Is This Under-the-Radar Brand the True King of Hard Coolers?

There’s never been a better time to learn about the Flagstaff, Arizona-based cooler maker Canyon Coolers.

A Canyon Cooler in blue shown open and angled to the side sitting on a dark sandy bit of ground. Mountains and trees are shown blurred in the far background.

Published November 25, 2024

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Updated November 25, 2024

Back in 2011, when Canyon Coolers was starting, “supercoolers ” — as the company’s CEO and founder Jason Costello described them in a profile in Arizona Highways—weren’t a thing yet.

But Costello had his own reasons for building high-performance coolers and ice chests for adventures. He was an avid river rafter with experience hauling perishables on long journeys. His first ventures into the product space involved modifying ice chests sold in Australia and New Zealand Eventually, that morphed into making coolers of Canyon’s design.

Today, the company offers a complete line of coolers and accessories on par with competitor brands, and it’s slowly gained buzz as one of, if not the best, maker of adventure coolers on the market. Case in point, our product testing compatriots over at The Wirecutter recently called the brand’s Outfitter 55 Quart Cooler the best cooler for long, tough camping trips. MotorTrend previously awarded it first place in its ultimate high-end cooler shootout.

These are details that make them stand out in an increasingly crowded field.

Canyon Offers a Category-Leading, Old-School Warranty

An image of a Canyon Cooler is light tan sitting in the back of a dirty ATV pickup bed. The cooler is shown from head on and fully closed. — Canyon Cooler’s massive PRO 85 Quart cooler features front and side drain plugs for access in boats and truck beds. The coolers unique front and rear lip slots also are designed to make strapping the cooler down much easier on white water rafts or other vehicles.

While countless outdoor brands, including most recently REI, have slowly scaled back their once generous return policies, Canyon is proud to tout what it calls “the industry’s most customer-friendly Lifetime Warranty,” a.k.a. The Sh!t Happens Warranty.

It’s certainly better than the warranties offered by many of Canyon’s competitors, but there are a few points Canyon is clear on. Specifically, the warranty covers:

Up to one free replacement cooler, per cooler purchased
Free Drain plug replacement– 3 times
Free Latch replacement– 3 times
Free wheel or handle replacement – 3 times
Free Strap replacement– 3 times
Clear evidence of Bear or Shark attack – 1 time

Soft coolers also only have a 66-week warranty with the option for a single, one-time replacement cooler within that period. The warranty doesn’t apply to lost or stolen items or items damaged in an accident or act of nature. It also doesn’t apply to older cooler models Canyon sold before launching the Outfitter series.

Even with these terms, though, Canyon easily offers the best piece of mind for customers looking to buy a new hard-sided cooler, which is part of why it’s now earning recognition as a top recommended option.

Most Models Feature Unique and Handy Design Details

Two Canyon Cooler Pro 45 Coolers shown open. One is in the upper left corner of the image. The other is in the bottom right. Both coolers are a speckled white, greyish color. The top cooler shows how the food grade table can slide in the middle of the cooler to be a divider. The bottom cooler shows how the divider can be attached externally to the cooler to serve as a table. — Certain Canyon coolers are compatible with a SideKick Table. It’s an internal divider that can also attach to the outer edge of the cooler, allowing it to function as a food-grade table/serving surface.

Like most rotomolded coolers, Canyon Coolers are durable and excellent at retaining ice. Beyond those table stakes, though, Canyon models also feature unique design details that make them stand out from the ~~ice~~pack.

Most Canyon hard-sided coolers feature additional tie-down spots for latching onto vehicles and boats. Many also feature a straight-wall design that wastes less space in tightly packed cars. Some are even bear-resistant certified.

The brand’s Outfitter and PRO series coolers also include a divider that attaches to the outer edge of the cooler, allowing it to function as a food-grade table/serving surface.

Two Canyon Scout 22 Quart Coolers shown open and closed. One is in the upper left corner of the image. The other is in the bottom right. Both coolers are in a grey color. One image shows the integrated mesh netting attached. Another shows how the lid opens without blocking the handle. — The brand’s smaller, more mobile Scout 22-quart cooler features a mesh net for holding small soft goods or awkward-sized items.

The brand’s smaller, more mobile Scout 22-quart cooler features a mesh net for holding small soft goods or awkward-sized items and exposed bars for tying down the cooler to vehicles and boats. The lid is also designed to easily open even with the handle pulled up.

Canyon Coolers are Also Notably Priced Below Many Other Options

A Canyon PRO 45 Quart Cooler sitting closed facing forward on a tan background. The cooler features a light sand/tan colored lid and green colored body.

RTIC still offers the lowest prices on rotomolded coolers, at least from well-known reputable brands. But Canyon Coolers isn’t that far off and also offers a better warranty.

If there’s any catch to be mindful of here, it’s that Canyon seems to be evolving its product line quickly—hence the line of demarcation in its product warranty, with certain older models only having three years of coverage.

Canyon coolers also aren’t really available right now at many other retailers, and even the site’s own commerce stock seems low.

That said, Canyon is offering a nice sale on all of its hard-sided cooler models, presumably for the shopping holiday, making them even more appealing if you can find a size and color you like.

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