Many longer-lasting soft coolers weigh between 5 and 10 pounds, which gets heavier as you add heavy liquids and ice. Consider how long you need a cooler to retain cold and how far you might be carrying it on an average outing as you balance weight and performance concerns in your purchasing decision. In our experience, igloo soft cooler the sweet spot is often right in the middle, with many of our most frequently used soft coolers offering space for around cans with ice. These designs are sufficiently sized for day trips or weekend road trips, manageable in terms of weight and portability, and won’t take up a ton of space in your vehicle or garage.
If you’re less concerned about portability and instead prioritize cooling capabilities and durability, we’ve also compiled a list of the best hard-sided coolers. Of all the soft coolers we tested, this one, from Polar Bear Coolers, performed the best. It even performed just as well as some of the hard coolers we tested, which typically do better than soft coolers. The soda cans got seven degrees colder over 36 hours and maintained a temperature of 33˚F. When filled with cans and no ice, its maximum weight is less than 30 pounds. The handle on top (hence the name Topper) makes it relatively easy to carry; plus, it comes with a detachable shoulder strap, though we didn’t find it that comfortable.
Our testers liked how the ice consolidated in the center helped even out the weight and noted it was comfortable to carry by hand. Among hard coolers, a 70-quart size is big enough for a variety of tasks. Another example came up last year during a power outage, as one of our staff members was able to store most of the contents of a fridge in a 70-quart cooler, along with the necessary ice to keep it cold. By measuring meltwater, we can produce data that illustrates the relative performance of insulation between coolers over time. For example, after five days, the Coleman Xtreme retained 11 more pounds of ice than the Igloo MaxCold did.
Their latest TravelR 30 takes aim at the soft-sided market but retains much of what we love about the RollR, including a sturdy build and high attention to detail. The two coolers also share key features like waterproof zippers and shoulder straps that are both nicely padded and removable. Added up, the TravelR is another premium and thoughtfully built design from the Boulder-based brand. Some coolers hold ice or ice packs to cool food and igloo water cooler beverages down, some provide insulation to help retain the temperature of chilled items — and some do both. They come in an assortment of styles, including hard coolers and soft coolers, with both small and large capacities, and can be narrowed down even further into more specific categories. We exclusively cover soft-sided coolers above, which work well for those who just need a simple and portable option for road trips or day use.
We’ve also used this cooler for nearly five years for grocery runs in Hawaii, and it’s still going strong. One charm of the RTIC 65 is its reasonable price, which allows us to be far less careful with this equipment than we are with something as expensive or desirable as a Yeti. The Coleman Xtreme features replaceable hardware, whereas some of the company’s cheaper models don’t. This is an important detail because the first thing that will wear out on a cooler is either a hinge or a handle, and having affordable replacements means a cheap repair rather than a brand-new purchase.
As a bonus, there is a large front zippered pocket that is big enough to store multiple larger items. This is among the biggest front pockets that we have seen on a soft cooler of this size. The thin material won’t do as good of a job at keeping your drinks chilled compared to other 6-pack coolers that we have tested. But if you plan on being out longer than that and appreciate a cold beverage, you may want to look for something more robust. There is a reason why it has been around for decades and has enjoyed the level of success that it has. This makes it large enough to comfortably fit 6 cans of drinks along with some spare ice.
So it is designed for storing cans (you can store a few bottles if you lay them sideways). In this article, we will go over the best 6-pack coolers, the differences between various 6-pack coolers, and what to look for in a quality 6-pack cooler. Once again, everyday use is the focus for this section of Igloo’s offerings.
Some soft coolers are superior at ice retention, which is generally reflected in the price tag but not always. A bunch of other variables influence ice retention, too, including the type and quantity of ice, extra space in the compartment (which decreases effectiveness), and if the cooler was prechilled. Additionally, unlike hard coolers, the difference in ice retention between soft-sided models isn’t all that sizable, which can make it harder to justify spending up for such a premium and expensive model. To be sure, these top-end designs have their appeal for those who want the easier portability of a soft cooler without compromising on build quality, but they’re not worth the investment for most. If you’ve got the budget, it’s almost certainly worth opting for a hard-sided model instead.
The straps are adjustable so that carrying the cooler is a piece of cake, and the grip handles are made of rubber to ensure that. The items in this cooler will stay cold for long than most of Igloo’s other options, as the ice retention can function for two days. This comes in handy for triathlons and other long competitions that will require plenty of drinks and snacks for refreshment. Yeti claims the Hopper BackFlip 24 can hold 20 cans at a two to one ice ratio. The RTIC Soft Pack Cooler has a similar feel and look to a Yeti cooler but comes at a more accessible cost.