Coolest Cooler

Photo by Jeremy Brigden

Photo by Jeremy Brigden

The Coolest Cooler is a multi-function cooler created by Ryan Grepper that was initially funded by the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. The Coolest cooler includes a blender, Bluetooth speaker, a USB port to charge electronics such as iPhones, a built-in bottle opener with magnetic cap catch, built-in plates and a ceramic knife and has a removable divider that can also be used as a cutting board. The split lid design also includes an LED light, cup-holders and the overall 55 quart cooler's hexagonal shape is unique to the Coolest. The cooler also has a telescoping handle, wide wheels and side grips for loading and transport. A bungee cord has been added for transporting additional items. The cooler is powered by a rechargable Lithium ion battery and the removable Bluetooth speaker is also rechargeable and can be paired with a second speaker up to 30ft away. It has frequently been described in the press as a "party in a box". Time magazine listed the Coolest cooler as one of its 25 best inventions of 2014.

Funding

Grepper first tried to raise funding for the product in November 2013 but fell short of the $125,000 goal. He relaunced a campaign on July 8th, 2014, and many attribute the success of the second campaign to the timing. In addition, the Coolest received extensive press coverage when it topped the funding goals of the Pebble watch, and ended the campaign in August with $13,285,226 and 62,642 backers making it the #1 funded Kickstarter campaign of 2014.

Background

Grepper designed the Coolest, initially using a weed whacker to build a portable gas-powered blender. He subsequently re-engineered a cooler with a car stereo to bring to a 4th July beach party for friends. A full time product developer and entrepreneur, Grepper has said that improvements in technology and the reduced size of components made him realize that the multi-function cooler could be engineered as a consumer product and developed a prototype using 3D printing technology.

Development

When Grepper launched the Kickstarter campaign for the Coolest, the company planned to ship backers their Coolest reward in February 2015. The enormous success of the campaign greatly increased the demand on the Portland (OR) based company and they are currently manufacturing the Coolest in China. Due to the huge change in quantity, complexity of shipping and logistics and certification process, the production process documented in detail on the company's countdown page has taken longer than expected. The company claims to be on track to begin shipping to backers in July 2015, less than one year after reaching its funding goal. in In February 2015, the company announced a delay pushing back the shipping date to July 2015. Grepper cited improvements and upgrades as partial reasons for the delay in a lengthy post on the company's blog.

Cost

The Coolest cooler was offered as a reward for Kickstarter backers who supported the campaign with $185 (on average). The company has said that the Coolest cooler will retail for $485.

External Links

The Coolest has received extensive press coverage including: Washington Post CNN Today Show The Guardian Daily Mail