Some 24 hours after we put ice into the Titan, the inside temperature only increased by 5 degrees—better than both Yeti coolers we tested. There’s no zipper on the lid—just a Velcro-like closure—so be sure the cooler stays upright in transportation. And while it claims to hold 30 cans with ice, we found it much easier to fit 20 cans with adequate ice.
Still, if you’re looking for a cooler that has the aesthetics, design, and toughness of a Yeti but don’t want to spend quite the amount (we don’t blame you), the Orca is a solid alternative. The Yeti Hopper Flip 18’s steep price tag—over $250—knocked it out of first place for best soft cooler. For being so small, it is expensive for the average consumer, despite its quality construction.
While perhaps not its most exciting use, we also found the Icemule Pro a great addition to grocery trips to keep refrigerated and frozen items cold on the way home. After researching today’s best soft coolers, we selected several to try firsthand, including mini ice chests with soft-sided walls, insulated totes, foldable bags, lunch boxes, and cooler backpacks. After inspecting the coolers, we recorded our first impressions of the materials, capacity, quality, and appearance.
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 igloo soft cooler for multi-day outings. Instead, they’re best-suited for weekend getaways or day trips to the park or beach, tailgates, afternoons on the water, or quick errands like grocery store runs. They can also be a great supplement to a larger hard-sided model, providing additional space to store extra food or beverages when camping with a larger group.
While adventuring, this cooler did a noteworthy job of preserving ice in sunny conditions and exceeded the capabilities of other coolers we tested. A two-way zipper provides easy top access, and the cube shape nicely slides into tight spaces on a boat or in the truck bed. But we wish the side mesh water bottle pockets were hardy like the rest of the cooler — they felt flimsy and easily snagged.