Invest in a Better Chill With a High-Tech Ice Chest

For maximum insulation, the most reliable coolers use plastic formed by roto-molding—rotating heated material in a cast—which creates more durable material than an injection mold, whose corners and joints can falter. Orca, founded in 2012 by outdoor enthusiasts keen to make a superior ice chest, pairs this solid build with a padded stainless-steel handle, a lid gasket for an airtight seal, and, in newer models, LED lights that turn on when it’s opened. The 20-quart base model ($200) comes with a net attachment on the back for more storage and Orca’s trademark clasps, in the shape of a whale’s tail.

• Yeti, the brand likely most familiar to choosy cooler consumers, makes a 35-quart, $250 chest. Manufactured in Thailand, the Tundra 35 comes with a dry basket and has two sturdy rope handles.