As the Premium Cooler Sector Continues to Heat Up, the Otterbox Venture 65 Cooler Makes a Compelling Case
The Otterbox Venture 65 cooler got our attention with claims of incredible ice retention and an excellent range of optional accessories. We were impressed with their Trooper LT30 soft cooler that we take on our kayak and we have high expectations for this model as well.
Pros
- Outstanding ice retention
- 10 color and design options to choose from
- Plenty of accessory options
- Rugged design for nearly any outdoor adventure or work environment
- Bear-resistant certification
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Like all premium coolers, price may be an obstacle
Otterbox Venture 65 Cooler Design Features
Made in the USA
Designed in Fort Collins, Colorado, and fully Made in the USA in Detroit, Michigan, the Otterbox Venture 65 features a rotomolded polypropylene shell construction. Silicone makes up the seal and latch straps with a polycarbonate/ABS build for the latches themselves.
The insulation comes from two-part polyurethane, and stainless steel pins hold the whole thing together. Overall, the construction is perfect for my saltwater fishing and jobsite needs.
No-Slide Rubber Feet
Four TPE feet on the base keep the cooler from sliding around. You can set it confidently on your tailgate or anywhere on your boat. While Otterbox doesn’t list a load weight on their website, I feel secure standing on it while I’m looking for redfish tails around Tampa Bay.
Slanted Bottom with Drain Plug
When you have a larger cooler like this, draining the last bit of water out often means using a towel to wipe it up or tipping it on its side. Otterbox gives the bottom inside a slight slope leading down to its nylon drain plug. On a flat surface, it helps completely drain better than other designs. Of course, you’re rarely on a perfectly flat surface and you can always turn your cooler to work with whatever slope you have.
The plug has a capture strap on it, so there’s little risk of losing it.
Bear-Resistant
I’m a huge fan of spending time in the Rockies. The area around Jules Bowl in the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming is one of my favorites (be sure to stop in Cowboy Cafe if you’re driving through Dubois). When we’re packing in gear, bear-resistant coolers are a must and the Otterbox Venture 65 carries the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee seal.
To make it bear-resistant, grab Otterbox’ locking kit ($99.99). It includes two bear shields and two locks to make sure those fresh trout only tempt you and not Yogi.
Included Accessories
Two accessories come with your Otterbox cooler. A sturdy dry storage tray sits above the ice and gives you roughly 10″ x 8″ area to store what you don’t want to get wet. It’s where I like to keep sandwiches and chocolate bars.
There’s also a bottle opener that installs on any of the 8 accessory points spread out around the front and back.
Optional Accessories
One of the things Otterbox does well is to give you plenty of options to accessorize your cooler. It starts with color options. The Otterbox Venture 65 cooler has 10 different color/design options (our review cooler is High Trail). You can see those options and prices below.
8 attachment points on the front and back along with nesting grooves open up other accessories for you. We LOVE the side table ($69.99)! It’s a 14-1/2″ x 11-1/2″ system with a removable table/cutting board that comes off to reveal 3 cup holders on one half and a flat surface on the other.
Here are some of the other options you can add:
- All-Terrain Wheels – $249.99
- Separator (this cooler can hold up to 3 to create up to 4 separate sections) – $24.99 each
- Cutting Board – $29.99
- Double Cup Holder – $29.99
- Drybox Clip – $4.99
- Drybox 3250 – $39.99
- 2.5-lb Ice Pack – $19.95
- 5-lb Ice Pack – $29.95 each
It’s an impressive set of accessories, but there is just one thing missing in my book. I’d like to see a specifically designed cushion to use it as a boat seat on models that need them for two more passengers. Sitting on bare fiberglass decking or the hard top of your cooler is lame.
Capacity and Ice Retention
Otterbox coolers hold their true capacities. When you see “65” on the Otterbox Venture 65, you can fit a full 65 quarts. Its outside footprint is 40.01″ long x 18.76″ wide x 18.83″ tall. It’s right on the edge of one-person carry with a 32.95 lb dry weight. By the time I add ice, drinks, and food, I prefer to have a second set of muscles help me carry it.
The cooler holds up to 75 pounds of ice. I started with 60 pounds and a 12-pack for my ice retention test. With temperatures sitting in the low to mid-90s for the duration of my test, it sat on my back porch where it gets mostly shade with late afternoon/evening sun. Opening it just once a day to check the ice level (and enjoy a cold one), it finally melted down to just cold water on day 10.
Otterbox claims to get up to 16 days’ worth of ice retention and in milder weather, surpassing the 2-week mark is definitely attainable. As always, it depends on how often you’re in and out of the cooler, the outside temperature, and the amount of direct sunlight it gets.
Price
Otterbox is right in line with other premium coolers when it comes to price. The Venture 65 runs $349.99 with a $100 upcharge for the specialty lid designs. Each cooler has a lifetime warranty and ships for free when you order direct from Otterbox. If for some reason you don’t like it, they offer free returns as well. Here’s where other competitors sit:
- RTIC 65 – $307.99
- Pelican 70QT Elite (larger model): $349.99
- Otterbox Venture 65: $349.99 – $449.99
- Yeti Tundra 65: $349.99
- Orca 75 (larger model): $389.99
- Orion 65: $499.00
Color Options and Prices
- Hudson (white/blue) – $349.99
- Ridgeline (tan/green) – $349.99
- Back Trail (tan/orange with Realtree camo lid) – $449.99
- Old Glory (white with American Flag lid) – $449.99
- Shoreline (Citadel blue/Patriot blue) – $349.99
- Frosty Dew (Citadel blue/Acid Lime green) – $349.99
- DeYoung Salt (white/blue with saltwater fish lid designed by Derek DeYoung) – $449.99
- DeYoung Trout (white/blue with trout lid designed by Derek DeYoung) – $449.99
- Snow Banks (white) – $349.99
- High Trail (Highland Meadow/orange – shown in photos) – $349.99
The Bottom Line
Lots of color options, plenty of accessories, and incredible ice retention make the Otterbox Venture 65 cooler a winner in the premium cooler space. Whether you’re looking for a cooler to pack into the backcountry for a multi-day adventure, keeping drinks cool on the jobsite, or putting your catch on ice until you get home to clean them, Otterbox absolutely deserves your consideration.
Otterbox Venture 65 Cooler Specifications
- Model: Otterbox Venture 65
- Capacity: 65 quarts
- Estimated Ice Retention: 16 days
- Outside Dimensions: 40.01″ x 18.76″ x 18.83″
- Dry Weight: 32.95 pounds
- Price: $349.99 – $449.99
- Warranty: Lifetime
