Mike M.

Mike M. is the hands-on owner behind Iron Mako Media, the publisher of Chill & Chest. He builds every ranking from manufacturers' published specs and warranty pages and the independent ice-retention tests he cites on every page, and says plainly when a figure can't be verified.

How Mike ranks coolers and drinkware

Every page on Chill & Chest carries the line “units we claim to have tested: 0.” That means Mike reads the maker's published capacity, insulation, dimensions and weight; reads each brand's own warranty page and quotes the term with the date; checks whether the latches, gaskets, plugs, lids and straws are sold as parts; cites the third-party ice-retention tests (OutdoorGearLab, Outdoor Life, Treeline and others) as their measurements; and scores each pick on the public rubric at the methodology page. It does not mean he has filled, timed or measured the unit, and no page on this site says otherwise.

If a page ever describes something Mike has done with a specific cooler or tumbler, it will say exactly what was done and for how long. Until then, “sourced” is the honest label, and the trade for it is that every figure on the site links to where it came from.

What you won't find here

• Credentials, titles or years-of-experience claims he hasn't provided.
• Claims that he owns or has tested a cooler or tumbler he hasn't.
• Amazon prices, star ratings or review counts.
• Rankings paid for by a brand. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick.

Contact

Questions, corrections and warranty-term changes go to mike@blackironathletics.com or the contact form. Mike reads every message. More about the publisher is at Iron Mako Media.