These are the other coolers we've tested with our new testing procedure, detailed below. They didn't make the cut for the main list, but that doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with them and you might still prefer them, depending on your situation.
Goal Zero Alta 50/Alta 80
The Alta 50 is an effective electric cooler, but the two other options we recommend will do a better job. Adam Doud/ Zooey Liao/ CNET
The Goal Zero Alta 50 was the last electric cooler I tested. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but the other two electric coolers I recommend fit a better niche. The Goal Zero is extremely large -- it holds the largest number of cans of soda at 77. It also has the most solid construction of all the options. It's stainless steel, and the handles are solid and spring-loaded. When you release them, they snap back decisively.
Similarly, the lid is tight and well built. The latches are metal and very secure. I feel like this cooler would be a good second fridge or freezer in a garage if you bought too much food and needed an emergency extra.
There are two downsides though. The first is that the stainless steel construction looks nice until it doesn't. The unit I tested already has a couple of dents in it. The second is in the control panel that you use to set the temperature. It's on the bottom of the cooler, so it's not terribly convenient to get to or even see. These two factors ultimately keep it off our main list, but if you need what’s basically a second fridge, this is a good option.
Magellan Outdoors Pro Explore IceBox
The Magellan cooler offers another portable option, though it's not a backpack. Adam Doud/ Zooey Liao/ CNET
The Magellan Outdoors Pro Explore IceBox is a smaller carrying cooler, but it's not a backpack. You can carry the cooler with an included shoulder strap or with the strap handles on either side. This is a hard-sided cooler with a hard top, covered in a soft fabric. Like its larger counterpart above, when you open and close this lid, you feel a good seal and a whisper of air escaping when you push it closed.
This cooler also comes with a nifty bottle opener tethered to the cooler and tucked into a convenient pocket for that purpose. The cooler also has a series of loops on the front of it which you can use to attach other things, like tools and utensils, to the front for help with carrying. Overall, I like the cooler, but I like the backpack form a little better, which keeps it from earning a top spot.
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