igloo trailmateA lot of soft-sided coolers ruin it when they leak out the melting ice and get everything soggy. With this cooler, you shouldn’t be able to tell just how wet the inside is by looking at the outside. There’s nothing like traveling with friends and family out on the open road.
igloo trailmateIt 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.
A 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.
While the IceMule is our favorite for smaller and medium loads because of its comfortable straps and flexible body, the Trail Pack is our go-to choice for heavy cargo. It’s comfortable like a daypack and really saves your shoulders over the long haul. If you’re planning to bring a handful of snacks and beverages for you and a few buddies, the comfort of the IceMule is top-notch.
Plenty of soft coolers are fairly comfortable to use and reliable (as long as it’s not too sunny or scorching hot out) in the less-than-$100 category. Those choice designs include a range of designs such as the Mountainsmith Takeout ($30), REI Co-op Pack-Away Soft Cooler ($50), and Arctic Zone Titan Bucket Tote ($53). The prices of soft coolers in our guide range from the $30 Mountainsmith Takeout, which is the smallest cooler, to the OtterBox Trooper 20 Cooler ($250) with top-shelf ice retention. A soft cooler’s materials include the exterior, insulation, interior liner, and handles.
We’re the testing team at Reviewed, which means we designed and implemented the experiments involved in this article. Do it Best has been proudly serving the do-it-yourselfer since 1945. We are your local hardware store providing the best home improvement products to your community. The handles on the Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote were a great length and easy to slide over one shoulder.
With 25% more foam, your items will stay cold for longer periods no matter how quick the ice melts. Capacities in a soft cooler are often stated in sheer storage capacity listed in various volume measures such as gallons, quarts, or liters. Many companies also list capacity in terms of the number of cans, which can be easier to visualize. We’ve taken this cooler and Yeti’s BackFlip 24 on many fishing and fly-fishing trips.