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!