Techni ice is definitely one of the most underrated brands in the industry. Indeed, we all heard of Yeti, Pelican and the common conglomerates of the industry but we rarely ever hear of Techni Ice despite the fact that it is a tough competitor.
In fact, Techni Ice is very popular in Australia since it was founded there. However, the brand is still easing its way into the American market as more of us discover the true value of Techni Ice coolers.
Hence, Techni Ice is definitely a reputable brand. However, its reputation did not accumulate overnight but rather because they managed to find that sweet-spot everyone is looking for. The brand at hand is thus attempting to create ice coolers that outperform the competition for a reasonable cost.
So, what is the success rate of the brand and what can you expect from a Techni Ice cooler? Well, to answer that, we must take a closer look at the variety, quality and performance of this giant.
Available Sizes & Dimensions
Step one of customer approval is the making of variety and this is a step that the big dogs have clearly mastered already.
In fact, looking at brands like Yeti and Coleman, you are truly impressed by the different shapes, sizes and purpose coolers they offer. Hence, it was of paramount importance for Techni Ice to provide us with enough variety to fulfill the market’s needs.
Accordingly, in attempt to mitigate the gap, Techni Ice invested heavily in both hard and soft sided coolers in order to provide a wide enough variety for all demands & here’s where it got so far:
Hard Sided Coolers
In the hard-sided department, Techni Ice has things figured out since it is one of the oldest manufacturers in the game. Indeed, this manufacturer established two separate lines with enough sizes to cater for both professionals and casual users.
The first Techni Ice hard-sided line is labeled the Signature Series, which consists of 7 different coolers ranging between 35L up till 125L. The Signature Series is Techni Ice’s attempt to appeal to the professional and amateur angler / hunter since these coolers are made to be resilient, reliable and high performers. Consequently, this Series is also the brand’s most expensive line up but it’s still a lot cheaper than its biggest rivals.
On the other hand, Techni Ice presents a lighter catalogue for its amateur and casual clientel. The Classic Series is Techni Ice’s way of providing you with a quality product that is guaranteed to impress you for a lower cost than their premium coolers. Thus, the Classic Series harbors a list of 7 coolers ranging between 40L & 200L and there are enough options there to land a specific match for your situation & requirements.
Soft-Sided Coolers
Techni Ice is a holistic brand by nature, leading it to invest similarly in soft-sided coolers. The market for soft sided coolers is significantly smaller and often limited to a few different options even in bigger brands. Nonetheless, Techni Ice definitely raised a challenge via its triple threat combo.
Indeed, the brand at hand features 3 different soft-sided coolers in order to match the specific needs of the audience. Hence, for daily commuters and 9 to 5 workers, Techni Ice presents the compact 14Qt cooler bag.
Moreover, if you’re more of a picnic, beach day or relaxation enthusiast then you’re going to find a better match in the larger 24Qt Cooler bag.
Lastly, designed for avid hikers, outdoors family activities and overnight campers is the large 36Qt Techni Ice Cooler bag.
Design & Build Quality
Design has always been critical to performance as well as quality and that calls for a serious inspection of Techni Ice’s coolers. Accordingly, Techni Ice has definitely learned a lot since it was created in 1984 and that has given it the opportunity to create an almost perfect product.
Indeed, when speaking of their hard-sided coolers, Techni Ice is one of the few brands that avoided most of the pitfalls that its predecessors fell through.
For example, Techni Ice coolers feature raiser technology which is an approach that ensures the cooler remains off the ground at all times to reduce the effect of the hot floor.
Also, these coolers are granted the advantage of being perfectly rectangular with a flush body and no obstructions.
In terms of quality, it’s easy to deduce that a brand with so much positive feedback is impressively built. However, Techni Ice coolers are much more complicated than just that. Indeed, throughout our experience with coolers, we figured that Techni Ice coolers are a lot tougher than most of its competition with the exception of deWalt coolers.
Accordingly, Techni Ice coolers are roto-molded which means that they feature a unified body with no gaps or cracks and consequently no weak spots.
Also, these coolers are made a lot tougher thanks to the unique Polyethylene crust that shields a dense insulation wall.
Moreover, a look at the lid, hinges or bottom of Techni Ice coolers is enough to convince that a lot of effort and dedication has been invested into the making of these beasts.
Ice Retention & Insulation Ability
In order to attain a certain level of legitimacy in the industry, manufacturers must dedicate most of their attention and effort to harvest performance. Hence, quality and design are definitely not enough to get the buyer to click the purchase button but 10 days of ice retention might just be more compelling.
Yes, Techniice coolers are optimized enough to maintain ice for up to 10 days in mid summer heat and that is a record by all measures, especially knowing that bigger brands can’t match that.
So, how does it work?
Well, to achieve that kind of phenomenal results, Techni Ice had to invest heavily in insulation and we’re talking density here.
That said, the foam injection between the walls give Techni Ice coolers a powerful containment zone that literally dissolves heat before it gets through to the core.
How it works is simple: the dense foam consists of thousands of tiny air bubbles that disperse the heat and reduce its effect continuously.
Further, insulation is key but it would be at risk of failure without a proper mold. Agreed, this should have been our first bullet point but here it is anyway. A significant contributor to ice retention is the mold of the cooler and since Techni Ice coolers are roto-molded, they are given the higher ground from the get go.
The rotational molded frame is solid, unified and impenetrable, functioning as a hard shell that protects the foam insulation & repels most UV rays.
The third largest contributor to the 10 days record has got to be the gasket, or in this case the gasket’s’. Indeed, Techni Ice coolers are unique in the fact that they come with two freezer grade gaskets to double the insulation. Therefore, once the lid is locked, it is rather impossible for hot air to access the cooler.
Finally, if not for the extremely thick walls and equally thick lid, it would have been impossible for Techni Ice to break through the 10 days barrier.
Features
Features are undeniably a big deal because they are our direct connection to the cooler and they often make or break the deal.
So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at Techni Ice’s features before you make your final decision.
Latches
One of the most underrated features on Techni ice coolers are the stainless steel clip-on latches.
These latches are one of the toughest examples on the market and they are bound to last a life time if treated appropriately.
Also, since most Techni Ice coolers come with 3 latches, locking the central latch is more than enough to keep the seal tight during continuous access periods.
Handles
The handles on these coolers are by no means special in terms of design but they are exemplary in terms of quality. Indeed, the rope handles on Techni Ice coolers are robust and comfortable because they are fused with a padded grip handle to prevent your fingers from grinding against each other.
If you are working solo most of the time then you’ll find the built-in handles quite useful since they will allow you to firmly and easily carry the cooler individually.
Dual Gasket
As mentioned before, one of the most unique features on Techni Ice coolers is the dual gasket. Hence, it would have been certainly impossible to attain the 10 days record without the proper seal and these gaskets are to thank for that.
Oversized Drain Plug
Techni Ice coolers are featured with an oversized drain plug that’s 2″ wide. A large drain plug will make it easy for you to drain water out of yout cooler in the blink of an eye instead of having it just trickle out.
This oversized drain plug is fully sealed and insulated.
Rubber feet
Beyond the fact that Techni Ice coolers are raised off the ground with molded feet, the brand adds 4 anti-skid feet to the bottom in order to prevent these coolers from sliding around during transportation.
This feature might be inconvenient for those of you who will be using the coolers in a stable environment where you’ll constantly push it around. However, it is obviously essential to prevent the cooler from slipping once in a boat or a truck.
Other Features:
There are so many other features on Techni Ice coolers that deserve a full length paragraph. However, for the sake of objectivity, here are the rest of the features:
- A large draining plug
- A V shaped quick draining system
- Lock / tie down ports
Who is it for?
While Techni Ice coolers remain humble in variety compared to bigger brands, they are still considered to be highly versatile. Thus, we can confidently argue that anyone can find their match in this brand’s selection and that includes regular picnic lovers, all the way up to professional anglers and hunters.
Techni Ice Vs. Yeti: Which Is Better?
It is rather difficult to determine the better brand just by looking at these two competitors. However, we will try our best to remain objective and put Techni Ice in a fair competition with Yeti.
Starting with variety, it is important to note that Yeti is a leader in the coolers industry and offers a wide range of coolers of coolers of different types and size. Indeed, Yeti has established a firm foundation on the market because of diversity of choice. Nonetheless, Techni Ice isn’t lagging far behind as it also features over a dozen of hard coolers and a couple soft-sided options to cater for the different needs of the buyer.
Techni Ice might not be the best when it comes to the diversity but it definitely puts Yeti to its knees when it comes to ice retention. Indeed, Techni Ice mastered the art of insulation and through its thick walls and dual gaskets, they managed to pull up to 10 days of ice retention whereas Yeti coolers will get you a week of ice at best.
As far as quality is concerned, a few Techni Ice cooler reviews will give the win to Techni Ice but there isn’t a huge difference between the two brands. However, we have to give the win to Yeti for maintaining a consistent record of excellence.
Indeed, Yeti coolers are some of the toughest products on the market and they often if not always last a life time.
Now, we are not saying that Techni Ice coolers are going to collapse but Yeti coolers will definitely age better and remain tougher.
When it comes to soft-sided coolers, Techni Ice also offers a few decent ones in addition to their rotomolded lineup. They’re not quite as nice and great-looking as the YETI Hopper (which by the way cost an arm and a leg), but just like their hard-sided siblings, they’re really nice quality and they’re budget-friendly.
Techni Ice soft-sided coolers are built with a really tough 600D ripstop nylon, and sport a almost double the foam insulation as competing brands.
Techni Ice Coolers – Bottom Line
Like most Techni Ice cooler reviews, this one must come to an end as well and that calls for a quick summary. Hence, Techni Ice coolers might not be budget products but they are definitely one of the best investments you’ll ever make.
Indeed, you simply cannot regret getting one of these coolers because they are exemplary performers that are built like tanks.
