igloo water coolerUnlike many other models, the Flip 12 doesn’t come with any additional pockets or features. Though this latest version costs marginally less than its predecessor, it’s still among the more expensive coolers out there. But if you want a personal cooler that just won’t quit, the Flip should be on your shortlist. In our testing, we found the side handles of the Fishpond Blizzard Soft Cooler and OtterBox Trooper 20 Cooler were stalwart and comfortable to grab. We liked the wide, soft material of the two swing-up straps on the Snow Peak Soft Cooler.
igloo soft coolerThen we linked up river surf spots through Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, camping along the way. Prices at both websites range from $10 to $200, depending on what type and size you choose. A team of editors and testers from TripSavvy and Dotdash Meredith’s food group sites like Simply Recipes, Serious Eats, The Spruce Eats, and Liquor conducted testing in our Brooklyn lab. The cheaper Igloo, however, will not disappoint, and the money saved can be put to good use. Of course, if you’re a die-hard Yeti fan, nothing will make you happier than a Hopper, so that’s what we would advise you to get.
RTIC says to add a couple of drops then open and close the zipper a few times. The moisturizer can be applied every six months to help protect the zipper teeth — around the time you head in for an oil change. The well-constructed, premium Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote is available at a moderate price ($150). The eco-friendly design features a recycled polyester upper and recycled nylon bottom. We took this cooler on a two-person, 3,400-mile road trip from Colorado to Washington for ski mountaineering followed by ocean surfing.
That said, we always take manufacturer-provided specs with a grain of salt, and there isn’t an established, standardized test here. If we had to generalize it, we would say that you should expect to get approximately half of the claimed ice retention time in real-world use, give or take a bit depending on your specific circumstances. When traveling with prepared food, Cheyenne Nichols, chef and owner of the catering company Finest Cravings, uses a Cambro food storage box, which is made of foam and has handles on the sides. “I prefer this type of cooler because of the transportability,” says Nichols. The Yeti Hopper Flip is a favorite among reviewers who need a portable yet effective cooler for hikes and sports.
One thing we hate about many of the soft coolers we come across is that the zippers, even though they’re heavy-duty and do their job well, are pretty hard to operate. Other Features
A few other notable features to be on the lookout for include integrated bottle openers and vacuum ports for adding or releasing air. ICEMULE’s Classic has a similar valve system, although in this case, the process involves adding air to boost cooling capabilities and buoyancy and removing it to compress the cooler down for storage. We have a huge variety of insulated bags all at different prices.
Lunches you bring to work are secure and kept cold with the Daytripper Bag, whether you’re going to work or the local park on a day off. The Nylon/Poly Blend keeps the soft cooler comfortable enough for an easy carry but tough enough to keep everything inside secure. Weights for Igloo Marine Ultra options range from 1.5 to 3 lbs., making it easy to carry over your shoulder. Color options include white and navy or gray and seafoam, emphasizing design for trips on lakes or at beaches. The thick extruded closed cell foam in the Marine Ultra will keep whatever sodas, water bottles, beer, or snacks you keep inside cold for the entire day. This also makes the cooler reliable for days at the office when you want to have your lunch outside when the sun is out.
Before diving into the finer details, it’s important to point out that soft coolers come with some inherent compromises. Unlike hard-sided models that can keep food and beverages cold for days (or even weeks) on end, soft models aren’t built to keep contents cold for more than a few days at maximum. They’re also generally much smaller than hard-sided designs, typically offering around 30 liters of capacity at the high end. With this in mind, soft coolers have limited appeal for multi-day outings.
The real win for the Igloo Reactor over the Yeti is the price factor. You’re getting a premium cooler at just a fraction of the price of the Yeti (for example, the Igloo backpack options is just $119 compared to $299 for the Yeti Hopper). Overall, we are really pleased that Igloo added to its product line coolers that can directly compete with well-known designs on the market. Considering the attractive price, it seems to be a move in the right direction.
igloo water coolerOur 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 carry utensils and napkins or slide in trash.
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. The RTIC Soft Pack Cooler has a similar feel and look to a Yeti cooler but comes at a more accessible cost. The ice retention on the Reactor series is fairly good, even if it’s not breathtaking. The ice retention is advertised to be 2 days for the 30-can and a full day for the 18-can.