Coleman Snap 'N Go collapsible cooler box review: Big cooling capacity without the storage headache

Coleman has pulled off a mini feat of engineering with the Snap 'N Go, a new type of cooler box that collapses to a third of its size in a matter of seconds.

Now I'm no marketing expert, but I can envisage a sizeable market of prospective buyers itching for a product like this, mostly because cooler boxes by their very nature take up far too much storage space when not in use – like most of the year.

The Snap 'N Go is not only a perfect overnight camping cooler, but I can see quite a few other uses for it, which I will divulge in this review – without sounding like a brand partner on the QVC channel.

Coleman Snap 'N Go collapsible cooler box review

Price and availability

The Coleman Snap 'N Go comes in three sizes – 33L (35QT), 42L (45QT) and 52L (55QT) – and is available in both the UK and USA, with prices varying according to size.

In the UK, the 33-litre (35QT) model we're reviewing here retails between £99.99 and £140. The most popular stockists include A&E Leisure (£99.99), Go Outdoors and Blacks (£139.99) plus Mountain Warehouse and Tesco (£129.99).

In the USA, you can purchase the 35QT version direct from Coleman, priced $199.99 or head straight to Amazon where it sells for the same price.

Design and features

The collapsible Coleman Snap 'N Go is one of the most innovative cooler boxes to appear in years and tackles one of the biggest drawbacks of owning a traditional hard cooler – storage.

Given that most cooler boxes are used for only a few weeks a year, with the rest of their lives spent swallowing up valuable space in the shed, the loft, cellar or under the stairs, the outdoor market is crying out for a collapsible alternative like this.

The folding mechanism is frankly ingenious, using hinged side panels, a rubberised insert, and a pull-tab system that lets the cooler expand or collapse quickly without any complicated assembly or disassembly. When erect, the 35-litre Snap 'N Go I'm reviewing here measures 57cm in length (with handles), 31cm in depth and 31cm in height.

However, when closed, its height shrinks to just 11 cm, which means it can be easily stored on a shelf, on its side between your camping gear, under a caravan seat, in the car boot, even under the sofa or bed if you're really short on space.

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Let's look at the folding and unfolding process in more detail. To open the Snap 'N Go, you first need to unlatch both handles, which are clipped tightly to the body for transit. With both handles in the hands, simply lift the whole thing up, and it magically expands and snaps into a fully formed cooler box.

I can't tell you how satisfying this process is because it really is like a conjurer's trick. One second it's a stubby tray; the next, it's a fully grown cooler. Mind, I would advise punching the sides out when expanded to make sure they've locked into place.

The collapsing process is a touch more convoluted but equally satisfying. Open the cooler lid, remove the collapsible antibacterial and waterproof thermoplastic polyurethane liner, then reach to the bottom and grab the long release tab.

This lets the rigid side panels collapse neatly inward, reducing the cooler to roughly one-third of its full height. Finally, push both handles against the body until you hear a click. Job done.

Despite its folding design, the Coleman Snap 'N Go is impressively well made and surprisingly rigid when expanded. Coleman doesn't advise using it as a seat like other coolers, but I sat on it when fully expanded and, despite wriggling about on it, it refused to collapse, thankfully.

The outer shell is made of durable polypropylene with a sandwich of high-density polyurethane foam insulation for decent thermal performance.

Just be mindful that its outer shell is only 2 cm thick, and there will inevitably be a few unseen gaps, so don't expect the thermal performance of a YETI cooler or other premium rotomoulded models.

Coleman claims up to two days of ice retention under typical conditions, but that may be pushing it in a warm climate. However, I don't doubt this cooler would keep drinks and food properly chilled for at least 36 hours, even in reasonably hot summer temperatures.

Yes, there may be a lot of watery ice floating about by then, but in my experience, ice cubes mixed with water create a temperature that's frigid enough to keep milk and other dairy products fresh for consumption.

At this juncture, I should add that if full of ice and water, you will need to quickly tip the unit on its side to empty it because this model doesn't come with a drainage plug. You should also ensure that the rubberised liner is fully dried before collapsing the cooler for storage.

The 33-litre (35QT) Coleman Snap 'N Go I received weighs a modest 6kg and holds up to 64 standard drink cans. If this isn't big enough for you, consider the 42-litre (45QT) or even the largest 52-litre (55QT) variant, which will accommodate up to 93 cans.

Although not as thermally efficient as a solid, thicker-walled model, the Snap 'N Go's clever space-saving design and practical features make it an extremely appealing option for anyone who wants impressive hard-cooler performance without sacrificing valuable storage space at home.

Performance

You can't prepare yourself for the surprise when you first open this cooler, and I was pretty gobsmacked by how quickly and effortlessly it morphed from a squat, eminently storable flatpack box into a fully fledged cooler just by lifting it up by the handles.

Granted, the Snap 'N Go's insulation isn't as efficient as a YETI or Igloo, but then how could it be? For a start, its walls are a lot thinner, and the folding panel joins must surely allow in some levels of ambient air. But then again, I'm guessing this model wasn't designed for camping trips longer than three days unless you had access to fresh ice.

I admit I didn't take it camping, but I used it for an eight-hour village event and a long country picnic the following week, and it performed brilliantly with a pile of ice packs on board.

On both occasions, I left the unused food and drink in the cooler until the following afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to find the drinks remained perfectly chilled and the ice packs still felt fairly firm. However, by the early evening the packs felt much softer to the touch and were clearly on their way to melting.

Were I to take the Snap 'N Go on a two-day camping trip, I would definitely advise using a couple of inches of ice cubes with a splash of water to kick-start the chilling effect and perhaps seek out some more ice cubes the following afternoon.

Ice cubes are a lot better than sealed ice packs at keeping drinks chilled – even when most of the ice has melted – so I don't doubt Coleman's claim of 48 hours of ice retention. However, I do think Coleman's claim that drinks remain cold for up to five days is pushing it because even a YETI might struggle to attain that rosy figure.

While this model doesn't match the extended ice retention of premium rotomoulded coolers, I see it being ideal for an overnight campout and perfect for picnics, a day at the beach or a long drive to stock up on frozen items from IKEA or Wing Yip.

The fact that you can collapse this cooler box for easy storage in the home, car, caravan or camper is clearly its greatest strength and what sets it apart from virtually every other hard cooler on the market.

Verdict

Coleman's collapsible Snap 'N Go cool box makes storage and transport far more practical than a traditional hard cooler. No, it won't replace a high-end cooler for multi-day ice retention, but for picnics and short camping trips, this is an ingeniously designed option that offers a level of storage convenience that no rival can match.