Ninja FrostVault Go Review

Design and Features

• Integrated bottle opener
• DryZone pouch
• Icepack holders

Built for days out, such as to the beach or the park, the Ninja FrostVault Go is a backpack cooler that you can carry anywhere. I’ve got the 17-litre (24-can) version on review, but there’s also a bigger 23-litre (36-can) version. Both look the same and have the same basic features.

There’s also a choice of colours with the Lakeshore Blue that I have on review, plus Birch Beige and Charcoal Grey. 

My version weighs 3kg when empty, so it’s heavy for a backpack. It’s also very rigid, as the insulation inside keeps the bag’s structure. Despite that, I found the FrostVault Go comfortable to wear and carry around, thanks to the padded back that stops anything from pushing through from inside.

And, there’s an advantage to its rugged body: it stands on the ground upright, and the top flap can be used as a table. That’s some clever thinking there.

Indeed, Ninja has thoughtfully designed the FrostVault Go throughout. Around the front is a strap that you could hang things off, but it also unclips and works as a bottle opener.

Unzip the main compartment and you get the area where you can put anything that you need to keep cold. Ninja recommends a ratio of 2:1 ice to food drinks. If you decide not to put any ice in place, then the main compartment will hold 36 cans of drink rather than 24.

Ice will melt, but the top pouch is completely waterproof. Once you’re done, you can just tip the waste water out, wipe it down with a cloth and let it dry out, and you’re good to go again.

As with the other FrostVault coolers, the Go has a second DryZone pouch at the front. This one has holders in the side for the two 540g ice packs that Ninja provides, slotting into the side. You’ll need these ice packs, as this pouch warms quickly without them.

This secondary pouch is useful for anything that you don’t want to get wet, such as sandwiches or whatever you might put on the BBQ.

For anything you might not want to chill, such as an insulated water bottle, the FrostVault Go also has a netted side pouch.

As the waterproof zips can get stiff over time, Ninja provides a tube of zipper lubricant, with instructions on how to use it.

Performance

• Keeps cold for at least one day
• Needs the ice packs

I used ice in the main compartment and temperature sensors to record how long the bag can hold things cool, when in a room at 18°C. After 12 hours the compartment had risen from 0°C to just 1.8°C. After 24 hours, the compartment was still a fridge-like 4.2°C, and it was a couple of hours more before temperatures exceeded 5°C. After 36 hours, the temperature was 9.8°C, so still fine for a lot of drinks.

I tested the dry pocket without any ice packs, but it hovered around the 10°C mark before starting to increase. Unlike with the larger FrostVault products, there’s no air flow from the main compartment to the dry one, so you must use ice packs.

Putting ice packs in, my temperature sensor started at 4.8°C, similar to a fridge. After 12 hours, the temperature was still 5.5°C, and 24 hours later 8.2°C. This shows that anything you want to keep cold, such as meat for a BBQ will be cold long enough for you to start cooking on the same day, but you’ll get a bit longer in the dry compartment for things that aren’t so sensitive to temperatures, such as sandwiches or cheese. 

I found that it was 18 hours before temperatures creeped about 10°C, and after 36 hours the dry pocket was 12.7°C.

Should you buy it?