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Welcome back to another post, everybody! Today, we’re looking at the Frosted Frog coolers.
Now, before we even start this Frosty Frog cooler review, right out of the gate I want to say that the About Us page on the Frosted Frog website is the best About Us page I have ever read on a coolers' site… Ever! You should really head over there and check it out.
Basically, everything is framed in terms of the frog-world. The founder of the company, Jeremiah Archibald, started out as a little tadpole, then grew up playing on floating lily pads or whatever and then one day, as he was working out of his parents’ old tractor that didn’t have any air conditioning, he thought it would be a good idea if he had a cooler box to keep his food and beverages cool.
So he told his parents about it and his mother thought she’d help him out by gathering up her savings to buy one for him because he’d been such a good boy (in his words, he hadn’t been drinking Croak Light and smoking milkweed like the other teenage frogs).
So they went on up to the store to buy coolers but were shocked to find that they were all so low quality, or expensive, or both. Jerry then decided that he would dedicate his average 10-year lifespan (he’s a frog, remember?) to building a high quality and affordable cooler for other frogs to enjoy.
If you think about it, Jeremiah Archibald’s origin story isn’t especially unique. Most cooler companies have the same story. The founders wanted something high quality and affordable but couldn’t find it, so they went on to make it. But I’ve never read a story told with such creativity and humor.
It’s just an About Us page, no one even reads it! For them to go the extra mile on something so obscure, it says a lot about them and their dedication to going above and beyond what is required of them. That is a plus in my book.
Now that I’m done gushing over Frosted Frog, I think we can go into the actual Frosty Frog ice chest review. As it turns out, they’re not perfect, but we’ll get into the details of that in a bit.
Are you ready for us to explore? Alright, let’s go!
Frosted Frog Cooler Review
Frosted Frog coolers aren’t particularly unique, just like their About Us page. Just like their About Us page says the same things that other About Us pages say, so their coolers do most of the basic things that other coolers do.
However, the two things that set Frosted Frog Coolers apart from their competition are quality and accessibility.
They went and wrote an About Us page that was accessible, by which I mean it was so fun and well written that most people who read it are going to enjoy reading it (except frog haters, maybe).
Same thing with their coolers. They are good quality and they are accessible in that they’re affordable, making it possible for most people to own a cooler!
All that said, if you take a good close look at the Frosted Frog coolers you should notice an uncanny similarity with the designs of Driftsun, or Milee (Seavilis), Fatboy, Vibe Elements, and Big Frig coolers.
I couldn’t help thinking that if I took off the Frosted Frog brand logo and just slapped on any of the logos of the brands I’ve just mentioned, I could go and fool anyone that it was a Vibe Elements or Big Frig cooler I was carrying.
Frosted Frog coolers also have a similar design (though not quite the same) as Thermik and nICE coolers.
Again, all that said, these coolers are still pretty good and do the job well. Moreover, they’re half the price of Yeti, so I’ll take them!
Build and Features
The overall build is what you’d expect from a good rotomolded cooler. It’s built to last with no seams.
The gasket on top is freezer grade and the T-latches are made of rubber and fit tight. On the inside, you have 3 inches of commercial-grade insulation that boosts ice retention.
Ice retention, in particular, is rather impressive on this cooler. It will gladly keep your ice icy for at least 5 days, and sometimes can go up to 7 if you don’t open the cooler too frequently and don’t keep it out in the sun (more tips here).
We tried it ourselves and 5 days in there was still ice in the cooler.
On the sides, you’ll find military-grade nylon rope to help you haul the cooler around. These are about the same quality as what you would find on any premium cooler and come with a strong rubber grip handle.
There are also molded tie-down slots with lock plates for those that want to be able to tie their cooler down on the back of their pickup truck or boat.
Near the lid, you’ll find a pressure release vibe. This is another standard addition on many premium cooler models and I appreciate that Frosted Frog decided to add it to their coolers.
Pressure release valves come in handy when you’re trying to open the lid on your cooler after a long time and the pressure differential makes it super hard. The valve lets some air into the cooler, equalizing the atmospheric pressure in and out of the cooler and making it easier to open.
On the side of the cooler is the drain plug, which comes with a metal tether to prevent loss. It’s really tight when closed all the way, preventing nasty leakages, and at 2 ½ inches, it’s wide enough that you’ll get to drain most of the water away in no time.
On the bottom, we have anti-skid rubber feet to protect your floor while giving the cooler a sense of traction so it doesn’t slip around when you’re driving on rough terrain or riding your boat in rough waters.
Finally, a little addition for those who want a little extra is a fact there are two bottle openers, instead of the customary one that you find on other coolers.
Frosted Frog 45QT Cooler
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There are 5 available sizes: 3 main ones and 2 wheeled coolers with additional capacities. The 3 main sizes are 20, 45, and 75 quarts while the two wheeled coolers have 70 and 110 quart capacities. For a relative underdog, they’re doing pretty well on the size variety front.
Frosted Frog 20 QT
- Weight = 14.3 lbs
- External Dimensions = L 21.22″ x W 12.2″x 14.33″
- Internal Dimensions = L 14.45″ x W 8.11″x 9.84″
- Fits up to 30 – 12 oz cans
- Current price: Check at Amazon
Frosted Frog 45 QT
- Weight = 23.1 lbs;
- External Dimensions = L 27.05″ x W 16.1″x 16.3″;
- Internal Dimensions = L 21.45″ x W 11.02″x 11.3″;
- Fits up to 64 12 oz cans
- Current Price: Check at Amazon
Frosted Frog 75 QT
- Weight = 31.9 lbs
- External Dimensions = L 33.94″ x W 18.18″x 17.95″
- Internal Dimensions = L 28.19″ x W 12.2″x 12.99″
- Fits up to 105 12 oz cans
- Current price: Check at Amazon
Frosted Frog 70 QT Wheeled
- Weight = 37 lbs
- External Dimensions = L 33.94″ x W 18.18″x 17.95″
- Internal Dimensions = L 28.19″ x W 12.2″x 12.99″
- Fits up to 100 12 oz cans
- Current price: Check at Amazon
Frosted Frog 110 QT Wheeled
- Weight = 50 lbs
- External Dimensions = L 37.5″ x W 19.5″x 19.5″
- Internal Dimensions = L 31.5″ x W 14″x 14″
- Fits up to 150 12 oz cans
- Current Price: Check at Amazon
The real win for Frosted Frog Coolers when it comes to variety is all the different colors they offer. They offer coolers in 14 different colors: black, black camo, desert camo, olive green camo, orange camo, red camo, cool gray, mint green, ocean blue, original green, pink, sand, stainless steel, and white.
How’s that for variety? They’ve also got 5 different camo designs so if you’re big on camo then this is a good choice. Here are some examples:
Warranty
Something else I love about Frosted Frog Coolers is their 5-year warranty. They’re willing to stand behind their products and guarantee them for 5 years, which is just a testament to their quality.
Frosted Frog vs YETI Coolers
OK, so let's discuss the Frosted Frog vs. YETI coolers. Now, even though I’ve been singing nothing but praises for Frosted Frog, I have to point out here that we’re a little disappointed in the fact that it looks like many other coolers we’ve reviewed before.
Don’t get me wrong; Frosted Frog did a good job making a run-of-the-mill cooler at an affordable price, and that’s why they’re growing so popular. They’re also clearly looking to provide good customer service with their 5-year warranty. For that, I am impressed.
However, from the perspective of a cooler geek, there’s really nothing breathtaking about seeing something you’ve already seen a dozen times before. And that’s one critical area where Frosted Frog lose to Yeti.
Yeti has always been the kind to stick out. They’ve always sought to make industry-leading products, while the others follow. A lot of the modern cooler designs we see today are really just knock-offs of what Yeti already came up with. That makes Yeti a bit special (although one should remember that there are many other coolers as good as YETI).
Insulation and Ice Retention
Now, when it comes to insulation, Frosted Frog has 3-inch insulation, just like Yeti, but the difference is that Yeti’s insulation is ~3 inches all the way around while the insulation on Frosted Frog coolers gets thinner in the corners and on the lid.
This affects insulation as Yeti has longer ice retention periods than Frosted Frog. That said, I think the ice retention times you get with Frosted Frog are still more than enough for most people.
YETI vs Frosted Frog – Sizes and Colors
Another area where Yeti blows Frosted Frog out of the water is when it comes to size variety. While Frosted Frog has 5 available sizes (many similar brands offer just 3), and even provides wheeled coolers, which are a fairly rare and great convenience when they can be found, Yeti has lots of different sizes available for its coolers (16 at the time of writing this article).
When it comes to colors, Frosted Frog does well enough that Yeti doesn’t have a significant upper hand here.
Price Points
Yeti also happens to be more expensive, which means you’re going to be getting lots of value for your money with Frosted Frog coolers. Take the 20-quart cooler, for example, with the manufacturer's suggested retail price of around $139.99. It’s good enough and costs half of what a Yeti Roadie costs.
Frosted Frog vs Yeti: Verdict
I would say to try Frosted Frog if you’re on a budget and don’t mind buying a generic looking cooler. Other than that it has good quality and does what it’s supposed to do.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a premium respected brand, and want something that stands out in the market and don’t mind splashing a few dollars while you’re at it, then Yeti is a great choice.
Other Coolers like Frosted Frog Worth Looking At
If you’re still not convinced, why not do a little more research to see the other options worth considering. Here are recommended, similar coolers that also do not cost a fortune.
Driftsun Coolers
Driftsun is one of those brands you probably haven’t heard much about but have used at least once. The company prides itself on making a prolific list of coolers and other products for the beach without putting too much emphasis on their brand name.
You should check them out if you’re looking for something with a utility that doesn’t use the brand name to jack the price by half.
Kenai
Kenai is a new Alaskan Peninsula-inspired brand with a quality line of colorful coolers. We’ve also done a review of this so you should check it out. It’s a great model for budget-conscious consumers.
RTIC Coolers
RTIC Coolers is a better known brand than Frosted Frog, and a slightly more expensive. However, their coolers are still about 40% cheaper than Yeti, while giving the same features as Yeti.
Perhaps the best thing about RTIC is that they've iterated their product over the past years, as customers continued to buy those. To put it simply, RTIC coolers are truly field-tested, and after selling hundreds of thousands of them, they've grown their loyal audience significantly.
So if you want something premium that won’t cost too much you’ll do well with RTIC.
Where to Buy Frosted Frog Coolers
We would recommend that you make your cooler purchases on Amazon, especially when you’re dealing with newer brands on the market. That’s because Amazon gives you the protection of “no questions asked” returns as well as fast shipping.
You also get to see ratings and read genuine reviews of products left by other customers.
Frosted Frog Cooler Review – Rating and Conclusion
Frosted Frog Coolers is a great brand with affordable products. If you don’t mind that they’re not made in the US (they’re made in China) and want affordability and quality, then they’re a great choice.
I would, however, advise you to compare them to similar ones, like Big Frig, Driftsun, and Melee/Seavilis and compare prices before making your purchase. Saving a few bucks never hurts.
Thanks for reading this Frosted Frog Cooler Review. Till next time, stay cool!
Our Frosted Frog Rating
- Ice Retention
- Quality
- Features
- Price
Summary
Unless you want “Made in US” cooler, or a cooler that's absolutely unique in the way it looks and what it offers, then going for these low-cost yet good quality Frosted Frog coolers absolutely makes sense. They’re pretty decent, do the job right and are half of the YETI price.
User Review
( votes)Last update on 2023-04-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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We love our Frosted Frog cooler and have found it to be just as good as our friends’ Yeti at half the price! Check out Frosted Frog – it’s a no brainer!!