Hasta La Ideas

Yeti’s dominance of the cooler market has forced incumbent brands to up their design games. One of Igloo’s efforts in this arena is the Trailmate, a rugged and wheeled cooler loaded “with design details that serve an important purpose,” according to the company:

Relatively large (10″) rubber wheels and a beefy telescoping handle allow you to maneuver it over rough terrain.

A skid rail keeps the cooler elevated and out of any muck.

A “glove box” on the front lets you store your keys and phone in a sealed compartment, with an open netted compartment below for quick-access items.

A “butler tray” is stored on the underside of the lid and can be placed on the deployed grab bar as a serving surface.

Tie-down points allow you to bungie goods to the top.

A bottle opener built into the side lets you carry one less piece of kit.

Two vertical storage tubes on the back can hold umbrellas or handled objects.

A welcome improvement in the realm of sustainability is also on the way. Igloo has announced that next month the Trailmate will join the company’s EcoCool line, meaning the body and the lid will be made from 98% post-consumer recycled resin (the inner liner apparently needs more work, as it’s made with just 48% of the recycled stuff).

The insulating foam is Igloo’s Thermecool material, which they provide no details on—I don’t even know if it’s just an EPS foam variant—though they claim that “This innovative foam lowers CO2 and VOC emissions making it 50 times better for the planet than the law requires (compared to traditional foam insulation) while still providing advanced ice retention.”

Overall I like the design of the Trailmate, but I’d like to see some more details of the eco-friendliness of it, particularly about this Thermecool stuff.