The weights of soft coolers are typically reflected by their size and capacity. The smallest design in our guide is the Mountainsmith Takeout, which weighs less than a pound. The heaviest soft cooler is the 6.5-pound OtterBox Trooper 20 Cooler, which has a 19L capacity and the best ice retention. Overall, we found the Pack-Away durable, given it’s made with a tough polyester shell and abrasion-resistant nylon bottom. According to the ice retention test, this cooler can retain ice for 57 hours and fit ounce cans.
Some options are best suited for a day at work or the park on your own, while others are reliable for camping, hiking, fishing, or sporting occasions. The designs make them easy to carry and able to keep drinks and food in the best consuming condition once your activity is over. Whatever food and drinks are stored inside this ice chest will be able to stay cold for the entire day. While standing as one of the smaller options on this list, enough retention is provided for a day at work or an afternoon at the park with friends and family. 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.
Dry bags are a staple of river trips, as are heavy, bulky hard-sided coolers. The Icemule Pro essentially combines the two into an insulated, durable dry bag perfect for a day on the water. Like a good dry bag, the Icemule igloo trailmate Pro has a roll-top closure that it claims will not let water in or out and allows you to trap air inside for extra insulation. Our testers noticed a bit of a leak from the roll-top closure when inverting the cooler.
RovR Products’ RollR collection put them on the map in the wheeled cooler category with a competitive mix of durability and ice retention. Their latest TravelR 30 takes aim at the soft-sided market but retains much of what we love about the RollR, including a sturdy build and high attention to detail. The two coolers also share key features like waterproof zippers and shoulder straps that are both nicely padded and removable. Added up, the TravelR is another premium and thoughtfully built design from the Boulder-based brand. Whether it’s a short solo hike, a family beach trip, or a fishing excursion with friends, every adventure calls for a cooler packed with plenty of food and drink to fuel your body. Compared to hard coolers, soft coolers (or soft-sided coolers) are often lighter, more convenient to travel with, and easier to store.
Greg’s a co-founder of bestcooler.reviews and author of 100+ product reviews and comparisons on this website. When not at work, Greg’s an avid sportsman who enjoys running marathons, loves snowboarding, hiking and discovering new single tracks on his bike. igloo water cooler Prices at both websites range from $10 to $200, depending on what type and size you choose. In stock expedited shipments will ship the same day, or the next business day for orders placed on a weekend, if the order is placed before 12 PM Central Time.