Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review

There are hundreds of coolers out there, all claiming to do basically the same thing: keep things cold. So how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? I tested the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 cooler and measured its cold time, ease of cleaning, and extra features.

Well, is the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 cooler enough to be one of the best coolers? Unfortunately, it just missed the podium. While it’s incredibly hardy, easy to clean, and has some attractive special features like a drip tap, fish ruler, and cup holders, it fell short of Igloo’s claims of ‘4 days cold’.

Don’t get me wrong, it kept my cans and food cold for 2 days — just not 4. I’d recommend this for weekend getaways, but anything longer and I think it might struggle. But there’s more. Find out the full story in this Igloo Marine Ultra 54 cooler review.

Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review: Cheat sheet

• Who is it for? People who need a medium-sized cooler for day trips or weekends away
• What does it do well? It keeps refrigerator-cold for 2 days, without needing to restock
• What does it cost? $69 / £109 (U.K. pre-order)
• What are its weaknesses? You’d need to keep restocking ice to achieve the claimed ‘4 days cold’

Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review: Specs

Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review: Price & availability

The Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler is $69 from Amazon U.S. and is currently on Pre-Order in the U.K. Igloo website for £109.

For a 54-quart cooler, this is around average price. The 60-quart Engel Cooler is a whopping $239, but I loved the 19-quart Engel Cooler when I tested it. I think Engel’s prices are justified. If you want the best of the best, I’d recommend an Engel cooler.

However, not everyone can budget for a $239 cooler — I relate. Therefore, I’d stick with the Igloo Marine Ultra 54, or check out Coleman Classic Cooler at $74 for 62 quarts (and wheels!).

Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review: Design & portability

The Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler is very sturdy and hardy, with a hard outer casing that I don’t see breaking easily. One of the best aspects of the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler is the cup holder grooves on the top lid; you can easily slot in coffee cups and cans onto the four cup holders.

There’s also a ruler on the lid alongside the cup holders so you can measure your catches in centimeters and inches! This is a feature on the Coleman Classic (Xtreme) coolers too.

Unlike the Engel Cooler, the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler doesn’t have a completely sealed gasket ring. This means it can’t be used as a dry box as the Engel coolers can be.

However, unlike the 19-quart Engel Cooler I reviewed, the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler has a drip tap. This is for emptying out the cooler once all the ice has melted.

Despite having no wheels, the cooler is actually pretty easy to move and has dual handles so you can share the weight with someone else.

My biggest gripe with the Igloo Marine Ultra 54’s design is the latch. It’s super fiddly and stiff, and is tricky to get into place with just one hand. It’s easier to open than the Coleman Cooler (which is just a lid you have to open with brute strength, no latch), but the stiffness makes me wonder how reliable this latch would be long-term.

Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review: Performance

Right off the bat, I need to address the elephant in the room: I think Igloo’s claim of ‘keeps cold for 4 days’ is very generous. This may be the case if the cooler is stuffed to the brim 24/7 with fresh refrigerated cans and fresh ice. However, if you stock it up at home and consume cans throughout the trip, it won’t stay cold for 4 days.

At the end of 2 days, the cooler was still ice-cold and my cans were nicely chilled. While most of the ice had melted by then, the water was still around 40°F and the cans were at the perfect refreshing temperature.

However, after 4 days, I opened the cooler to find melted ice and cans at just below room temperature. Yes, it was colder than just leaving the cans out, but it certainly wasn’t cool. By the end of a long camping trip, where supply is rapidly dwindling, the remaining cans wouldn’t stay cool.

Despite this disappointment, emptying out the water was super easy. All I had to do was prop up the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 on its side, open the drip tap and release the water into a drain. It was beyond straightforward thanks to the relatively lightweight design.

For day trips or weekend getaways, I have no doubt that the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 would be able to maintain low temperatures. However, for longer trips (especially if your can/ice supply is dwindling), I don’t think it will keep cool the whole time.

Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review: Additional features

Like other Igloo Marine coolers like the IMX 70-quart cooler, the Marine Ultra 54 has a built-in fish ruler. This displays both centimetres and inches, so you’ll be able to impress friends with your catch even if they’re European!

As I mentioned briefly in the ‘Design’ section above, the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 cooler has four cup holders on the lid. These fit average cans and takeaway coffee cups, although my Owala water bottle didn’t fit.

Other coolers (like Coleman coolers) double up as a seat. The Coleman Classic coolers can hold up to 250 pounds. While the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 doesn’t necessarily specify that it can be a seat, it held my weight just like the Coleman without a problem. Neither the Coleman or the Igloo concaved, wobbled, or groaned under my weight.

Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review: Maintenance

Igloo’s warranty is just 1 year, which pales in comparison to Engel’s 5 year warranty. Other users on the Igloo website have reported the same latch issues as me, claiming the latches broke or the handles snapped after a few uses. As a result, I’d be wary of the Marine Ultra 54’s longevity.

Cleaning is very straightforward though: as the cooler is mostly plastic, all I needed to do was wipe it out with a cloth and dry with a paper towel. Then, thanks to the handy drain tap, it was very easy to dry completely.

Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler review: Verdict

While the ‘4 days cold’ is a little over what my testing found, I think the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 is a decent cooler for the price. It missed out on the top score due to the 2-day cool time and the finicky latches that don’t bode well for longevity.

However, it is, by nature, still a good cooler. It will keep cans and food cold for weekend camping trips or 2-day fishing trips. The cooler itself is very lightweight and beyond easy to drain and clean.

Thanks to the sturdy, hardy exterior and the flourishes like drinks holders and fish rulers, I think the Igloo Marine Ultra 54 Cooler is a good option that won’t set you back $$$ like an Engel cooler.