The RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler is a rugged, lightweight cooler that’s sized perfectly for day trips and weekend jaunts. RTIC based the design on its popular — and bigger — 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler.
To get us a closer look, RTIC sent Man Makes Fire a review unit. After testing the cooler over multiple day trips, including a ski weekend as well as a four-day Thanksgiving trip, this is what we learned:
RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler Review
The new RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler is perfectly sized for weekend trips.To understand the place for the RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler, it’s helpful to understand the awesomeness of RTIC’s first Ultra-Light Cooler — the 52-quart version, which RTIC introduced last year.
The 52 QT version has been a best-selling hit for RTIC, and it’s one of our favorite weekend camping coolers. In fact, we like it so much we included it in our guide to the best gifts for outdoor lovers for two years running.
What makes RTIC’s Ultra-Light Coolers so great? They’re almost as efficient and almost as rugged as competitive rotomolded coolers . . . but they’re about 30% lighter.
If you’re tired of lugging around coolers that are heavy when they’re empty, an RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler is for you.
Basically, the 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler is fantastic for weekend camping trips, but it’s too big for most day trips. Meanwhile, smaller rotomolded coolers like the RTIC 20 QT Hard Cooler are sometimes too small, especially for families or bigger friend groups.
Build Quality
One benefit of the 32-quart size option is that it gives you plenty of room for food and drink on day trips.We cover some of these details in our review of the RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler, but here’s the short version: The RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler has an excellent, rugged build quality.
Instead of being rotomolded with thick (and heavy) seamless plastics, RTIC uses assembled injection-molded sections with thick insulation throughout. Rotomolded coolers are typically more rugged than injection-molded coolers, but we appreciate the 30% weight savings, especially when it comes to weekends and day trips.
Thermal Efficiency
The thick lid, sidewalls, and gasket make the RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler very thermally efficient.So far, the RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler shows great thermal efficiency. It has a relatively thick lid, bottom and side walls with up to 2.5″ of foam insulation, as well as an O-ring gasket to seal in the cold.
Because we received the review unit late this fall, we haven’t had a chance to test it in hot summer sun on the beach. However, based on the design characteristics, we expect it to perform similarly to the larger RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler.
New Built-In Bottle Opener
RTIC didn’t simply clone and shrink its 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler. The new 32 QT includes a feature not part of the original 52 QT model: The 32 QT option has a built-in bottle opener.
Aside from the bottle opener difference, the 32 QT has the same overall design as the 52 QT model. You get pass-through strap slots, molded side handles as well as padded rope handles. Surprisingly, you also get two drain plugs. We would have settled for one, but we must admit that sometimes it’s nice to be able to drain a cooler from the side you happen to have access to in the back of your pickup.
Accessories
You can separately purchase an ice divider or basket for the 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler.RTIC separately sells two key accessories — an Ultra-Light Cooler Divider and an Ultra-Light Cooler Basket. The basket is exactly what you would expect, but the divider is also freezable, making it a thin ice divider. It doesn’t have enough interior volume to make a big difference, but if you’re trying to eek out the best performance, stow the divider in your freezer at home until you need it.
Key Specifications
Weight: 13.4 pounds
Capacity: 48 cans or 30 pounds of ice
Outside Dimensions: 14.5″ H x 23″ W x 15.5″ D
Inside Dimensions: 11.25″ H x 18.25″ W x 11″ D
RTIC now makes its Ultra-Light Cooler series in two size options with multiple color choices.
Competitive Alternatives & Options
While the RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler is very nearly in a size, weight and insulation class all on its own, there are several competitive coolers of similar volumes and weights. These alternative options might also meet your needs:
Pelican 30QT Elite Cooler — Like the RTIC Ultra-Light Coolers, the Pelican 30QT Elite Cooler injection molded and is built rugged with plenty of insulation. One key difference, however, is the weight: The Pelican weighs in at 21.67 lbs, which is quite a bit heavier than the 13.4 lbs RTIC 32 QT cooler. One key benefit is that the Pelican 30QT Elite Cooler is Made in the USA.
Canyon Outfitter 35 Quart Cooler — The Canyon Outfitter 35 Quart Cooler is a rugged rotomolded cooler with a similar capacity to the 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler. We tested a much larger Canyon Prospector 103 on a 7-day whitewater rafting trip and came away impressed with Canyon’s build quality. The biggest drawback to the Outfitter 35 is its weight: At 22 pounds empty, it weighs about 9 pounds more than the RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler.
Cordova 28 QT Basecamp Class Hard Cooler — Cordova coolers are rotomolded, ultra rugged, and made in Idaho. The drawback is the weight — 19 lbs empty. Capacity is a bit less than the RTIC 32 QT cooler, but it still falls into a versatile day-trip, weekend size range.
Coleman Convoy Series 28-Quart Portable Cooler — The Coleman Convoy Series 28-Quart Cooler has a slightly more vertical build than the RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler. While the capacity is a bit lower, the weight is too — it’s just 11 pounds.
The Bottom Line
All-in-all, the RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler is a rugged, lightweight powerhouse. What we find particularly interesting is the RTIC 32 QT Ultra-Light Cooler is the size we didn’t know we needed until we saw it. Ultimately, it delivers excellent thermal efficiency in a winning size, giving you enough space for day trips and weekends. Very highly recommended.
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