A 20-quart cooler is a must-have for all your outdoor adventures. It’s the perfect size to keep your drinks and snacks chilled and will keep your ice frozen for several days. Plus, you’ll be able to find one in the style and color to match your personality. It’s easy to carry around when camping, taking in the rays on the beach, or enjoying a BBQ in your backyard.
So, are you looking for something easy and convenient to keep your drinks and snacks cold? If you are, a 20-quart cooler is perfect for the job.
This article will review the Grizzly 20 cooler, the RTIC 20 Quart Cooler, and the ORCA 20 Quart Cooler. We’ll also take a look at the Pelican 20 Quart Elite Cooler, the Mammoth Cruiser 20, and the YETI Roadie 24 Qt Cooler. Let’s establish which handy outdoor companions may qualify as the best 20 quart Cooler in 2023.
Grizzly 20 Cooler
Specs
The dimensions of the Grizzly 20 Cooler are 20.25 x 14.5 x 14.25 inches. Its weight, when empty, is approximately 16 pounds. With five pounds of ice inside, the Grizzly 20 can hold 24 cans, and if you don’t open it, it’ll keep the ice frozen for at least four days. Some customers have even said it keeps ice frozen for up to seven days in 90-degree temperatures.
The Grizzly 20 has a 2-inch drain and a drain channel for draining it quickly and completely. It has grip feet to prevent sliding, but if circumstances demand, you can slip on the included slick plastic feet covers. The cooler’s molded handles are built-in and part of its dual handle system.
Grizzly 20 Coolers come in 10 colors, ranging from white to seafoam, lime, and coral. You’ll also find the more standard red and orange colors in the range.
Another feature of the Grizzly 20 is the BearClaw™ Latches, which grip hard on the container and keep it securely sealed. The lid is fitted with a silicone rubber gasket, trapping the icy air and keeping ice frozen for longer.
Completing its set of features are the two-inch tiedown holes for easier stabilizing and transporting, and a 17-inch embossed ruler on the lid – perfect for measuring fish. The cooler is also dry-ice compatible.
The Verdict
The Grizzly 20 Cooler lives up to its name. It’s a cooler, first and foremost, with the frills taking secondary status. If you want to keep your food and drinks cold for a sustained period, you can’t go wrong with this product. Ice retention is excellent, with some customer reviews even noting ice in the cooler after a week!
It will never be the lightest cooler on the market though; its manufacturing specs and materials rule that out. It’s a RotoTough™ roto-molded cooler, so it’s a little heavier than most but durable. Very durable!
If you want the Grizzly 20 to work optimally, use tiedowns in the slots provided to hold it in place and make it easier to carry. Depending on your needs and preferences, portability is likely the only fault you’ll have with your new cooler.
The Grizzly 20 Cooler comes with a dry rack and foot covers at no additional cost. These covers are slipped over the cooler’s feet and allow it to slide on smooth surfaces. Its regular, non-slip rubber feet are super-grippy. All things considered, the Grizzly 20 Cooler lives up to its name and great reputation.
In Summary
If you’re looking for a product that keeps your food or drinks icy, this bear of a cooler stays cold through the most stringent ice retention tests. It will deliver exactly what you want – frosty refreshments from within.
RTIC 20 QT Compact Hard Cooler
Specs
At 21.26 x 14.25 x 15.94 inches, the RTIC 20 QT Compact Hard Cooler is slightly larger than the Grizzly 20 Cooler. Its empty weight is 19 pounds, and it’ll easily keep a dozen cans cold with seven pounds of ice. It has a 24-can holding capacity with a sprinkling of ice.
According to the manufacturers, the RTIC 20 QT Cooler has an ice retention of around three days. With 3-inch insulated polyurethane foam walls inside a stainless steel frame, the RTIC 20 is constructed to keep in the cold. This roto-molded cooler is durable enough to double as a stepping stool, tabletop, or cutting board.
The RTIC 20 QT Cooler has molded tiedown holes and rubber t-latches to guarantee the safety of the beverages or food it is holding. Besides being bear-proof, it also has an upright-locking heavy-duty stainless steel handle to make it easier to carry one-handed.
The Cooler comes in three standard colors – white, grey, and tan – and is fully functional for camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities.
The Verdict
What are you looking for in a cooler? You can safely say that the RTIC 20 QT Cooler is bigger than a Grizzly! Does this make it a better cooler, though? It depends on what you need it for.
The RTIC 20 QT Cooler is functional. It isn’t flashy and doesn’t come in many colors, but it’ll keep your beers and meat cold. If you’re using it for fishing, you won’t need anywhere else to prepare your bait or fillet your fish – the RTIC 20’s wide, flat top will have that covered.
And as mentioned, it’s also a bear-resistant cooler, so you can be sure any meat or fish you’re storing will be kept cold, safe, and secure!
It’s not going to be easy to carry, but for the amount it carries, it’s well-sized and compact. Its ice retention doesn’t make it the best cooler around, but it’ll do the trick for those day trips when cold food and beverages are needed. Why would we recommend it? It’s so multi-purpose, you won’t need to bring extra working surfaces along.
In Summary
The RTIC 20 QT Cooler is one tough cooler! As a fishing or camping cooler, it’s one of the best on our list. And it’ll keep your food cold and your beverages even colder, at least until you can replenish its ice stocks in a few days.
ORCA 20 QT Cooler
Specs
The roto-molded ORCA 20 QT Cooler measures 16.38 x 14.63 x 11.25 inches and weighs 18 pounds when empty. This cooler is much the same as the other coolers we’re reviewing in that its ice retention test produced three days or longer results. The manufacturer states the ORCA 20 will keep ice and contents fresh for up to 10 days.
A rubber gasket in the lid assists with the ORCA 20 Cooler’s pressure-injected insulation system to maintain ice retention. It can store 15 small bottles or 18 cans with a generous helping of ice, and it comes with a cargo net where you can keep dry gear.
There are two ORCA-tail design latches on the cooler, its feet are designed as non-slip, and it has a decent drainage system. It also has a stainless steel handle to help with transportation.
The ORCA 20 QT Cooler is made in the USA, and spares are readily available. You can choose from 12 colors, including charcoal, navy, and orange. The ORCA is fairly cost-effective, with pricing below $200.
The Verdict
What qualities are you looking for in a hard 20-quart cooler? We assume that keeping your contents cold would be top of the list, but you would also want storage capacity, portability, and value for money. Perhaps you also want it to be colorful?
The ORCA 20 QT Cooler could be better regarding capacity as it doesn’t have the most outstanding storage area. It is also quite heavy, meaning that you don’t want to carry it too far, although the steel handles mean its weight is somewhat supported.
As for the other desirable qualities, the ORCA 20 QT Cooler doesn’t disappoint. It is one of the more durable roto-molded coolers on the market and will keep your contents cold. Its pressure-injected insulation system and robust latching devices will see to that. As for colors, you’re spoilt for choice, although the colors are more standard than the Grizzly 20, for example.
The ORCA 20 QT Cooler is certainly not especially affordable, so you might want to add this to some of its other less desirable qualities. That’s entirely your choice. It has made our list as it has a full range of colors and does an outstanding job of keeping your food and beverages cold and fresh.
In Summary
If you’re looking for a camping cooler that you’re not going to have to move too far from your site, the ORCA 20 is ideal. It’ll likely keep your stored produce fresher for longer than some other coolers, although its ice retention might not make it the best Cooler for shorter camping trips.
We suggest using the ORCA 20 QT Cooler for longer camping trips where keeping contents fresh, not frozen, is most important.
Pelican 20 QT Elite Cooler
Specs
At 18.8 x 12.6 x 17.7 inches, the Pelican 20 QT Elite Cooler could be deemed one of the smallest coolers on review. It weighs 12 pounds when empty and can hold 15 cans or three bottles with 5 pounds of ice. It can carry up to 19 pounds in ice alone.
The Pelican 20 QT Elite is a compact cooler with several features. The manufacturers describe the cooler as “better than any cold locker, tougher than any icebox,” meaning its ice retention can be held to a high standard. These claims are backed up by two inches of insulated polyurethane in the cooler and a 360-degree freezer-grade rubber gasket in the lid.
Its features include molded-in tiedowns, four self-draining cup holders, and a stainless steel bottle opener. Besides these, The Pelican 20 QT Elite Cooler has an overmolded polypropylene handle, raised non-scratch and non-skid rubber feet, and three-inch locking latches. This USA-made product also includes a fully-reinforced lockable hasp.
The Pelican 20 QT Elite Cooler is available in several color combinations instead of single colors. These include grey and green, seafoam blue and orange, and tan and white.
The Verdict
Out of all these coolers we’ve reviewed, the Pelican 20 QT Elite is close to the best cooler to carry over distance. Yes, it’s smaller than most of the others, but it’s the perfect personal cooler for a weekend hunting trip or a day trip to the beach. Ice retention tests suggest that it’s probably not as good as its manufacturers claim, but it’ll easily give you ice retention to last for a couple of days.
Isn’t a cup holder on a cooler a good idea? The Pelican 20 QT Elite has four, and their self-draining feature makes it one of the best cooler ideas we’ve come across for a while. Going one step further, the Pelican 20 QT has a bottle opener as well. This might seem unnecessary – until you forget to pack any bottle openers before you leave on your trip!
What the Pelican 20 QT Elite Cooler lacks in space, it certainly makes up for in other qualities. Its rubber latches keep out raccoons, it’s easy to carry, and it’s also sturdy enough to sit on. Possibly it could do with a stainless steel handle and could be cheaper for its size, but pound-for-pound, it’s the best cooler in a few departments.
In Summary
Your Pelican QT Elite Cooler will stand out among other coolers due to its colors alone. And you’re likely to move far ahead of those carrying different makes when hiking to the hunt or the beach. This compact cooler is ideal for a short camping trip and makes a perfect personal cooler for an outdoor adventure too.
Mammoth Cruiser MC20 Cooler
Specs
The Mammoth Cruiser MC20 Cooler has dimensions of 17.5 x 10.5 x 13.2 inches and can hold 19 cans, including ice. Its empty weight is nine pounds, with an ice retention duration of over two days.
With double-walled construction, the roto-molded Cruiser MC20 guarantees the freshness of any food content. The freezer-grade rubber gasket in the lid keeps pre-iced beverages frosty for sustained periods, even without ice present. This cooler has a heavy flow system for quick and efficient drainage and is held in position by thick non-slip rubber feet.
Small but rugged, the Mammoth Cruiser MC20 Cooler has a stainless steel hinge system and a durable metal handle. It is extremely portable and comes in three colors: white, tan, and seafoam green. Its manufacturers describe the Mammoth Cruiser MC20 as “the coolest thing since the ice age.”
The Verdict
This is a fun little cooler. At well under $200 in price, the Mammoth Cruiser MC20 Cooler is affordable yet capable of competing with the big boys. It may not be large in stature, but it is genuinely mammoth in functionality.
Mammoth has cut out some of the lesser features found in other coolers to maintain the Cruiser MC20’s reputation as one of the most economical coolers on the market. There are no tiedown slots because you won’t need them – the cooler is so light to carry that you almost feel like you’re carrying a soft cooler when transporting it.
The Cruiser MC 20 Cooler has everything you need in an ice chest for day trips and BYOB parties. It’s not going to keep your drinks cold for a week, but it wasn’t designed to do so. It makes them easy to transport, and it’ll keep them icy cold for the time it takes to finish one and reach for another. Wine bottles will stand upright, and a dozen cans will fit inside easily.
One of the most impressive features of the Mammoth Cruiser MC20 is its heavy-flow drainage system. It’s effortless to release leftover water through its drain plug, and it won’t take forever.
The Mammoth Cruiser MC20 doesn’t come in a vast array of colors, but being showy certainly isn’t of primary concern to its manufacturers. Its function is to hold ice and keep its contents cold while not costing the earth. How many cans does the Cruiser MC20 hold? Enough to have a great day out with friends or family and not struggle to get your cooler to the gathering.
In Summary
If you’re looking for the best value for money in a hard 20-quart cooler, you don’t have to look much further than the Mammoth Cruiser MC20. Although it’s limited in color choices and won’t keep your food and beverages cold for as long as some of the others, it’s so portable. You’ll struggle more to carry many soft-sided coolers! And the drainage system alone is worth your money.
YETI Roadie 24 QT Cooler
Specs
The YETI Roadie 24 QT Cooler has dimensions of 16.6 x 14.0 x 17.4 inches which means it’s pretty compact for a 24-quart cooler. YETI has discontinued the YETI Roadie 20 QT Cooler, so this cooler is the smallest hard cooler in the YETI range. With an empty weight of 13.1 pounds, it still weighs less than the discontinued product.
This YETI Cooler has ice retention that keeps your food and drinks cold for three days or longer. It carries 24 pounds of ice alone, or 18 cans with a two-to-one ice-to-can ratio, and can accommodate a 2l bottle of wine standing upright.
The Roadie 24 QT Cooler is roto-molded, with a thinner construction than the 20 QT Cooler making it lighter to carry. It’s still just as durable and rugged, with a Quicklatch latch design making one-handed access easy. The cooler does not include a drain plug.
You can choose between 13 colors when selecting a YETI Roadie 24 QT Cooler. These include familiar favorites like white, navy, and tan, as well as uniquely named colors like Bimini Pink, Highlands Olive, and King Crab.
The Verdict
Although the YETI Roadie 24 QT Cooler isn’t a 20 QT Cooler in name, its design means it qualifies comparably in every other way. Besides, we couldn’t write this review without including a YETI product!
However, what you gain in capacity with the YETI Roadie 24 QT, you lose in ease of portability. Because it is slightly larger, it is weightier, although it isn’t actually bulkier. For its capacity, the Roadie 24 is surprisingly compact.
Do you want a cooler that doesn’t weigh too much? Do you want your cooler to hold more? Ultimately, as the buyer, you need to assess what you need from your cooler. Whatever you decide, you can be comfortable with the fact that the YETI Roadie 24 QT Cooler will keep your food and beverages ice cold for a prolonged period, and its toughness is second to none.
The biggest snag with the YETI Roadie 24 QT is that it doesn’t have a drainage system, so you’ll need to flip and pour the leftover water out. This isn’t always an ideal scenario, so it’s something to consider in your assessment before you invest in a cooler. It’s also quite pricy compared to many of the other coolers we’ve reviewed.
YETI has an original and colorful range, so if you’re somebody with a penchant for standing out, you’ll enjoy the unique colors that the YETI Roadie affords you.
In Summary
The YETI Roadie 24 QT Cooler is a perfect camping cooler if you’re going to offload and use it close to your campsite. It keeps your food and drinks adequately cold for long periods and can hold lots of it. We’d suggest the YETI Roadie 24 QT Cooler as an option for longer camping trips or backyard gatherings where you’re not going to be carrying it great distances.
How to Choose the Best 20 Quart Cooler
Before deciding which is the best hard 20-quart cooler for you, we’ve got some answers to some of the questions you’re bound to be asking!
How long does the ice last in the cooler?
There is no set determination regarding the length of ice retention in a 20-quart cooler. Manufacturers quote specific standards, like ORCA stating its 20 QT Cooler will keep contents fresh for up to 10 days. The best way to see how long ice will last in a specific cooler is to note the ice retention tests existing users have carried out and mentioned in their product reviews.
According to these, the accepted standard appears to be around three days. Any less than that, and you’ll potentially find a more suitable product available.
Is the cooler durable and able to withstand outdoor use?
You’ll find that most hard coolers are designed with outdoor use in mind. As such, all the coolers we’ve reviewed will withstand outdoor use, although some are constructed to withstand more than others. For example, the RTIC 20 QT Compact Hard Cooler is a bear-resistant cooler, while the Pelican 20 QT Elite Cooler keeps those pesky raccoons at bay.
Please make no mistake; all the coolers we’ve reviewed will offer more protection and be more durable than a soft cooler will be. The environment you’ll be in ultimately determines how durable a cooler you’ll need.
Does the cooler have additional features, such as a built-in bottle opener or drainage spout?
Every 20 QT Cooler has certain additional features, but some are designed with more than others. If built-in bottle openers are essential to you, check out the Pelican 20 QT Elite Cooler. If you’re looking for coolers with sound drainage systems, the Grizzly 20, the Mammoth Cruiser MC20, and the ORCA 20 QT Coolers are worth noting.
Can the cooler hold cans or bottles upright, and how many?
There are several coolers we’ve reviewed that can hold bottles upright. Still, the most notable of these is the YETI Roadie 24 QT Cooler, in which you’ll be able to stand a 2l wine bottle upright, with the capability of holding 18 cans at a two-to-one ice ratio.
The Mammoth Cruiser MC20 also boasts an upright bottle-standing capability and holds one more can than the YETI. The Grizzly 20 and the RTIC 20 QT Compact are both reputed to hold 24 cans, but you need to take the ice quantity you’re packing into account as well.
Is the cooler portable and easy to carry?
Depending on the materials used to construct them, some coolers weigh more than others when empty. The holding capacity also plays a part in determining the weight and portability of a 20-quart hard cooler.
Of the coolers we’ve reviewed, the Mammoth Cruiser MC20 and the Pelican 20 QT Elite Coolers are the easiest to load, offload, and carry. If extra weight is not an option, you should probably pass over the YETI Roadie 24 QT and RTIC 20 QT Compact coolers.
Conclusion
With so many choices available, finding the best 20-quart cooler in 2023 isn’t an easy task. As we’ve indicated in the reviews, certain coolers excel in certain areas but may fall short in others. As a result, every cooler reviewed has its own strong points compared to others.
The 20-quart hard coolers reviewed here are among the best available on the market and your best options for 2023.
