There are so many coolers out there on the market today and they’re all out there to serve one purpose, keeping your stuff cool.
It can be hard to differentiate the good from the gimmicks and to also find something that will work well for you and your needs.
Your cooler doesn’t just have to be used to keep your food and drinks ice cold, but you could always use a cooler on fishing trips to store your catch, keep it fresh, and avoid it from drying out and smelling in hot air.
However, most people use their coolers to keep their drinks ice-cold during the hottest summer days, so you won’t have to keep repurchasing them as they’ll only be an arms reach away in your cooler box.
We’ve written an in-depth review of the white Orca 20-quart cooler and we’ll be letting you in on our overall thoughts and what we love most about it.
We’ve also included the specifications and main features below, in case you’re looking for a cooler that fits a certain size or holds a particular feature.
Specifications
- Height: 16”
- Length: 22”
- Width: 14 ½“
- Weight: 18lbs (empty)
- Capacity: 5 gallons
- Holds: 18 cans or 15 bottles
- Material: Plastic
- Handle: Included
- Drain plug: Included
- Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Main features
- Integrated insulation for ice retention
- Included attached cargo net for extra storage
- 5-gallon capacity
- Flex-grip stainless steel handle
- Drain plug to empty easily
- Durable construction
- Lid gasket for leak-proof transportation
Orca Cooler Review
Orca coolers may not be the most expensive out there on the market, but they’re certainly not just for the average joe who’s looking to buy a cheap cooler.
These are built to last and for people who will use them relentlessly to get their money's worth. Priced at $199.99 normally, it borders around the same price points as other brands of the same quality as YETI.
However, you may have come across cheaper alternatives to the Orca 20-quart model in your research, and whilst they may be better in price, they may not compare at all on quality and serving their purpose.
Buying Guide
How much can it hold?
The 20-quart cooler has a capacity of 6.5 gallons or can carry up to 18 drink cans or 15 glass bottles at a time.
It’s a perfect size for BBQ’s, tailgates, or a day down the beach, but may be too small in capacity for longer camping trips.
Orca does offer larger coolers up to 75-quart which would suit anyone who wants to use them for long trips away.
Orca’s largest model, the 75-quart cooler can hold up to an impressive 192 drinks cans so a great alternative for someone hosting a huge party outside and doesn’t want everyone raiding their fridge.
If you’re looking for just a general cooler for family day’s out or hanging out with friends then the 20-quart size is a reasonable option.
Design & features
The lids on the Orca coolers are ultra-strong and have no flex on them so they won't bend or dent in the back of your trunk whilst you’re transporting them.
They’re strong enough to stand on, so can even be used as a step to grab things out of your reach when you’re out and about.
If you’re taking the cooler out on a day trip where you plan on preparing and cooking food then the lid can also be used as a stable cutting surface for you to place a chopping board or you can even set up a laptop or tablet on the lid to watch your downloaded movies on when you’re in the middle of nowhere.
The exterior base of the cooler also offers non-skid pads to help stabilize your box when transporting it, this means if you haven’t got your cooler box strapped into the trunk of a truck, then it won’t be flying from side to side as you drive to your destination.
It comes with a simple flex-grip steel handle which makes it easy to carry even during the most humid weather.
The handle allows you to carry it on your own and will only require one hand if the cooler is not full to capacity.
The Orca 20-quart cooler also has lock holes on the corner of the cooler so you can keep it locked tight with padlocks, so if you’re down the beach and want to go for a swim, you can leave it unattended with a piece of mind.
They’ve got T-style latches which are easy to open and close but cannot be done one-handed, so if you want someone to grab a drink for you quickly then they’ll need to open up the cooler with two hands.
This does ensure that the lid is kept tightly shut and won’t open up in transportation.
The latches are also shaped as orca’s trademark clasps which is a nice added touch and really accentuates the cohesive branding throughout the cooler.
The lid gasket also ensures that the cooler is perfectly sealed, so it is completely leakproof. It’s great to have reassurance like this as you don’t want to find your car trunk full of ice or water after a car journey.
The Orca cooler possesses a cool feature that we haven’t seen anywhere else yet, which is a cargo net built onto the back of the box.
It’s a great option for extra storage and can carry smaller items that you don’t want to carry by hand or in more bags.
As the cooler doesn't come with a bottle opener built-in, this would be a great place to keep your portable bottle opener or even to keep wine corks in there to put in wine bottles once they’ve been opened.
If you’re going out all day with the family, then you could always use this little storage net to hold your first aid essentials like aspirin, band-aids, and bandages, it’ll save you bringing an extra storage box to carry these things.
The cooler also comes with a drain plug at the side of the cooler which can be removed if you want to drain the box if you’ve filled it with ice, this saves you having to pick up the box yourself and emptying it by tipping it out, often getting splashed in the process.
How well does it work?
The cooler has great ice retention, so you can keep a whole load of ice and it won’t start to melt until after 3-6 days, this can vary with the color of your cooler.
Obviously, this will depend on what kind of weather and temperature you place your cooler in but on average, it should last a few days even during heat waves. drinks, keep your drinks ice cold in there, or you can even keep your fish nice and fresh in there throughout your fishing trip without it starting to stink from the warm weather.
However, the choice of color of your cooler will impact its ice retention capabilities, black or darker colors will absorb more heat therefore the ice will melt quicker, so it’s better to get either white or pale-colored coolers to extend the ice retention period.
Warranty
All Orca coolers come with a lifetime warranty, which is so great especially if you are someone who is going to consistently use this cooler.
The warranty only covers defects or damages that have occurred due to the fault of the brand and not yourself. So if you drop it and damage it, you’ll have to buy yourself a new one.
Colors
Orca currently offers 6 different color options of the 20-quart cooler on Amazon but offers the full 11 varieties on their branded website.
Different colors impact the prices on Amazon, so you’ll want to check before you buy. As we said, we have the white one and think it’s a great versatile color and increases ice retention.
It’s also easy to clean and wipe down with anti-bacterial wipes or soapy water if it gets a bit dirty after being used.
Downsides
We can’t actually pinpoint any serious negatives to this Orca cooler, it does its job exceptionally well, it’s easy and secure to carry around, and also will last a long time with its strong exterior.
The only thing we can say is that it is the smallest of the Orca coolers and whilst it will suit smaller groups, those who want to use it for long trips will need to upgrade to the higher quart models which will significantly increase the price.
The Orca 20-quart cooler is notably heavier than general coolers out there right now, but this is due to the thick insulation which retains the ice-cold temperatures even during the hottest weather.
That’s why lighter soft cooler carry bags will only keep your food cold for only a couple of hours.
Pros
- Ice retention lasts up to six days
- Comfortable and easy to carry handle
- Can be carried by one person
- Lots of colors to choose from
- Drain plug makes it easy to empty without having to lift
- Can be used for many things
- Cargo net is good for storing small possessions e.g. bottle openers
- Material is extremely durable
- Leak-proof lid
- Can use a padlock in either two holes to keep cooler safe
Cons
- Small compared to other orca models
- Due to insulation, it is heavier than other coolers
What we love the most
The orca 20-quart cooler is fantastic for truly serving its purpose and more.
Whilst we don’t think ice retention lasts up to the acclaimed 10 days by the brand, it does keep ice frozen for as long as six days even in the hottest temperatures.
The price may seem steep, but if you are serious about investing in a hard-wearing cooler that will last you a lifetime, this will be one you’ll want to go for.
It’s totally leakproof and we never imagined we’d be able to leave a cooler out on the beach in direct sunlight all day and still be able to have ice cold drinks.
You can find the white Orca cooler we bought here.