The new RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler is a 52-quart midsize, multi-day cooler that weighs just 21 pounds. It’s rugged and well-insulated, but it’s also 30% lighter than comparable rotomolded coolers.
To get us a closer look, RTIC sent Man Makes Fire a review unit, which we initially tested over several spring and summer camping trips.
Author’s Long-Term Update Note: I’ve updated this RTIC Ultra-Light review with additional long-term detail on build quality, long-term ruggedness and the value of lighter weight compared to heavier rotomolded coolers. I’ve now used this ultra light RTIC cooler over dozens of outings for three years, often using it side-by-side with other well-insulated coolers. This is what I learned and recommend in 2024 if you’re considering the RTIC Ultra-Light 52-Quart Cooler:
RTIC Ultra-Light 52-Quart Cooler Review
Rotomolded coolers are super rugged and effective, and RTIC’s primary hard-sided cooler line is made up of rotomolded coolers, including the 65-quart RTIC hard cooler I’ve tested and reviewed. Rotomolded coolers are known for easily holding ice for several days. However, rotomolded coolers have one major drawback: weight. Rotomolded coolers are heavy. Plus, once you fill them with ice and food, they’re super heavy.
This is where the injection-molded RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler becomes a very compelling lightweight cooler option. The RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler weighs about 10 pounds less than comparable rotomolded coolers. How does this affect the cooler’s overall construction?
Injection-molded coolers have multiple pieces of plastic that fit together. And each of these pieces can be optimized for weight savings while still allowing for insulation in the walls. The RTIC Ultralight Cooler, for instance, still has thick walls that have up to 3 inches of closed-cell foam insulation.
In some internal spots in the walls and lid, I suspect that RTIC uses adhesives to help hold things together. In other spots, most notably the lid, you can see several screws that hold two pieces of the lid together, with insulation inside. I can’t claim that it’s stronger than a one-piece rotomolded lid — but it’s very sturdy. I have no qualms about standing on the RTIC ultra light cooler and I suspect it will last for many years.
Keys to Cooling Power
Thick walls help keep your food cold, but you also need a great lid seal. All the best hard-sided coolers have freezer-style lid gaskets, and the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler has one, as expected. Cheap department store coolers don’t have gaskets, but every high-quality cooler manufacturer now includes great gaskets to seal out warm air. You need a gasket for multi-day ice retention to prevent micro leaks that melt ice over time.
Meanwhile, the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler’s non-slip feet help keep it in place in the back of your vehicle. In addition, they also raise the base of the cooler off of hot surfaces. This helps you avoid a direct heat transfer to the cooler.
When you add these construction elements together — thick insulated walls, a freezer-style gasket, and a raised feet — you get a cooler that can keep ice for up to 10 days.
RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler Review: Total Package Features
Beyond the standard cooling features you find in most competitive rotomolded coolers, the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler is surprisingly well designed for usability.
For instance, despite the lighter weight, RTIC still delivers a rugged cooler. It’s burly. In fact, the RTIC 52-qt Ultra-Light Cooler has now survived through several years and dozens of trips. I’ve knocked it over, stood on it, sat on it, flipped the lid open again and again, and the latches and hinge area show no signs of wear. In fact, I once accidentally dropped it off the back of the tailgate of my full-size pickup when it was full of ice, food and drink and it survived without issue — and didn’t even leak. In my opinion, you get about 30% less weight and 10% less ruggedness. To me, that’s a worthwhile trade off for the weight savings, especially when the cooler will likely last a decade or more.
The lid closes with heavy-duty rubber T-latches. These are pretty solid, but they’re not as solid and tight as those on my Cabela’s Polar Cap Equalizer Coolers. On the other hand, kids can open the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler while they struggle with — or even can’t open — the Cabela’s Polar Cap Coolers.
RTIC gives you two different handles. First, you have the molded-in side handles, which are great for carrying the cooler by yourself. Second, RTIC includes padded rope handles, which are great for carrying the cooler with a buddy.
You also get molded-in tie-down slots.
The RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler Interior Design
On the inside, RTIC includes a removable divider. Interestingly, this relatively slim divider is also an ice pack. Leave it in the freezer and it’ll give you a slight cooling boost when it’s time to use it. Pretty smart.
Incidentally, some of the cooler competition offers removable dividers as add-on accessories, so I was pleased to see RTIC include it at no extra cost. The same goes for the included upper basket. If you haven’t used a basket, it’s great for keeping food dry as your ice melts.
Two Drain Holes?
RTIC includes two drain holes. At first, I thought this was a bit odd, but then I reconsidered. While I don’t often drain cold water out of my coolers while camping or out and about, I do sometimes. And sometimes my coolers are positioned in places where the drain hole is on the wrong side. With the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler, you can simply use whichever drain hole is most convenient in the moment you need it. Nice.
The Perfect 52-Quart Size Option
We already talked about the weight savings, but there is more to this story: Interior capacity. The problem with most competing rotomolded coolers is the capacity. On the outside, you see a cooler that looks like a nice big cooler. But when you open it up, you find a relatively small interior space.
A typical 45-quart cooler is often not quite big enough to handle what I need it handle, and that means I often end up bringing multiple coolers camping. Ideally, the smartest campers use one cooler for food that is infrequently accessed and a separate more frequently accessed cooler for drinks. If you run out of ice in the drink cooler, it’s not a big deal because most drinks can’t go bad if they get warm. So you protect your food cooler’s chill by opening it less often.
The trouble comes when you can’t fit all your cold food in one cooler.
At 52-quarts, RTIC’s lightweight cooler is just a bit bigger than most rotomolded coolers in this size range. The extra interior dimensions make it easier to fit and orient food containers.
Because I have just a bit more room — and less weight to carry — this lightweight RTIC is still one of my favorite camping coolers. I test a lot of coolers and outdoor gear, and I’m constantly putting gear to use, whether it’s my favorite or not. But here is what I’m still doing after three years of using the RTIC ultra light cooler: When I’m packing to head out, often the first cooler I grab is the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler. Then I add other hard coolers and soft-sided coolers around it depending on what I’m going to do. That tells me something is very right with this cooler.
Why not just size up to a 65-quart rotomolded cooler to get more space? That’s a valid question. I’ve considered it many times! The 60-65 quart size range is great for camping, but the weight can get really annoying when you’re tent camping and need to haul a cooler down a steep river bank. RTIC’s 65 QT Hard Cooler is already up to 36 pounds empty. If you fill it, you probably need to make sure you lift and carry it with a buddy.
Shop all the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler color options direct from RTIC and get FREE shipping!
Excellent Ice Retention
Is the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler good at keeping things cold? It’s very good at keeping things cold.
In fact, in my experience while camping and traveling with the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler in the back of a pickup on the highway in temperatures up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, I was pleased and satisfied with its performance.
I have easily gotten three days of ice retention out the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler even though I used about half of the recommended ice. Most cooler manufacturers recommend a 2-to-1 ice-to-food/drink ratio for best results. For most weekend camping trips, I tend to use a 1-to-2 ice-to-food/drink ratio in my high-end coolers. It’s not recommended, but that’s also why I use high-quality coolers — so I can get away with less ice when I want to.
The RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler seems to deliver a similar level of ice retention compared to most rotomolded coolers. It’s definitely good enough that I don’t consider it a critical decision factor here, compared to rotomolded coolers for camping.
RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler Alternatives & Competition
If you’re considering the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler, you’re likely trying to find the best balance between weight, ruggedness, and cooling power. Here are a few alternative options to consider:
Pelican 50QT Elite vs RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light:
The Pelican 50QT Elite Cooler — The Pelican 50QT Elite Cooler offers a similar capacity as the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler. It’s also rugged. One interesting benefit is the multi-function lid that has built-in cup holders and a fish ruler. Who doesn’t like cup holders? Overall, the Pelican 50QT Elite is pretty light, but at 26.39 lbs it’s still 5 lbs heavier than the RTIC. Any drawbacks? The biggest drawback of the Pelican 50QT Elite is the higher price point.
YETI Roadie 48 vs RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light:
The YETI Roadie 48 is much heavier than the RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light Cooler because it’s a rotomolded cooler. However, this YETI includes wheels so you get all the benefits of a rotomolding but can pull it instead of carry it. The benefit of the YETI is that it is super rugged and delivers great cooling power. The key drawback with the YETI Roadie 48 is that its capacity offers less volume while the price point is quite a bit higher. Read my YETI Roadie 48 review here for more detail.
* Editor’s Update: RTIC now makes a 52-quart wheeled lightweight version — read our full 52 QT Ultra-Light Wheeled Cooler Review for more detail here.
Igloo IMX 70-Quart vs RTIC Ultra-Light:
The Igloo IMX 70-Quart Cooler weighs almost 5 lbs more than the RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler, but it also offers more capacity. If you need the extra space, the Igloo IMX 70-Quart is a solid injection-molded cooler to consider.
The Verdict
The new RTIC Ultra-Light Cooler is a flat-out winner. It offers significant weight savings but still delivers efficient multi-day ice retention. Better yet, the 52-quart size is big enough to handle food for weekend camping trips, making it a versatile size for most campers. If you’ve been looking for a lighter alternative to heavy rotomolded coolers, check out this injection-molded cooler option. Very highly recommended.
Get the Gear:
Looking for improved cooler portability? You might want to consider going with an easy-to-pull cooler with wheels: Read our in-depth decision guide to the best coolers with wheels for more detail.
