When it comes to carrying different loads of items for family parties or barbeques, Igloo MaxCold is a reliable options. The Tote Cooler Bag, Gripper 16, Backpack, and Hard Top Gripper 22 can be carried over the shoulder, and Cool Fusion 36 can be pulled on wheels with multiple items. The Coleman Xtreme features replaceable hardware, whereas some of the company’s cheaper models don’t. This is an important detail because the first thing that will wear out on a cooler is either a hinge or a handle, and having affordable replacements means a cheap repair rather than a brand-new purchase. At the moment, you can buy Coleman’s replacement hinges and replacement handles for less than $10 each.
In most situations, the best way to utilize dry ice is to place it at the bottom of your cooler, wrapped in newspaper. 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.
External Attachment Points
Many soft coolers, including YETI’s Hopper Flip 12 and REI Co-op’s Cool Haul 24, have daisy chain webbing along the outside for securing extra gear. In use, we’ve found this area useful for keeping valuables like keys close at hand (we use a carabiner to attach them). And we particularly like the stretchy bungee system on the Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze, which makes it easy to secure a lightweight jacket or small towel on top.
We also measured for cold and ice retention by taking the inside temperature of each cooler at two hours after filling them with cans and ice and then 24 hours after filling them with cans and ice. Yeti claims the Hopper BackFlip 24 can hold 20 cans igloo trailmate at a two to one ice ratio. And while our testers said the space inside the cooler didn’t feel as big as it should be because of the outside size, it fit securely and comfortably to their backs, especially compared to smaller coolers we tested.
Unlike most of the other models, the Coleman Xtreme has a channeled drain, which made draining much easier and required very little tilting on our part. While they’re not standardized measures, we have found that most cooler companies’ estimates of their cooling power are reasonably helpful for rough comparison. A soft cooler that claims 24-hour ice retention is usually lighter duty than one that claims three days or more. You should never consider these numbers as performance guarantees, but as a crude spec to gauge where a cooler stands within the category, I find the estimates useful. High-performance hard coolers from brands such as Yeti have raised the bar for what consumers expect (and what they expect to pay) from coolers. That shift has spilled over into the soft cooler category and has pushed quality soft coolers’ performance (and price).
Some 24 hours after we put ice into the Titan, the inside temperature only raised 5 degrees—better than both Yeti coolers we tested. There’s no zipper on the lid—just a Velcro-like closure—so be sure the cooler stays upright in transportation. And while it claims to hold 30 cans with ice, we found it much easier to fit 20 cans with adequate ice.
This ice chest is designed to be easy to carry over your shoulders or under your arm. It has taken us a few years to recommend a wheeled cooler simply because none have seemed built to last longer than a season or two—especially in the handle. Once loaded with ice, drinks, and food, a 37-pound cooler can more igloo soft cooler than double in weight. When someone then tilts the cooler up, all that weight goes into the wheelbase or leans into the handle hinge. The RTIC 65 has rope handles with a plastic tube for gripping and two rubber latches for holding the lid closed, mimicking the design of most other, comparable coolers.
The items in this cooler will stay cold for long than most of Igloo’s other options, as the ice retention can function for two days. This comes in handy for triathlons and other long competitions that will require plenty of drinks and snacks for refreshment. As with all soft coolers, you shouldn’t leave the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler out in the sun or resting on very hot surfaces like the back of a pickup truck or on top of a picnic table for a long time. Although the exterior of the cooler is made of a durable, thickly coated nylon—waterproof and tough—the sun and heat will degrade the material and slowly wear it out.
With 25% more foam, your items will stay cold for longer periods no matter how quick the ice melts. The attachment points and rubberized grip top handles provide an easy carrying experience, and the front pocket is deep enough for storing extra food. The shoulder strap is adjustable and removable in case you’re carrying small loads, and the liner is leak-resistant to keep everything outside dry. Whether you depend on Playmate for backyard parties, BMX and Sportsman for athletic activities, or Yukon and Trailmate for outdoor adventures, Igloo’s ice chest will make your occasion much more enjoyable.
Hydro Flask is a brand better known for its water bottles, but the company also makes coolers. The 20-liter Carry Out Soft Cooler carries the same design ethos as other products sold by Hydroflask. The Hydroflask soft cooler contains a BPA-free liner and has a jaunty exterior.