In our testing, the Coleman Xtreme kept ice frozen for a full week (170 hours), 30 hours longer than the Igloo MaxCold (140 hours). It measures 28.4 by 15.8 by 17.5 inches, its design incorporates bevels and angles all over the place, and it has a ruler and cup holders molded into its lid. Insulation obsessives may want to fill those cup holders with Styrofoam, but considering how well this cooler performed in our tests, doing so doesn’t seem to be all that critical.
Traditional hard-sided coolers lead the charge in ice retention and durability, but for those who don’t need a week’s worth of cold food and drinks, a soft-sided cooler can be a viable alternative. Compared to hard models, soft coolers are considerably lighter, easier to carry, and often save you a good deal of cash. From burly waterproof options to packable designs that collapse down for easy storage, below we break down the top soft coolers of 2023. For more background information, check out our detailed comparison table and buying advice below the picks. If you’re less concerned about portability and instead prioritize cooling capabilities and durability, we’ve also compiled a list of the best hard-sided coolers.
To preserve food for more than 24 hours, you will need to use a combination of ice chunks and ice chips. The chips help with immediate cooling, and the chunks keep your food fresh over a longer period of time. According to our research and experiments, ideally, a cooler, by volume, should have twice igloo soft cooler as much ice or ice packs inside of it as it does food. Extra features, such as an exterior pocket for carrying utensils are a plus, but not at the cost of cooling capability or durability. However, this Orca soft cooler is a direct and more affordable alternative to our best upgrade pick.
Hard coolers are still the gold standard in cold-retention, but soft coolers provide distinct benefits, such as portability made possible by their lighter weights and flexibility. To find the right cooler, browse our tested recommendations and read our tips at the bottom of this article. Carefully designed with premium details and longer ice retention for extended adventures, our high-quality cooler bags are still more affordable than others out there with similar performance. Whether you’re going the super affordable route or looking for coolers with the most high-end design features, you can find the perfect Igloo cooler bag right here.
That said, even the cheapest options on our list are reasonably well built and will get the job done for days at the beach or packing a lunch on the road, which will be enough to sway many. In our experience, the sweet spot is often right in the middle, with many of our most frequently used soft coolers offering space for around cans with ice. These designs are sufficiently sized for day trips or weekend road trips, manageable in terms of weight and portability, and won’t take up a ton of space in your vehicle or garage. YETI is the Cadillac of cooler manufacturers and credited with catalyzing the growth of the premium rotomolded market. But their soft-sided offerings are nothing to scoff at and retain much of what’s made the brand so popular over the years, including excellent attention to detail, good ice retention, and decidedly sleek looks. Their mid-range Hopper Flip 12 is case in point, combining thick, closed-cell foam insulation with a burly and hardwearing shell that’s confidence-inspiring and highly resistant to snags and tears.
Performance wise, this Igloo soft cooler proved itself to be below average—keeping the interior cool for about 38 hours, about 60% behind the Yeti Flip. Ice is heavy so the ability to wheel it around rather than carry it is great. Even when it’s chock-full of ice and cans, this Arctic Zone cooler is easy to maneuver.
The design makes the Collapse & Cool offerings for Igloo’s soft bags easy to clean. Storage is easy thanks to the collapsible setup, and being leak-resistant allows igloo soft cooler the right amount of water to stay inside. Traveling in the outdoors may require carrying certain amounts, or sizes, of items each day or for the entire journey.
Anything smaller, and you end up carrying a lot of bag and not carrying much of anything else. There just isn’t enough room in those smaller sizes for them to be functional for anything except an individual lunch or a few drinks. Durability varies considerably between soft coolers, and a good way to differentiate between models is to look at denier (D), which igloo trailmate is a measurement of fabric thickness. RovR’s TravelR 30 is another standout in terms of durability with a burly TPU base and welded seams that give it a very hardwearing feel. The third Hydro Flask design to make our list this season is the 20 L Carry Out Soft Cooler, which splits the difference between their Insulated Tote and backpack-style Day Escape above.
During our cold retention tests, the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 maintained an internal temperature of below 40°F for over 46 hours. Overall, we think this Arctic Zone cooler is a generalist crowd pleaser. You can easily roll it from the parking lot to the beach, or detach it and sling it over your shoulder. It’s tall enough for wine bottles and can carry about 18 cans with ice, but it’s not so big you hate to carry it, and it only weighs 3.6 pounds empty.
Before investing in a soft cooler, it can be helpful and prudent to consider how long it’s covered under warranty. A one-year warranty is pretty standard in the soft cooler market, (like what you get with RTIC), while three to five years is fairly generous. For reference, YETI and ORCA both offer three-year warranties on their soft coolers, while Hydro Flask leads the charge with a five-year policy. Importantly, all of these are limited warranties that solely cover defects in materials or workmanship and exclude damage from typical wear and tear. One exception is REI Co-op, which offers a full refund or replacement within one year of purchase for members (90 days for non-members). Finally, it’s worth noting that many companies provide different warranties for their hard-sided versus soft-sided offerings.