But as long as you don’t drop it off the south rim of the Grand Canyon, you’re likely to have this cooler for a very, very long time. We had no problem filling the cooler with 20 cans and plenty of ice. And not surprisingly, it had some of the best ice retention and coldest temperatures at the end of our 24-hour test. The Hopper Flip’s inside temperature only raised by about 6 degrees over 24 hours, thanks to Yeti’s closed-cell insulation, for which it’s become infamous. We love that this cooler has handles and backpack straps, making it ideal for different carrying methods.
No two coolers bags are the same — each one is creatively unique. But the flexible walls allowed us to flatten and fold the cooler for easy storage, saving us space in a tight apartment. We were surprised at how well the cooler retained ice despite being out in the elements, due to the premium thermal insulation. The heavy-duty base also increased the chill factor while stabilizing the cooler during transport and beneath items.
Carrying it around was comfortable, thanks to the padded straps and chest and hip straps, and the weight was evenly distributed. Boxier coolers can be easier to stack — as long as the walls and base are rigid — while sleeker coolers can more likely slip behind a seat in your car. Shorter, more compact coolers are easier to fit in tight spaces on a boat.
Travel + Leisure contributor Theresa Holland is a commerce writer specializing in lifestyle, recreation, outdoor equipment, and luggage. For this story, she compiled insights from our long-term soft cooler tests, combed through igloo soft cooler product specs, and researched various types and styles of coolers. It has a large, slightly flared main compartment with lots of room for produce, prepared food, drinks, ice cream, milk, wine bottles, you name it.
The brand recently launched the 28L TravelR 30 ($250), a tall-standing and oval-shaped soft cooler with generous space. The Mountainsmith Sixer ($35) was a great cooler for lunch on the go. Our tester, a Colorado-based electrician and mountain biker, packed it with a canned drink, sandwich, fruit, and chocolate.
The most obvious, for starters, is that hard shell coolers are far more rigid than their soft shell counterparts. This cooler is so rigid and strong that you can actually sit on it without any fear of it collapsing under you, even if you’re igloo soft cooler a larger person. By contrast, soft shell coolers cannot typically support more than a few pounds atop them. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company’s efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear.
However, when you open the main zip, you’ll find one large insulated compartment for all the best goodies. The cooler is large enough to hold a wine bottle inside or outside in the mesh pockets. With comfortable straps and plenty of storage, there’s not much you can’t do with this bag. Take all your favorite goodies to the lake, pack up for a barbeque, or carry a lunch to the zoo.