All things considered, we think the price range is more than reasonable. Most soft coolers work best when cooled by ice packs or ice cubes. However, dry ice reaches lower temperatures than regular ice and can be used in igloo soft cooler most soft coolers. It’s a good choice if you need extra cold temperatures to keep ice cream or meat not just chilled but frozen. The most durable coolers we tested are the RTIC Soft Pack, RovR TravelR, and Yeti Flip.
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. Whether you’re planning a day at the beach, a picnic at the park, fishing at the dock, or a solo hike, you’ll be glad to have a soft cooler on hand. Available in a range of sizes, these flexible, lightweight, easy-to-pack carriers can be filled with drinks, snacks, or even a full meal to enjoy on your outing. And unlike their hard-sided counterparts, they can often be slung over your shoulder or carried like a backpack.
Hard-sided ice boxes are typically designed to be carried short distances, lifted by two people, or potentially wheeled around. However, soft coolers are often smaller and meant to be carried by one person — potentially for longer distances. With this in mind, you’ll want to think carefully about portability. 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. After several hours at the beach on an 80-degree day, only about a third of the ice had melted, and everything inside was still perfectly cold.
Some of these designs are actually very rigid, stout, and stackable. Others are fully collapsible and pliable, and we celebrate the space-saving option for storage. Many soft-sided coolers do an incredible job of retaining ice on hot days, sometimes for over 24 hours. This might be necessary in certain instances, igloo trailmate cooler but if you’re using yours for a day trip and only need it to keep pre-chilled items cold for a few hours, you might not even need ice. At roughly 9.5 x 8 x 7 inches and just over a half-pound, it’s conveniently compact and lightweight. We packed it with a one-person meal, including food, a drink, and ice.
Next, we packed them with drinks, food, and ice and brought them along to multiple outings to see how they performed in real-life settings. This lightweight bag resembles a traditional backpack, with plenty of pockets and mesh bottle holders. However, when you open the main zip, you’ll find one large insulated compartment for all the best goodies. The cooler is large enough to hold a wine bottle inside or outside in the mesh pockets. With comfortable straps and plenty of storage, there’s not much you can’t do with this bag. Take all your favorite goodies to the lake, pack up for a barbeque, or carry a lunch to the zoo.
With this in mind, soft coolers have limited appeal for multi-day outings. Instead, they’re best-suited for weekend getaways or day trips to the park or beach, tailgates, afternoons on the water, or quick errands like grocery store runs. They can also be a great supplement to a larger hard-sided model, providing additional space to store extra food or beverages when camping with a larger group.
The e-mail will provide your tracking number and link to the shipping carriers tracking page. For instance, YETI advises applying the lubricant to the front and back of the zipper including the teeth and seal. RTIC says to add a couple of drops then open and close the zipper a few times. The moisturizer igloo trailmate cooler can be applied every 6 months to help protect the zipper teeth — around the time you head in for an oil change. The handles on the Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote were a great length and easy to slide over one shoulder. We periodically checked, making notes regarding melt rate, condensation, and leaks.
After packing it in a checked suitcase, swimming with it in the ocean (it floats, by the way), and throwing it on rocks, the quality wasn’t compromised whatsoever. What’s more, the impenetrable design passed our leakproof test with flying colors. But it’s backed by a three-year warranty and will likely last much longer.
It was reassuring to know it would get the job done and keep our things cold through all the adventures. The Yeti Hopper Flip has seriously impressive temperature retention. We took it to the beach on a sunny day that hit the upper 80s, and all the ice was still intact when the sun went down. Though it’s relatively compact, the interior is surprisingly spacious.
We’ll get that process started for you the next day, scouts honor. While we do have some soft coolers allocated, life can throw us curveballs, so read our stock and estimated ship times messaging in your cart and at checkout so you can be in the know from start to finish. We offer top quality soft coolers with premium anti-microbial insulation from your favorite brands because your drinking and snacking experience is our priority. When you create your custom soft cooler, we not only want your design to shine but your last soda and snack to be as satisfying as the first. At Custom Branding, we know how important it is to have your soft cooler keep everything perfectly chilled when you’re going from tailgate to picnic to the beach. Our testing team filled each soft cooler in this guide halfway up with ice.