Lifetime 28 Quart Cooler Review [Updated – 2020]
Lifetime 28 Quart Cooler
- Ice Retention
- Durability
- Portability
- Features
- Value
Summary
The 28-quart cooler from Lifetime is a perfect small size cooler for regular outings. The best part about this cooler is the price. With durable construction and long-lasting ice retention capacity, this cooler becomes one of the cheapest alternatives to the YETI.
Pros
- 100% leakproof cooler.
- Good ice retention capacity (3-5 days).
- Built-in bottle opener & locking system.
- 5-years warranty.
- Best value for the money.
Cons
- Not a rotomolded cooler.
- No drain plugs for cleaning.
- No cup holders and fish ruler.
When premium brands are dominating the market, some smaller brands are doing great and Lifetime is one of the perfect examples of them. They manufacture chairs, tables, patio furniture, and various sports items.
Recently, they joined to the cooler industry with their High-Performance Cooler series. They are offering 4 different sizes ranging from 28-quart to 77-quart.
If you are familiar with Lifetime, you probably know that they offer the cheapest coolers out there. In this comprehensive Lifetime 28 quart cooler review, we will try to show you the features, benefits, and problems of this small-sized cooler.
Lifetime 28 Quart Cooler Review
The 28-quart cooler from Lifetime is a small and portable cooler for personal use. Among all other models, this one is the most popular cooler on Lifetime’s store. Let’s dig into the detailed review to check whether it’s worth buying or not.
Compare to similar size cooler:
| Model | Lifetime 28 Quart Cooler | ORCA 26 Quart Cooler | YETI Tundra 35 Cooler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Image |  |  |  |
| Outside Dimensions | 21.5 x 13 x 16 inches | 23.6 x 14.6 x 20.1 inches | 16.1 x 15.8 x 21.4 inches |
| Inside Dimensions | 17.6 x 9.3 x 11.5 inches | 16.9 x 11.1 x 8.9 inches | 9.4 x 10.6 x 13.8 inches |
| Empty Weight | 17.35 lbs | 25 lbs | 20 lbs |
| Capacity | 26 Cans | 24 Cans | 21 Cans |
| Ice Retention | 3-5 days | 4-7 days | 5-7 days |
| Available Color | 1 color | 4 colors | 9 colors |
| Warranty | 5-years | Lifetime warranty | 5-years |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
The following Lifetime 28 quart cooler review covers all things related to this cooler. We tried to focus on both the positive and negative sides of this cooler. We believe that this will help both the new and experienced buyers deciding whether to buy this cooler or not.
Let’s get into the review:
Design & Construction
First of all, this is not a rotomolded cooler. This may be disappointing for many people. But the good news is, this 28-quart cooler performs better than many high-end roto-molded coolers.
You probably know that rotomolded coolers are very thick and heavy because of its construction process. These are also very expensive coolers on the market. A small size rotomolded cooler costs above $200 price range.
Lifetime tries to make a sturdy and long-lasting cooler but in a cost-efficient way. They use high-quality polyethylene materials which reduces the production cost while maintaining the sturdiness and good insulation capacity.
The design of this cooler is pretty good. The entire body gray and the handle and latches are blue. The color combination of this cooler is very eye-catching. However, there are no color variations available for this cooler. So, it might be a downside of this cooler since people have different choices.
Ice Retention Capacity
Since this is not a rotomolded cooler you are not going to get 7-10 days insulation. The cooler is made of durable polyethylene materials. The insulated walls provide excellent ice retention. Additionally, Lifetime integrated a wiper-blade style gasket which ensures a very tight seal and prevents airflow inside the cooler.
Lifetime claims that this 28-quart cooler can hold ice for up to 5 days. The good news is this cooler do really great job of insulating considering the price point. During our research, we found that people get around 3-5 days of ice retention from this cooler which is good enough for most people.
Check the following ice test:
However, Lifetime recommends to pre-chill the cooler, use proper dry ice by maintaining 2:1 ice-to-content ratio and keep the cooler away from direct sunlight. You will get the maximum ice retention by following this guideline.
Durability
This 28-quart cooler is made of heavy-duty Polyethylene. The lid is extremely tough and almost zero flex when standing. The handle is made of durable stainless steel material. Overall, the cooler is strong enough to withstand any condition and to be used for years.
Portability
Lifetime did really a great job in ensuring the portability of this cooler. The cooler itself is very lightweight. Lifetime uses steel handle which comes with a grip on the top. So, the cooler can be easily carried by a single hand.
Features
Lifetime tried to incorporate all the necessary features that everyone expects from a cooler. Followings are some of the features of this Lifetime 28-quart cooler:
Wiper Blade Style Gasket
Lifetime integrated a wiper-blade style gasket on the lid which creates an extremely tight seal and prevents airflow inside the cooler. The gasket improves the overall ice retention time of this cooler.
100% Leakproof Cooler
Surprisingly, this cooler is almost 100% leakproof. The gasket ensures an extremely tight seal and prevents any leaking. You will find a very few coolers on the market that is 100% leakproof. Lifetime did a really great job of constructing this cooler.
Zero Flex Lid
The lid is extremely tough and almost zero flex. So, you can easily stand or sit on the cooler.
Easy-to-Open Latches
One of the best parts about this cooler is the latches. There are 2 rubber latches that are very effortless to use and create a very tight seal. Unlike the regular t-style latches that you are used to seeing on most coolers like YETI, these are very easy to open and close. Since the latches are effortless to open and close, anyone can open the cooler easily and access the contents.
Certified Bear Resistant
The cooler is IGBC certified bear-resistant. The durable construction ensures bears not going to be able to break into them. According to Lifetime, this cooler can withstand a bear for around one hour. However, you need to ensure a tight seal and lock the cooler to prevent the bear from accessing your foods and drinks.
Easy Carrying Handle
The cooler comes with one main handle for easy carrying by one hand. There is a little lip on both sides of the handle. So, it will pop right into place.
Integrated Bottle Opener and Lock Hole
This small cooler comes with an integrated bottle opener which might be a useful feature for most people. There is a lock hole in the bottle opener which is also great for keeping your items safe inside the cooler.
Rubber Feet
There are rubber feet on the bottom of this cooler which makes sure no sliding around. This is great especially when you take the cooler on the back of your truck.
5-years Warranty
Like the brand name, Lifetime coolers don’t come with a lifetime warranty. The company is offering a 5-years limited warranty for this cooler. This warranty includes both repair and replacement. Lifetime is very responsive to their customers and they maintain a very good customer support system. However, you need to register the cooler on Lifetime’s website to be eligible for the warranty.
The Downsides
Along with all the features and benefits, this cooler has the following downsides:
Not Rotomolded
As we already mentioned that this cooler is not rotomolded. Lifetime uses durable polyethylene materials to reduce production costs. However, the construction is very solid and can outperform other premium category coolers.
No Drain Plug
Unfortunately, this cooler doesn’t have any drain plug. A drain plug is necessary for quick cleaning the cooler. Lifetime integrated drain plug in other models except for this 28-quart cooler. So, you may face some difficulties with cleaning this cooler.
No Dry Good Basket
This can be another downside of this cooler. You probably have seen that a lot of brand offers free dry good basket with their cooler. Lifetime doesn’t offer a free dry good basket on this 28-quart cooler. However, you can buy a basket from the market and use it to separate your dry items inside this cooler.
No Fish Ruler and Cup Holders
A fish ruler is a very useful feature, especially for the fishermen. Cup holders are also useful during any outdoor trip. Unfortunately, this 28-quart cooler from Lifetime doesn’t come with a fish ruler and cup holder. Though this is not a major downside, some people may not like this.
Where to Buy Lifetime 28 Quart cooler?
Lifetime coolers are available in several stores. You can buy this 28-quart cooler directly from Lifetime’s website. However, if you want to get some discounts, then we recommend buying from Walmart or Amazon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are lifetime coolers any good?
If you are looking for the best performing cooler, Lifetime will not be the right option for you. But, if you are price sensitive and still looking for a good performing cooler, Lifetime coolers are the best option for you.
Q. How long the Lifetime 28-quart cooler can hold ice?
While researching, we found that this 28-quart cooler can hold ice for around 3-5 days.
Q. How many cans will Lifetime 28-quart cooler hold?
This small cooler can hold approximately 26 cans while maintaining a 2:1 ice-to-content ratio.
Q. Is Lifetime 28-quart cooler Rotomolded or Not?
The 28-quart cooler from Lifetime is not rotomolded. It is made of heavy-duty polyethylene materials.
Q. Does this cooler have a drain plug?
Unfortunately, this cooler doesn’t come with a drain plug. You may face some problems with cleaning this cooler.
Q. Is the Lifetime 28-quart cooler dry ice compatible?
Yes, this cooler is dry ice compatible.
Overall Rating
When it comes to choosing the best cooler out there, Lifetime may not the right option. But, when it comes to choosing the best budget cooler, Lifetime would be one of the best options.
This 28-quart cooler from Lifetime offers almost the same features you usually get from most premium coolers. The build quality and ice retention time may be a little disappointing compared to the premium coolers. But overall, you are going to get the best of your money.
If you want to know more about this cooler, feel free to check Lifetime 28 quart cooler review on Walmart.
