Patriot Coolers Review – Good Coolers at a Good Price, BUT…

Design and Construction

As you may have guessed, the Patriot hard cooler is rotomolded, which immediately puts it right up there with the best of the best in terms of hard coolers. It also has a very rugged build that was clearly designed to take a beating.

Some of the most rugged coolers we have reviewed have come out of Texas. I still remember how much fun we had reviewing Kong coolers with their extremely rugged build. I expected no less from Patriot, and sure enough, I got no less. This wonderful cooler is definitely built to last.

The outer body is pretty strong, and the inner polyurethane insulation extends up to 3 inches. That’s a lot of insulation by anyone’s standards, and that is why the ice retention on this cooler is also great.

Something I noticed during the review, and also something I’ve seen people mention at Amazon and other review sites is how heavy the cooler is. It’s heavier than your average cooler, especially when fully loaded with cargo and ice.

I think part of the reason why this is so is the thick insulation. To make it worse, the cooler has no wheels, and the 20-quart version has a thin steel overhead handle that’s certainly going to be hard on your hands when you’re hauling such a heavy cooler around. That said, it also has useful side handles that make it easier to carry during those especially heavy times.

Overall, the design of the Patriot cooler isn’t very unique. They decided to take the safe route and use the design that has come to be the hallmark of many premium coolers in the market, including Yeti.

What am I talking about? I’m talking about the rectangular shape, the plain white color scheme, the rubber T-Rex latches, and the drain plug located in the side.

We have come to recognize this stereotypical cooler design in many premium coolers. It started with Yeti and then quickly spread as other cooler brands quickly copied the leader.

On the one hand, the design certainly works. On the other hand, a brand is certainly not going to get any extra points for employing it.

Features

Let’s start with the handles because the unique heaviness of this cooler makes the design of the handles a very important thing to consider. For the 20 quart, there is the one overhead stainless steel handle.

It is quite thin, which means carrying the cooler at full capacity is bound to hurt. However, to make matters easier, there are the side handles which are made out of nylon rope. They make carrying the cooler very easy, though there will definitely be a fair amount of shifting of hands if you’re carrying it over a long distance.

There are also two sturdy side handles for the 45-quart cooler, which are quite the boon for a cooler that is reputed to be as heavy as this one. This is something the Yeti tends to lack, which gives this cooler brand some points over Yeti. Side handles are quite underrated in the world of coolers. Only someone that has had to carry a super heavy cooler with the overhead handle would understand.

Buy Patriot 20 Quart Cooler at Amazon

Next in line are the latches. The strong rubber latches are T-Rex latches, just like what you would find on a Yeti, and the quality isn’t that much different. They’re pretty easy to use, coming off easily when you want to undo them and also fitting into their holdfasts very easily.

However, despite the relative ease of operation, these latches hold on quite tightly, ensuring the lid stays tightly shut and helping with the insulation.

Speaking of the lid, it has commercial-grade rubber gasket that’s guaranteed to keep the cold in and the heat out, further improving the insulation of your cooler. The hinges are also pretty strong, making sure the lid does snap off at the hinges, which can be quite vulnerable in some cooler models.

Together with the rugged cooler exterior walls, these lid and hinge features make this cooler bear proof. If a bear can’t pry it open then you know it’s tough for sure.

On the inside, the insulation is pretty thick. I got the impression that it really ate into the space meant for the food and beverages, making the capacity a little smaller than advertised. I didn’t quite measure the capacity difference, so it’s more of a personal issue.

Perhaps you can try and measure for yourself if the capacity is reduced by the thick insulation, in case you decide to purchase this cooler and tell us what you found out in the comments.

Buy Patriot 45 Quart Cooler at Amazon

On the lid, there is a rule for fishers to measure their catch. It’s embossed into the plastic and highly accurate. On the 20-quart cooler, the ruler is 17 inches in length, while it is 24 inches in length on the 45-quart cooler.

The bottom of the cooler features non-slip feet that hold it in place and prevent it from slipping about on a slippery or moving surface. The last thing you want is your cooler moving around in the bed of your pickup truck while you’re driving and mashing up the contents.

On the side is the drainage plug, which is screwed on and off. It doesn’t come with a chain attached, so you better watch where you place it when you uncap it so as not to lose it. Apart from that, it is pretty good at draining the leftover water from the melted ice in a short span of time.

Ice Retention

The advertised time on the Patriot website is 5 days. Sure enough, we tested this and found it to be fairly accurate, dependent on the ambient temperature and how often you opened and closed the cooler. Also, you should add plenty of ice in it at the ratio of 2:1 for ice to the contents of the cooler. To maximize ice retention, you can also think about putting in some well-frozen ice packs.

Colors & Sizes

This cooler comes in only two sizes (the 20-quart and the 45-quart) and 4 colors (white, gray, tan, and aquamarine). This is one of its drawbacks. It doesn’t have enough variety in its offering to pose serious competition to industry mainstays like Yeti. However, if you’re not into fancy colors and don’t happen to have special needs that call for a very large cooler, it will work just fine for you.

Warranty

Patriot’s hard coolers come with a limited warranty of 5 years. Their soft coolers and drinkware come with a limited warranty of 1 year.

Purpose

This is a great adventure cooler. Based on the construction and features, it was obviously built to take a beating and offer simple utilities for the everyday adventurer, hiker, fisherman, and hunter. If that’s the kind of person you are, then it’s definitely worth checking out. However, it’s so versatile that you can also use it for a simple picnic or tailgater.

Frio Coolers

Frio Coolers is based out of Texas, just like Patriot. Their design is a little different and unique in its own way, especially with the latches and handles. We really loved those aspects of it while reviewing it.

Buy Frio Coolers at Amazon

Kong Coolers

Kong is one of our favorite products to have ever reviewed by far, and that’s saying a lot, considering the dozens of brands we have already reviewed. We loved their premise, we loved the unique design of their coolers, we loved how tough they were, and we also loved the business model employed by Kong, which involved owning their own factories, manufacturing locally, and cutting out expensive middlemen.

Buy Kong Coolers at Amazon

Seavilis Coolers (formerly Milee)

When we reviewed Seavilis cooler, we loved the way it looked on the outside, with some pretty cool looking exteriors that were bound to turn heads. We also compared it to Yeti, pointing out what made it better or worse than the industry leader.

Buy Seavilis Coolers at Amazon