How to pick a hard cooler you won't replace in two summers

Hard coolers are sold on two numbers — quarts and "days of ice" — and one of them is nearly meaningless. Here is how to read past the marketing.

Capacity: quarts lie a little

A "152-quart" cooler holds 152 quarts of nothing. Add the recommended 2:1 ice-to-contents ratio and usable space is roughly a third of the label. Rule of thumb: one quart per person per hour of the trip for drinks alone.

Igloo MaxCold® 152-qt. CoolerIgloo$103.99 $129.99

When rotomolded is worth it

Rotomolded walls hold ice for days, not hours — but you pay for it in dollars and in weight. If your cooler rides in a truck bed to a weekend campsite, it earns its keep. If it walks to a tailgate, look at soft-sided instead.

YETI Tundra 35 CoolerYETI$295.00

YETI Tundra 35 CoolerYETI$295.00

The mid-size sweet spot

Most buyers overshoot on capacity and undershoot on wheels.

Stanley All Day Julienne 20 qt Max CoolerStanley$71.98 $180.00

• Two people, day trip: 20–30 qt
• Family weekend: 45–65 qt
• Base camp or hunt camp: 100 qt and up — and insist on wheels