However, they were not impressed with the lack of padding on the Hopper Flip’s shoulder strap and how heavy it was (it’s about 1.5 pounds heavier than the similar Orca Walker 20-Can). Before investing in a soft cooler, it can be helpful and prudent to consider how long it’s covered under warranty. A one-year warranty is pretty standard in the soft cooler market, (like what you get with RTIC), while three to five years is fairly generous.
The AO 24 features clips on the ends of the top zipper and a single long external pocket with plenty of space to bring along dry items and your favorite binoculars. One of the most frustrating qualities of many of the models we tested is their challenging zippers. So far, manufacturers haven’t been able to produce a zipper that’s waterproof and truly easy to use.
Bestcooler.reviews, established in 2015, is a leading blog-style magazine dedicated to reviewing and blogging about coolers. Both co-founders of the site, Luke and Greg, are two genuine cooler geeks and have been so for ages. Both guys share their passion on this website, covering different types of coolers, posting in-depth buying guides and reviewing tens of different products every year. The handles on the Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote were a great length and easy to slide over one shoulder. We also tested the Orca Walker Tote ($225), which is equally well-made but in a slightly different style. We’ve done the research on products designed to save you time and money.
Because the bag is designed with a top-roll closure, it can be difficult to reach drinks at the bottom when it’s full, so keep that in mind while packing. You’ll also want to be sure to properly roll the top closed to ensure there aren’t any leaks. It has a thick, waterproof exterior and a fully sealed rubber gasket around a plastic flip-top lid.
We put one sensor at the bottom of the cooler, which was enclosed inside of a methylcellulose block. Designed to be taken while fishing, kayaking, or backpacking, everything about this Pelican soft cooler revolves around being lightweight. Overall, the Rtic Soft Pack Cooler is well insulated, but it lacks the versatile storage of its competitors. Also of note, you can get this model in backpack cooler form for a similar price. The Yeti Hopper Flip 18 is one of the most expensive coolers on this list and we can see why. While putting this compact and lightweight cooler through its paces, we found every aspect to be highly engineered and durable.
For this article, we separated the insights of soft coolers from the rest so we could compare alike models and determine which ones are worthy of our seal of approval. There are no extra frills here, so don’t expect any extra pockets or hooks; however, it features a padded cross-body strap, many color options, and hours of ice retention. It’s great for people with limited storage space or who are always traveling igloo water cooler because you can roll it right up and stow it away when not in use. It’s also waterproof and floats (there’s a valve that adds air to the insulation layer), so feel free to carry it with you right into the lake or ocean. With many exciting backpack coolers now on the scene, we retested this pack next to several new models, and the IceMule Pro handily holds its own among the backpack-style coolers.
From the best camping stoves to the best camping tents and coziest and top-ranked sleeping bags, we’ve got the scoop on the gear that’s worth your money (and the stuff that isn’t). To test the best soft coolers, we filled each one with ice to see how long it took for the ice to melt. When shopping for a soft cooler, always look for leak-resistant igloo trailmate or waterproof closure. 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. We placed two sensors designed to track temperature changes over time inside each soft cooler.
It isn’t good for all- or multi-day use, but type type of cooler is sufficient enough for a half-day trip. The Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze is the best soft cooler we’ve tested. The waterproof design keeps everything inside and outside from getting too wet.