Let the interior completely air dry or use a towel to wipe down before zipping shut for storage. A soft cooler’s materials include the exterior, insulation, interior liner, and handles. The most common are waterproof igloo water cooler and leakproof zippers or non-waterproof and leakproof zippers. The exterior is made of synthetic plastic and nylon, so it’s not resilient for a rugged whitewater trip but is suitable for basecamp.
We still think it’d put up impressive numbers during a day at the beach since it has a secondary opening on the top secured by Velcro for quick access. 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.
One exception is the Icemule Classic, which has a dry bag-like shape and exterior with a roll-top closure that can be fully submerged in water. This makes it particularly great for igloo water cooler activities like kayaking or paddle boarding when it might be exposed to a lot of water. It also floats, which provides added assurance should conditions get rougher than expected.
To preserve food for more than 24 hours, you will need to use a combination of ice chunks and ice chips. The chips help with immediate cooling, and the chunks keep your food fresh over a longer period of time. Extra features, such as an exterior pocket for carrying utensils are a plus, but not at the cost of cooling capability or durability.
The second Hydro Flask design to make our list this season is the 20 L Carry Out Soft Cooler, which splits the difference between their 20 L Insulated Tote ($65) and backpack-style Day Escape above. For just $90, the Carry Out is the largest option of the bunch with a 38-can capacity (without ice), and the wraparound zipper makes access and cleaning quick and easy. And like the premium Day Escape, the Carry Out boasts a thick (600D) exterior that’s highly durable and water-resistant, along with welded seams to keep spills and splashes at bay. Tack on a handy stash pocket at the front and webbing loops to attach Hydro Flask’s Dry Storage accessories, and the Carry Out stands out as an excellent value for what you get.
The opening style and closure system of a soft-sided cooler may not seem all that important, but we can tell you firsthand that it will have a sizable impact on both convenience and overall performance. The Yeti Hopper M30, for instance, has a rigid magnet-equipped opening that requires considerable effort to keep open while loading and unloading food and drinks. Most cooler manufacturers provide a “claimed ice retention” spec in their product listings (Yeti is one major brand who does not). From our list above, times range from 24 hours (which is pretty standard) to three or four days for Engel’s premium HD30. That said, we always take manufacturer-provided specs with a grain of salt, and there isn’t an established, standardized test here. In practice, most of the claimed ice retention times feel quite inflated to us, perhaps due to extremely favorable testing conditions (storing the cooler inside with the lid closed in cool temperatures, for example).
The cooler’s exterior is made with stout ripstop nylon that easily wipes down. The Mountainsmith Sixer ($35) was a great cooler for lunch on the go. Our tester, a Colorado-based electrician and mountain biker, packed it with a canned drink, sandwich, fruit, and chocolate. The cooler’s shape and size were easy to fit in a messy work truck. The Mountainsmith Takeout ($30) accompanied us on a standup paddleboard session down Colorado’s Slate River, a mellow run sans whitewater.