Not surprisingly, it had some of the best ice retention and coldest temperatures at the end of our 24-hour test. The Hopper Flip’s inside temperature only increased by about 6 degrees over 24 hours, thanks to Yeti’s closed-cell technology, for which it’s become famous. To keep the weight down, this Pelican soft cooler’s insulation measures only half-an-inch thick. It kept its interior below 40°F for 27 hours—one of the lowest of any of the soft coolers we tested. When it comes to performance in soft coolers, you often get what you pay for in terms of durability and insulation value. Some of the most expensive products we tested offer some of the most impressive insulation powers and are made of impressively durable materials.
This is due to its center ice holder, which closely resembles a hotel room ice box. This caddy is ideal for situations where quick access is preferred, like the kid’s soccer game or a backyard barbeque. With four storage compartments, you can create a fun party tray, with snacks in one and drinks in the others.
This cooler was comfortable to carry with the padded shoulder strap. But when filled with drinks and ice, it can be cumbersome and more difficult to haul across sand — backpack-style straps would igloo water cooler probably make it easier. All things considered, it’s an excellent portable ice chest for picnics, boating, road trips, or hanging out at the beach, as long as you don’t have to carry it too far.
This origami-inspired design collapses and folds flat when it’s not a cube or a tote. When transformed into a box or bag shape, the cooler is light, nimble, and malleable. No other cooler would’ve fit into the awkward floor space behind our seats. The Snow Peak Soft Cooler igloo 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. Our ice retention test corroborated that experience, showing the cooler is capable of holding ice for nearly 2.5 days.
Other coolers have external pockets with a Velcro latch, zipper, or waterproof zipper for security. Most soft coolers are simple with a central insulated compartment for food and beverages. Choose a soft cooler based on the storage capacity and type of support you need for the load.
The staunch base also allowed us to set the cooler on variable surfaces and was easy to clean. The OtterBox Trooper 20 Cooler ($250) bummed us out at first because it lacks a comfortable handle on the lid like its smaller, discontinued version. But it aptly redeemed itself as an extremely hardy, dependable, and easy-to-operate soft cooler. A 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.
Our other grievance is the zipper only goes around halfway, stopping at an awkward spot that limits access and ability to clean the inside of the cooler. So, when you grab one of the two handles to carry the cooler, it leaks all over the place. Our other grievance is we wish there was an exterior pocket on this soft cooler to help igloo trailmate carry utensils and napkins or slide in trash. The exterior is made of a 600-denier polyester shell that’s waterproof. The zipper is completely watertight with welded seams, so leaking isn’t on the menu. We noticed the zipper is hard to pull one-handed, and we typically need to counter-pull the side handles to open or close it.
REI has a knack for balancing performance and affordability, and their Cool Haul 24 is no exception. Like much of its soft-sided competition, the REI bag also includes daisy-chain webbing for securing extra gear, as well as a handy bottle opener. And because the Cool Haul’s inner insulated box can be separated from the outer shell, cleaning is a snap (the shell can also be used without the liner as a tote). The third Hydro Flask design to make our list this season is the 20 L Carry Out Soft Cooler, which splits the difference between their Insulated Tote and backpack-style Day Escape above. For just $90, the Carry Out is the largest option of the bunch with a 38-can capacity (without ice), and the wraparound zipper makes access and cleaning quick and easy.
Each month during an equal payments plan you are required to pay in full by the due date that month’s equal payments plan instalment. Aside from being colder than ice, the biggest advantage to dry ice is that, as it warms up, it evaporates, instead of melting. To preserve food for more than 24 hours, you will need to use a combination of ice chunks and ice chips. The chips help with immediate cooling, and the chunks keep your food fresh over a longer period of time. However, this Orca soft cooler is a direct and more affordable alternative to our best upgrade pick. During our cold retention tests, the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 maintained an internal temperature of below 40°F for over 46 hours.
After a few hours, most of the ice was still intact, the cans were chilled, and the bag didn’t leak at all when we flipped it over. If you want the most bang for your buck, the Titan Deep Freeze might be your best bet. We tried the 16-can size (which means it can fit up to 16 cans without ice) and were able to fit 13 cans plus enough ice to keep them chilled. After a 10-hour car ride, all our drinks were still fridge-cold. Though wine bottles are likely too tall, you could also fill it with a picnic lunch, sandwiches, or snacks and juice pouches for a kids’ sports game.