It closes like an old-school hard cooler, with a plastic lid that nestles snugly into the top of its plastic body. Despite not being airtight or leakproof, it managed to hold ice for 40 hours during our testing. Other coolers have more traditional zippers that aren’t watertight yet still provide effective insulation, like the RTIC Backpack, REI Pack Away, and AO 24 Pack. Among the smaller coolers, the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 and RovR KeepR are top performers.
Our ice retention test corroborated that experience, showing the cooler is capable of holding ice for nearly 2.5 days. One of our favorite products overall was the Snow Peak Soft Cooler 38 ($170). Even given its igloo trailmate large size, it was still very comfortable to transport, due to the soft, malleable walls. With the simple, wide handles Velcroed together, we could sling the cooler over our shoulders when it was fully loaded.
The wide base helps it stay upright without support — and it allowed us to fit a veggie tray horizontally at the bottom. After filling it with drinks, food, and ice, we took it on a sunny igloo water cooler boat trip and were pleased to see the ice hadn’t melted at all a few hours after packing it. If you want the most bang for your buck, the Titan Deep Freeze might be your best bet.
The higher-end models feature heavy rubber or treated nylon, have heavy-duty zippers and components, reinforced and welded seams, and more robust designs and construction. All of these aspects affect the overall durability and lasting power. To preserve food for more than 24 hours, you will need to use a combination of ice chunks and ice chips.
The AO loses some points since its exterior and zipper are not waterproof, though the regular zipper is much easier to use than waterproof ones, which typically require a lot more tugging. And though its hull isn’t as igloo water cooler stiff and impenetrable as some of the others we tested, it’s still pretty strong and well-constructed. Lastly, this model lacks the high-end look of the more premium models in our test, but that may not matter to you.