The thick extruded closed cell foam in the Marine Ultra will keep whatever sodas, water bottles, beer, or snacks you keep inside cold for the entire day. This also makes the cooler reliable for days at the office when you want to have your lunch outside when the sun is out. At first glance, the AO Coolers 24 Pack Canvas Cooler may not look like much. It doesn’t have the snazzy laminated exterior and waterproof zipper that so many others boast. Yet underneath this unassuming exterior, this is a totally decent soft cooler that’s simple to use and easy to love. Thick foam surrounding the entirety of your contents provides reliable insulation for an above-average amount of time.
There’s added comfort with the rubberized handle and the whole thing can stand upright, like a proper cooler. It doesn’t insulate quite as well as others, but the durability compensates for that. This is a rugged option, made for the backcountry (or clumsy people, or both).
The leak-resistant design keeps water from getting out and turning your drinks warm, and the waterproof exterior keeps excess water from getting in. The straps are adjustable so that carrying the cooler is a piece of cake, and the grip handles are made of rubber to ensure that. Igloo also focuses on keeping nature lovers happy with options such as
the Outdoorsman group. Some versions of this ice chest come in the form of soft lunch boxes for short journeys or use for kids, while Square and Hardtop Gripper cooler bags are better suited for heavier packing. Lunches you bring to work are secure and kept cold with the Daytripper Bag, whether you’re going to work or the local park on a day off.
The staunch base also allowed us to set the cooler on variable surfaces and was easy to clean. The cooler didn’t take up too much space in the backseat, either. We also wanted to pick a diverse list is prices, functions, and specialties. From there, we purchased the best 30 coolers we could find to take to our lab in Brooklyn for testing.
Whether it’s beer for game night or desserts for a follow up to pizza, the night will end with delicious meals. The grip handle comes with an ergonomic and rubberized design to ensure the user’s hands don’t feel pressure or annoyance. The shoulder strap is adjustable in case you’re bringing plates of food or other items to a party, and the front slip pocket has space for extra food. Whatever food and drinks are stored inside this ice chest will be able to stay cold for the entire day. While standing as one of the smaller options on this list, enough retention is provided for a day at work or an afternoon at the park with friends and family. Once again, everyday use is the focus for this section of Igloo’s offerings.
No two coolers bags are the same — each one is creatively unique. But the flexible walls allowed us to flatten and fold the cooler for easy storage, saving us space in a tight apartment. We were surprised at how well the cooler retained ice despite being out in the elements, due to the premium thermal insulation. The heavy-duty base also increased the chill factor while stabilizing the cooler during transport and beneath items.
It breaks down when you’re not using it, meaning it won’t eat up any precious space and can be packed out effortlessly. Also, it’s nicely padded throughout and there’s even a built-in bottle opener. Even the heaviest soft cooler in our guide is lighter than a hard cooler. For comparison, the YETI Tundra 45 Cooler weighs 23 pounds,
and the RovR Products RollR 45 weighs more than 37 pounds. We also performed a controlled in-house ice retention test to verify brand claims. For the experiment, we filled each pre-cooled cooler approximately 70% with fresh, frozen cubed ice and set them in a shaded, dry indoor space at a steady average of 65 degrees.
In our lab, the temperature inside the tote actually dropped 8 degrees between two hours and 24 hours after filling it with ice. And we always focus on providing you with long-lasting cold retention, the whole point of a cooler! Our affordable soft cooler designs are thoughtful, intuitive and reliable because we think of YOU and the ways you’ll use your cooler every day or on extended adventures. Over the last 6 years, we’ve vetted, purchased, and tested over 30 soft coolers. Our most recent test compares 13 of the best models available today. Soft coolers offer portability and versatility that traditional hard coolers can’t.