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. It kept our drinks and produce cool for the whole 9.5-hour igloo soft cooler drive with varying temperatures and sun exposure. While we like the large size, the bulky design can be somewhat awkward to carry in that you might accidentally knock into someone if you bring it inside a store. It’s not necessarily difficult or uncomfortable, though, thanks to the cushioned shoulder strap.
Insulated backpacks are exactly what you need to keep your snacks, beverages, and lunch fresh on your next adventure. Wherever the road takes you, you can rely on an Igloo backpack to keep your goodies cool. They’re comfortable, effective, and even stylish — find the right backpack cooler for your lifestyle today. Our huge lineup of bags comes in all shapes and sizes with multiple ways to carry, so take a dive into all our options to figure out which one/s will make your life so much cooler.
The Pack Away has gear hooks scattered throughout the pack, so there is no need to ditch the travel mug or bottle opener at home. The Deep Freeze holds up to 30 cans, and its ribbed inside helps keep them settled in place. Additionally, it has stretchy mesh side pockets and a bungee cord for holding a blanket or jacket. Many of these coolers have handy features that add to their overall convenience. Both the Engle Roll Top and Arctic Zone Titan Zipperless come with bottle openers on the outsides of the bag, though we struggled to effectively use the one on the Titan. The Engel and IceMule include air valves, which help eliminate excess warm air within the bag.
Igloo hard lined coolers are built to give you the light weight construction of a bag and the rigidness of a hard cooler. With excellent cold insulation and maximum portability, these coolers are a great choice for your day-to-day food and drink needs. We have a huge variety of insulated bags all at different prices. Whether you’re going the super affordable route or looking for coolers with the most high-end design features, you can find the perfect Igloo cooler bag right here. When ordering your new custom soft cooler, our usual turnaround time is 8-10 business days from checkout to shipping.
In this selection, you’ll find coolers with excellent insulation properties to enhance ice retention. For extended cold storage, consider larger coolers with thicker insulation. To get the low-down on each cooler, check out the specs and product details. With a solid performance that’s well above average across the board, the Reactor 30 once again proves its worth through an impressively low price tag. We’ve tested numerous soft coolers over the years that offer inferior performance but cost the same or even several times as much.
With four storage compartments, you can create a fun party tray, with snacks in one and drinks in the others. It’s also built with rugged materials, so you can trust that a few drops won’t cause much damage, though you might lose a snack or two. Currently we offer FREE FedEx/UPS small package Ground shipping and FREE ABF/YRC freight ground shipping on most orders of $199 or more within the 48 contiguous states. Some irregular shaped or oversized items may include a special handling charge.
A quick glance at our comparison table above reveals that most options hover somewhere in the 2- to 4-pound range, with the largest and most robust designs clocking in at 7 pounds or more. On a related note, comfortable shoulder straps and/or grab handles can go a long way toward maximizing portability, which we outline more in depth below. The Reactor 30 is advertised as fitting 30 cans inside and that’s exactly how many we were able to fit when we tested it. Its clever design is rounded in ways that make it a smooth, easy-to-use shape, while still rectangular enough to pack smartly.
This handy pack stayed under 40 degrees for 60 hours and 67 hours under 50 degrees. The Engel BP25 follows close behind, only differing in the 50 degree test, lasting 64 hours. Rather than a zip top, the BP25 has a roll top, resembling a dry bag. The low price tag does come at the cost of some durability, though.
We also performed a controlled in-house ice retention test to verify brand claims. For the experiment, we filled each pre-cooled cooler approximately 70% with fresh, frozen cubed ice and set them in a shaded, dry indoor space at a steady average of 65 degrees. Gear tester Makena Gross is the assistant ski patrol director, and a ski and bike patroller, at Brian Head Resort, alongside teaching Wilderness Medicine courses.
The higher-end models feature heavy rubber or treated nylon, have heavy-duty zippers and components, reinforced and welded seams, and more robust designs and construction. All of these aspects affect the overall durability and lasting power. The top half of the bag is a normal non-insulated pocket that can be used for hiking layers or cutlery. The cooler itself can hold 16 cans and can even pack in a wine bottle, though it does cause the pack to bend a bit. It’s worth noting that all coolers in our lineup can hold a wine bottle. Though not completely waterproof, we still find ourselves reaching for its straightforward functionality and above-average insulation time and time again.