That said, even the cheapest options on our list are reasonably well built and will get the job done for days at the beach or packing a lunch on the road, which will be enough to sway many. In our experience, the sweet spot is often right in the middle, with many of our most frequently used soft coolers offering space for around cans with ice. These designs are sufficiently sized for day trips or weekend road trips, manageable in terms of weight and portability, and won’t take up a ton of space in your vehicle or garage. YETI is the Cadillac of cooler manufacturers and credited with catalyzing the growth of the premium rotomolded market. But their soft-sided offerings are nothing to scoff at and retain much of what’s made the brand so popular over the years, including excellent attention to detail, good ice retention, and decidedly sleek looks. Their mid-range Hopper Flip 12 is case in point, combining thick, closed-cell foam insulation with a burly and hardwearing shell that’s confidence-inspiring and highly resistant to snags and tears.
Performance issues aside, this Coleman soft cooler is easy to store and easy to carry, and a fine soft cooler option for day trips or hikes. 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. 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.
All returns with a gift receipt will receive a store
credit for the amount of the item at the time of purchase. We are your local hardware store providing the best home improvement products to your community. The handle and wheels on the Yeti Tundra Haul are the best we’ve come across. This cooler feels like you can roll it across anything without the handle straining or bending, or the wheels breaking. In stock expedited shipments will ship the same day, or the next business day for orders placed on a weekend, if the order is placed before 12 PM Central Time.
Unlike several other competitors, the RTIC 65 has two drainage ports for quick cleaning and draining. Additionally, as dry ice constantly emits carbon dioxide, igloo water cooler store it outdoors or, lacking that, in a well-ventilated area. The build quality and aesthetics of each cooler were also taken into consideration.
And we dig the bonus features like side pockets, webbing to attach gear to, and an attached bottle opener. Despite the product’s claim to be a leakproof cooler, we did have some leaking. But it was minimal and basically a non-issue considering the cooler’s price and how it faired in other portions of our test. The grip handle comes with an ergonomic and rubberized igloo trailmate design to ensure the user’s hands don’t feel pressure or annoyance. The shoulder strap is adjustable in case you’re bringing plates of food or other items to a party, and the front slip pocket has space for extra food. The retention foam allows drinks and food to stay cold for a whole day, which will keep everyone at the occasion you’re attending satisfied.
Color options are kept simple for this option, as the mix of brown and green allow you to blend in with the environment. Weight varies from 0.91 to 2.2 lbs., depending on which cooler bag you choose and how much you plan to take with you. The backpack version of the cooler weighs 6 lbs., while the duffel bag version weighs 8 lbs., though that leaves room for a greater capacity. The tan, black and orange mix is the most popular color option, but there’s also blue or real tree and tan. Soft coolers also come in handy for sporting events, whether the user is a participant or a fan. In this case, Igloo’s Sportsman Waterproof Cooler Bag has the tough design and storage space needed to keep everything inside safe and cool.
In our testing, the Coleman Xtreme kept ice frozen for a full week (170 hours), 30 hours longer than the Igloo MaxCold (140 hours). It measures 28.4 by 15.8 by 17.5 inches, its design incorporates bevels and angles all over the place, and igloo soft cooler it has a ruler and cup holders molded into its lid. Insulation obsessives may want to fill those cup holders with Styrofoam, but considering how well this cooler performed in our tests, doing so doesn’t seem to be all that critical.