We could stuff lots of goods inside or squish the cooler down for storage. The slender shape doesn’t bounce around and feels smooth to carry over the shoulder. The Igloo Pursuit Tote ($100) preserved our igloo water cooler bubbly water, hummus, pepperoni, peppers, and arugula while car camping and crewing the Hardrock 100. The RovR KeepR manages to excel in just about every way, all while not having a closure system.
If you’ve got the budget, it’s almost certainly worth opting for a hard-sided model instead. You’ll incur a sizable weight penalty, but the boost in cooling capabilities and overall performance will be well worth that tradeoff for many. The price spread among soft coolers is significant, ranging from just $25 for the Coleman 24-Hour 16-Can Cooler all the way up to $300 for RovR’s premium TravelR 30. 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. REI has a knack for balancing performance and affordability, and their Cool Haul 24 is no exception.
It’s super durable, too, standing up to wear and tear while preventing water from seeping out. The only thing to note is that the water-sealed zipper sometimes gets finicky, but we figured out how to reposition it and got it to continue working. Coleman is probably one of—if not the most—popular budget outdoor gear brands. And its High-Performance Leak Proof Soft Cooler is an excellent value as it aced many portions of our test and is one of the least expensive coolers we tested.
Ice bags weigh between 1 and 3 lbs for an easy carry, and you can carry up to 30 cans, depending on which bag you choose. 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 Nylon/Poly Blend keeps the soft cooler comfortable enough for an easy carry but tough enough to keep everything inside secure. 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. Soft coolers are generally smaller than their hard-sided counterparts, but they come in a range of sizes.
It has a leak-proof zipper, adjustable shoulder strap, and Molle webbing. The Orca Soft Cooler impressed us with its modular storage is and adorable whale tale zipper pulls. Parties and small get-togethers sometimes only need a small amount of drinks and snacks from your end, but you can’t always depend on everyone else to remember to bring their items. In this case, the Collapse & Cool soft cooler has the tough exterior and spacious interior to carry what you need and keep it safe. This is another type of soft cooler that you can trust to keep items cold for longer periods.
The materials are high-quality with closed-cell foam insulation, a vinyl-coated polyester exterior, and snazzy YKK zippers. But without a shoulder strap, it wasn’t ideal to transport the Hobie Cooler more than short distances. But even with a pad, the strap was not comfortable for the weight-to-weight ratio of this tall cooler. So don’t plan on walking far with this softie or make sure your shoulders are covered for a little extra cushion. The two side handles aren’t the most comfortable to grab, and we wish they weren’t adjacent to the shoulder straps’ attachment points.
The additional features also ride the line between being handy and excessive. The shelf is easy to knock loose and fall into the main chamber, and the bottle opener is not the best. This isn’t the model we recommend for hardcore use, but if you simply need a small cooler for occasional use and want to spend the least, this model offers a lot of value. Another small model that is great for special occasions is the caddy-style RovR KeepR cooler, which is great for parties and picnics. Igloo’s small cooler bags are a stylish choice for work or travel. These insulated small sized cooler bags come in a variety of styles and trendy colors.
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. The attachment points and rubberized grip top handles provide an easy carrying experience, and the front pocket is deep enough for storing extra food. The shoulder strap is adjustable and removable in case you’re carrying small loads, and the liner is leak-resistant to keep everything outside dry. We tried the 12-liter size and filled it with six cans, three sandwiches, string cheese, and a bag of ice. Then we packed it again with drinks only, fitting 12 cans plus ice.
The chips help with immediate cooling, and the chunks keep your food fresh over a longer period of time. However, this Orca soft cooler is a direct and more affordable alternative to our best upgrade pick. During our cold retention tests, the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 maintained an internal temperature of below 40°F for over 46 hours.
A soft cooler’s materials include the exterior, insulation, interior liner, and handles. The most common are waterproof and leakproof zippers or non-waterproof and leakproof zippers. Various exterior pockets are available in some designs, including streamlined fabric and mesh pockets with no closure or bungee straps. Other coolers igloo water cooler have external pockets with a Velcro latch, zipper, or waterproof zipper for security. The cooler’s multilayer insulation didn’t keep the ice very well, and the waxed canvas is stylish and soft but soaks up water and gets heavy. According to our ice retention test, the Blizzard is capable of holding ice for close to 45 hours.