After throwing it on the ground during our tests, there were no scuff marks or visible damage. Though the Dolphin Mini is billed as leakproof, water seeped through the zippers once the ice had melted. But if you skip the ice and just fill it with food and a drink, this won’t be an issue. While they’re not standardized measures, we have found that most cooler companies’ estimates of their cooling power are reasonably helpful for rough comparison.
Keep your food and drink cold with the Igloo Trailmate 18 Soft Cooler. This soft-sided cooler is durable and helps keep your items at the right temperature. If you’re concerned about spillage, very little melted ice escaped these teeth. Plenty of soft coolers sit well below the top-tier tag but not all perform as impressively as this RTIC Soft Pack Cooler that keeps 30 cans of our favorite soda and beer frosty. When ranked among the best coolers, soft coolers might be the next great sandbaggers of the outdoors. Color options for this cooler include slate blue and tan, sandstone and red, and tank green and black, which should blend in depending on what environment you’re exploring.
You’ll appreciate this cooler’s smooth, ergonomic handle with divots for fingers. There’s ample space in the big waterproof front pocket for a tidy massage tool to nurse sore hands, too, in addition to keys, phone and wallet. Keeping the mood light, the Orca is floatable and a just-right height for stashing several bottles of wine (trust us, we tried). Our testing team filled each soft cooler in this guide halfway up with ice. The coolers were then placed in Reviewed’s humidity and temperature-controlled lab space to ensure that the coolers were tested with an outside ambient temperature of 72°F and 50% relative humidity. Performance issues aside, this Coleman soft cooler is easy to store and easy to carry, and a fine soft cooler option for day trips or hikes.
We tested the extra-large 33-liter size and the 23-liter large size, which is probably plenty for most people’s day trips. While perhaps not its most exciting use, we also found the Icemule Pro a great addition to grocery trips to keep refrigerated and frozen items cold in my vehicle. Whether you’re headed to the beach or carrying in some treats for your journey, the RTIC Backpack 30 is comfortable and easy to transport. Its thick shoulder straps and cushiony back pads create a pleasant experience transporting the cooler from place to place. The bag boasts a large capacity, capable of carrying up to 42 cans. It also has no trouble keeping its contents below the FDA-recommended 40 degrees Fahrenheit for over two days.
Still, as you add insulation thickness and rigidity to improve performance, those benefits start to diminish. It’s hard to gauge how stiff or user-friendly a soft cooler might be from a product description since few manufacturers list the thickness of their cooler’s walls in their specifications. Many igloo water cooler longer-lasting soft coolers weigh between 5 and 10 pounds, which gets heavier as you add heavy liquids and ice. Consider how long you need a cooler to retain cold and how far you might be carrying it on an average outing as you balance weight and performance concerns in your purchasing decision.
There’s also a smaller version, the 6, should you prefer that to the 12. In most situations, the best way to utilize dry ice is to place it at the bottom of your cooler, wrapped in newspaper. Place the items you’d like to stay frozen or colder on top of dry ice. Extra features, such as an exterior pocket for carrying utensils are a plus, but not at the cost of cooling capability or durability. A soft cooler on wheels can be easier to transport than one with only handles. It isn’t good for all- or multi-day use, but type type of cooler is sufficient enough for a half-day trip.
You can wipe down the exterior and zipper, too — don’t miss the feet and bottom, which touch ground surfaces. Let the interior completely air dry or use a towel to wipe down before zipping shut for storage. Some soft coolers have materials that are mildew resistant and antimicrobial like the interior liner of the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler. YETI also treats the interior and exterior of its Hopper Flip soft coolers to be mildew resistant, which helps with keeping your tote sanitary while extending the life of the product. Most soft coolers are simple with a central insulated compartment for food and beverages.