NICE 75 cooler review

Meadowcraft 75 Cooler

Editor: Cory McLaughlin

Just the Facts:

Features:
• UV protected interior and exterior.
• Integrated bottle opener.
• Integrated fish ruler on lid.
• 2 self-draining cup holders on the lid.
• Food grade and dry ice compatible.
• Removable nylon handles on each side.
• Material: Plastic.

Dimensions:
• Overall Height – Top to Bottom: 18.2″.
• Overall Width – Side to Side: 33.5″.
• Overall Depth – Front to Back: 17.9″.
• Overall Product Weight: 31.9 lbs.

My Story:
The world of coolers has come very far in the past decade or so. All of the companies are chasing the same lofty ice retention goals of the most days possible. For those of us who use coolers regularly this is a great thing. The longer the cooler holds ice the less we have to buy, and the longer the cooler holds ice the longer your items will stay cold which is entirely the point. So, in this new world of roto-molded coolers there are many names that pop into our minds and Meadowcraft should be among them.
When I first took this cooler out of the box it was really something to behold. I was instantly amazed at the overall quality of the materials that were used to make this great cooler. I would like to take a minute to talk through some of the great features that this cooler has to offer.
The first thing that I was impressed by was the lid. The ruler and cup holders that were on most of the older coolers from my childhood are all but lost in the world of roto-molded coolers so I was excited to see them again. The lid is attached by one single pin that runs the full length of the cooler providing excellent durability.

On the underside is a rubber gasket that helps to seal the cooler and keep the cold in. The latches are made of a very strong rubber and do a great job of securing the lid while in transport. In short the lid is well made and well designed.

The main body of the cooler is made with UV resistant plastic that is easy to wipe clean. The bottle opener is a great add on and will certainly come in handy. This is a great looking cooler overall. The addition, and in my opinion, the coolest thing on this cooler is the pressure release button. This helps to equalize the negative pressure within the cooler allowing for a much easier time opening the lid to grab your items. Honestly, I thought it was pretty cool the press the button and hear the air release. It just made me feel like the seal was really working.

On the bottom of the cooler are 4 small rubber feet that help provide an anti-skid platform for the cooler. This was one area that I could see needed improvement as I lost one of the feet. I believe it most likely popped out from sliding the cooler into the bed of my truck.

The nylon handles are the final topic of discussion. I love how sturdy they feel and I am a big fan of the simple removal system in the even that I were to need the removed.

Ice retention was pretty darn impressive with this cooler. I left the cooler in the back of my minivan errrr…..um, super jacked up SUV, for 3 days in 95-100 degree outside temperatures. Inside the cooler was a 12 pack of beer, 6 Cokes, and some hotdogs. I added 20 lbs (two bags) of ice to that mix and checked it once per evening. I was extremely impressed to find the ice lasted for about 2.5 days.

Day 1

Day 2

On the 3rd evening there was no ice but the internal water temperature was only 38 degrees. This was very impressive for the amount of heat it was subjected to inside a sealed car in direct sunlight. Sure I could have filled this thing full of ice and just taken a picture of the ice every day but that is just not the way anyone really uses the cooler. I wanted to test this in a realistic real world application. I was very impressed with the results.
The drain system on the cooler is also well designed, draining the whole cooler in just over 2 minutes. The picture below show the cooler full of water so I could time the drain of the full cooler.

I am huge a fan of the attachment cord that helps to insure that the cap will not be misplaced.

When you put everything together the Meadowcraft cooler is a strong competitor in the market of roto-molded coolers. I ran similar tests with coolers in the 65-85 qt range and found the Meadowcraft to be very capable and comparable to the likes of Yeti but at a less shocking price point.
I used my Meadowcraft 75 on camping trips, weddings, hunting adventures, and some great day trips to the river and I have to say that I was very impressed. This is one cooler that I will be holding on to and plan to get lots of use out of it.

Find it Here:
https://www.amazon.com/nICE-75-Qt-Cooler-Beige/dp/B076FM7XMN

What can be done better?
As I said above I think a bit more thought could go into the rubber feet on the bottom of the cooler. It is a real inconvenience to have them pop off and go missing. This is a great cooler otherwise and would be a great benefit to any outdoorsman’s kit.

I give the NICE 75 4.5 stars and would have gone higher if not for the foot falling off.
NICE