igloo water coolerIt weighs just over 1 pound and has padded, adjustable straps, so it’s one of the most portable options on our list. Yeti, the company behind one of our favorite tumblers, designed this Roadie cooler with pressure-injected polyurethane walls and a freezer-quality gasket to lock in the cold, according to the brand. This one can hold up to 33 cans or eight wine bottles vertically, so it’s a solid choice for picnics and barbecues — though, it also comes in two other sizes with bigger capacities. Like other options on our list, Yeti’s cooler also has nonslip feet to prevent sliding. Three of our experts recommend Coleman coolers for their reliability and reasonable pricing. Chelsea Keutmann, co-founder and fisherwoman of Sea to Shore Seafood, uses one to sell frozen fish at farmer’s markets because it’s affordable and has wheels to help transport heavier loads.
igloo soft coolerA lifelong user of coolers, he appreciates the innovation of soft backpack coolers. For a few years now, Nathan has loved his Yeti Hopper BackFlip and Yeti Hopper Flip, but the Icemule cooler packs mentioned in this roundup are quickly becoming his new go-to’s in certain situations. The RTIC Soft Pack Cooler has a similar feel and look to a Yeti cooler but comes at a more accessible cost. The ice retention on the Reactor series is fairly good, even if it’s not breathtaking. The ice retention is advertised to be 2 days for the 30-can and a full day for the 18-can.
The real win for the Igloo Reactor over the Yeti is the price factor. You’re getting a premium cooler at just a fraction of the price of the Yeti (for example, the Igloo backpack options is just $119 compared to $299 for the Yeti Hopper). Overall, we are really pleased that Igloo added to its product line coolers that can directly compete with well-known designs on the market. Considering the attractive price, it seems to be a move in the right direction.
That said, we always take manufacturer-provided specs with a grain of salt, and there isn’t an established, standardized test here. If we had to generalize it, we would say that you should expect to get approximately half of the claimed ice retention time in real-world use, give or take a bit depending on your specific circumstances. When traveling with prepared food, Cheyenne Nichols, chef and owner of the catering company Finest Cravings, uses a Cambro food storage box, which is made of foam and has handles on the sides. “I prefer this type of cooler because of the transportability,” says Nichols. The Yeti Hopper Flip is a favorite among reviewers who need a portable yet effective cooler for hikes and sports.
igloo soft coolerIf you’re hoping to supply an afternoon picnic full of refreshments for everyone in your party, the Trail Pack will handle the extra weight better. One of the most frustrating qualities of many of the models we tested is their challenging zippers. So far, manufacturers haven’t been able to produce a zipper that’s waterproof and truly easy to use. Many soft cooler zippers not only require two hands to open and close but also quite a bit of straining and muttering through clenched teeth. The watertight zipper that performed the best is that of the Engel HD30. Notably, the REI Cool Haul (61 hours below 40º F), AO 24 Pack (55 hours), and IceMule Pro (52 hours) are all impressive insulators for weekend uses and cost a lot less than you might expect.
Our testing team filled each soft cooler in this guide halfway up with ice. The coolers were then placed in Reviewed’s humidity and temperature-controlled lab space to ensure that the coolers were tested with an outside ambient temperature of 72°F and 50% relative humidity. 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.
With a unique spin, the cooler is compatible with a removable insert called the KeepR ($150), which organizes fare into different compartments like a golf bag. The dividers are secured via Velcro, so the compartments are adjustable. The center of the basket has a circular sleeve for the 3L Icer ($50), a double-wall vacuum-sealed ice holder with a 3.5-pound capacity. 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.
If you’re ready to ditch the zip for a model that’s both user-friendly and seals, the plastic latch and flip-open lid of the OtterBox Trooper are where it’s at. Though robust and watertight, its zipper is much easier to use and comes with zipper lubricant included, helping it to remain explicative-free. The Yeti Flip and the RTIC SoftPak also come standard with zipper lubricant that helps their zippers glide more easily, though they aren’t as smooth as the Engel. Lubricant needs to be reapplied to zippers frequently, especially in dry, hot, outdoor environments. In an interesting twist, the Arctic Zone Titan Zipperless has neither a zipper nor a roll-top — it’s not even fully sealed. It closes like an old-school hard cooler, with a plastic lid that nestles snugly into the top of its plastic body.