The Yeti Hopper Flip 18’s steep price tag—over $250—knocked it out of first place for best soft cooler. For being so small, it is expensive for the average consumer, despite its quality construction. 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. With the Igloo IMX series of coolers to Igloo MaxCold and BMX cooler options, Igloo hard coolers make a great choice for many… We believe in offering the very best value, quality, and selection.
And because the Cool Haul’s inner insulated box can be separated from the outer shell, cleaning is a snap (the shell can also be used without the liner as a tote). The benefits of hard coolers are that they typically are more durable, sturdier, and keep ice longer than soft coolers. Some downsides to hard coolers are that they are more difficult to move and carry, and they can be harder to store since they don’t igloo soft cooler compact like soft coolers do. Additional features on soft coolers include hard clip points, daisy chains, webbing straps, and bungee cords for carrying extra gear. Soft coolers may have shoulder straps — which are typically removable — buckles, attachment points, and interior or exterior pockets. Some pockets have durable, waterproof zipper closures, but many are not weather-resistant or secured with a closure.
Before investing in a soft cooler, it can be helpful and prudent to consider how long it’s covered under warranty. A one-year warranty is pretty standard in the soft cooler market, (like what you get with RTIC), while three to five years is fairly generous. For reference, Yeti and Orca both offer three-year warranties on their soft coolers, while Hydro Flask leads the charge with a five-year policy. Importantly, all of these are limited warranties that solely cover defects in materials or workmanship and exclude damage from typical wear and tear.
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. Tote-style coolers including the Booe 30L Waterproof Insulated Tote have welded seams on the base that prevent leakages and keep the cold insulation from escaping. Even the heaviest soft cooler in our guide is lighter than a hard cooler.
When ordering your new Igloo that will be your fellow weekend warrior, our usual turnaround time is 8-10 business days from checkout to shipping. We’ll get that process started for you the next day, we pinkie promise. While we do have some Igloo allocated, life can throw us curveballs, so read our stock and estimated ship times messaging in your cart and at checkout so you can be in the know from start to finish. In our testing, we liked the wide, soft material of the two swing-up straps on the Snow Peak Soft Cooler. The quality of materials influences the waterproofness, durability, insulation value, and whether or not the face fabric produces condensation. The materials also determine the comfort, breathability, support, and overall cost.