5+ days and are really an outdoorsman (i.e. week-long off-shore or camping trips), or need something that can withstand a bear attack, this cooler is probably worth it. For me, the cooler is for use in weekend-long softball tournaments for my daughter, or for us to use where it stays in the room at the beach for a 3-7 day vacation to hold drinks, or for other shorter-term uses (parties at my house, day-trip to the beach, day-trip on a boat). The size/weight of any of these type coolers make it something you will want to sit stationary unless you are going to spend a premium on some kind of wheel system or cart. I also tested the cooler outside on my back porch full of a case of beer and ice loaded up to within a couple of inches of the lid. The ice lasted over 3 days before I felt I needed to add a new bag or two, and the water was still cold enough that the beers were still plenty drinkable when I drained it (so probably 4 days before I absolutely had to add ice). This was a more "real world" test where the cooler sat outside in Central Florida heat and got opened probably a dozen or more times a day. In contrast, my 50-quart Igloo with wheels and telescoping handle sat beside the cooler and held the ice for a well over 2 days before I felt I needed to add more ice under the exact same conditions (so maybe 20-24 hours better with the Engel). For my uses, the flexibility and maneuverability of a much cheaper (~$60-$70) Igloo or Coleman with wheels trumps the toughness of all the roto-molded coolers - I just don't need a tank, and can save the extra $200-$300 to buy several of the other coolers and a whole bunch of ice instead. If you absolutely need this kind of cooler, I would highly recommend the Engel for it's price and build/features versus the Pelican or Yeti or other high-end brands. But again, all of these are just overkill for what I really need.

This is the first high end cooler I've owned and the reason I purchased this brand was because of the decent price and the decent reviews. I go camping 2/4 weekends a month and wanted a cooler that would hold ice better than my $30 cooler; to that end, this cooler is a success, but here's what I don't like about it:- The ENG65 claims to be able to keep ice for up to 10 days. My experience is that it holds ice for 4-6 days, depending on 1) how much ice you fill it with (my 4-6 days is based off 30lbs of ice), 2) the temp outside, 3) if it's in the shade or sun- The lid clamps aren't very robust and there are definitely better designs out there in this high end cooler market. The clamps are made of some kind of butylene rubber and they just don't seem very positive. If the cooler sits in the sun and the clamps warm up, they can almost unlatch themselves.- My cooler vacuum locks when it's left in the sun. The first time this happened I thought the lid was warped because the lid wouldn't budge. To "unlock" the cooler you'll have to open the drain spout.- These are highly pilferable which means I'm constantly hiding it in our camper or the backseat of the truck... that's a lot of lifting and fully loaded this thing weighs 80-90 lbs.- Engel brand coolers are made in Taiwan as of the time of this review.My old $30 cooler could hold 30lbs of ice for 2-4 days and I didn't have any of the above problems. I'm not sure that these high end coolers are worth the pricetag, but if you're dead set on getting one then this ENG65 is pretty good.

I bought this cooler for a beach trip. I wanted a nice cooler that would last me quite a bit longer than having to repurchase a flimsy cooler every other year. Before you go any further in this review, get it out of your head that ice will last longer in this than it will in any other cooler. The more you open ANY cooler the faster ice melts. The less you open a cooler the longer your ice will last. During my beach trip I put ice in this thing every day, my family was also opening this cooler every 30 minutes for drinks. Now that we got that out of the way let me tell you why you will like this cooler.Pro's-Extremely Durable-Latching System creates an excellent seal.-The Drain Plug.-Under similar operating conditions holds ice much longer than a cheap cooler.-Easy to use by folks with little arm strength-Fantastic 10 year warranty-$70 cheaper than comparable coolers from Yeti.Con's-Expensive.-Rope Handles can be a little wonky.-Bulky-Heavy when loaded down.The plug design most pleasant surprise of this cooler. It's huge and easy to use. The plug screws out of the drain. The inside of the plug is hollow and has a hole half way down the length of the plug that the water will drain out. You should not need to take the plug all the way out of the cooler. The latches make the cooler easy to open and close. If I made two recommendations it would be, go a little larger than you think you need, and go with a neutral color such as the tan so it's versatile. I absolutely feel like I will get my money's worth out of this cooler and having a 10 year warranty makes it feel like I protected my investment. If you want a good durable cooler that will last this is the cooler for you. If you want something just to hold ice and drinks I'd recommend elsewhere.