When it comes to cold storage, the Ozark Trail did decently, keeping its interior cool for 38 hours. However, the quality of its webbing feels on the thin side and the straps are less comfortable than others on this list. In terms of keeping things cold, this Coleman soft cooler fell to the back of the pack of the soft coolers we tested. Our sensors showed us it warmed up to 40°F after just 26 hours, which places the Coleman in the bottom half of the coolers we tested. With Igloo’s soft coolers, you have plenty of choices, depending on the situation. While all of these soft coolers have a touch of black on the outside, the three main choices for colors are agama teal, blaze red and acid green.
It has pockets galore, with the main cooler compartment, two mesh bottle sleeves, and multiple zipper pockets. With this many options, you can easily pack up for a picnic, cutlery included. We specifically appreciated the hidden zipper pouch along the backside of the pack that could stealthily fit your phone or keys.
These models feature incredibly tough, wear-resistant outer fabric, durable components, sturdy zippers, reinforced stitching, and a design made to be used and abused. Even after several years of regular use, they work just as well as when they were new and still look nearly as nice. The Trail Split, Pack Away, AO 24 Pack, and the Maelstrom Backpack 35 all have traditional, user-friendly zippers and just the right amount of handy design elements igloo trailmate and features. The AO and REI Pack Away are as easy to use as a simple duffel bag. The AO 24 features clips on the ends of the top zipper and a single long external pocket with plenty of space to bring along dry items and your favorite binoculars. The Pack Away adds to this design with four 3-loop daisy chains located around the body of the bag, and the ability to fold flat — adding capacity and making it easier to store when not in use.
A soft cooler that claims 24-hour ice retention is usually lighter duty than one that claims three days or more. You should never consider these numbers as performance guarantees, but as a crude spec to gauge where a cooler stands within the category, I find the estimates useful. The soft coolers in our guide range from the Mountainsmith Takeout, which can fit six cans, to the 38 L Snow Peak Soft Cooler. Most of our choice soft coolers are either larger (30 L to 38 L) for group multiday trips or more compact (12 L to 19 L).
Not all leakproof, waterproof zippers are easy to open like this one. When testing soft coolers, we focused on performance, capacity, igloo trailmate and how comfortable each is to carry. If you want a soft cooler for under $25, check out the Ozark Trail Soft Sided Cooler.
Our major gripe with the Hydro Flask soft cooler is that it’s less comfortable to carry for long periods of time. The shoulder strap is fine, but the handles are on the thin side and lack padding. This soft cooler has a grab handle and an adjustable shoulder strap that won’t dig into your skin. It’s also handily collapsible, so you can pack it in a suitcase or stuff it in a backpack and easily store it when it’s not in use.
Need one of the best coolers for keeping ice for days on your next camping trip? We also have recommendations for a plethora of other camping accessories. From the best camping stoves to the best camping tents and coziest and top-ranked sleeping bags, we’ve got the scoop on the gear that’s worth your money (and the stuff that isn’t). There’s nothing like traveling with friends and family out on the open road. And it’s even better with the right cooler bag (that you can easily carry and fit between seats) to keep you all refreshed with ice-cold provisions along the way.
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. However you’re getting in on the action — playing in the game/match, hitting the gym or tailgating to the stadium lot — we’ve igloo water cooler got the coolers for staying hydrated while having fun. Sadly, REI appears to have discontinued its largest Pack-Away option, the 24. However, the 12 has just been upgraded — and, put bluntly, makes up for the loss of the larger option in every way except for capacity. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, 4imprint.