Working is important, but man, you gotta eat too! At the very least, you’ll need some cold drinks on a hot day. All those drive-thru meals you scarf down on the way from one job to another? Well, apparently, they aren’t that great for you. Who knew? Fortunately, you don’t have to drink lukewarm sodas or be consigned to fast-food lunches. The good folks at Klein Tools have have a solution in the form of the Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Tough Box 9-Quart Cooler.
Editor’s Note: Check out our best tool bag roundup to see our top picks.
Keep Your Cool
The premium cooler market has exploded in popularity over the last few years. Some of these expensive products can keep ice from melting for days on end, and sometimes up to a week under the right conditions.
Ice Retention
Most of us, however, have no need to bequeath our ice to our grandkids. The Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Tough Box 9-Quart Cooler’s ice retention is sufficient for all my intents and purposes. It uses a durable, hard plastic outer casing filled with polyurethane foam that insulates the cooler. Klein claims that this insulated cooler will retain ice for 30 hours.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I didn’t put the Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Tough Box 9-Quart Cooler to the 30-hour test. Frankly, I don’t often need that kind of ice retention. I only really need ice for about twelve hours at a time, at most. For my needs, the insulating polyurethane foam works as advertised and there’s no reason to suspect it won’t make it to 30-hours.
Structural Integrity
The lid opens 180° with the help of a stainless steel hinge that resists the corrosive effects of water. This hinge instills some confidence that the lid won’t break off after a few months of use. This cooler’s construction also has an added design benefit. Since it’s basically a block of insulated plastic, it can support up to 300 lbs, making it a viable option for portable seating. This cooler allows you to take a load off while you eat your lunch!
When lunchtime ends, you can simply flip up the carry handle and put the cooler back in the work truck.
Flip Your Lid
Just like its 17-quart big brother, the Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Tough Box 9-Quart Cooler has an internal storage compartment on the underside of the lid. It’s a great place for napkins, utensils, keys, or whatever really. You could slip your phone in there, but be warned: Klein doesn’t include a watertight seal here. If the ice melts and the cooler flips, you might have a technological disaster on your hands. Even if the cooler stays upright, condensation could be a problem.
Sugar Junkie Tip: I discovered that the inner compartment makes a great home for Little Debbies. They won’t get squashed by the contents of the main compartment. Plus, when my blood sugar spikes from the Swiss Cake Rolls I just mainlined, the cooler provides a place to sit while I try to ride out my sugar high.
Work & Play
I discovered that the Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Tough Box 9-Quart Cooler fits quite nicely in the back of my golf cart. After using it to keep my lunch cool at work for a few weeks, I grabbed it for a fun scramble out on the links last weekend. This gave me a good chance to test out the cooler’s beer capacity. Incidentally, the Klein Tough Box fits 8 bottles when laid on their side. It doesn’t leave any room for food, but who needs food when you have 8 beers, right?
Editor’s Note: 1 pack of Little Debbies will not soak up 8 beers worth of alcohol before driving home. Over the limit, under arrest.
If you prefer your beverages in can form, you can fit 11 in the cooler.
Pricing
Klein 17-quart cooler comes in at $54.99, so it’s no surprise that this smaller version is a little less at $44.93. You can certainly go cheaper or much more expensive depending on your tastes. However, Klein finds a nice middle ground for Pros that need a durable build with enough ice retention for the workday.
The Bottom Line
The Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Tough Box 9-Quart Cooler is an all-around durable, capable product. It certainly lives up to its name, which is good since I reviewed this cooler in the middle of soaring Florida summer temperatures. It’s essentially the same quality you find in Klein’s original 17-quart model with similar features and a smaller footprint to make it a more manageable size when space is a premium.
Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Tough Box 9-Quart Cooler Features
- Cooler keeps items cool for up to 30 hours
- Industrial exterior body design supports seating of up to 300 pounds (136 kg)
- Main compartment has a 9-quart (8.5 L) or 11 can capacity
- Lid stays open at 90 degrees for unobstructed main compartment access
- Open the lid to 180 degrees in order to access the interior compartment perfect for smaller items
- No-rust stainless steel hinge for extreme durability
- Rotating hard handle for easy carrying
- Lock hasp accommodates #1 Master Lock or equivalent (not included)
Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Tough Box 9-Quart Cooler Specifications
- Item Number: 55625
- Type: Hard Side Cooler
- Application: Lunch, Food Cooler
- Special Features: Supports 300 pounds, Interior Lid Compartment 6.5 x 4 x 1 inches
- Length: 14.7 inches
- Height: 12 inches
- Width: 8.8 inches
- Material: Polypropylene and Polyethylene Plastics
- Color: Gray/Orange
- Number of Compartments: 2
- Compartment Sizes: 11 x 5.5 x 9 inches; 6.5 x 3 x 1 inches
- Closure Type: Latch
- Total Cubic Area: 564 in³
- Capacity: 9 quarts
- Handle: Yes
- Holds: 11 Cans
- Stackable: Yes
- Cold Temperature Range: Up to 41°F for 30 Hours
- Insulation: Polyurethane Foam
- Weight: 4.8 pounds
- Price: $44.93
