We ran these temperature tests until there was no ice inside the cooler. We’d describe the Rtic Soft Pack Cooler as a great middle ground. Though robust and watertight, its zipper is much easier to use and comes with zipper lubricant, helping it remain explicative-free.
These models feature incredibly tough, wear-resistant outer fabric, durable components, sturdy zippers, reinforced stitching, and a design made to be used and abused. Even after several years of regular use, they work just as well as when they were new and still look nearly as nice. The clear winners in this class are the backpack-style igloo soft cooler coolers, as the weight distribution across both shoulders and resting behind you will almost always beat out a unilateral carry. We’ve tested several of these styles, and the RTIC Backpack 30 is hands down our favorite for sheer carrying comfort. It features padded carry handles and a comfy over-the-shoulder sling.
From the office to the gym, on lunch break in between classes or weekend adventures, there is always a time and place for an Igloo insulated cooler bag. Our cooler bags come in a wide variety of silhouettes colors and patterns – it’s time to travel in style. Our cooler backpacks, totes and bags are great for day trips and picnics to keep your food cold during the day. Most soft coolers have side or top handles, two straps that swing up to secure together above the cooler, or a removable shoulder strap.
Shorter, more compact coolers are easier to fit in tight spaces on a boat. We could stuff lots of goods inside or squish the cooler down for storage. The slender shape doesn’t bounce around and feels smooth to carry over the shoulder.
RTIC claims the 20 Can can keep your drinks cool for 24 hours — a claim that our tests more than verified. The RTIC 20 can Soft Pack Cooler did indeed fit 20 cans, just as its name suggests. According to the ice retention test, the Mountainsmith Takeout can retain ice for 21 hours. To put the size in perspective, this cute cooler could fit six 12-ounce cans. While we liked the size, capacity, and shape of the RovR TravelR 30, the hand straps are not cushioned or wide enough to comfortably carry this cooler when it’s loaded with all the eats, drinks, and ice.
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. Carrying 22 cans, the Arctic Zone Deep Freeze 24 Backpack is a smaller cooler that still manages to pack a ton. This is thanks to its stretchy side pockets, top flap zipper pocket, and bungee. It’s also able to fit a wine bottle inside or within one of the external side pockets. The Engel HD30 and RTIC Soft Pack include small low-profile pockets great for keys or a phone.
Carhartt’s take on the soft cooler is this dual-compartment backpack. You could technically fit 24 cans if you put them in both compartments and didn’t add any ice. But we got about 10 cans in the insulated section, with enough ice to keep them cold. This soft cooler has a grab handle and an adjustable shoulder strap that won’t dig into your skin. It’s also handily collapsible, so you can pack it in a suitcase or stuff it in a backpack and easily store it when it’s not in use. After throwing it on the ground during our tests, there were no scuff marks or visible damage.
The Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote ($150) offers a streamlined, lightweight, and durable design. We used this cooler for park BBQs and loved how comfortable it was to slip igloo water cooler over our shoulders and carry. Our other grievance is we wish there was an exterior pocket on this soft cooler to help carry utensils and napkins or slide in trash.