Thermik Cooler Review
Last Updated by Brandon F. on December 8, 2021
Thermik is another newish cooler company that is hoping to compete in the highly competitive premium cooler market. Their current lineup is somewhat small, consisting only of tumbler handles, tumbler accessories, and of course their coolers. In this review, we will be focusing primarily on their cooler lineup.
Currently, there are three sizes of hard-sided Thermik coolers to choose from: 25-quart, 45-quart, and 75-quart models. There aren’t any clever names for their coolers. Thermik has simply dubbed them “High-Performance Roto-Molded Coolers”. Simple enough! Missing are any of the “giant” sized coolers that other brands have expanded to.
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As you have likely seen if you have browsed our reviews, there can be quite a bit of overlap between one cooler brand and another. Features, shapes, accessories, and performance levels can be quite similar and we suspect that many of these smaller cooler brands likely source their products from the same manufacturers.
We see several of those similarities with Thermik coolers. The shape, some of the features, and available sizes are quite similar to what we have seen in both Vibe Coolers and nICE Coolers. However, some specifics make Thermik stand out (which we will go over in greater detail below.
Thermik Cooler Insulation Ability/Ice Life
The big question everybody asks us when it comes to coolers: how long will they keep ice!?
Thermik has taken a proven and safe approach with their coolers which almost always guarantees acceptable ice life: thick walls and rotomolded construction.
The walls are up to 3” thick (approx.) and are comprised of strong and consistent plastic that has great cold retention. The fact that rotomolded technology is used means that there are no weak points or easy escape paths for cold air. It also plays a big role in the toughness of the cooler (which we will go into greater detail below).
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Other helpful features that are almost expected on premium coolers these days (and present in Thermik Coolers) are a large, built-in freezer-grade gasket as well as strong clamps that allow for a lot of squeeze. Being able to get a lot of squeeze out of the gasket means that you will have a great seal and keep more of your cold air in. We have found that one of the biggest causes of coolers having less than impressive ice life is due to their being a weak seal between the lid and the body.
Thermik Cooler Ice Life Results
Before displaying our results, it is important to mention a few things about ice life numbers.
There are a lot of variables that go into determining the ice life of a particular cooler. And depending on your specific variables, your results may be different. Factors such as how much ice you use, the contents of your cooler, the outside environment, and how often you are opening the cooler all play a huge role. Then there is the determination of what exactly “cold” means. Water at 33 degrees is still pretty dang cold and can keep items cool, right?
To make things simple, we fill up the cooler with ice 1/3 to ½ ways and open them every couple of hours. Next, we watch the cooler until there is no ice left inside.
Results:
Thermik 25 Cooler: 45 to 65 hours
Thermik 45 Cooler: 60 to 85 hours
Thermik 75 Cooler: 90 to 140 hours
These results are extremely similar to other similarly sized coolers we have tested, particularly the Vibe Coolers. This is likely because the Vibe Coolers and Thermik Coolers appear to have essentially the same shell and are made of the same material.
As we are also used to seeing, the size of the cooler has a direct correlation with its ice life. In almost all cases, larger coolers will have longer ice life. This partially has to do with there being more volume for air as well as allowing for more ice to be added.
Thermik Cooler Toughness
Thermik Coolers implement all of the industry-standard manufacturing methods to ensure that they are capable of just about anything that you can throw at them.
This all starts with their thick, rotomolded polyethylene shell. This has been proven through countless tests to be one of the best materials to make a cooler out of. The combination of the one-piece construction finds a happy medium between not having any major weak points while still being relatively lightweight. As for its thickness, it is also about the industry average. You can expect wall thickness to usually fall between 2” and 3” depending on the specific cooler and which wall/lid you are looking at.
One aspect worth mentioning is that Thermik does not currently have their coolers IGBC (International Grizzly Bear Committee) Certified. This isn’t a huge issue and we are confident that it would easily pass the test but we still like to see this certification on a cooler as it is just another indication of its quality.
Also worth noting are the high-quality components. The hinge, rubber feet, and tie-down holes are all advertised by Thermik as being essentially indestructible. We particularly like the latches that, while being made of a similar material as many other major premium cooler brands, seem and appear to be a bit beefier. We have seen the occasional issue with a latch that can crack or break so the beefier they are the better!
Finally, Thermik offers a 5-year limited warranty on their products. This is extremely long and among the best we have seen in the industry. We aren’t sure how their customer service and return/repair times are but if they are timely and easy to work with then this is a great positive.
Thermik Cooler Features
In the congested premium ice chest market, it is important to do things that make your products stand out from the competition. Thermik has certainly done that with its lineup of intuitive and relatively original features.
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The first feature worth nothing (and that typically gets most of the attention) is the vacuum release valve. This is a button on the front of the cooler that, when pressed, will allow air to enter the cooler. A common issue with coolers is that when the ice melts, it can cause a change in the volume which directly affects the pressure. This creates a vacuum and can make it difficult to open the cooler lid.
The vacuum release valve makes it so that the pressure inside the cooler is normalized with outside pressure. This removes the vacuum and makes it a breeze to open.
Another notable feature that we like is the stainless steel bottle openers on the corners of the cooler. As the name suggests, these can quickly and easily pop off the bottle tops of your favorite beverages. And being made of relatively thick stainless steel, they are designed to last.
Additional features include a quick-release drain that will fit a standard garden hose, marine nylon double handles on the 45/75 quart models, padded aluminum overhead handle on the 25-quart model, and removable dry basket, cutting board/separator, and drink holder.
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This list of features is among the largest we have come across. While we have seen the quick-release pressure button on other occasions (nICE Coolers, Vibe Coolers, etc.), the overall list of other features and accessories that you receive bumps it towards the top. Speaking of Vibe Coolers (again) the features that it offers are essentially identical. We are pretty confident that they are the same cooler so your best bet is to go with whichever brand you can find for cheaper.
Thermik Cooler Visual Appeal
Thermik Cooler implements a proven and somewhat progressive visual design that seems to be popular among cooler enthusiasts. The subtle curves combined with the stainless steel bottle openers, intuitive latches, and somewhat ostentatious pressure release valve results in a cooler that stands out among the crowd. We like that they decided to keep their pressure release valve black as opposed to bright red like other brands.
The main issue with Thermik Coolers when it comes to aesthetics is the lack of colors. Currently, they only offer a single color: white. Also, they don’t seem to currently offer any sort of custom color choices, decals, etc. We understand that these sort of things might be difficult for a smaller company to handle but having these additional levels of customization play a big role in why the big dogs (Yeti, RTIC, Orca, etc.) enjoy the success that they do.
Thermik Cooler Price
We understand that coolers (particularly high-end ones) can be quite expensive. When you are spending hundreds of dollars on a product, you want to make sure that you are getting the very best for your hard-earned money.
Relative to other premium cooler brands on the market, Thermik falls in the middle of the tier. In other words, it will be cheaper than some of the top brands such as Yeti and Orca but is more expensive than the budget premium brands such as Vibe and Grizzly.
As far as we are concerned, Thermik Coolers and Vibe Coolers are essentially the same models. So go with whichever you can find for cheaper.
Final Thoughts
Thermik Coolers aim to compete in the very competitive premium cooler market and their approach, for the most part, is successful. The ice life, toughness, and features are all perfectly acceptable in this price range with their features and accessories taking center stage.
The increasingly popular pressure release button, stainless steel corner bottle openers, and attractive latches help it to lead the pack in the feature race.
That being said, it does lack a bit in the color department. As of this article, you are stuck with only white being the color available. There are also no custom color options that we can find.
A solid competitor, whether or not it is a strong buy will depend on how much you can get it for. We recommend shopping for similar sizes in nICE and Vibe and going with whichever you can get for the best price as all 3 are extremely similar in performance and features.
Thermik Cooler Review
Thermik is a relatively small up-and-coming cooler company that primarily focuses on its limited lineup of hard-sided coolers as well as a few different tumbler accessories. Their coolers are targeted towards the premium price tier and offer up many of the features and cooling attributes we are used to seeing in the top-tier coolers. Specifically, you can choose between 25-quart, 45-quart, and 75-quart models.
Insulation Ability – 
The insulation ability is about average across the premium coolers on the market. In other words, you can expect ice life to vary from a couple of days up to approaching a full week depending on the size and conditions. This is far beyond what you can expect in most budget coolers but by no means industry-leading among the many other premium hard-sided coolers on the market. This performance comes thanks to the nearly 3” thick insulated walls, large freezer-grade gasket, and latches that provide excellent squeeze.
Mobility and Durability – 
The 3” thick walls shine here. Combine this with other high-quality components made of stainless steel and thick rubber and you have a product that is designed to last for many years. While it isn’t IGBC certified, you do get to enjoy an extremely impressive 5-year limited warranty which shows that Thermik stands behind its product.
Visual Appeal – 
The combination of the attractive stainless steel bottle openers, subtle curves, and aggressive pressure release button makes this cooler stand out compared to most other coolers on the market. The major issue here is the lack of colors and customization options. Thermik currently only offers their coolers in white so for those after a more unique look or a color that goes with your favorite sports team, you are out of luck.
Cost – 
The asking price here falls about in the middle compared to other premium coolers on the market. These products are not cheap and will be a stretch for many people’s pocketbooks. However, for those who are after impressive cooling performance and toughness, you will have to pay to play. As we mentioned earlier, there are several extremely similar coolers on the market (Vibe and nICE to name a couple) and we recommend going with whichever one you can find for the cheapest in a given size.
Overall Rating –
The Thermik Cooler meets most requirements that we expect in a premium cooler. The ice life is more than acceptable, the toughness and build quality are up to spec, and there are plenty of cool accessories that you will benefit from. There are a couple of areas of concern, however. The lack of colors is a major disappointment and we wish that Thermik would expand on their choices. Also, the asking price is oftentimes a bit higher than Vibe and nICE which seem to offer the same cooler. While not a bad choice, we recommend shopping around these other brands to find your best deal.
