14-Quart Pelican Personal Cooler (Tan/White) Expired

https://youtu.be/QCJhgmi8x2k

In depth and comical review of this particular cooler.

I bought the "Cool Blue" color during the last sale from Adorama. Here are my thoughts:

Price vs value -- is $60 a lot for a lunchbox? Maybe. But go into any big box store and find something equivalent for cheaper. You'll have a challenging time -- you'll spend $20-40 for something much thinner, more brittle, and probably has zero insulation in the lid. It's absolutely not worth it for $120. But $60? Yes.

Lid ergonomics -- I love the latches. If you're mobility impaired, you can open the latches with just two opposable digits and lift the lid with just one finger, unlike your traditional coleman/igloo where you need to press and hold a spring button and use a second hand to rotate the lid. Or a RITC/Yeti with rubberized latch handles, where you need to pull them down and over a plastic hinge to secure. For most people, this isn't an issue but it's a nice thought from Pelican.

Handle -- it's giant with a wide arch, and I like it. You can grab it with a gloved hand, and at an odd angle if the cooler is far from you -- and you will be able to get a grip on it. It rotates both forward and back, so you have options. A strong positive: the handle is connected to the base of the cooler, not the lid -- unlike several other coolers.

Storage drybox -- maybe not a drybox in a nautical sense, but it's good enough to store some cutlery, napkins, etc.

Top of lid -- two can indentations are nice, though I wish it was 100% entirely flat to use as a makeshift table. You could use it as a table as-is since it's mostly flat, but it's not "perfect".

Back side - there's a curve on the back side along the hinge, shaped to follow the contour of your leg as you carry the cooler. it's a nice touch.

Internal volume - I'd argue that using this for anything but a single person's lunchbox for a day is pushing the limits. The tray takes up space (which is a nice tray btw), but you do feel it's a bit cramped at times. I'd like to see a 16 or 18 qt version in this same exact form factor for comparison. But like I said, if you only plan to use it for daily lunch, you'll be fine. Right tool for the job.

Locking hole - I approve. There are people who'd steal food if left unattended, so I'm all for being able to secure it.

Drain hole - there isn't one, and I 100% love it. So many drain plugs leak, and not having one reduces catastrophic failure.

----

Overall, it's a large, semi-bulky lunch box that excels at keeping things cold for a day, regardless of ambient temp (as long as you have ice/ice packs within). For $60, it gives premium features at a slightly higher cost than the bargain options -- to put it simply, that makes this an excellent buy.

I enjoy mine, as it gets a lot of use every day. If you get one, I hope you enjoy it as much too.

Got one from last deal. Not exactly water tight seal. Used a hose to clean it and saw water inside