The Engel UL 60 is one of the first injection molded coolers we have ever tested. In the past, most of the coolers we have reviewed are roto molded or budget foam filled coolers. We were curious how the injection molded cooler stacks up against a high end roto molded cooler. Right off the bat there are a few noticeable differences of the Engel Ultra Light 60 Injection Molded Cooler; weight, size, price, and performance.
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Injection Molded Cooler Noticeable Differences
Weight & Size
The UL60 is roughly 20% lighter compared to comparable sized roto molded cooler. This ultra light cooler weighs in at 21.5lbs which we found very easy to handle. The 60 quart interrior can handle up to 80 cans or 85 lbs of ice. In our testing, we filled the cooler to capacity with ice and it took about 2.5, five gallon buckets of ice to fill to capacity. This cooler also advertises itself as “wine bottle capable,” meaning that a wine bottle can fit standing up with the lid closed. We tested this in our video review and confirmed the cooler to be wine bottle capable. Lastly, this cooler comes equipped with a hanging wire basket as well as a divider which doubles as a cutting board.
Engel 50 (top) Vs 60Qt
Exterior size of a cooler is something we feel that is not talked about enough. Personally, we tend to use the Engel 50QT roto molded cooler over the past 10 years for one reason; not performance, style, status, etc…. it was due to size. Engel coolers tend to be shorter which allows them to fit in the back of truck beds with tonneau covers closed, under center console leaning posts or other tight areas. In our video you will see that the 60qt cooler is actually shorter (yet wider) compared to the 50Qt. This cooler fit easily in the bed of my Toyota Tundra with a tri-fold tonneau cover.
Price
Because this cooler is injection molded vs roto molded, the cooler is much cheaper to manufacture. The injection process is less complex compared to rotationally molding. The UL 60 is about 30% cheaper compared to a similar sized roto molded cooler. In fact, we found the difference to be even greater when comparing the 50qt vs the 60qt.
Performance
With the sacrifice on weight and price, one must question performance. Engel advertises 7 days of ice retention which is in line with a high end cooler, yet at a cheaper price. We ran this ice challenge the same way we have run all of our tests in the past so that the testing procedure would be consistent. The cooler was pre-chilled for 24 hours and then topped back up to capacity with ice. We opened the cooler 3 times a day to check on ice melt and simulate actual use. The UL 60 remained outside for the duration of the test, where we reached lid temperatures of 116° F. Needless to say, it was very hot and humid through the duration of the test.
In the end, the injection molded Engel held ice for 6.5 days. I think 7 days is certainly possible as advertised by Engel if you move the cooler out of direct sunlight. We were very close to reaching 7 full days of ice retention.
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Engel UL 60 Final Thoughts
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better performing cooler for less that $200 given a 60qt cooler size. With the addition of the wire basket and cutting board, there are very few other cooler which would offer comparable ice retention, design and included accessories. The fact that the Engel Ice Packs, which were our best performing ice packs, fit perfectly in the bottom of this cooler is an added bonus. Again, the biggest game changer for this cooler, for us anyways, is the size and weight. At 21.5 pound it is easy to load in the back of a truck bed, SUV or boat.
