When it comes to carrying different loads of items for family parties or barbeques, Igloo MaxCold is a reliable options. The Tote Cooler Bag, Gripper 16, Backpack, and Hard Top Gripper 22 can be carried over the shoulder, and Cool Fusion 36 can be pulled on wheels with multiple items. The Coleman Xtreme features replaceable hardware, whereas some of the company’s cheaper models don’t. This is an important detail because the first thing that will wear out on a cooler is either a hinge or a handle, and having affordable replacements means a cheap repair rather than a brand-new purchase. At the moment, you can buy Coleman’s replacement hinges and replacement handles for less than $10 each.
These foams, which weigh around 0.5 pound per cubic foot, are light and easy to compress. To test the portability of each soft cooler, the team walked around with each of the coolers to see how comfortable they were to carry. The coolers were all tipped upside down to see if they were, in fact, leakproof.
For web orders returned in store, please take the item in original packaging, along with invoice to any
Camping World retail locations for a refund or exchange. Refunds
are issued to the original form of payment; some exclusions may apply. The RTIC 65 weighs 36.5 pounds and measures 32 by 17 by 18 inches on the outside.
We also measured for cold and ice retention by taking the inside temperature of each cooler at two hours after filling them with cans and ice and then 24 hours after filling them with cans and ice. Yeti claims the Hopper BackFlip 24 can hold 20 cans igloo soft cooler at a two to one ice ratio. And while our testers said the space inside the cooler didn’t feel as big as it should be because of the outside size, it fit securely and comfortably to their backs, especially compared to smaller coolers we tested.
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. If you want a soft cooler for under $25, check out the Ozark Trail Soft Sided Cooler. 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.
Colors range from dark gray to black, depending on which version you get. For retail purchases returned without a receipt, the refund will be issued as a store merchandise
credit at the lowest price within the last 90 days. Proper ID will be required in the form of a valid, state-
issued driver’s license or state ID card. Refunds are issued to the original form of payment, unless returned in store
where some exclusions may apply. Refunds are issued to the original form of payment, unless returned in store where some exclusions may apply. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times.
Backpack coolers like the Hydro Flask 20 L Day Escape are the easiest to manage with full harnesses that can be worn like a standard daypack (we outline these more in depth below). But as long as you don’t drop it off the south rim of the Grand Canyon, you’re likely to have this cooler for a very, very long time. And not surprisingly, it had some of the best ice retention and coldest temperatures at the end of our 24-hour test. The Hopper igloo soft cooler Flip’s inside temperature only raised by about 6 degrees over 24 hours, thanks to Yeti’s closed-cell insulation, for which it’s become infamous. While we tested during cooler fall temperatures, the Walker delivered days of ice retention versus the hours we got from flimsier bag-style soft coolers. Those times would be shortened in direct sun and high temps, but the thick walls of the Walker are more than enough for a day at the beach.