Rotomolded coolers are the only choice for freezing temps.

Yes. You want a roto-molded cooler, not a cheaper injection-molded one.

The issue is that regular hard coolers—the kind you grab at big box stores—use thin plastic that gets brittle below freezing. One drop or a good bump and you get cracks. Rotomolded coolers (Yeti, Pelican, Engel, ORCA) are made from thicker, tougher polyethylene that handles cold without shattering. They cost more, but they’re basically lifetime gear.

One caveat: if you’re filling it with ice in subzero weather, leave a little room for expansion. Otherwise the ice can crack even a burly cooler from the inside. Otherwise, grab a rotomolded one and stop worrying.

This is not where you save fifty bucks.