Some soft coolers even have a mesh pocket that may hold a water bottle nicely. This carrier has a 30-can capacity, though when we filled it with 30 cans and ice, it was extremely heavy and a struggle to carry. If you’re using it for drinks only, we suggest 20 cans, maximum, especially if you’re walking more than a couple of blocks.
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. 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. Our ice retention test for the RTIC 20 Can Soft Pack Cooler ended approximately three days in when all the ice had fully melted — comparable stats to the Yeti Hopper Flip 12.
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. The Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze 60 proved to us that soft coolers can hang with their hard-shelled counterparts. Right off the bat, we liked the fact that the Titan Deep Freeze comes with a detachable rolling cart. The models that scored lower in our durability tests use light to mid-weight nylon or canvas with middle-of-the-road zippers and regular seam construction.
Overall, we think this Arctic Zone cooler is a generalist crowd pleaser. You can easily roll it from the parking lot to the beach, or detach it and sling it over your shoulder. In stock expedited shipments will ship the same day, or the next business day for orders placed on a weekend, if the order is placed before 12 PM Central Time. Non-expedited orders are processed for shipment within two business days of payment verification, excluding holidays. You will receive a shipping confirmation e-mail once your order has shipped.
It isn’t good for all- or multi-day use, but type type of cooler is sufficient enough for a half-day trip. 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 igloo water cooler its paces, we found every aspect to be highly engineered and durable. The zipper is supremely leak-proof and the DryHide exterior resisted scratches and punctures. Even when it’s chock-full of ice and cans, this Arctic Zone cooler is easy to maneuver.
Our ice retention test corroborated that experience, showing the cooler is capable of holding ice for nearly 2.5 days. One of our favorite products overall was the Snow Peak Soft Cooler 38 ($185). Even given its large size, it was still very comfortable to transport, due to the soft, malleable walls. With the simple, wide handles Velcroed together, we could sling the cooler over our shoulders when it was fully loaded.
Though the Dolphin Mini is billed as leakproof, water seeped through the zippers once the ice had melted. But if you skip the ice and just fill it with food and a drink, this won’t be an issue. It has a lightly padded shoulder strap, but backpack-style straps would make lugging it around much easier. The Deep Freeze seems like it’s built to last, so you can expect to use it for years without needing to replace it.
The wide base helps it stay upright without support — and it allowed us to fit a veggie tray horizontally at the bottom. After filling it with drinks, food, and ice, we took it on a sunny boat trip and were pleased to see the ice hadn’t melted at all a few hours after packing it. Igloo’s igloo water cooler Outdoor Pro Snapdown Backpack has a deep, wide main compartment with insulated walls, plus various pockets and even a handy built-in bottle opener. After a few hours, most of the ice was still intact, the cans were chilled, and the bag didn’t leak at all when we flipped it over.
For day-long roams, weekend adventures, road trips, or running errands, these soft coolers kept our provisions chilled without weighing us down. For more information about soft coolers, check out our buyer’s guide, comparison chart, and FAQ at the end of this article. Carefully designed with premium details and longer ice retention for extended adventures, our high-quality cooler bags are still more affordable than others out there with similar performance.