Pelican 50 Quart Elite Cooler

I admit it, I have a deep love for Pelican products. I was disappointed to read about some of the coolers leaking from the drain. I was looking for a cooler that was between 50-60 quarts, was considering the Orca, Cabelas Polar Cap and this Pelican Elite. After reading hundreds of reviews, I thought I had decided on the Cabelas Polar Cap. I went to a local Cabelas and looked at the cooler. They were very nice, rugged coolers, but seemed REALLY large (exterior dimensions) for the quart capacity of the cooler, so I went back home and did some more reading. The taper of the walls (Top is wider than the bottom) is huge on the Cabelas….so much so, that the 50 quart Pelican Elite is smaller than the 40 quart Cabelas Polar Cap. The 60 quart Pelican Elite is only slightly larger than the Cabelas Polar Cap 40 quart. Both have the standard 2" insulation, just the taper on the Cabelas cooler makes it take up a huge amount of space. Now to be fair, the Pelican Cooler is slightly taller, I think under an inch, but that didn't affect me. I was only concerned about the overall footprint side to side and front to back. So I ended up going with the Pelican and I'm glad I did. First a note, I did not compare it to any other of the high end coolers. There are hundreds of cooler tests on YouTube if you'd like to see that. I did however take it out on my boat for 8 hours in direct sunlight with ambient temperatures around 90. I had 20 pounds of crushed ice in it as well as a bunch of pre chilled water bottles, soda and stuff to make sandwiches. The cooler was probably opened at least 30 times over the course of the day. When we got home that night I was surprised to find that there was very little water in the bottom of the cooler. I bet around 90% of the ice was still ice. My other cheap Coleman cooler would have been down to less than 25% ice and would have been full of water by the end of this same day (That's what I've been using for years) This cooler is nothing short of amazing. To further test the cooler, without adding any more ice I kept it inside my house (about 75 degrees) and monitored the ice a few times a day. The ice in the cooler didn't turn to ice soup for an additional 3 days (where there is more water than ice and it is like a big cup of ice water.) And, no, the cooler didn't leak a drop. Based on reviews, it looks like some people had problems with leaks around the drain, but I did not. The Pelican name and their warranty made me feel comfortable buying it knowing full well that if I did have any problems, they would stand behind their product. I have been an avid user of Pelican products and have only used their warranty once, but was a great experience and they have earned my business. Another thing that I REALLY like about this cooler that no other coolers seem to have, is the latches. I don't like the rubber latches, and I don't understand how anyone really does. When they get cold they are very stiff and difficult to use. A friend of mine has a Yeti and my wife cannot open the cooler when it is cold outside (like below 40ish) The latches on the Pelican Elite have a lock button and then fold out to release, very simple one handed operation. In all, this is a fantastic cooler that you should strongly consider.

Based on all reviews and videos out there it seems like all rotomolded coolers are far superior to your "standard" cooler as far as ice retention and food safety. That was especially important to us since we like to do a lot of camping. Initially I was going to buy a different brand cooler but since I decided to buy right before a labor day camping trip, I could not get it in time so I switched my choice to the Pelican cool that I could get in time. I'm glad I did. Both coolers seemed to have the same ice retention so I didn't think it was a big deal. What I do love about this cooler is the latches. They are much easier to use than the rubber tie down style that most other coolers tend to use. I also love the fixed handles. It's much easier to carry than a cooler that hangs from strap type handles or one that has swinging handles. The downside to that is it makes the overall size of the cooler much larger. That can be a problem when loading your truck with square bins as it leaves dead space under the handles. If you're good a packing you can always stuff some small stuff in between. As far as performance, we left Friday morning with the cooler full or water, beer and food with three 4 pound blocks of ice. (all contents were cold when the cooler was packed). We consumed almost everything in the cooler during our trip and returned home late Monday night with 3 small chunks of ice left. We never had to add ice like use usually do with our standard cooler and everything inside stayed cold, even the items at the very top of the cooler. I was always concerned that the items on top were not staying cold in our old cooler since most do not an insulated lid. No concerns with the Pelican.

We watched a YouTube video regarding a test for the best quality cooler. The experiment was conducted in Florida and very well done. Pelican was one of the two top performing coolers. We went with Pelican because size for size (50 quart) they were very comparable to another top brand (Orca) in performance, but they were $100 less expensive. We absolutley LOVE our Pelican 50 quart coolers. We purchased two, loved them so much, we purchased another. The quality is unbeatable. They are extremely well made with high quality materials. Pelicans are very durable and attractive. I took mine to girls camp during 115 degree weather and it kept my food cold for almost 3 days. Initially I was a little disappointed; however, everyone else around me was going through bags of ice daily in other coolers (from a variety of manufacturers). I put a couple medium bags of ice in my Pelican on the afternoon of the third day and it easily lasted until the end of the week. (Other coolers were out of ice within 24 hours). My Pelican out performed all other coolers at the camp including the overrated Yeti, which my Pelican put to shame. I HIGHLY recommend Pelican coolers! Just FYI, the higher end coolers all have smaller interiors than the cheaper coolers because of their thick insulated walls.

TLDR: I decided to return the cooler because of its weight but that is the only reason and I am sad about it. I really wanted to keep it. If you need an ultra-tough cooler that also has top-of-line cooler performance, and you don’t care how much it weights, look no further. In all seriousness, I love this cooler. It is very well designed and you can see thought and purpose behind each design decision. For example, the cup holders on top of the lid have drain channels so dew or drink don’t puddle up in the cup holder - smart and it’s done well. Just check out some product pictures and you will see what I mean. So why did I return it: weight. It is heavy. The numbers are clearly on the product page but until you get it in your hands, you can’t gauge how that weight sits. I got the 50 qt which weights 26 lbs. No problem, I thought. I move items that weight that much and more all the time. Well, after seeing and experiencing this thing, I could see it was going to easily last me 15-20 years. But its weight and size are just too much for me. For example, it can barely fit under the tonneau cover in the bed of my 2023 F 150! And because of the stick rubber feet, I can’t slide it into and out of the bed - adding an extra layer of effort needed to get it in and out of the bed of the truck. But even with its weight and size, I struggled for a few days to decide whether to keep it or not. It really is a fantastic cooler and I haven’t even used it yet! But if you watch or read any reviews, you will see the jury is out on its stellar performance. My advice: if you are a big guy and/or don’t plan on moving the cooler much, you are cool with its big size for its qt hold, and you need top ice retention performance, this cooler is a no brainer. I wish I could have kept it. Good job Pelican.

I purchased this cooler at a steep discount when it went on sale. Under ordinary circumstances this would NOT have been something I would have bought. My family and I use this often at house parties to keep drinks accessible and ice cold. We have used it for 3 long road trips - each time it has been a God-send. This kept everything nice and cold, even with frequent openings throughout the days to get items out. There are plenty of tests done out there on these coolers and you'll find some where these Pelicans rate very high and others where they rate very low. I have been happy with my experience and was delighted to not pay a YETI premium - these days very few people have the budget for such things. That being said, this has my thumbs up. Great cooler, with as many drawbacks and benefits as any other roto-molded cooler such as this.

This is our Second Pelican Cooler and We are Sold....Much better Ice retention in over 100 heat than a Yeti. Its Built very very well....BUT....we took a long trip with two pelicans and a camp box on a curt trailer hitch cargo rack.....after a 700 mile day over the Rockies we found that the cooler got melted from the exhaust 18 inches away from the cooler....kind of blew my mind. it melted through to the core. it maintained ice but its a matter of time before it is through the insulation. Buy the cooler if you plan on it taking up a crap load of space in your car, they are not small, or light...I would endorse it with cautions

Long story short, I got this 50qt Pelican recently and decided to do my own "test" (read: drink cold beer). I filled the cooler with 24 long neck bottles that had been chilled, as well as a half case of water and a half case of soda (48 drinks in all), and only one 16lb bag of ice. The cooler was left out in the yard, 24-7, in full sun during the days with temps averaging high of 70 and low of 40. It was opened a ton and we drank a lot of those beers! Ice was clinging to the bottles after 3 days, and the cooler held ice for a total of 5.5 days. The water inside was still a very cold 44 degrees after 7 days. Long story short: This cooler is awesome. I'll do an edit later this summer after I use it in higher/hotter temperatures.

First let me be clear I researched a lot of coolers before making a final decision. I ordered this cooler last Sunday May 20th with a prime delivery date of May 23rd. I have two gripes here and one is the prime guarantee of delivery was poor with a delivery delay only an hour away. We think we pay for a prime service only to take 5 days from Michigan and be stuck in Buffalo for a day only an hour from Rochester, my residence is really a reason to reconsider why I have the service to begin with. My second and most disturbing complaint is I ordered this cooler with the idea of utilizing it on a two week fishing trip starting Memorial Day. After numerous reviews and actually looking at other coolers (Yeti) at nearby outdoor stores I decided to buy an American made product if at all possible. I looked at all the other top names and decided on a Pelican. I liked the reviews and was satisfied this was the product for me. After watching the delivery status all week long it arrived Friday morning about 12 hour before I was to leave. I unpacked the box and set the cooler on the floor. It was a really sharp looking cooler. I snapped open the lid for a look inside and as I opened the lid it fell on the floor behind the cooler. There was no hinge rod through the plastic hinges to hold the top in place. My wife stated "you should have seen your face." Now instead of getting really angry I went to Lowes and purchased a rod to insert in the hinge so I could use it for my trip. By the time I got home I thought have I lost my mind I just paid $300 for a cooler delivered late and totally unusable. I put my faith in an American made product over another I could have purchased immediately. Someone in quality control dropped the ball on this one. Its too late to rectify this so when i return from my trip I'll return the cooler, cancel my membership with prime and stick to the box stores where I can see the Chinese products I'm buying. What a letdown.

Exactly what you expect from pelican Its heavy duty, not real convenient for day trips. Its big and heavy. But works amazing. Use it properly for best results ie. put ice in the day before you use it, large ice blocks instead of cubes. Wait for it to go on sale, i grabbed it for $250

Great quality cooler with awesome ice keeping ability but in my view it is by design unecessarily bulky and heavy. Will probably last forever though!

This is a great cooler, better performance than a Yeti and cheaper. I also have a Yeti which is smaller on the inside but also the outside. This is a true 50qt interior capacity, so the outside is considerably larger than a Yeti. Pelican just barely fit in my truck under the tonneau cover. If you can fit this in your space it's the best value for capacity and ice retention.

So far I'm just in the testing phase, 3 bags of ice (which is not much at all in this cooler) has lasted 4 days now. About 50% water at this point. Cooler was opened to get beer a fair few times. There was a slight leak at the drain plug but once I really put some torque on the plug it seems to have stopped. Love the solid construction on this thing. Sat on it for a few hours on the weekend. Handles are great for carrying it around, it is definitely heavy once loaded so be prepared to team carry it.

If eventually you happen to return this item. It will charge you with the returning fee which is insane. Too pricey compare to other pelican available. The cooler itself is very good in quality but the price here and the return condition is no good.