Ninja - FrostVault 30qt Hard Cooler with Dry Zone - Slate Gray

I've had several ninja devices from blenders to grills to ice cream makers and now I have the 30 quart cooler. I didn't even know they made coolers but I jumped at the chance to own one. When I think of the brand Ninja, I think of durability and quality because every Ninja product I have is still operational and in use. *Design & Build Quality* The first thing I noticed about the Ninja Frost Vault is the size. It's approximately 2 feet by 1.5 by 1.5 feet and feels like it weighs about 15 pounds, although its specs list that it actually weighs 20. The lighter weight feel might have to do with the ease at which one person can carry this cooler. Most coolers require either a really large person or most times two people, one on each side. There are 2 nicely built handles allowing one person to lift with no problems. The handles are also large enough to tie-down in the back of your truck or SUV to prevent sliding. The cooler design also prohibits excessive sliding The plastic feels tough and it's smooth without being slippery. There's the classic wet area on top that holds ice and is perfect for beverages or sealed goods. There's a bottom compartment that is designed for items that you want to keep cold but dry. It measures about 1 foot by 1 foot by 3 inches so it's great for a picnic, lunch or snacks. The cooler's walls are about 3 inches thick providing excellent insulation. There's a hand at the top center that operates much like a toolbox and it feels secure each time you close it. My one year old couldn't figure it out so it passed the toddler test. The dry goods compartment has a lock that keeps it secure from popping open. Ninja claims goods will stay a little less than 40 degrees in this dry storage area. There's a large drain plug on the side (a little larger than standard cooler plugs) that will literally drain out all the water in about 20 to 30 seconds. *Performance* I loaded it up with about 15 pounds of ice and a few beverages. The top compartment is a little smaller than I would like but if it got much larger it wouldn't be so portable. The dry good area is something I haven't seen before; it's a great idea. We have all had those experiences where something gets wet in the cooler or smashed by ice or other items. I found it perfect to throw a few sandwiches, cheese, and snacks. The ice melted a little faster each day until it completely melted 4 days later. Surprisingly I measured the dry compartment with a thermometer each day and it held at 40 to 41 degrees every day. That's impressive! Cleaning this cooler is a breeze. The dry compartment pops right out kind of like a dresser drawer. The top compartment is just as easy. The plastic is smooth and easy to clean or scrub. *Suggestions* A few tips I've learned after a few rounds with this cooler: 1.) The best way to keep the ice cold is to load up about 20 pounds of ice, and fill the top compartment full. The cooler performs much better and the ice melts much slower. If you fill it half full the ice melts faster. 2.) It's also important that you load the ice in straight from the ice cabinet. Don't let the ice sit around in your vehicle or outside. Get it in the cooler immediately. The Ninja Frost Vault excels at keeping ice frozen, but struggles with slushy or partially melted ice. 3.) The dry compartment will absolutely hold 40 degrees no matter how much ice is melted in the top compartment, as long as the water is ice cold. 4.) Make sure you put cold items in the dry vault, not room temperature, and it will help keep them cold *Final Thoughts* It's nice to see Ninja enter the cooler category. As I mentioned before, in my opinion Ninja makes products that perform and last. The strengths of this cooler are portability, ease of use, and the unique chilled dry compartment. I would recommend this cooler for picnics, road trips, and weekend camping, fishing, or hunting. If you optimize the setup, ice will last for 3 or 4 days. It's a fresh, innovative approach to the premium cooler category and I believe it's a great value in the medium to premium cooler category. I recommend it. *Pros* *Portability - One person can easily carry *Protects dry goods *Slick design *Solid handles and locks (You can one-hand open and shut easily) *Best drain plug I've seen on a cooler *Needs Improvement* *I would love to see wheels on this cooler *Ice melts a little faster when it's not full

I was interested in this as I’m currently working full-time and going to school full-time which means I’m pulling 12 – 15 hour days. I’ve been trying to find a way to keep my food cool while I’m in class for 5 – 6 hours and away from a refrigerator so I don’t have to keep buying out. Using a normal cooler with constant plastic bags isn’t a good option, which is where the drawer for this guy comes into play. That way no more plastic bags and I can keep it in my car and eat between classes or on my way home. Unfortunately, the temps since I got this have been in the 50 – 60’s making it so I wasn’t able to fully test it. But I think it will perform fine seeing as they report 5 days of cool and I need a lot less than that. But from the testing I have done it’s kept my dinner cool for me and ready to consume whenever I want. Which is absolutely brilliant. Love the color too. OVERVIEW: As many others have mentioned, they report 20 lbs. weight. Recommend adding 15 lbs. of ice. That’s 35 lbs. before you add anything else to it. Making it quite heavy. Thankfully, the carrying latches are very robust and large making it a lot easier to move around. Additionally, both the top and the drawer have a locking mechanism. Making it so if it does tip you don’t dump everything. The insulin here is no joke at 3 inches. The top section is where you put the ice which obviously keeps that container cold. But also keeps the sliding door section at 40 degrees F. Allowing you to put food there without plastic bags and keep it dry and at food safe temperatures. This top section then has a drain. That I would assume fills some of the outside of the container (given enough water) adding extra thermal protection. As water is neat like that. The drain could be a bit lower, but I didn’t have a hard time emptying it out. Just near the end had to give it a little help. I didn’t notice any leaks either. Everything is lined in black plastic. Making cleanup easy if something were to spill. Based on specs they say it can hold ice up to 5 days. 30-quart capacity, 48 cans (no ice) or 26 cans with ice CONCLUSION: This thing is brilliant and I like it a lot. Drawer could be a bit more easier to lock/unlocking and smoother. But that is my only complaint.

The Ninja FrostVault Cooler is a great cooler that offers plenty of storage, but it can get extremely heavy. The FrostVault cooler is one of the nicest coolers I’ve yet to see, in terms of build quality. The inside of the cooler is lined with a glossy finish, that keeps everything super cold for a long time. The lower half of the cooler has a dry zone compartment that is both very convenient and functional. The dry zone storage lets you store things in the cold, but it keeps it completely dry. This worked great for sandwiches, fruit and meats. The cooler has a great seal on it that keeps everything airtight which prevents leaking, it also has a very nice latch that creates a firm lock on both the main compartment and the dry zone. This cooler is pretty heavy, even without anything inside its still weighs a pretty good amount. The handles on the side are very sturdy and make it easy to grip, but having wheels and lever to pull it would have been nice, especially when it’s full. There is also a valve to drain liquids on the bottom side of the cooler, making it easy to empty without having to tip it over. When I first got to use the cooler, I instantly fell in love with how much I could store inside of it, and how well everything was able to keep cold. I also liked how I was able to store my cold meats and bread in the dry zone, to keep them from getting wet and soggy. The main compartment was the perfect size to store all my drinks and ice, plus some extra frozen foods. Needless to say, the cooler worked great. Overall, I really love the Ninja FrostVault cooler. The one thing I so with it had was wheels and a adjustable arm, as it does get really heavy. The quality of the cooler is superb, making it able to withstand the most extreme environments. There was the right amount of storage for my wife and I, and the dry zone is a great feature to keep foods cold, but dry. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a solid cooler.

The Ninja FrostVault is a great cooler. I brought it with me when I took it to a Las Vegas road trip. Before leaving, I was curious about what I could fit. I was able to fit a half gallon of milk standing up. I then took a wine bottle. Although it cannot fit standing up, you can lie it down and it does fit. I took photos and attached it to the review. I spent 3 days and two nights. A good amount of ice was still left partially melted. The temps were nice and cool. There is a dry compartment. This is great if you want to keep things cool but dry. I was able to fit two packages of bacon without any issues. Overall, this cooler is not bad. There are two things I want to mention. I would prefer the drain to be lower. It is not an issue but I notice I have to tip it more over than my previous cooler. The other thing is the weight. It is noticeably heavier than my previous cooler even when empty. Even heavier with stuff inside. Both wet and dry storage has a lock so it won’t accidentally open.

The Ninja FrostVault 30qt Hard Cooler with Dry Zone is quite the beast. When I say a beast, I mean that in many ways. This solidly built cooler boasts the ability to hold 48 cans, of whatever you pleasure, cold for an extended period of time. While impressive, this means you have very limited space for ice or anything else because those cans will take up every inch of the cooler and Dry Zone drawer. The best practice for the FrostVault is to use 15 pounds of ice to keep things cold, but this means you would leave less space for your items. If you have a lot to store and keep cold, then you probably want to lower the poundage on the ice. The really nice thing about this cooler is that you can use that ice in the main part while keeping things dry and cool in the Dry Zone drawer. While it’s not as cold as the main compartment, it still does a decent job. The Ninja FrostVault definitely holds the ice longer than any other cooler that I own. With the weather not as warm right now, it’s a little harder to put it through the wringer like a summer weekend of camping would. I look forward to testing its performance during the warmer days next year. Until then, I will be lugging this big guy around anywhere I can to keep our items cold because it does seem to last for a few days with a very little increase in temperature. The Dry Zone definitely starts to warm faster due to the disconnect from the ice, but it still does the job keeping things dry and somewhat cool. It’s obvious that Ninja developed the FrostVault line to compete with some others out there, I definitely think that it holds its own. I will say that this beast definitely packs on the weight with every little thing you add to it. It’s heavy to start, but adding ice, cans, and more makes this thing a workout and then some for most. The addition of wheels would be a godsend here. I won’t stop using it for that reason, but I’ll definitely make sure to have something with me to move it or only choose shorter distances to save my back. If you’re looking for a cooler that’s going to withstand some rugged adventures while keeping your items cold and/or dry, then the Ninja FrostVault is certainly something one should consider.