In an interesting twist, the Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze has neither a zipper nor a roll-top — it’s not even fully sealed. It closes like an old-school hard cooler, with a plastic lid that nestles snugly into the top of its plastic body. Despite not being airtight or leakproof, it managed to hold ice for 40 hours during our testing. Other coolers have more traditional zippers that aren’t watertight yet still provide effective insulation, like the RTIC Backpack, REI Pack Away, and AO 24 Pack.
The Arctic Zone Titan Bucket Tote ($53) is a great budget cooler that keeps our ice cold for long durations. A trio took the cooler fly fishing on Colorado’s Gunnison River, carrying along water and various canned beverages. We were surprised igloo trailmate at how well the cooler retained ice despite being out in the elements, due to the premium thermal insulation. The heavy-duty base also increased the chill factor while stabilizing the cooler during transport and beneath items.
However, our ice melted fast on hot days, and with minimal room in the cooler, the food can get wet. But, the seamless liner did hold the water and showed no sign of leaks. According to our ice retention test, the Walker 20 is capable of holding ice for up to 70 hours. According to the ice retention test, the Takeout can retain ice for 21 hours. To put the size in perspective, this cute cooler could fit six 12-ounce cans.
A final highlight is the accessory-ready exterior, which allows you to easily connect add-ons like their Rambler Bottle Sling or SideKick Dry Gear Case (sold separately). Additionally, soft insulated cooler bags are generally more affordable than hard coolers and are easy to clean and store after use. The weights of soft coolers are typically reflected by their size and capacity.
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. For reference, YETI and ORCA both offer three-year warranties on their soft coolers, while Hydro Flask leads the charge with a five-year policy. Importantly, all of these are limited warranties that solely cover defects in materials or workmanship and exclude damage from typical wear and tear.