Though nothing broke during testing, the hinges and latches are a potential weak point. Though this seems like an unimportant detail, when packed with goodies, it can be a little painful to grasp onto hard plastic. All in all, we were impressed with the RTIC Ultralight, with its lightweight construction, ease of use, and pleasant price. For a more packable cooler, check out our comparison of the best soft coolers.
We also aren’t in love with the comfort of its narrow, plastic handles in the shadow of some of the broader, more cushioned options utilized by its competitors. While we appreciate the simplicity of the pop-open drain, its small size can’t offer the same rapid flow rate as the much wider drains found in the competition. Still, you could purchase three or four of these coolers for the same price as some of the competition, and it works to keep your goods cold for days. When you’ve got a hungry, thirsty gang, your average cooler just won’t cut it.
Thanks to these, you can separate your cooler into compartments and keep it cool. Though it’ll still set you back a few hundred dollars, this option is coleman ice chest on par with its competitors that go for a significant amount more. Performing well across the board, this is an excellent companion for your next trip.
From picnics in the park to beach BBQs, we carted these models everywhere we went to learn which models were most portable and enjoyable to use. We also went through hundreds of pounds of ice and frosty cans in our rigorous insulation tests. Whether you’re setting out on a road trip or a hunting trip, we can help you choose your perfect icebox. These coolers are in the budget tier and even then are sometimes on sale where they can dip to an extremely affordable price.
It offers some of the best insulation of any soft cooler, keeping its contents below 40º F for just over three days in our insulation testing. While many similar coolers have thick zippers that are a struggle to operate or very narrow openings that are difficult to navigate, this soft cooler is impressively easy to use. The corners unclip, allowing the top to open quite far for swift loading and locating items. And with a large (for a soft cooler) capacity of 48 cans, the Engel HD30 just might be enough to get you through a weekend of camping. Despite this oversized stature, it’s more portable than we expected, with comfortable handles on each end that make carrying it that much easier. After years of regular use, this durably constructed soft-sided model looks and works just about the same as the day we first bought it.
The Coleman Chest Cooler is Coleman’s standard offering for those looking for an “everyday” type of cooler. It is similar to their Marine line except this one is intended more for on-land excursions (and it will typically be a bit more affordable as well). It contains Thermozone coleman screen tent insulation which promises extra-long ice life compared to other similarly-priced coolers in the industry. In contrast, open-cell foam is permeable to air and water like a sponge (which is why it frequently appears in foam pillows, as it’s squishier and it breathes).
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. Since dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, it passes directly from a solid to a gaseous state, meaning no water to deal with as it melts. However, dry ice can be dangerous to touch (you have to wear heavy gloves to prevent frostbite), doesn’t last long, and many coolers aren’t even rated to handle it. All told, it might take some finessing to perfect your ice strategy, but we think a combination of crushed and blocks is the best (and safest) method.
We are just looking for enough ice retention to be serviceable at this price bracket. 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. 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.