The Northstar series of roto-mold hard coolers are made from thick UV resistant Polyethylene with two inch thick foam insulation. The cooler has four rubber feet that are screwed into the base of the cooler and not taped like other brands. We’ve been dragging the cooler around for over a year now and none of the feet have budged!
Locking the lid of the Northstar cooler are two large rubber latches that can be a bit stiff at first but soften up over time. These latches also drop down in the way of the lid closing if you’re simply flipping it shut. This frequently causes you to have to knock the latches out from beneath the lid when closing the cooler.
The lid is married to the lower tub by way of a piano hinge molded into the cooler. This hinge features an aluminum pin permanently mounted to the cooler. Upon opening the cooler, the hinge holds the lid in the upright position.
Under the lid of the Polaris cooler, you’ll find a rubber gasket that creates a positive seal around the cooler’s tub. This seal has not moved or failed in the year-plus of abuse. The gasket makes contact with a raised lip on the lower tub. This seal has been reliable and has never leaked!
The inside of the cooler is small in circumference but deep enough to hold multiple racks of drinks and a bag or two of ice. The sidewalls of the tub include a slot to accept the optional divider/cutting board. This divider is an awesome solution for those storing drinks and food in the same cooler. Highly recommended.
The bottom left of the cooler features an easy to open sealed drain plug. This is a deep 1” plug and is dual vented, allowing quick draining.
The outer lip of the cooler features eight slots for securing the cooler with a strap. The front two corner slots are continued through the lid for additional security.
We opted to install the optional bottle opener which works great and can be mounted anywhere on the cooler… though never really used when mounted in our Polaris RZR.
The handles of the Northstar cooler are made from high quality rope and feature rigid and padded handles. These were a great feature, though we feel they were too long causing them to be drained on and make for awkward carries between rigs. They even get in the way when loading them into the bed of the RZR until you figure out the right angle to which they tuck back into the cooler’s recessed sides.
The cooler is a perfect fit for 2015-2020 Polaris RZR XPs and will fit behind the Polaris spare tire carrier.
During the last year with the Polaris Northstar cooler, we’ve thrown it around the shop, used it for camping, day rides, stools, even as a car jack when rescuing fellow riders! We’ve dropped the cooler fully loaded from trailers, backed into it and more. These coolers are undoubtedly stout and show no signs of failure or cracking.
The question on everybody’s mind is, “How long does it hold ice?” In our testing, a single bag of ice will last a full three to four days of typical summer sun around 80°F. Two bags will last you over a week if left alone! On especially hot days, or days where the cooler is frequently opened, the time is cut buy a day or so. We’ve never been left without ice on any ride we’ve ever encountered.
The Polaris Northstar coolers now come in both Desert and Graphite colors and are available in 30, 60 and 105qt sizes, retailing for $240, $310 and $400 respectively. That is up to $80 cheaper than a comparable Yeti cooler, and to be honest, better looking too.
Overall, we can’t get over the build quality and performance we’ve received from our Polaris Northstar cooler. We loved it so much we bought one for Uncle Ben! Visit your local Polaris dealer, or shop online at polaris.com/shop, to get your Northstar cooler before your next ride!
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