5 Cooler Brands That Are Made In America

If you have any plans to camp, embark on a multi-day road trip, or spend a fun day grilling at the park with friends and family, a solid cooler from a reliable brand is a must. Nobody thinks of coolers as camping gear to avoid. They keep food fresh, beverages cold, and are a must for campers who enjoy a little comfort. 

Some of the biggest cooler brands around, like Yeti and RTIC, split manufacturing between the United States and other countries. Buying a cooler manufactured in a different country isn't always a bad decision. Many manufacturing facilities found in other countries are more advanced than those in America. However, if you're looking to support workers in your country or the U.S. economy in general, we've gathered up five cooler brands that are made in America to make your shopping decision a little bit easier.

For transparency, four out of the five brands we selected make all their available coolers in America, and one company we chose only makes a specific line of coolers in America, but that cooler lineup is pretty dang good, so it was worth including. Let's jump into the five best cooler brands you can buy that are made in America.

If you're looking for a 100% American-made cooler brand, check out Bison Coolers. The company is transparent about its production process, detailing where every piece of its coolers is made within the country.

The plastic pellets used in rotomolded cooler molds come from the West Coast, the oven that melts the aforementioned plastic resides in a plant in the Rocky Mountains, the rubber used in a cooler's feet, latches, and gaskets is sourced from the Pacific Northwest, the drain plugs come from the Midwest, and the rope handles are constructed by a 100-year old rope manufacturer on the East Coast.

Bison Coolers writes, "Every piece of the process, every step of the way, it's American made." Similarly, the company's soft coolers, or SoftPaks, and hard cases are also completely made in America.

The company's most-reviewed cooler on its site is the 25-quart rotomolded cooler for $249, which holds a Certified Bear Proof title and is big enough to hold up to 21 cans or 32 pounds of ice. Or, a lighter option is this 18-can Switchback SoftPak for $229, which is made with 100% recycled 400D nylon canvas that's weatherproof and comes with an integrated bottle opener.

Another great ice chest brand that's fully made in the U.S. is Grizzly Coolers. To be more specific, the company makes its coolers in Decorah, Iowa, and cites five big reasons for keeping production in America.

Two of the most obvious reasons Grizzly Coolers wants to make its products in America include a positive impact on the economy through creating jobs and independence from international supply chains. The company also puts an emphasis on boosted quality from American craftsmanship, increased safety standards, and technology that allows it to pursue eco-friendly practices.

Grizzly Coolers offers hard-sided and soft-sided ice chests in a variety of sizes and colors, including the mid-range Drifter 12, a 12-quart cooler with an insulated and lightweight ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam lid for $164.99. On the heavier-duty side of the spectrum, there's the Grizzly 20, a rotomolded hard cooler with handles, a Bearclaw latch, and 15 different color options for $229.99.

If you're searching for something niche, like an electric cooler for your next camping trip, it might be hard to find from a company that creates its products solely in America. Orion has dabbled with electric coolers in the past, creating the Orion EC-987C as a portable fridge, cooler, and warmer. Unfortunately, the cooler didn't gather the hype needed to keep it going, so now Orion focuses on hard-sided coolers.

According to an Orion Coolers Facebook post, every cooler is built from scratch in its factory located in Sparta, Tennessee. The company prides itself on creating jobs within the U.S. and "helping grow the local economy."

Orion Coolers features a healthy variety of sizes with fun colorways, including multicolor options that end up being entirely unique due to the rotomolding process. You'll get the same color blend you order, of course, but it'll look slightly different compared to every other cooler with that same colorway.

The smallest hard-sided cooler available is the Orion Core 25 for $235, and it has enough room inside to fit up to 40 pounds of ice or up to 32 12-ounce cans. On the flip side, there's the Orion Core 85 for $450 that can hold up to 100 pounds of ice or up to 110 12-ounce cans. The company also has neat Orion 55 Fully-Loaded options for around $370, coolers that feature unique color combinations and handy built-ins, such as a factory-installed gear track and cooler tray.

Cordova doesn't produce all of its components in America. For example, the raw goods for its drinkware are produced in East Asia, and then transported to Idaho for the American team to handle "all the design and customization work." When it comes to Cordova's finished coolers, they're all created right here in America.

Cordova says, "We handcraft every hard cooler at our facility in Idaho, and all our products are designed right here in the USA." The company looks for every opportunity to keep production in America, but some raw materials, such as steel, must be sourced from East Asia. However, all the materials needed to craft Cordova's reliable hard-sided coolers can be found in the States.

The company has plenty of unique design options to choose from, like this Yellowstone National Park Cooler for $334 or $454, depending on whether you opt for the 48-quart size or the 88-quart size. In addition to getting the cool Yellowstone-inspired design, you can choose between four base colorways for the rest of the cooler's exterior.

Cordova's hard-sided coolers are rotomolded and bear-proof, with secure locks and latches to keep your food and drinks safe. Then, the company lists multiple helpful tips to make the ice in your cooler last longer, like getting Cordova's Packice units and freezing them ahead of time, eliminating extra air inside by packing empty space with towels, foam, or more ice.

Pelican has multiple excellent carry-on pieces that are perfect for air travel and widely adopted by those transporting high-end camera gear or other expensive equipment. While the company may be more popular for its protective cases, Pelican also makes some pretty great coolers.

For better quality control, faster delivery within the country, more environmentally conscious policies, and a stronger economy, Pelican strives to create American-made goods wherever possible. Depending on the materials needed for specific lines, the company occasionally sources raw goods from other countries, but Pelican has specified that its Elite Coolers are manufactured in Torrance, California.

In the Elite Cooler lineup, there's the small 20-quart Elite Cooler, with capacity for 19 pounds of ice or 15 cans, easy press and pull latches, and a relatively low price of $206.95. On the other end, there's the pricey 150-quart Elite Cooler for a whopping $814.95 or the 80-quart Elite Cooler with wheels for $589, both of which come with many of the same features as the smaller 20-quart variant.