Our 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. When we picked up the cooler with the detachable shoulder strap — which is padded — the attachment point completely broke within 20 seconds — thankfully, the cooler didn’t land on our toes. So we used a different shoulder strap to carry the cooler on our 15-minute walk to our picnic spot. Brand new to the soft cooler scene, RovR just bridged their long-standing hard cooler craftsmanship into their sister category.
For coolers on the larger side (like the RoVR 30 versus the Fishpond Blizzard Soft Cooler) it’s key to have padding on the hand or shoulder straps for comfort while carrying a fully-loaded cooler. However, it’s not the most durable, and its insulation performance is lacking. Though we didn’t see any major issues throughout our tests, we found the attachment points and zippers to be on the weaker side. With this in mind, the bag isn’t waterproof, and the zipper tends to leak. During our cleaning test, we had a bit of trouble with this backpack.
Chillin’ out is easy with genuine s and lunch coolers! Hauling cold drinks and food is easier because soft coolers weigh less, and they’re ready to be custom printed with your logo for memorable gifts. There is a wide variety of sizes and all these promotional coolers are easy to clean and stow when you’re done. Most soft coolers work best when cooled by ice packs or ice cubes. However, dry ice reaches lower temperatures than regular ice and can be used in most soft coolers. It’s a good choice if you need extra cold temperatures to keep ice cream or meat not just chilled but frozen.
Color options include white and navy or gray and seafoam, emphasizing design for trips on lakes or at beaches. For instance, a heavy, bulky option might be awkward (or simply too hard) to carry over one shoulder. Backpack-style coolers are often the most comfortable, plus they’re usually on the smaller side and can be folded flat and packed into another bag. Hard-sided ice boxes are typically designed to be carried short distances, lifted by two people, or potentially wheeled around. However, soft coolers are often smaller and meant to be carried by one person — potentially for longer distances. With this in mind, you’ll want to think carefully about portability.
Carhartt’s take on the soft cooler is this dual-compartment backpack. The lower section is insulated for keeping drinks and perishable items cold, the upper portion is meant to hold anything else you want to bring along, and there’s a front zipper pocket for small items. You could technically fit 24 cans if you put them in both compartments and didn’t add any ice. But we got about 10 cans in the insulated section, with enough ice to keep them cold. Whether you’re planning a day at the beach, a picnic at the park, fishing at the dock, or a solo hike, you’ll be glad to have a soft cooler on hand.
Hard shell coolers don’t offer any give, meaning they can’t expand or collapse, nor can they shimmy into spaces that might be a little too tight. Soft shell coolers, by contrast, often igloo water cooler do offer all of those features. And some – like Carhartt’s Insulated 40 Can Cooler Backpack Tote — have so little structure that they can actually collapse quite easily between uses.
Need one of the best coolers for keeping ice for days on your next camping trip? We also have recommendations for a plethora of other camping accessories. 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 igloo trailmate worth your money (and the stuff that isn’t). There’s nothing like traveling with friends and family out on the open road. And it’s even better with the right cooler bag (that you can easily carry and fit between seats) to keep you all refreshed with ice-cold provisions along the way.
Don’t get us wrong, this Igloo soft cooler has versatile storage. But the lack of the rigid bottom means it flops around when you’re not pulling it. Ice is heavy so the ability to wheel it around rather than carry it is great.
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. This soft cooler has a grab handle and an adjustable shoulder strap that won’t dig into your skin. It’s also handily collapsible, so you can pack it in a suitcase or stuff it in a backpack and easily store it when it’s not in use.