Pelican Pelican Elite Cooler

I wanted to love this cooler but I couldn’t. After one trip with the 55QT wheeled Pelican Elite cooler I realized this cooler had several design flaws. The biggest flaw is the handle. The handle is extremely flexible and with the cooler only half full it’s nearly impossible to control the cooler due to the handle swaying. The handle would twist way too much and feel as if it could break at any moment. Another part of the handle is poorly designed and that’s the locking mechanism when extended. 75% of the time the handle would not lock in the extended position meaning you couldn’t push the cooler when need to maneuver it. The locking mechanism is extremely poor and cheap. Also, when the handle is all the way down the bottom of it rests on the ground. This leaves it prone to being broken depending on the type of ground you have it on, if there is any uneven parts of the ground the bottom of the handle (the part that is also the locking mechanism) could have the entire weight of the cooler resting on the thin piece of plastic, a broken piece waiting to happen.

A cooler like this doesn’t need the easy access lid in the middle. This only allows for more places for the cold to escape. Due to having this lid the length of time ice stays frozen is CUT IN HALF!! It’s really not that hard to unlatch the 2 latches and lift it open versus using the middle door that is a pain to open anyway. No need to sacrifice half the ice time for a pointless “convenience” lid. I’ll be returning mine due to the handle. It’s an extremely weak point in the design and I expected better from Pelican. I’ll likely be getting the 45QT with the handle that simply lays against the side versus the extending poorly locking and flimsy handle of the 55QT model.

Although it isn’t the name brand of Yeti, the quality is better! I bought this for my wedding week for my groomsmen and the other guys who were coming out for the wedding. We didn’t want to take over the refrigerator with beer and other drinks so I figured why not. I work part time at a store that sells Yeti products and even with my discount, I got this cooler for less money. Why did I pick Pelican over Yeti or other high end cooler companies? QUALITY! Pelican has been in the business of making durable cases for quite a while and I’ve used them for previous work and camping. They can take a beating falling out of trucks, down hills, and impacts without showing any damage. Not only do Pelican products last forever, but they have a warranty that backs this claim up. Many of the other high end cooler companies out there only offer a 3 or 5 year warranty on their products. BE AWARE OF THAT AND READ OTHER COMPANIES TOO! Many people think coolers from Yeti have a lifetime warranty but that’s not the case.

Not only did I save money, but I saved my back and the backs of my buddies. The wheels and handle on the back is a life saver! Wheels are durable and spaced great to not roll over.

The latches on the front are really well built and don’t feel cheap at all. The center area on the lid (shown in gray) opens on its own so you can reach in and grab one quickly without opening the whole top. Also on the top, the set in cup holders are really nice and a good size for a can or cup. The small opening and cup holders aren’t found on their competitors and while they’re not a huge deal, they’re an added comfort feature!

Another advantage to this cooler is that it’s deep enough to put a bottle of wine in there standing up and close the lid. The bottom has four rubber pads so that it won’t slide around too which is nice. Inside the cooler, I had two plastic trays that sat just inside the lid and would be the perfect place to put other things that you want to keep cold but not soaked in ice (limes for coronas etc). Another great add on is the built in bottle opener between the latches on the front. It’s stainless steel and thick so it doesn’t bend and also acts as the opening to toss a lock on it (another feature that other premier coolers lack).

Now let’s get to the most important part…keeping your stuff cold! Does it hold ice for 7 days? Yes but (there’s always a but) the ice won’t be just how it was when you tossed it in. There will be some ice with mostly water after a week but that’s to be expected. There’s no leaking with how well built Pelican products are and with the food grade gasket around the top. Not only does it hold ice for just as long if not longer than others but there’s no funky smell of plastic.

All in all, I’d gladly buy again in a heartbeat with all of the added features that this thing has compared to others. Not to mention when you take a competitor’s cooler and deck it out with wheels and a bottle opener, you’d be looking at almost twice what this cooler costs. Oh and the warranty is amazing on this one compared to the others out there. If you want the name brand, go with Yeti. If you want something that actually works better and is designed with thought and practicality, buy Pelican.

Didn’t hold ice cold like it said it would