In the great outdoors, you expect to face mosquitoes, sunburns, maybe even the occasional grizzly. What you don’t expect is your cooler trying to take a bite out of you. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened with one popular cooler brand – and it’s exactly what Cordova Coolers have expertly avoided since 2015.

The Finger-Pinching Cooler Fiasco

By now, many outdoor enthusiasts have heard about the massive recall of over 1 million Igloo coolers after reports of broken fingers and even fingertip amputations!​

Yes, you read that right – a cooler that could literally cost you a piece of your finger. The culprit was a flawed handle design: “The tow handle can pinch consumers’ fingertips against the cooler, posing fingertip amputation and crushing hazards,” according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice.​

In fact, Igloo received at least 12 reports of fingertip injuries, including crushed bones and even lost fingertips​.

Yikes!

Taking a six-pack to the beach shouldn’t mean coming home with a nine-and-a-half pack of fingers. The whole incident is both frightening and absurd – who knew cooler latches could require a safety warning? It highlights a key point, though: poor latch and handle designs can be a serious safety hazard. A day of fishing or tailgating shouldn’t end with a trip to the ER. Clearly, it’s not enough for a cooler to keep things cold; it also needs to keep your precious digits out of harm’s way.

Cordova Coolers: Engineered for Safety and Adventure

At Cordova, stories like the one above make us shake our heads – and then double-down on our commitment to smarter design. Since our founding in 2015, we’ve made it our mission to build coolers that keep your drinks ice-cold and your fingers perfectly intact. Our engineers have agonized over every hinge, handle, and latch to ensure that “user-friendly” doesn’t inadvertently become “finger-unfriendly.” In fact, we’ve baked safety and convenience into the very DNA of our coolers through superior engineering. Here are just a few of the finger-saving features that set Cordova apart from the rest of the coolers on the market:

• Pinch-Free Lid Lock™: Ever had a cooler lid decide to slam shut at the worst moment? We hated that too. That’s why every Cordova hard cooler comes with our Patented Lid Lock™ system, which keeps the lid propped open at 70° or 90° until you’re done rummaging for that cold beverage​. No more wrestling the lid with your elbow or fearing a guillotine-like lid drop on your fingers – this lid stays up when you need it up. By preventing accidental lid slams, we ensure zero chance of pinched fingers when accessing your goodies.
• Top-Mounted Latches: Many coolers use side latches that force you to play Twister with your gear or risk a pinch when opening in tight spaces. Cordova said “no thanks” to that. We use Top Loader Latches™ mounted on the top of the cooler, not the side​. This means you can slide your Cordova cooler into the packed trunk of your car or a full boat and still open it without moving an inch of surrounding gear​. No more unstrapping, unpacking, or trapped fingers trying to reach awkward side clips. Our top-mounted latches not only make access a breeze, they also keep your hands safe – you won’t catch a finger on a sneaky side latch because there aren’t any in the danger zone. Convenience and safety, all in one brilliant design.
• Stay-Open Aluminum Handles: Forget handles that flop around like a loose fire hose (looking at you, inferior designs). Cordova coolers feature anodized aluminum handles that are bolted together and locked in an upright position when carrying​. In plain English: our handles stay put. They won’t swing into your shins or crush your fingers against the side of the cooler. With a rock-solid handle grip and no “surprise moves,” you can haul your cooler with confidence and zero fear of getting pinched or whacked​. As an added bonus, we even built bottle openers into those handles, proving a handle can lend a hand (opening your drink) rather than threaten to take one. Cheers to that!

Each of these features comes from one simple philosophy: your cooler should help you chill out – not stress you out. We’ve combined heavy-duty durability with thoughtful touches that make Cordova coolers a joy to use. (Did we mention our coolers are also bear resistant? Yes, they’ll survive a bear encounter, but more importantly, they won’t behave like a bear trap for your fingers!​

Ready to Keep Your Fingers Safe?

Outdoor adventures have plenty of thrills and risks – your cooler shouldn’t be one of them. Don’t settle for a cooler that might fight back when all you want is a cold drink. Instead, keep your fingers safe and your beverages even safer with a Cordova cooler by your side. We’ve spent years perfecting our pinch-free, tough-as-nails designs so you can focus on the fun, not whether you need to bring a first-aid kit just to use with your cooler.

So go ahead, plan your next camping trip, beach day, or tailgate party – and take Cordova along for the ride. Choose Cordova for your next adventure, and keep the good times (and all ten of your fingers) going strong!