Use only if necessary.
The typical plastic cooler is designed for warm-weather use - so it may seal very well in hot conditions, but not as well in cool conditions. In addition, sometimes the fit between lid and cooler isn't as good as one would want, due to manufacturing variations.
These tolerances usually aren't an issue unless the cooler is in a very dry environment (like my house in winter). Then, the humid air just gets sucked out of the cooler with a loose lid, and you're wondering why the beads need recharging all the time in a cooler that isn't opened. A strip around the lid (or the base) seals things up.
Again, lots of folks won't need the weatherstrip ... and if one is opening the cooler regularly, then that usually makes the weatherstrip redundant.
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