Igloo BMX 25 Review

The Igloo BMX 25 is a heavy-duty blow-molded personal cooler with a single handle across the top and an internal height that fits most wine bottles or 2L soda bottles. It features corner tie-downs and a fish ruler across the top of the lid.

Performance Comparison

Insulation

The Igloo BMX 25 is bolstered with extra-thick foam insulated walls and claims to maintain food-safe temperatures for days. The shape of the cooler's base holds most of the bottom slightly elevated from the surface below it, which also aids in its insulation performance. The USDA's best practice for storing food is to keep food at or below 40 degrees, and most beverages are enjoyed at or below 50 degrees. We evaluate each cooler's insulation by placing them in a temperature controlled room, filling them with ice, and placing multiple sensors inside of a mason jar in the ice to closely track the temperature changes for ten days.

The Igloo held up to its claims, maintaining temperatures at or below 40 degrees for four days and keeping things cold at or below 50 degrees for an additional half day. We feel the dark coloring works against this cooler if it's left in the sun, but the BMX 25 is available in nine different colors, so choose wisely. Although the lid feels like it fits tightly, it isn't watertight, which allows cold air to escape, and warm air detracts from its insulation performance. Many other coolers use freezer-grade gaskets to mitigate this issue. All things considered, we found the Igloo's insulation to be adequate, given its size and price point.

Durability

The BMX 25 looks tough from across the room. In fact, BMX stands for blow-molded eXtreme, referring to the manufacturing process used in its creation. It's adorned with a stainless steel kick plate, as Igloo refers to it, and many other components made of stainless steel, including the hinge hardware and reinforcement inside of the swinging handle. In our durability testing of the Igloo, we spent a significant amount of time standing and jumping on it, and we wouldn't recommend that you do the same, as our tester noted that "it is long and narrow (for its size) and thus was very wobbly!"

Despite the hinges of the BMX being made of high-quality materials, it's possible to pull the mounting screws right out of the lid if you overextend it at all. We felt some concern about how soft the rubber latches are as they seem prone to damage from the elements or too strong of a pull. Part of our durability testing involves filling the cooler with water and seeing how watertight it is as we move it around. The lack of a gasket or seal allows water to easily spill out, which could spell disaster if placed on the seat of a vehicle and tipped over in transit. Overall, we loved the thick, sturdy walls and robust feel of the Igloo, but there are a few minor flaws in this cooler's durability and performance.

Ease of Use

The BMX 25's rubber latches can be easily unhooked with one hand, and the lid stays open for easy loading access. The handle stays pretty much where you leave it, making a quick set-it-down-to-close-the-back-hatch maneuver a cinch. The inside of this cooler is also decently spacious for its size and can fit 34 cans if you only add a little bit of ice around the sides, and easily accommodates an upright standard-sized wine bottle. The Igloo also has tie-down holes in all four corners that will keep this little box securely fastened and closed until you untie it again.

We feel that Igloo may have missed an opportunity by not making these tie-down holes also lockable, which can add a measure of animal protection or peace of mind. We also found that the lid's topography prevents it from being an excellent surface for your cold can or even a comfortable seat. Additionally, the handle runs so close to the cooler's side that it runs into the rubber latches if they're not properly sealed. And unlike many other coolers, the BMX has no rubber feet to stop it from sliding across the bed of your pickup if you neglected to tie it down. Those minor concerns aside, we think the BMX is decently easy to use.

Portability

Some monster-sized coolers can make your back hurt just by looking at it. The Igloo BMX 25 is a breath of fresh air when it comes to portability. Compared to most coolers we tested, the Igloo is a feather-light, weighing in at only just over 10 pounds. Even when compared to similarly sized coolers, the BMX stands out as being light and easily portable. The stainless steel reinforced handle helps make this cooler a breeze to carry, even when fully loaded.

We feel like the handle could be improved comfort-wise by adding a section of a more forgiving material but overall, the size and ergonomic shape of the handle makes the BMX 25 no sweat to carry compared to many of the other similarly sized coolers. Our tester mentioned, “I'm not sure how this is meant to be carried over great distances. The plastic handle can't be put over the shoulder, but I could put it in the crook of my elbow.” This is something to keep in mind if you expect to carry this cooler a great distance.

Additional Features

Leaning more towards being a budget cooler, we didn't expect much from the BMX 25. The main additional feature consists of a molded-in fish ruler on the lid. This is a nice feature, but we would love to see a little more, like a bottle opener or cup holder. Igloo provides a standard three-year warranty that protects you from defects; nothing remarkable. We were happy to see that Igloo offers replacement parts for most of their coolers on their website.

Should You Buy the Igloo BMX 25?

The world of coolers is a vast and ever-changing market, and the BMX 25 threads the needle in the middle. It offers above-average performance with a below-average price tag. If you're looking for a solid personal-sized cooler but don't need it to withstand being filled with fireworks, tossed off a cliff, or chewed on by a bear, we think the Igloo BMX is an adequate performer that offers excellent value.

What Other Coolers Should You Consider?

If you're not entirely sold on the BMX 25 but are still in the market for a personal-sized cooler, the Yeti Roadie 24 is another great option to consider. It slightly outperforms the Igloo and is much more durable, albeit at more than double the cost. If that's not quite enough space for you, we recommend checking out some of the wheeled coolers on the market, like the Xspec 45 Towable and the larger sized Yeti Roadie 48 and Yeti Roadie 60. These offer quite a bit more space and the added convenience of wheels for portability.