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The Pelican 45 Elite, almost across the board, ran a close second to our Editors' Choice winner. In a cooler, insulation value is paramount. In this category, the Pelican and Yeti are basically tied for the best in our test. And the nearest competitors are a ways behind. The Pelican is durable and strong. We ultimately gave the Yeti the nod for its lighter weight and more svelte exterior construction.
The beefy and impeccably designed Pelican 45Q Elite cooler.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Insulation Value
Cooler users everywhere should celebrate the trend towards better insulating boxes. This Pelican offering is riding that wave, and brings inches of high-quality foam to a sturdy box. In our head-to-head ice retention test, the Pelican basically tied with the Editors' Choice winning Yeti Tundra. And both of these performed far better than the nearest competition. In extended field use, the 45Q holds ice almost twice as long as models half its cost.
Ease of Use
The lid latches and handles are smooth and intuitive to use. However, the 45 Elite is extremely heavy.
A loaded up Pelican 45Q. The interior is bright, cleans easily, and drains readily.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Durability
The Pelican 45 Elite handily reveals the manufacturer's pedigree in durable cases. Pelican is best known for designing and selling a whole range of waterproof boxes for transporting electronics in rugged environments. The thought process on expanding to Pelican coolers is clear: If they're good at making boxes to keep the elements out, why not try the same but keep the elements in? And they have succeeded. They bring high-end plastic engineering and excellent hardware to this cooler. Our testing team had no problems whatsoever with the durability of the 45 Elite.
Side by side comparison of the Pelican and Yeti Coolers. Note the bulky latches, handles, and lid "overhang" on the Pelican Cooler. Our testers appreciated the more svelte design of the Yeti. Otherwise these two coolers perform very similarly.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Portability
The heavy build and lack of wheels makes this the least portable cooler in our test. Its 35 pound weight is 8 pounds more than the next heaviest, and is very noticeable in transport. Load this up with just a short weekend's worth of food and ice, and even a strong solo adult will not be able to get it around.
The Pelican comes with ergonomic handles for both solo and tandem carry. However, the 35 pound empty weight of this guy makes it difficult to move around, especially once full of ice and food.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Value
Only the Yeti Tundra is more expensive in our test. This is not a cheap piece of equipment. The investment, however, will be returned in convenience, ice costs, and avoiding spoiled food. Even in the hottest climates, the 45 Elite will keep valuable meats and dairy cold for a useful amount of time. Less expensive coolers might only keep ice and cool temps for a day or two. In these same conditions the Pelican coolers will maintain food-safe conditions for twice that, at least. In the long term, the Pelican will outlast less expensive options, all while withstanding significant abuse.
Conclusion
At a slightly better price and similar insulating performance to our Editors' Choice winning Yeti, the Pelican 45 Elite will serve its owner well. Be advised that this Pelican cooler is bulky and heavy, even as compared to the rugged Yeti. As compared to cheaper models, it is ridiculously heavy.
