Keeping the meal fresh for hours is one of the ultimate challenges workers usually face while being on duty. Given the fact of food’s extreme reliance and reciprocity on temperature, a good container is a dire need.
So, if you are a trader or construction worker who happens to work outdoors on a regular basis and looking for a viable solution to store your food (drinks, fruit, or any meal) at a cool temperature, then most certainly you have come to the right place.
Finding out the best lunch box for construction workers can be hectic, but we have already done the task for you. Because today we are reviewing the Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 Cooler, which is one of the sturdiest and most affordable options out there.
With an orange-grey attire and solid stainless-steel build, it is the tradesman’s signature professional tough box for storing meals.
Well, there is plenty to know about the lunch box. So, I would request you to read along and find out if it’s the one that you are looking for.
What makes the Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 Cooler special?
The 17 inches and 7 pounds box is not that big in terms of size and weight, respectively. But it’s a Swiss-knife version of the cooler that comes with a bunch of features to take mealtime to another level.
So, let’s get into the fact right off the bat – what makes it superior to others?
Well, it’s the ability to constantly keep your food cool and fresh for 30 hours. On top of that, it has a decent storage facility. The main compartment comes with a width of 17-Quart or 14 inches which is capable of stacking 16 liters of liquid.
In fact, it fits 18 cans of your favorite beverage – cheers!
Oh, did I tell you that it’s a good substitute for a chair? Well, now you know it. The lunch box supports up to 300 pounds (136 kg) of weight and doubles as a handy place to sit on.
So far it seems like a good deal, huh? But hold your horses, and let’s celebrate a little later. Because you need to know a few other features and shortcomings of the gadget. So, let’s inspect them one by one for proper understanding, shall we?
What follows are the key features of the Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 Cooler.
1. Rock Solid Stainless Steel Housing
It’s not certain when or why the metal housing got into the norms of tough lunch boxes. Nonetheless, it’s always good to keep your food inside something solid, given the fact that everything around a construction site is mostly hazardous.
As a matter of fact, the build quality of this lunch box is extremely rock-hard. It comes with a stainless-steel housing that’s capable of withstanding any fatal blow, or even the worst-case scenarios.
You would like the drop-through patterns on the outer side of the box. It gives a sort of metallic impression, supplementing the solid construction of the gadget. Perhaps, this is where it outplays many other cooler boxes of the same kinds.
In short, there is no lack as long as the build quality and design are concerned.
2. Ice Retention Up To 30 Hours
The Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 is not an electric cooler. So, how does it keep your drinks or foods cool for that astonishing 30 hours? Is there some sort of black spell cast upon it to keep things cool inside?
Yeah, it does come with a magic spell. But that’s nothing black or witchcraft. The polyurethane foam does the trick to keep things cool for a long time. It is a widely used material that has the capability to retain internal temperature cool for many days.
The foam is concealed between the metal and plastic layers all around including the lid of the box. Klein has been very precise on the thickness of the foam to maximize the container’s holding capacity.
However, the high density of the foam is spot-on to perform the same at any given outside temperature. On top of that, the reflective finish inside the container also comes into play for temperature control, keeping things cool in all possible ways.
Using the closed-cell polyurethane foam is a common strategy among the high-end cooler brands like YETI, Pelican, or Orca. So, Klein kind of threw a potential challenge to them by including such expensive material in its budget-friendly cooler box.
3. 14 Inches Large Main Compartment
The Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 is a large and hard cooler box. Large in a sense of its food-containing spaces. But not in its unabridged size.
I mean, if you consider the dimension of 16.75 x 12.5 x 13.5 inches, you are left with nothing but wonder how Klein managed to offer a 14 inches main compartment indoor. Many coolers require at least five to six inches to fit their ice retention mechanism inside the box.
Well, it’s perhaps the highly-dense closed-cell polyurethane foam that makes that happen. You should be able to store far or less 18 cans inside the container and still put some ice chunks over them to increase cooling uptime.
And if you consider carrying meals for one person, then it’s more than enough to simultaneously store one or two apples, bananas, a few bottles of drinks, and so on.
To be honest, you will hardly find a cooler of this size offering such large usable spaces, let alone other two subsidiary compartments.
4. Smart 180-degree Lid
The lid is a key component of any lunch box. As a user or a critique, I would personally like to focus on this section of the cooler as it often anticipates the greatest challenges in the first place.
And when the box fails, 8 out of 10 times you will find the breaking point either directly in the lid or somewhere around it.
So, what do we look for in a lid?
Well. The first thing I found good in this lively orange color lid apart from its sturdiness is the 180-degree orientation. It’s really handy at times. We often see boxes that don’t offer anything beyond 90-degrees, but here you are getting twice the value.
The lid primarily opens at 90-degrees and stays upright just there. This staying upright might seem pretty much straightforward, right? But don’t take it for granted, since lids that don’t feature that convenience are extremely irritating to use.
The stainless-steel hinges are the artisans behind the feature. The hinges are firmly concealed inside the lid’s plastic wrap and are not exposed to direct water. It results in extended service life compared to other types of hinge mounts.
However, as you push the lid a little backward, it starts to smoothly lean and gets into its eventual position. So, all in all, you will certainly experience uninterrupted access to the main compartment.
5. Two Additional Compartments Right Under the Lid
The benefit of the 180-degree lid is utterly felt when the internal storage compartments come into play. It has two additional recessed spaces. One of them is made with the intention to support the height of a one-liter bottle inside the main compartment.
And the other recessed area is rather small and comes with an additional lid. So, a lid within a lid. (Cristopher, is that you?)
Jokes apart. Apparently, that secret compartment is dedicated to storing anything that is vulnerable to liquids. For instance, napkins, medicine, keys, or maybe smartphones?
You can just put the things there and lock it up using the tiny knob. However, there is no gasket or rubber sealing around that lid. So, it may back your documents from some direct splashes of water, but you shouldn’t completely rely on that, at least for a long time.
6. It Doubles as a Sitting Place
This lunchbox is tough. Stainless steel housing and durable lid make it a suitable place to sit on. You can say it is some sort of a stool. The lid is rated for enduring weight as much as 300 pounds, in other words, 136 kg.
So, even if you are a big guy with enormous weight, don’t feel hesitant to sit on it while nothing around is comfortable.
7. Lock Hasp Included for Safety
Food might not be as confidential as many other things. But who wants to share their meals without permission? Literally no one! So, to add a little more comfort to this tiny bit of storehouse, you get a smart lock hasp to the gadget.
Now, you can lock it up when you are on duty. The lock hasp seems perfectly placed just at the front of the box that’s compatible with master lock 1 or equivalent. However, the hasp is parallel to the height of the lid and doesn’t create discomfort to sitting at all.
8. Durable Strap and a Subtle Hand Carry Feature
The lunch box might not be too heavy to carry while it’s empty. But after stuffing food and ice into it, you might want something to grip onto to move it from place to place. That’s why Klein had included a durable strap to the lunch box.
The strap is basically a seat belt kind of stuff. It’s too durable and there is no chance of it snapping apart on carrying. Klein adds a pad to the strap to keep you from being too uncomfortable.
Well, the strap is also removable. So, when the strap is not in use, the strap holder comes in place to aid you to carry the box. However, the space required to hold the box firmly at the strap holder is significantly low. Your fingers might feel uncomfortable to grip on it for long.
Shortcomings of the Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 Cooler
First of all, it comes at a very affordable price that offers features like high-end coolers out there. Secondly, there are no major flaws to the gadget that should lead towards a potential deal-breaker.
Yet, there are a few areas where Klein could have improved to make it more credible to the users. And as a buyer, you should know the facts before you pick it as your own cooler. Check below.
1. Strap Holder is Vulnerable
The only significant flaw of the device is the strap holder area. It’s fragile. If you carry too much weight inside the cooler on a regular basis, the chances of the strap holder breaking apart go higher.
Though you have the option to carry the box without using the strap itself. Yet, it has to be considered as a shortcoming of the device. However, you can minimize the risk of strap holder failure by doing a little bit of DIY.
Since the strap is a long one, you can reroute it through the bottom of the box. So, instead of putting pressure solely on the strap holder, you are distributing the force all around the box. This way, you are expected to use the cooler without necessarily breaking the strap holder.
2. No Non-Slip Feet At The Bottom
Unfortunately, there are no non-slip feet for the box, so it might grip less on slippery surfaces and get a little tricky to sit on. However, it doesn’t interfere with the core performance of the cooler.
Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 Cooler
Pros: | Cons: |
Durable | No Gasket Around The Lid |
Extreme Outlook | No Non-slip Feet |
Large Main Compartment | Strap Holders Are Fragile |
Two Additional Compartments | |
Can Keep Foods Cool For 30 Hours | |
Lightweight | |
Doesn’t Sweat | |
No Batteries Required | |
Affordable |
FAQ
1. Can I keep meals inside the container?
-Yes, of course. You can keep drinks, fruits, frozen foods, and meals inside the box. But you are recommended not to put too many hot items inside it since the internal compartments are made of plastic. Besides, storing hot and cool items simultaneously must be omitted.
2. How long does it take the ice to melt inside the cooler?
-It depends on how many times you open the lid of the cooler. Because it’s the outside air that starts melting the ice. In short, it should keep your foods cool at least for 30 hours at normal use, even if the ice starts to melt.
3. Does it require batteries to run?
-No. The Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 Cooler does not require any batteries or electricity. It keeps the foods cool for hours through the heat retention technology using polyurethane foam.
Final Note
Klein Tradesman Pro Tough Box 55600 Cooler is very efficient at keeping your food cool for hours. It’s smart, it’s durable, and most importantly – it’s worth the money.
I mean, if you compare it with some of the high-end coolers like the Techni Ice Signature Series 111qt Cooler and the YETI Tundra 45 Cooler, you will definitely understand what Klein is giving within this budget is beyond expectation.
So, we would recommend the gadget as it is truly one of the best lunch boxes for construction workers.
Hey There, I’m Monica, Mom of two. This is my personal blog site. Here I write about Kitchen Tips Tricks, Recipes, and Review the products I use.
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