The Esky 85 qt cooler from Coleman   (MSRP $409.99)

Product information from the Esky website:

Performs during a long weekend in the wilderness.
Tough, scratch-resistant exoskeleton with non-skid feet.
Durable, large-knuckle integrated hinges with stainless steel pins
Catch-free, rubber latches are recessed to help stay securely fastened.  Liner and cutting board contain antimicrobial additive that resists odor, mold and mildew.  Dual drains for easy draining from a standard hose or fast 2-in. gate mouth.  Air flow barrier with gasket seal, cork fit lid and liner ridge for extended ice retention.  2.5-in. lid and floor insulation and 2-in. sidewall insulation.  Built-in UV inhibitor helps protect your cooler from the sun’s damaging rays.  Lock slot and tie down points keep your cooler secure.  Integrated cutting board, fish ruler and dry storage basket. Rope handles with durable soft-touch grips.  Dry ice compatible.

Dual reversible, skid/anti-skid pads
Rugged, wide grip, integrated handles accommodate large gloved hands, and double as tie-down loops
Insulated with 3” foam in gasketed lid and 2” foam in the body
Boasts 7-day ice retention at 90°F*
Cool Riser Technology™ offers an elevated design to promote airflow underneath for improved cooling performance
UV inhibitors and infrared technology protect cooler against sun damage
All stainless steel hinge pins and hardware
Flexible yet durable rubber latches with finger grips
Integrated fish keeper scale measuring tool on lid
Constructed of ultra durable rotational-molded polyethylene
Raised, textured work surface on lid
Oversized tethered drain plug for easy draining and cleaning
Dual lid locks for maximum security

This test started off like our last test: we filled all of the coolers completely up with ice so we had to push the lids a bit to get them to close.   They were set out so that they all received the same amount of direct sun and very little shade all day, every day during the test.   We monitored the coolers as the test was progressing and kept track of how long each cooler took for all of the ice to melt off.    It took 2 weeks for the last cooler standing to loose, its ice!   The daily high temperatures ranged from a low of 73 to a high of 89, with a daily average temperature of 78 degrees.   

Before I start going into all the details of the test I want to point out a few things.  First, there are parts of this test that are not things that would normally happen in the real world.   For example, no one leaves their ice chest out in the direct sun all day every day.   On the other hand, while ours were out in the sun all the time, they were not being opened and closed all the time like they are when your using one on a trip.   The point of the test was to see which cooler had the best insulation and retained its ice the longest, and thats it.

From our past test we had figured a few things out about the coolers.   We noticed that after they had been sitting in the sun a bit, you could tell right away which coolers had the better insulation because they became hot to the touch.   Why?  Because the coolers with less insulation were bleeding the cool through the container cooling the outside of the cooler, while the ones with the better insulation locked the cold in and became hot to the touch on the outside.   This was the case this year also, and the coolers that felt cooler to the touch were the first to drop out.

With the temperatures being not as hot as they were last time, even the first cooler to drop out lasted a week.   The Igloo Max Cold was the first to go, lasting one week from Sunday to Sunday.  

The second cooler to run out of ice on Monday afternoon was the Igloo STX Super Tough, lasting 8 days.   The Super Tough has a bright orange interior and the most comfortable handles in the test.   The handles have a soft rubber grip on them that even when it was full of ice made it comfrotable on the hands when we had to carry it around.

The Coleman Xtreme 6 was the third cooler to run out of ice on Tuesday afternoon lasting 9 days.   

Right behind was the Engel, running out of ice on Wednesday morning just a few hours behind the Coleman.   This is very similar to our last test also, the Coleman was right behind the Engel and Yeti coolers which were too close to call.

 

The Coleman Esky cooler ran out of ice mid day on Sunday, two weeks after the melt down started.   

So lets take a clooser look at the Esky cooler, which was the ice retention winner in our test.   First thing you need to know about this cooler is that its a BEAST!   Its big and heavy and obviously very well insulated, but it also has some neat features.   We liked the rope handles, they seem tough and should hold up in the long run without fear of them breaking off.   The cooler is a brute!   You and a friend can use it to sit on around camp without fear of the lid caving in or breaking something, your not going to hurt it!   The lid is lockable, so if you want to keep critters or pepople out you can add a few padlocks and keep it shut.   There are also places on both sides you can strap it down from, so if you need to keep it from sliding around the back of your truck its not a problem.   The only think we could find issue with on this cooler was the drain plug.   It has a super large drain so you can quickly drain it and a smaller drain in the center of the larger one that has a hose thread so you could leave it in the back of your truck and run a small hose section to keep it drained if you wanted to.   The drain had a slow drip that we could not get to stop.   Not enough to be a major problem, but just enough to make it damp around the area all the time... more of an annoyance sort of thing.   The Esky also comes with a cutting board that hangs on the inside of the lid and a metal basket to keep smaller items out of the ice and water in the bottom of the cooler.