Pelican50 Quart Elite Cooler

TLDR: I decided to return the cooler because of its weight but that is the only reason and I am sad about it. I really wanted to keep it.If you need an ultra-tough cooler that also has top-of-line cooler performance, and you don’t care how much it weights, look no further.In all seriousness, I love this cooler. It is very well designed and you can see thought and purpose behind each design decision. For example, the cup holders on top of the lid have drain channels so dew or drink don’t puddle up in the cup holder - smart and it’s done well. Just check out some product pictures and you will see what I mean.So why did I return it: weight. It is heavy. The numbers are clearly on the product page but until you get it in your hands, you can’t gauge how that weight sits. I got the 50 qt which weights 26 lbs. No problem, I thought. I move items that weight that much and more all the time. Well, after seeing and experiencing this thing, I could see it was going to easily last me 15-20 years. But its weight and size are just too much for me. For example, it can barely fit under the tonneau cover in the bed of my 2023 F 150! And because of the stick rubber feet, I can’t slide it into and out of the bed - adding an extra layer of effort needed to get it in and out of the bed of the truck.But even with its weight and size, I struggled for a few days to decide whether to keep it or not. It really is a fantastic cooler and I haven’t even used it yet! But if you watch or read any reviews, you will see the jury is out on its stellar performance. My advice: if you are a big guy and/or don’t plan on moving the cooler much, you are cool with its big size for its qt hold, and you need top ice retention performance, this cooler is a no brainer. I wish I could have kept it.Good job Pelican.

I admit it, I have a deep love for Pelican products. I was disappointed to read about some of the coolers leaking from the drain. I was looking for a cooler that was between 50-60 quarts, was considering the Orca, Cabelas Polar Cap and this Pelican Elite. After reading hundreds of reviews, I thought I had decided on the Cabelas Polar Cap. I went to a local Cabelas and looked at the cooler. They were very nice, rugged coolers, but seemed REALLY large (exterior dimensions) for the quart capacity of the cooler, so I went back home and did some more reading. The taper of the walls (Top is wider than the bottom) is huge on the Cabelas….so much so, that the 50 quart Pelican Elite is smaller than the 40 quart Cabelas Polar Cap. The 60 quart Pelican Elite is only slightly larger than the Cabelas Polar Cap 40 quart. Both have the standard 2" insulation, just the taper on the Cabelas cooler makes it take up a huge amount of space. Now to be fair, the Pelican Cooler is slightly taller, I think under an inch, but that didn't affect me. I was only concerned about the overall footprint side to side and front to back. So I ended up going with the Pelican and I'm glad I did. First a note, I did not compare it to any other of the high end coolers. There are hundreds of cooler tests on YouTube if you'd like to see that. I did however take it out on my boat for 8 hours in direct sunlight with ambient temperatures around 90. I had 20 pounds of crushed ice in it as well as a bunch of pre chilled water bottles, soda and stuff to make sandwiches. The cooler was probably opened at least 30 times over the course of the day. When we got home that night I was surprised to find that there was very little water in the bottom of the cooler. I bet around 90% of the ice was still ice. My other cheap Coleman cooler would have been down to less than 25% ice and would have been full of water by the end of this same day (That's what I've been using for years) This cooler is nothing short of amazing. To further test the cooler, without adding any more ice I kept it inside my house (about 75 degrees) and monitored the ice a few times a day. The ice in the cooler didn't turn to ice soup for an additional 3 days (where there is more water than ice and it is like a big cup of ice water.) And, no, the cooler didn't leak a drop. Based on reviews, it looks like some people had problems with leaks around the drain, but I did not. The Pelican name and their warranty made me feel comfortable buying it knowing full well that if I did have any problems, they would stand behind their product. I have been an avid user of Pelican products and have only used their warranty once, but was a great experience and they have earned my business.Another thing that I REALLY like about this cooler that no other coolers seem to have, is the latches. I don't like the rubber latches, and I don't understand how anyone really does. When they get cold they are very stiff and difficult to use. A friend of mine has a Yeti and my wife cannot open the cooler when it is cold outside (like below 40ish) The latches on the Pelican Elite have a lock button and then fold out to release, very simple one handed operation.In all, this is a fantastic cooler that you should strongly consider.

Solid well built ,,kinda bulkyHolds ice amazingly wellLove pelican productsNo drain plug issues no leaking or sweating20 lbs of ice and warm drinks on Friday and Monday had to dump the remaining ice out,,and I am in central,FLWould definitely recommend this cooler,,would buy againOh lifetime warranty

The pelican cooler is by far one of the better coolers ive used keeps everything nice and cold I have left the cooler outside in 90 degree weather for almost 2 days and there was still ice and a nice cold brew. One down side is it is a pretty heavy insulated cooler so you're not getting to much room inside the cooler if packed properly you could fit two 36pcks and MAYBE a twelve pack if done right. Id say its definitely worth the money. I highly recommend!

I purchased this cooler at a steep discount when it went on sale. Under ordinary circumstances this would NOT have been something I would have bought. My family and I use this often at house parties to keep drinks accessible and ice cold. We have used it for 3 long road trips - each time it has been a God-send. This kept everything nice and cold, even with frequent openings throughout the days to get items out.There are plenty of tests done out there on these coolers and you'll find some where these Pelicans rate very high and others where they rate very low. I have been happy with my experience and was delighted to not pay a YETI premium - these days very few people have the budget for such things.That being said, this has my thumbs up. Great cooler, with as many drawbacks and benefits as any other roto-molded cooler such as this.