KANGA Kase Mate
Your new Mate in Tailgate has arrived.
Raise your hands if you like warm beer. Ok, now show of hands if you like cold beer. While we have no idea if you even raised your hands, thought this was a lame intro, or skipped over this to find the pics and links to buy this Kase, we are going to believe that you mentally raised your hands agreeing that any drink meant to be cold, that ends up getting warm when you most need it, flat out sucks.
It sucks so hard that some dudes came up with an innovative way to not schlep around heavy AF coolers to a backyard gathering, tailgate, or boating day on the lake. The crew over at KANGA developed an iceless cooler, that wraps your 6/12/24 pack of -insert any cold beverage here- like a bear holding a cub, for hours of nice cool refreshing drink game access.
Our crew over here at duuude wanted to try this bad boy out and see just how legit it was when it comes to tossing in a 6 pack of confidence juice and heading out for a day of fun without bringing along the massive cooler we are accustomed to bringing. The KANGA crew kicked us over their 12 pack Esky cooler for the ultimate review.
INITIAL IMPRESSION
First off, we have to be honest (isn’t it funny when people say that?) we didn't really know what the heck we were getting when we were being shipped an “iceless cooler that keeps stuff ice cold for hours” product. Our minds sort of bended and thought up a million ideas of what to expect. Ok, a million is dramatic, but it was like 4- which is a lot. Do we toss this in a cooler first then load up? Do we put ice packs in it and then load it up? Do we plug it into an ice maker and it pumps cold air over the cans, thus keeping it cold? All our ideas were lame and KANGA’s simple idea was better.
We opened the case to find one of the lightest portable coolers we have ever tried out. The sleek design resembled the very thing it was meant to hold- a 12 pack- and the grip handle and easy access zippers for loading and “unloading” the beverages was well thought out. We felt like we were holding an oversized koozie in our hand and instantly felt like we were meant to hit the beach with this thing.
The material and construction felt durable and well made. The outer material seemed to be one that could reply the elements such as water, dirt, grandma’s spaghetti, or whatever. Stitching looks legit and the case inside resembled something you'd see in the future (ok it just looked cool alright?). So far, the initial impressions were a home run.
Initial duuude crew impression: if this thing works, we may have just found our newest duuude crew aka “mate” buddy.
PACK IT UP
Looks are great- but once looks fade what’s left in the package, ya feel? Is this just a fancy oversized koozie with a handle? Is this just another gimmick to sell a bag to carry stuff in?
Our crew wanted to get to the bottom of this cooler and see exactly what’s up.
If you check out KANGA and head over to their About Kase Mate page they breakdown the use of the cooler like this:
Grab a Case
Slide it on
Zip it up
And that’s all there is too it.
But does it work? We’ll be the judge of that. With a 3-layer insulating system that is meant to keep drinks cold for 7 hours (without needing ice) we wanted to put it to the test.
First we set it out on the table and put a cold 12 pack inside the Kase Mate.
Drinks stayed cold
We then reloaded and left out in the sun (about 87 degrees outside) all day.
Still drinkable
Next we emptied the KANGA Kase Mate and folded it into a weird position and stuffed it in the back of a Jetta and left it there for a few days.
Re-took its shape and wasn’t damaged
We then put another cold 6 pack inside it after the Jetta had its way with it.
Kept it cold like a winter's breeze
We then filled the KANGA up with another 12 pack, then threw it around to each other like a hacky sack game.
Handle, case, and contents inside still in tact.
The randomness we threw at the KANGA didn’t phase this little “mate.” The drink stayed cold, the case held up to some everyday wear and tear, and the quality of the product showed itself to be an instant hit among our crew.
Good job, Mate(s)!
STANDOUT FEATURES
The Kase Mate is already a legit duuude crew find. One can’t ignore though, the standout features that push this portable, iceless cooler to the max:
The Kase Mate's Padded Handle makes carrying the case easy. Sturdy and durable this handle can handle whatever you carry inside.
The Kase Mate also gives you an added cool place to store a koozie, keys, cell phone, heck even another little storage case that has rare fossils you found while excavating nearby land (no, just us?).
The blend of woven nylon and polyester easy repels water, sand, dirt, shoot whatever you set the Kase down on.
BONUS FEATURES
As an added bonus, KANGA sells more than just a 6 pack Kase Mate. KANGA features various Kase’s in 6, 12, and 24 pack sizes. While you are there, grab one of their Roozie’s and toss one in the Kase, ok Mate?
Don’t like the style we reviewed? We won’t judge- you can take a look at KANGA’s large lineup of colors and designs to fit your style.
KANGA Overall duuude Factor: KANGA Kase Mate KRUSHED IT.
Price: Starts at $29.95
BRAND INFO
KANGA is not just some gimmick. They are a crew of 5 dudes who set out to solve a common problem: Standard Ice chests are too heavy, too bulky, and too “in need of ice” when you desire something simpler:
KANGA Kase Mate was featured on Shark Tank, and since then have not looked back.
To learn more about KANGA, peruse their lineup of cases, or just gawk and awe at the legit brand they created, head over and check them out!