Buying Guide: How To Choose Your Cooler?
Whether you take a picnic, camping or work to keep your lunch cool , the cooler is in the air. Especially since the innovations have not missed the sector: advanced rigid iceboxes , cooler easy to carry and increasingly powerful or electric coolers , perfect for the car … No way to do without.
According to the estimates of the GFK study institute, it sells between 1.6 and 2 million coolers per year, all distribution channels combined (sports store, hyper, super …). A trend which puts the cooler on the front of the stage and which should last as long as this unavoidable object corresponds to the evolutions of the modes of consumption.
Coolbag Aqua Cooler 5 L Campingaz. Large compartment of 5 L. Non insulated front pocket.Additional side net for more storage. Can contain various sizes of food boxes. Machine washable at 30 ° C. Certified “Food compatibility”. 6 mm closed cell PE foam insulation.Thermo-welded interior seams to prevent leakage, to facilitate cleaning and to prevent food deposits. PVC-free interior coating: PEVA (Silver). PVC background. 300D * polyester exterior coating for added strength. Padded and adjustable shoulder strap for comfort and support.Performance: 5h of conservation. Weight: 258 gr. Dimensions: L.24,5 x H.24 x D.11 cm, 14.95 euros. Campingaz.
The first coolers launched on the market in 1975 were the rigid iceboxes, then came the soft followed by electric coolers. “Nowadays, we have more and more frequent use of its cooler, explains Edouard Delalande of Campingaz, a company specialized in the cooler since 1975, with a will not to break the cold chain that we do its shopping, that whether you’re on a camping holiday or on the road, and with the food allergy boom, more and more kids have to bring their lunch to school. “
Coleman 15L Sport Cool Bag. Non insulated outside pocket. Padded back and shoulder straps for comfort and support. Side nets and elastic cords on top for more storage. Machine washable at 30 ° C. PE foam insulation with a thickness of 6 mm. Polyethylene Vinyl Acetate-free interior coating. Thermo-welded interior seams to prevent leakage, to facilitate cleaning and to prevent food deposits. Anti-mold, antimicrobial and anti-odor treatment. 300D Ripstop polyester outer shell. Performance: 13 hours storage with a FreezePack (sold separately).Weight: 660 g. 32.95 euros. Campingaz.
It comes in different capacities to adapt to all needs: from 5/6 liters for mini up to 46 liters, the most sold being coolers 30 liters (for 6 people). Prices range from 30 to 50 euros. More efficient than a traditional flexible cooler, the rigid cooler is robust and ideal for picnicking and keeping food and drinks from the whole family cool. “If at Decathlon, the sales of rigid iceboxes have decreased in favor of the sales of soft coolers that correspond more to our users hikers and campers, says Jean-Charles Laügt product manager Camp Hiker (Quechua), they still still asked. people appreciate being able to use it as a table.
Their thermal performance depends on their insulation material: at the entry level, the insulation is polystyrene (around 9 euros) when the most effective are polyurethane foam. The concern of polystyrene coolers? The plates bend hard in the corners, leaving uninsulated places. On the other hand, the polyurethane foam will completely fill the tank of the cooler, for a perfect insulation, according to Edouard Delalande: “According to our tests (we place the food in the cooler with an outside temperature of 32 degrees and we measure the time that the cooler returns to 15 degrees), the food placed in rigid iceboxes Campingaz polyurethane foam will still be fresh 10 hours after being placed in the cooler.
Icetime Plus Extreme Cooler, Model 25 L. Hinged lid keeps both hands free during transport and minimizes cold loss. “Click and Lock” system that confirms the watertightness of the cooler thanks to a sound that triggers when the lid is closed properly. Total insulation tank + injected polyurethane foam cover, without CFC or HCFC. Antimicrobial interior coating to prevent mold and odor. Holds up to 6 1.5L bottles. Performance: Keep cool for up to 26 hours (with ice cream). Dimensions: L. 41 x H. 31 x D. 43 cm. Weight: 2.5 kg. Food Contact Certificate. Italy manufacture. 2 years warranty. Starting from 49.90? (model 25 L). Also available in 29, 37 and 41 liters. Campingaz.
When the cooler is placed on the ground, the heat exchange leads to a loss of heat. Some coolers are equipped with feet, allowing air to circulate well
Always to avoid the losses of cold, attention also to privilege systems of easy opening and closing. Like the Icetime Plus Extreme cooler: “This innovative Campingaz cooler is very innovative and has hinged feet and hinges to make it easy to open, and the Extreme cooler lid also holds cans and tumblers to become a cooler. real side table! “
Finally, for optimum performance, Campingaz advises adding ice breads (Freezepack) inside the cooler, half an hour before putting the food (as well as in the coolers). And it’s even better, if you have placed your ice cream the day before in the freezer.
High performance, the rigid cooler is nevertheless quite bulky. Icetime Plus Extreme Hard Cooler. From 49,90 euros the icebox of 25 L. Campingaz.
Campingaz
Small and lighter than rigid, soft coolers have the wind in their sails. As for their look, the fabric manufacturing makes it possible to design beautiful decorations, with more modern colors than the traditional blue of the rigid cooler and practical forms like the backpacks very useful to carry its food in excursion for example.
Forclaz bag cooler ideal for hiking, brand Quechua, Capacity 10 liters. Made of polyethylene foam, keeps food for 5 hours without ice bread (test norm EN 12546-2). Adjustable braces adapted to the volume for a better comfort. Includes an independent cooler pocket to keep your things dry. With system to keep bottles straight during transport. 14.99 euros at Decathlon.
Often foldable, their insulation is made of polyester foam or polyurethane foam for better thermal performance (with a variable thickness of 3 to 8 mm) and they are therefore recognized as twice as effective as rigid iceboxes. After 5 hours, a temperature of 9 to 10 degrees will generally be reached in a soft, when a rigid will still be 3 degrees. This type of cooler is therefore suitable for short-term uses: shopping at the supermarket, lunch outside, at the office or at school. Another disadvantage compared to rigid iceboxes, food is less maintained: some brands offer so with small compartments to store the interior or sell with the cooler, plastic boxes very practical.
