The Yeti Hopper Flip 18 is one of the best soft coolers you can buy right now. Read on for a look at the best soft coolers on the market right now. They each have a thick, waterproof exterior that can handle being tumbled around. These models also feature a protective layer on their undersides to help prevent holes and abrasions. Additionally, both Engels were dry inside after our submersion test, indicating they have watertight zippers. Travel + Leisure contributor Theresa Holland is a commerce writer specializing in lifestyle, recreation, outdoor equipment, and luggage.
For more on the topic, check out our article on the best backpack coolers. Traditional hard-sided coolers lead the charge in ice retention and durability, but for those who don’t need a week’s worth of cold food and drinks, a soft-sided cooler can be a viable alternative. Compared to hard models, soft coolers are considerably lighter, easier to carry, and often save you a good deal of cash. From burly waterproof options to packable designs that collapse down for easy storage, below we break down the top soft coolers of 2023. For more background information, check out our detailed comparison table and buying advice below the picks. 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.
While our testers noted this cooler is large and heavy and not the easiest to lug around, we also appreciate that the cooler floats in the water, is spill- and leakproof, and comes in four sizes. We also found it to be an ideal road trip size as it’s small enough to fit easily into a car yet sufficient to carry drinks and snacks for a few people. We enjoyed using this cooler on a road trip from California to the Midwest and back to California and saw it as the perfect cooling copilot.
One potential issue, especially when transporting for lunch, is the cooler leaked a bit from the zipper. Four tie-down points on the cooler will help with that during transport in a vehicle. Some clearance product and price points may not be available at all locations.
For instance, the REI Co-op Cool Haul Soft Cooler preserved ice for 60 hours during our test but only for 18 hours during one toasty car camp trip. Each soft cooler was stationed indoors at around 65 degrees, shaded, and filled with the same ratio and type of ice. The materials are high-quality with closed-cell foam insulation, a vinyl-coated polyester exterior, and snazzy YKK zippers. But without a shoulder strap, it wasn’t ideal to transport the Hobie Cooler more than short distances. But even with a pad, the strap was not comfortable for the weight-to-weight ratio of this tall 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). During the warmer months, there’s nothing better than sitting on a beach or in a park with a cold can of something refreshing and some chilled snacks to munch on. While we’ve previously tested hard-sided coolers, we decided to focus on soft-sided coolers, which promise to keep food and drinks cold without the heft and bulk. igloo soft cooler While the Boss is very durable and comfy to carry, it didn’t do as well in ice and cold retention compared to Yeti’s Hopper BackFlip backpack cooler. Some 24 hours after we put ice in the coolers, the inside temperature of the Boss increased by 19 degrees compared to just 7 degrees in the Yeti. And where the Yeti still had about half of its ice frozen, our testers reported only about 20 percent of the ice placed in the Icemule stayed frozen.
It features padded carry handles and a comfy over-the-shoulder sling. The bag felt surprisingly secure, with no contents jostling around. As soft-sided coolers have become increasingly popular, the market has become more and more innovative. At one time, the presence of an airtight zipper and waterproof exterior indicated solid insulation.