This Mid-Century Inspired Luxury Cooler Makes Even Yetis Seem Pedestrian

Hey, Mr. Ripley, can you pass me a beer?

The Business and Pleasure Co. The Hemingway Cooler in White shown against an illustrated sandy background

Published May 1, 2025

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Updated May 1, 2025

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There was once a time when the idea of anyone other than professional fishing guides and caterers paying hundreds of dollars for a cooler felt insane.

But thanks to brands like Yeti and the rise of countless other rotomolded followers, coolers can be as much of a status flex as the watch on your wrist or the car in your driveway.

The Hemingway Cooler from Business & Pleasure Co. represents a new frontier in the luxury cooler war though that’s unlike anything we’ve seen.

“Sun-Soaked Nostalgia”

A blonde woman in a white bathing suit wearing a hat and facing the camera sitting on top of a light green The Hemingway Cooler by Business&Pleasure sitting next to a blue pool. — Business & Pleasure Co. describes its aesthetic inspirations as “rooted in sun-soaked nostalgia & a love of vintage leisure.”

Business & Pleasure Co. got its start in the summer of 2017 by making stylish sun umbrellas. Nearly a decade later, the brand remains centered on creating retro-classy versions of outdoor living essentials.

In a press release published just last month announcing a new 16 million dollar round of investment, the brand self-describes its aesthetic as “rooted in sun-soaked nostalgia & a love of vintage leisure” while emphasizing its goal of creating “outdoor products that inspire glamour and elegance” and “redefine the landscape of al fresco living.”

A navy blue colored Business&Pleasure Co. The Hemingway Cooler sitting on a beach with a blurred background. — The Hemingway Cooler is particularly inspired by the look of mid-century European sports cars and boats, according to the product page description.

Credit to their eloquent marketing team because The Hemingway Cooler embodies this vibe in a T.

The Chris-Craft of Coolers?

Compared to the all-plastic and rubber construction of most coolers on the market, The Hemingway distinguishes itself in part via stainless steel and Acacia wood detailing.

Business & Pleasure Co.

The brand states that The Hemingway’s looks are directly inspired by mid-century European sports cars and watercraft.

This comes through most strongly via classic material details, such as stainless steel & brushed gold finished retractable handles, lid chains and drain caps, as well as an Acacia wood lid.

Topping It Off

This is a close-up of the magnetically attached cushion lid of The Hemingway cooler by Business & Pleasure Co., shown in light green and white stripes on a light green cooler. — The Hemingway’s most distinctive aesthetic detail is a matching foam cushion that magnetically attaches to the lid to provide seating comfort and some additional insulation.

Seat cushion toppers for cooler lids aren’t a new idea in the space. Yeti offers both a soft and hard cushion accessory for its Tundra line as well as a traction pad. But none of those options provide much in the way of style. They also require a small amount of elbow grease to snap into place.

The Hemingway takes the same idea in a more stylish and easy-to-use direction. Every cooler ships with a matching magnetically attached cushion top made of firm outdoor foam wrapped in “solution-dyed acrylic Pleasuretex” outdoor fabric, which the brand says is 100% UV-stable. The cushion also provides a bit of additional insulation.

Bring Your Wallet

The Hemingway Cooler by Business & Pleausre Co. in white with the lid open positioned between two white outdoor reclining chairs on a tennis court surface — The larger 55-qt variant of the Hemingway cooler costs more than twice that of Yeti’s slightly larger 65-qt Tundra cooler.

There’s definite merit to a cooler that’s easier on the eyes, especially for folks looking to add extra cold storage to their home outdoor entertaining setup.

But The Hemingway’s al fresco elegance doesn’t come cheap.

The bigger 55-qt option costs an astounding $799. Business & Pleasure Co. also sells smaller, 35-qt sized versions of the coolers for $599 for those who need less can space or want to spend less.

For perspective, Yeti’s slightly bigger 65-qt Tundra haul retails for less than half ($375) the cost of The Hemingway. Adding a matching Tundra seat cushion to keep the feature set comparable adds an extra $150, which is still $275 less. And there are plenty of other solid roto-molded coolers from different brands that are even less expensive.

It’s also worth mentioning that powered 12-volt coolers from industry leaders like Dometic are also available for $799, though they hold less and clearly have different target consumers in mind.

The Business & Pleasure Co.The Hemingway Cooler in Navh is shown with the lid open to reveal ice on the inside. The cooler is sitting on the edge of a swimming pool.

Still, the cost of The Hemingway is also a drop in the bucket compared to a summer in Mongi.

It should also be mentioned that Business & Pleasure Co. counts hotels and other hospitality-focused businesses as customers. This might partially explain why its pricing feels far beyond the rest of the market. At least don’t be surprised if you spot one at a resort.

Business & Pleasure is currently selling white, dusty pink, navy and sage green color options in both sizes directly on its website.

Business & Pleasure Co. The Hemingway Cooler

About the Author: Ben Bowers is the Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of Gear Patrol. Throughout his tenure in media, Ben has written and reported on everything from consumer tech to whiskey, watches, cars, camping, and personal style. These days, he gets to write less than he’d like to.