YETI Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler Overview: Handy, Transportable Rolling Cooler

This summer season, YETI expanded the model’s rolling cooler assortment with the wheeled Roadie, an easy-to-transport, well-made icebox.

YETI launched the long-lasting hard-sided Tundra cooler greater than 15 years in the past and has been increasing its lineup ever since, persevering with to ship premium coolers to a hearty fan following.

Now the 2022 Roadie Wheeled Cooler joins the ranks because the model’s second-ever cooler mannequin that rolls, following the 2018 debut of the Tundra Haul Wheeled Cooler.

As quickly as I caught wind that YETI was launching a brand new wheeled hard-sided cooler, I used to be excited to place it by way of check rounds.

With two-wheeled Roadie dimension choices, a 48-quart and a 60-quart, there are formally three selections among the many model’s pull-style designs. This rolling out of doors ice-keeper offers a brand new distinctive form, wine bottle-compatible top, and retractable deal with to the lineup.

In brief: The brand new YETI Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler ($450) is maneuverable, simple to move, and handy for journey, particularly for a single set of arms and journeys to and from the rig and deck or camp spot.

YETI Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler Overview

GearJunkie has examined many gentle coolers, backpack coolers, and conventional hard-sided coolers. Editors have melted numerous baggage of ice within the identify of street journeys, lakeside hangs, and quantitative exams in a managed setting.

The YETI Tundra Haul Wheeled Cooler, YETI Hopper M30 Delicate Cooler, and YETI Hopper M20 Backpack Cooler all topped GearJunkie’s selections throughout the board.

I’ve personally additionally executed in depth testing of the RovR RollR 45-quart wheeled cooler, with an analogous building to the YETI Roadie 48 Wheeled, and the YETI Tundra 45 Cooler, each of which had been high performers amongst dozens of coolers.

The Roadie 48 is an extension of the model’s Roadie lineup, which features a smaller 24-quart cooler with out wheels. I used the YETI Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler for standup paddleboarding and picnic days at a close-by mountain lake, with a 60-minute drive round-trip on 75-degree Fahrenheit summer season days combined with clouds.

I additionally took the wheeled cooler on a weekend street journey within the Colorado Rockies. As I traveled to the subsequent mountain vary and valley over, the temperature rose to 85-90 levels F. I made many pitstops to hike and eat hole-in-the-wall barbecue whereas the cooler sat within the truck mattress of a ’96 Ford F150.

Indoors, I did a managed ice retention check in a room with little to no daylight and average temperatures at 65 levels F.

Right here’s the rundown of how the brand new rolling cooler carried out.

Seamless Retractable Deal with

The periscope deal with is telescopic, so the tubular sections slide into each other. It’s fast, easy, and simple to tug out and click on into place. A easy button lets you slide the deal with again down into itself.

It is a key distinction from the Roadie’s massive, wheeled Tundra Haul cousin, which has a big swinging aluminum deal with that folds flat in opposition to the cooler’s aspect.

The 21-inch arm (from the bottom to the deal with) is lengthy and reaches my ribcage (I’m shut to five’5″). The deal with is extensive at 6 inches with loads of area to decide on the place you place your hand.

In comparison with the RovR RollR 45, the deal with has some variations. The RollR‘s telescopic deal with reaches 23 inches however is narrower at 3.25 inches extensive. The deal with is extra ergonomic with two recesses close to the outermost edges, which is a pleasant spot to set your outer fingers.

I like the sensation of this deal with extra, however people with bigger arms or these sporting dense working gloves would possibly favor the broader deal with of the Roadie.

One enchancment might be made: The bottom of the retractable deal with on the Roadie has noticeable, seen play — each lateral and front-to-back motion — when it’s lengthened.

Puncture-Resistant Wheels

These wheels are a strong plastic mix and puncture-resistant, which I discovered to be true. They roll over gravel and dust simply advantageous. There aren’t any outlined lugs, however there are slight indentations on the outer edges of the wheels.

In distinction, the RovR RollR 45 has strong all-terrain rubber tires with aggressive tread and deep lugs. The tires provide nice traction over ice and snow along with dust, gravel, and rocks.

The most important distinction I felt whereas pulling the YETI Roadie was that it didn’t soak up vibrations as nicely, in comparison with rubber tires.

Snug Aspect Handles

Two easy, deep recessed handles on either side of the Roadie are really easy to slip your arms into. These are good handles to make use of for lifting the cooler right into a truck mattress, again seat, boat, or onto a shelf.

Every haul deal with is sort of 6 inches extensive, so that they’re spacious. The handles are usually not textured nor are there any grooves for ergonomics, however they really feel advantageous to make use of.

Straightforward Latch Closure

In comparison with YETI’s trademark T-handle closures, the Roadie’s quick-latch system required much less vitality to open than tugging the extra frequent rubber latches (as on the YETI Tundra 45 cooler).

On the draw back, these latches pinched my fingers a number of instances once I slid my hand behind the latch to open it — so keep away from that intuition. The latch ends are barely upturned for this objective, so it solely takes one finger to flick these open or closed.

Drain Plug

The drain plug proved to be leakproof even when 100% of the ice melted and standing water sat within the cooler. Nonetheless, this cooler is constructed for dry-ice compatibility, so the lid just isn’t fully leakproof, in contrast to the model’s Hopper Flip Delicate Cooler lineup.

When opened, the plug simply drains water with the cooler sitting upright. After I wanted to empty water even quicker, I’d use the prolonged deal with to tilt the cooler for gravity help. As soon as the water reached a low degree, I’d have to tilt the cooler almost all the best way flat to get the remaining water out.

Inside, there’s an inside recess beneath the plug’s port, which cups the final little little bit of water. It’s pretty simple to dry up any remaining moisture right here earlier than storing the cooler.

Inside Shelf, Equipment

Alongside the inside fringe of the cooler is a rim to carry equipment such because the dry basket, which got here with the cooler. I used the dry basket for carrying ripe Colorado peaches, and it labored nice.

There’s additionally a vertical channel for including a divider ($30), bought individually.

Ice Retention

Testing Situations

I used to be strategic with once I opened the cooler — and I might promptly shut the lid every time. When the Roadie sat exterior, versus saved in a automobile, I’d roll it into the shade.

Between journeys andbeforeo use, I saved the cooler in a shaded, cool room that hovers at 65 levels F. So I didn’t use a sacrificial bag of ice to relax the coolerbeforeo loading it up, which YETI recommends for preferrred ice preservation.

Each time I used the cooler, I loaded it one-third with ice: a 6-pound bag of frozen cubes. YETI recommends customers fill the cooler two-thirds with ice and the ultimate third accessible for meals or drinks. I didn’t exactly comply with the model’s suggestions; quite, I needed to check the cooler in the best way we’d usually use it.

For single-day adventures, this cooler excelled. The ice remained plentiful within the cooler on heat, sunny days within the 75- to 80-degree F vary and when the cooler was strategically positioned within the shade. The cooler was additionally loaded with principally pre-chilled cans.

For the weekend street journey, a rock-hard bag of 6-pound ice was put within the cooler. Then I stuffed nearly all of the remaining area with meals. Seven hours later, once I rolled the cooler into our cabin, half of the cooler’s ice had melted.

I hadn’t opened the cooler from level A to level B. The temperatures rose to 85 to 90 levels F with the cooler behind the hard-shelled truck mattress, the place the lid of the Roadie could have sat within the solar for a portion of the journey. The cabin within the woods was fairly heat upon arrival with no air-con, and by 10 a.m. the next day, the cooler’s ice was completely melted.

I additionally did a managed indoor ice retention check in a 65-degree F room with no solar and stuffed one-third of the cooler with cubed ice: the identical quantity I’d been utilizing on different check days. That quantity of ice lasted for two full days earlier than being fully melted.

Ice Retention Outcomes

General, I anticipated the Roadie to have higher ice retention within the discipline on a multiday journey and within the ice retention check. This cooler’s partitions and lid are insulated with a pressure-injected, commercial-grade polyurethane foam. Comparatively, the YETI Tundra 45 has a rotomolded building and as much as 3 inches of the identical insulation, and that cooler is a superhero for shielding ice.

In the end, plan on following YETI’s instructions about loading the cooler with two-thirds ice, and even utilizing a sacrificial bag of ice to relax the cooler beforehand, for the very best final result and ice retention.

YETI Roadie Wheeled Cooler vs. Its Competitors

YETI’s two varieties of wheeled coolers have some massive variations that boil down to varied purposes and consumer preferences.

The form of the YETI Roadie Wheeled Cooler is extra cubic and taller in comparison with the YETI Tundra Haul Wheeled Cooler, which is extra rectangular: wider and shorter. The Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler options an inside top of 15.7 inches, so normal wine bottles, growlers, or 2L bottles match inside upright, which additionally helps streamline entry out and in of the cooler.

The Tundra Haul is simply accessible in a single dimension, 45 quarts, at $400. The Roadie is available in 48- and 60-quart sizes with $450 and $500 worth tags, respectively.

The handles differ between the 2 rolling coolers. The YETI Wheeled Roadie has a collapsible periscopic deal with, which permits the consumer to develop or retract the deal with as wanted. When prolonged, the deal with is tall, which will increase mobility whereas pulling the cooler. The Haul’s deal with is anchored (it folds down on the aspect of the cooler), inflexible, shorter, and designed for towing versus excessive maneuverability.

Lastly, the Roadie Wheeled Cooler doesn’t embrace a lockport within the nook for a shackle lock, that means it’s not bear-proof. At $450, this might be a con for some customers.

Comparatively, the RovR RollR 45 is bear-proof and appropriate with a nook gap for a lock. Nonetheless, that cooler is husky at 37 kilos 3.2 ounces. The quantity of the RollR 45 is barely much less, however not by a lot, and the worth is decrease at $400. The most important advantage of the Roadie to a recreationist, along with the general decrease cooler weight, is perhaps the width of the deal with, which is wider than the narrower grip on the RollR.

YETI Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler Overview: Conclusion

I set the bar excessive for this YETI Roadie cooler because of the high-end building of different YETI designs we’ve examined. I used to be stunned by the marginally decrease rating for exterior sturdiness and ice retention within the discipline.

Whereas sliding the cooler into the again of the truck, a chunk of the cooler’s floor scraped a steel clamp of our truck topper. The ding doesn’t change the efficiency of the cooler, however duly famous: steel and this exterior plastic face don’t play nicely.

Additionally, the ice retention within the discipline wasn’t the worst or greatest we’ve seen amongst hard-sided coolers, however usually YETI rises to the very high. I anticipated the loaded ice to last more within the discipline, even when the cooler wasn’t two-thirds full once I began the day.

General, this cooler on wheels is a premium alternative for day journeys and carrying tall containers upright resembling 48-ounce Nalgenes and wine bottles.

The telescoping deal with is simple to function and will increase the maneuverability of a loaded cooler whereas making journey immensely simpler, particularly for a single particular person. And the wheeled Roadie 48 is comparatively gentle in comparison with different wheeled coolers.

In the end, the YETI Wheeled Roadie 48 makes hauling foodstuffs quicker, extra snug, and method much less work.

Verify Worth at AmazonVerify Worth at YETI

Overview: RovR 45 Cooler With ‘All-Terrain’ Wheels

Cooler model RovR Merchandise has launched its smallest providing so far, the RollR 45. We took the all-terrain RollR on pavement, gravel, grass, sand, and extra for this overview. Learn extra…