cooler332More than 62,000 backers who put up money on Kickstarter for the “Coolest Cooler” will have to wait at least a few more months before receiving their product.

The “Coolest Cooler,” which set a Kickstarter record for the most-funded campaign ($13.3 million) back in August, was originally expected to land at customers’ doors in February 2015. But now Portland-based inventor Ryan Grepper says the cooler will be shipping “in early summer 2015, probably July.”

Grepper outlined the reasons for the delay in a long post published to the campaign page and sent to backers. He’s added an array of updates to the original cooler at no extra cost, including an improved battery, Bluetooth speaker, blender, and accessory deck.

“Please understand upgrading all these things makes our product costs skyrocket, but you won’t be charged a single dime extra as one of our original backers,” Grepper wrote.

Ryan Grepper.
Ryan Grepper.

Grepper added that “by adding features we also added more time to the design and manufacturing process.”

“Also, please understand doing all this is going to change our manufacturing and shipping timelines,” he wrote. “It just takes time to do all this right for you, so all I can do is ask for your patience.”

A delivery delay isn’t all that surprising for this particular product, as Grepper — who actually fell short of raising $125,000 for a similar cooler last year — originally planned to sell around 250 coolers with a funding goal of $50,000.

Still, though, some backers voiced their complaints on Grepper’s most recent update.

“Fact of the matter is, you made a promise and did not deliver,” one backer wrote. “We didn’t order the cooler with all of the upgrades, we were happy with what it was. You’ve taken our money, and you are now sitting on it.”

“Don’t pacify us by saying how much money we are saving over the ‘projected retail price,'” wrote another. “Just get going on this. I need and expect this cooler BEFORE July.”

Others were more sympathetic.

“While ideally I’d love to have this earlier, I think it’ll be worth the wait as they are continually making improvements,” wrote one backer.

Grepper said that he understands why some backers might not like the delays, despite the added features.

“If this new timeline frustrates anyone, believe me I know how you feel,” Grepper noted in the update. “I wanted to break another record and get this project made and delivered faster than anyone. I’ve learned a tremendous amount in the last several months, but the hardest lesson has been that highest-quality and record-breaking speed don’t go together.”

Grepper shared a few of the crowdfunding strategies he’s learned from this project with GeekWire this past summer that you can check out here. Those of you interested in pre-ordering the $399 cooler can do so here.

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