You can easily roll it from the parking lot to the beach, or detach it and sling it over your shoulder. GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products.
According to the ice retention test, this cooler can retain ice for 40 hours. We were surprised to see the cooler’s exterior sweat quite a bit during the ice retention test. The ice melted at a faster rate compared to other coolers, lasting for about 60 hours, but well above the brand’s 36-hour stamp.
But if you skip the ice and just fill it with food and a drink, this won’t be an issue. A tough, reliable soft cooler can keep your food and beverages cold while you hike, take a day trip, picnic, or tailgate. Best of all, unlike a hard-sided cooler, many of the best soft coolers can be collapsed down for easy storage when not in use. Soft coolers may have shoulder straps — which are typically removable — buckles, attachment points, and interior or exterior pockets. Some pockets have durable, waterproof zipper closures, but many are not weather-resistant or secured with a closure. The weights of soft coolers are typically reflected by their size and capacity.
We ran these temperature tests until there was no ice inside the cooler. We’d describe the Rtic Soft Pack Cooler as a great middle ground. And, with the variety of storage compartments, you’ll be able to carry everything you need. When you’re ready to store the Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze, the interior is treated with Microban, so it will resist mildew and odor-causing bacteria. Overall, we think this Arctic Zone cooler is a generalist crowd pleaser.
The Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote ($150) offers a streamlined, lightweight, and durable design. We used this cooler for park BBQs and loved how comfortable it was to slip over our shoulders and carry. The Snow Peak Soft Cooler did well on a weekend road trip to climb in Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains and camp out, but wouldn’t be able to retain ice for longer durations.
Even when packed to the brim with drinks, food, and ice, this cooler backpack was easy to lift and comfortable to carry. We appreciated the adjustable padded shoulder straps and chest buckle. Most adults could carry it on a hike or at least down to the beach.
igloo trailmateEngel’s HD30, for instance, has a fairly narrow opening that’s stiff and requires considerable effort to keep open while loading and unloading food and drinks (the welded zipper doesn’t help). Most cooler manufacturers provide a “claimed ice retention” spec in their product listings (YETI is one major brand who does not). From our list above, times range from just 4 hours at the low end for the Hydro Flask 20 L Insulated Tote to three or four days at the high end for Engel’s HD30 (24 hours is pretty standard).
Refunds are issued to the original form of payment, unless returned in store
where some exclusions may apply. Refunds are issued to the original form of payment, unless returned in store where some exclusions may apply. The quality of materials influences the waterproofness, durability, insulation value, and whether or not the face fabric produces condensation.