RTIC says to add a couple of drops then open and close the zipper a few times. The moisturizer can be applied every six months to help protect the zipper teeth — around the time you head in for an oil change. The well-constructed, premium Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote is available at a moderate price ($150). The eco-friendly design features a recycled polyester upper and recycled nylon bottom. We took this cooler on a two-person, 3,400-mile road trip from Colorado to Washington for ski mountaineering followed by ocean surfing.
igloo soft coolerA bunch of designs have a combination of handles and straps, too. For coolers on the larger side (like the RoVR 30 versus the Fishpond Blizzard Soft Cooler) it’s key to have padding on the hand or shoulder straps for comfort while carrying a fully-loaded cooler. Yes, and how you plan to use your cooler should be the primary deciding factor while shopping, according to Krikorian. Our experts recommend large-capacity hard coolers for fishing and hunting, and coolers with wheels when you’re transporting drinks and ingredients in bulk. For picnics, beach days and hiking, our experts recommend opting for a soft cooler, ideally a backpack.
That’s where the Realtree group comes in, as you’ll be able to choose between the Tactical Duffel, Gizmo, Square 30, Launch 2 Go and HLC 12 Cooler Bags. 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. 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. Today we’re excited to the whole Igloo’s latest cooler series – the Reactor. For the most part, this backpack did a good job preventing leaks, though a small amount of water seeped through once the ice melted.
The amount of ice you put in a cooler is totally subjective and depends on how cold you want the cooler’s contents and the conditions and temperatures in which you’ll be taking the cooler. Just make sure to read the specs carefully and assume that max can carrying capacity listed is for only cans in most cases. Despite looking like a Yeti—and having thicker insulation on its lid (by half an inch)—it didn’t quite have the same performance as the Yeti Hopper. At the end of our 24-hour ice test, the Orca had no remaining solid ice, while the Yeti had some. And where the Yeti’s inner temperature increased by about 6 degrees over 24 hours, the Orca’s went up by about 13 degrees.
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. A single long opening makes it uncomplicated to load and easy to search. On the outside, a large zippered pocket provides a good amount of dry storage, and its duffel-style handles can be joined together for easy transportation.
igloo water coolerYour lunch and beer will easily fit, as even the smallest of these bags have a capacity of oz beer cans. Maria Cassano is a writer, editor and consultant who specializes in e-commerce. She has written outdoor and lifestyle content for dozens of publications, including Bustle, CNN, The Daily Beast, RealSimple, Allure and Better Homes & Gardens.
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. To learn more about coolers and how to shop for them, we spoke to professionals who frequently insulate food, drinks and game for long periods of time. Below, you’ll find their recommendations as well as their shopping advice for how to pinpoint the best options on the market today. For instance, a heavy, bulky option might be awkward (or simply too hard) to carry over one shoulder. Backpack-style coolers are often the most comfortable, plus they’re usually on the smaller side and can be folded flat and packed into another bag.
igloo soft coolerOne thing we hate about many of the soft coolers we come across is that the zippers, even though they’re heavy-duty and do their job well, are pretty hard to operate. Other Features
A few other notable features to be on the lookout for include integrated bottle openers and vacuum ports for adding or releasing air. ICEMULE’s Classic has a similar valve system, although in this case, the process involves adding air to boost cooling capabilities and buoyancy and removing it to compress the cooler down for storage. We have a huge variety of insulated bags all at different prices.
It kept its interior below 40°F for 27 hours—one of the lowest of any of the soft coolers we tested. Most soft coolers focus on toting cans and measure their capacities in can increments. However, the RovR KeepR focuses on mixology with an open-top bar cart soft cooler designed to mix drinks away from home, whether at camp on the beach or on a boat. Unlike most soft coolers, the KeepR is more of a cocktail caddy built around the IceR double-wall stainless steel ice bucket.
The Reactor series by Igloo brings the next level of cooler technology to consumers. They also have great features, are durable, leakproof, water-resistant, and spacious, and they come with many different carrying styles. Your cooler of choice should hold its internal temperature for at least a few hours — but the longer you’ll be outside (and the more extreme your environment), the more insulation you’ll need. This makes the cooler more durable and the walls uniformly thick, improving insulation. This cooler backpack, which has a 4.7-average star rating from over 22,000 reviews, has a 30-can capacity and a leakproof design. Its high-density foam helps keep contents cold (or hot) for up to 16 hours, according to the brand.