Those choice designs include a range of designs such as the Mountainsmith Takeout ($30), REI Co-op Pack-Away Soft Cooler ($50), and Arctic Zone Titan Bucket Tote ($53). Most soft coolers igloo soft cooler have side or top handles, two straps that swing up to secure together above the cooler, or a removable shoulder strap. A bunch of designs have a combination of handles and straps, too.
Finally, we filled each of the soft coolers with soda cans to compare against the claimed carrying capacity. When testing soft coolers, we focused on performance, capacity, and how comfortable each is to carry. In terms of keeping things cold, this Coleman soft cooler fell to the back of the pack of the soft coolers we tested. Our sensors showed us it warmed up to 40°F after just 26 hours, which places the Coleman in the bottom half of the coolers we tested.
The side has a mesh water bottle pocket and storage loops for napkins, magazines and so on. It’s complete with an adjustable shoulder strap for easily transporting from one outdoor event to the next. This rugged piece is manufactured from 420D diamond weave polyester material. On the other hand, the benefits of soft coolers are that they are more compact, store well, are more lightweight and easier to carry. Although they don’t preserve ice for as long as hard coolers, there are several neat design features, like extra pockets, hitchpoints, and additional carrying methods.
The soft coolers in our guide range from the Mountainsmith Takeout, which can fit six cans, to the 38L Snow Peak Soft Cooler. Most of our choice soft coolers are either larger (30 L to 38 L) for group multiday trips or more compact (12 L to 19 L). Durability varies considerably between soft coolers, and a good way to differentiate between models is to look at denier (D), which is a measurement of fabric thickness. Rigid designs like Yeti’s Hopper M30 and Engel’s HD30 (both 840D) sit at the top of the pack. These designs have tough exteriors that feel very confidence-inspiring around sharp gear and have stood up very well to regular use throughout testing with little wear to show for it. RovR’s TravelR 30 is another standout in terms of durability with a burly TPU base and welded seams that give it a very hardwearing feel.
Insulated cooler totes are perfect for family snacks, beverages, and lunch fresh on your next park trip. They’re quick, effective, and even stylish — find the right tote cooler for your lifestyle today. A lot goes into making a cooler, and we’re committed every step of the way. When shopping for a soft cooler, always look for leak-resistant or waterproof closure. To test the portability of each soft cooler, the team walked around with each of the coolers to see how comfortable they were to carry. The coolers were all tipped upside down to see if they were, in fact, leakproof.
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 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 igloo trailmate a great supplement to a larger hard-sided model, providing additional space to store extra food or beverages when camping with a larger group. When you need cold food and drinks for a trip to the campsite, lake, or beach, look to the Igloo 40-Can Soft Cooler with Wheels. This compact cooler bag sports high-end quality and high-end style that’s made for anyone to use anywhere.
According to our ice retention test, the Orca Walker 20 is capable of holding ice for up to 70 hours. The two side handles aren’t the most comfortable to grab, and we wish they weren’t adjacent to the shoulder straps’ attachment points. But when the handgrip is detached into two separate pieces, they’re not comfortable to grasp. The insulation is a metal-coated plastic blend, which did a solid job of preserving the ice and goods. We loved the soft interior liner and the waterproof zipper that prevents any leaks from the top.