igloo trailmateThe Mountainsmith Takeout ($30) accompanied us on a standup paddleboard session down Colorado’s Slate River, a mellow run sans whitewater. This cute cooler carried and chilled several cans of microbrews and several sparkling waters. We also used it day-to-day on drives to bring along lunch, snacks, and beverages. The shape and weight feel easy to move around, and the handles are comfortable.
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 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. Plus, cargo nets on the side and a zippered flap on the front allow you to roll out all the essentials like wipes and additional snacks. 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.
The brand recently launched the 28L TravelR 30 ($250), a tall-standing and oval-shaped soft cooler with generous space. 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. The two side handles aren’t the most comfortable to grab, and we wish they weren’t adjacent to the shoulder straps’ attachment points.
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. In our lab tests, it provides top-notch insulation, keeping raw foods appropriately cold (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) for three days. While many soft coolers have bulky zippers that are difficult to use or narrow openings that hinder access, the Engel is remarkably easy to use. With corners that unclip, the top conveniently opens further to allow quick loading and locating of contents.
Despite being left in the car for a full day following the river outing, the cooler still had ice and felt cold. That well-founded retention is thanks to the brand’s blend of proprietary insulation, interior radiant barrier, and thick base made of three layers of SuperFoam. We also found the water- and stain-resistant exterior very durable.
igloo soft coolerWe’ve tested several of this style, and the IceMule Pro is hands down our favorite for sheer carrying comfort. It has soft, wide shoulder straps, a longer torso for more even weight distribution, and a flexible shape that accommodates whatever you’ve filled it with. The walls of the cooler can also be inflated or deflated with a simple valve, adding both insulation and comfort against your back. In the face of some innovative competition, for years now, the IceMule remains the most comfortable model we’ve tested for carrying moderate provisions on a multi-mile hike. Over the last 7 years, we’ve vetted, purchased, and tested over 30 soft coolers.
Our huge lineup of bags comes in all shapes and sizes with multiple ways to carry, so take a dive into all our options to figure out which one/s will make your life so much cooler. Travel + Leisure contributor Theresa Holland is a commerce writer specializing in lifestyle, recreation, outdoor equipment, and luggage. For this story, she compiled insights from our long-term soft cooler tests, combed through product specs, and researched various types and styles of coolers.
igloo soft coolerThe Yeti Hopper Flip has seriously impressive temperature retention. We took it to the beach on a sunny day that hit the upper 80s, and all the ice was still intact when the sun went down. Though it’s relatively compact, the interior is surprisingly spacious. There’s just one big main compartment, but it has the brand’s HitchPoint Grid, allowing you to attach other things to the outside. When filling it with perishable food, we were able to fit quite a lot inside, along with enough ice packs to keep everything cold.
For a variety of conditions, the soft coolers in this guide provide enough cooling power to serve a range of recreation needs. We also performed a controlled in-house ice retention test to verify brand claims. For the experiment, we filled each pre-cooled cooler approximately 70% with fresh, frozen cubed ice and set them in a shaded, dry indoor space at a steady average of 65 degrees.
While the IceMule is our favorite for smaller and medium loads because of its comfortable straps and flexible body, the Trail Pack is our go-to choice for heavy cargo. It’s comfortable like a daypack and really saves your shoulders over the long haul. If you’re planning to bring a handful of snacks and beverages for you and a few buddies, the comfort of the IceMule is top-notch.