With all the ice cooler options it can be difficult to find the best choice for you. Some cooler brands seem to rule the business, like YETI and Grizzly. But there’s a lesser know brand who may just beat them all. One of these brands is Techni Ice. A Techni Ice Cooler keeps your contents protected and as cold as the more well-known brands. Techniice offer comparable performance at a more reasonable price. We hope our reviews help you find the best product for you
About Techni Ice
Techni Ice is an Australian company owned by Global National Australia Group of Companies.
They were founded in 1984. The company worked for a decade to perfect its cooler technology. The goal was to give users a long-lasting way to keep their items cool. As there name implies, Tehcni Ice offers some of the best ice retention on the market. Techni Ice started with dry gel ice packs. It has since expanded to soft sided coolers as well as and hard shell coolers, portable refrigerators, camping gear, and ice packs.
Techni Ice manufactures all its products within its Australian warehouses. This ensures that they meet consistent quality standards. Techni Ice is the preferred brand of McDonald’s, NASCAR, MasterChef, and more. If you ever have a problem with a Techniice product, you can email them at support@techniice.com.
Types of Coolers
Techni Ice offers several types of coolers with both soft and hard shells. The price range is from affordable to Yeti-like. Techniice’s products are a customer favorite and ones you should definitely keep on your radar. For this review, we’ll be comparing Techni Ice’s products to other similar ones on the market. The company currently offers the following types of Ice Boxes:
Techni Ice Classic Cooler
The classic ice chest is also known as a cooler bag. This means it's not made of hard plastic but of canvas. The Classic series ranges in size from 40 to 200 Liters. They are lockable and have fully-molded hinges to keep air from leaking. The Ice classic is not available on Amazon. Your best best is to buy straight from Techniice for the best price. Techni Ice coolers will work even better with some of the best ice packs on the market.
Signature Series
The Signature Series is Techniice’s most popular. Signature Coolers can keep ice in its shape for up to 25 days. You can choose from 35L to 125L sizes. These coolers come with ultra-thick sides filled with pressure-injected insulation. They also include stainless steel wheels, and anti-corrosion hinges for long-lasting durability.
Chilly Chest Techni Ice Chest
Chilly Chests are the second more popular product line from Techniice. They range from 50 to 125 liters. These Coolers have fully-insulated sides and lids. This allows for ice retention for up to 11 days. You can find the best price f at the Techniice website.
Compact Cooler
The Compact series is best for shorter trips and smaller groups. This ice box comes with an easy to fold handle and latched lid. Compact coolers will retain ice for up to three days. The Price for the Compact Series is under $100.
Bait boxes
Techni Ice also offers Bait boxes, which are perfect for fishermen. These products come with fishing rod holders and an air pump. They work well in either fresh or salt water environments. This helps to help keep your bait cool and fresh.
Price
There’s no getting around price for the better products. However, these Techniice is often worth the money. If you want a large cooler that will keep your contents cold for days, you’re going to have to spend some money. But, a great cooler doesn’t have to come with a sky-high price. YETI coolers receive rave reviews from customers, but they’re extremely expensive. Even a soft Yeti cooler is expensive. The company’s hard-sided coolers can dip even further into your budget.
The great thing about Techni Ice’s Ice Boxes for non-commercial use is that they’re made in convenient sizes. This helps to meet a wide range of needs and uses, yet offer even more than the YETI Tundra series for less money. The 35L Signature Series cooler runs about $219, and the YETI of the same size is $299. For the 125L options from both brands, the Techni Ice is $100 less than what you’ll pay for a YETI.
Of course, a lower price doesn’t matter much if the performance and quality isn’t there. But, what you’ll find with a Techni Ice cooler is not only a matched performance in comparison to other higher-priced products, but probably an even better performance in terms of durability and cooling ability, which we’ll get into more in a bit.
So, if you’re planning on spending more money for a top-of-the-line cooler, make sure it’s really the best on the market. It’s safe to say that, although Techni Ice does run higher in price than others on the market, it’s well-worth its price and you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck.
Insulation
One of the stand-apart features of the Techni Ice Boxes is its incredible insulation. Most coolers have insulation thickness that ranges between 1.5” to 2”. Most of the Techni Ice products have at least 3” of pressure-injected insulation on their lids and all sides. In fact, the Signature Series coolers have over 3.5” of insulation on their lids, and about 3” all around the sides of the cooler. The insulation Techni Ice uses is a high-density multi-compound foam that won’t bubble, break down, or get water or air pockets over time.
Another thing Techni Ice does right is it keeps its coolers up off the ground with molded feet. This allows air circulation under the bottom of the cooler and keep it from resting on a hot surface. What you get is improved cooling because your cooler isn’t conducting heat through its bottom.
Techni Ice claims that its products can retain full ice cubes for up to 25 days, which is the claim for the Signature Series. Other Ice Boxes by Techni Ice claim to retain ice for anywhere from 1 to 16 days, which is still respectable. Of course, your results will vary based on weather conditions. But, regardless of conditions, customers do seem to back up much of Techniice’s cooling claims by at least getting a couple of extra days of ice and significant cooling over other leading brands.
Design
Techni Ice is a leader in functional design for hard-sided coolers. These products are created using a process called rotomolding. This means that the bottom and sides are constructed as one piece without welding or screws. The rotomolding process creates a more durable, tough exterior that won’t warp, puncture, crack, or leak. They’re so tough, in fact, that they’re certified bear-proof to keep your contents protected from all the outdoor elements you’d expect it to stand up against, including the grizzly critters.
Techniice large coolers come with wheels for superior transportability, which is something many other brands lack. Additionally, the heavy-duty reinforced nylon handles make for easy carrying, if you choose, even when the cooler is packed full. Even the smallest Techni Ice products come with side handles and a top handle so you can choose the way you prefer to carry them.
Techni Ice coolers offer a fully opening lid so it’s easy to place and remove contents. The lid attaches with corrosion-resistant hinges. This means there’s no worry about them encountering salt water, dirt, or debris that could cause hinges to rust.
An additional selling point of the Techni Ice coolers is their weight. Even the large capacity coolers, as durable as they are, weigh less than some of their more expensive counterparts when empty. Still, their rugged design allows them to hold up strong against the elements, consistent use, and the wear and tear of outdoor activities.
Techni Ice Unique Features
Techni Ice coolers come with a variety of features Some make them truly stand out against the competition. One of the best things about these coolers is that everything on them sits flush with the cooler, like the handles and drain plug. Each feature recesses into the cooler to stay flush with the external shell, which makes them less likely to snag on things that can break them. It’s just one extra layer of protection you’ll appreciate with Techni Ice.
Another awesome feature is the dual gasket seals on the lid. The seals provide twice the protection against escaping air and incoming air and provide the tightest seal possible. This is why Techni Ice coolers excel in the cooling and ice-retaining department and are trusted by so many commercial brands.
Techni Ice coolers have a larger drain plug than most, which will let you drain water from the cooler quickly. The 2” drain hole even allows ice chunks to escape without clogging the opening and preventing water from draining.
You’ll also appreciate the basket that comes standard with your Techni Ice cooler. Most brands expect you to pay hundreds for the cooler and then charge you another $50 for an internal basket that you can use to store smaller items inside your cooler. With Techni Ice, it comes standard, so you’re getting more value for your money.
Add-On Options
Of course, you can choose additional features to customize your cooler if you want. One of the things Techni Ice specializes in is its cooler packs that the company started with from the beginning. Techni Ice makes reusable and disposable dry ice packs that can help your contents stay cooler than ice and you won’t need to worry about draining water out from the inside. You can purchase between 3 and 428 ice packs!
The company also provides spare parts, like stainless steel latches and replacement seals, just in case you need any repairs.
What Do the Customers Say about Techni Ice?
It’s clear that customers are willing to spend money on Techni Ice coolers without hesitation. Customers often compare the Techni Ice coolers to YETI’s Tundra series because they’re marketed toward much of the same audience. But, it seems that Techni Ice tends to win as a highly comparable – and even better – option than the YETI, and with a better price point.
Several reviews state that ice retention is absolutely superior compared to other leading brands. Most customers state that they get several days of ice in their Techni Ice coolers. This is compared to other high-priced coolers struggle to hold ice for a day, or even a few hours. However, we haven’t noticed anyone to backup these claims. So, that claim may be far-fetched on Techni Ice’s part, but it still does seem to be superior in its cooling abilities.
As for longevity, Techni Ice coolers win here, too. Over time, even expensive coolers like RTIC and YETI tend to wear down. Usually the latches and seals are what customers notice problems with first. This doesn’t seem to be an issue for Techni Ice at all. Customers rave that the hinges, handles, seals, and other parts of the cooler are extremely durable. Some Customers state that they last through all their activities. Furthermore, the rotomolded design holds up to virtually any wear and tear one’s outdoor activities bring against the cooler.
Conclusion: Techni Ice Coolers
If you don’t mind spending more for a cooler that you know is going to last through anything, Techni Ice coolers are a great choice for you. They offer a wide variety of coolers to choose from, and although they’re more than some coolers on the market, they’re cheaper than many of the top-tier coolers comparable to Techni Ice. If you are looking for a less expensive options, check out the Nash Sub Z Cooler.
The best part is that Techni Ice outperforms its competition on many levels. Although it can’t quite live up to the claim of retaining ice for 25 days, Techni Ice definitely creates a cooler that can keep your contents cool for several days. Other coolers claim to do the same, but are lucky to last a day or two.
The design of Techni Ice coolers is unbeatable. With a rotomolded exterior, super-thick insulated walls and lids, and a lifted bottom that sits above hot surfaces, Techni Ice truly puts its customer’s needs in mind. The company caters to everyone from those taking a quick beach trip on the weekend to the fisherman who’ll be at sea for weeks.
No matter what outdoor activity you like to do, you’ve met your match with Techni Ice.