Hard-side coolers are great, allowing you to keep drinks and food chilled inside a rigid container. Their large size allows you to fill them up with enough supplies for an entire group, too. Problem is, that same size makes it a headache to store once you’re back home. The Coleman Snap ‘N Go changes that.
Billed as “the world’s first collapsible hard-sided cooler,” the whole thing can fold into a flat pile, so you can easily store it inside tighter spaces similar to soft coolers. No need to clear out an entire cabinet or put it on top of a big pile at the garage, giving you a lot more options for easy storage.
The Coleman Snap ‘N Go looks take on similar dimensions as any hard-side coolers, all while collapsing into a compact bundle resembling a slim briefcase. It does that by using front and rear walls that are hinged across the center, as well as upward-folding side walls, allowing them to easily fold down when collapsing. Of course, those hinges means it’s probably not as watertight as traditional coolers. That’s why it comes with a waterproof liner inside main container, which also folds in a similar way, so you can keep it inside the entire time. You can also remove it if you want to clean the liner separately.
Will it keep ice as well as standard hard coolers? Not really. The collapsible design makes putting in the same level of insulation as burly coolers just a little tougher, so it’s only rated to keep ice for a maximum of 64 hours (this is for the largest version, the smaller ones keep ice for even shorter durations). That means, you get no more than two and half days of ice retention, which is still good enough for taking the cooler on day trips and overnight adventures. Sure, you’ll still need a regular cooler for week-long trips, but this is something that would be good enough for most people.
The Coleman Snap ‘N Go comes with a snap-on lid that makes filling up and taking out drinks an easy affair, while handles on the sides let you carry it like a traditional cooler. It’s sturdy, too, with the outfit claiming it can support up to 200 pounds of contents inside. Do note, it’s not designed to serve as a seat the way those chunky rotomolded traditional coolers do, so they caution against putting a lot of weight directly on the lid (we’re guessing the hinges on the walls might give out).
It comes in three sizes: 35-, 45- , and 55-quarts. All three employ the same standard design, with the smallest one (35-quart) collapsing to just 4.5 inches thick and the biggest one (55-quarts) shrinking down to just 4.7 inches, which makes them small enough to slip under most furniture. Collapsing and deploying the cooler takes no more than 10 seconds, by the way, so it’s very convenient to use, despite the unusual design.
Want one? The Coleman Snap ‘N Go is available now, priced at $199.99 for the 35-quart model, $219.99 for the 45-quart, and $239.99 for the 55-quart.
