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.
And it didn’t hold the cold as well (the temperature inside the cooler rose about 18 degrees between two hours and 24 hours after putting ice in it compared to just 7 degrees for the Yeti). But our testers appreciated how comfortable the Classic is to carry on one shoulder, how light it was, and its durability. While it’s easy to get caught up in wanting the best, being realistic about using your soft cooler can help you choose one that works for your intended uses. Coolers have come a long way since glorified bags that offer a few hours of chilling, but that now-quaint level of performance may be all you need.
We previously noted that Yeti had suspended sales of our backpack pick, the Hopper M20, due to a potential safety issue with the closure, which could fail, releasing magnets, which would be dangerous to ingest. If you want a backpack cooler, we recommend the Polar Bear Original Nylon Backpack Cooler. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company’s efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. In the pursuit of data, he’s plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry.
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 igloo water cooler 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).
From there, we purchased the best 30 coolers we could find to take to our lab in Brooklyn for testing. While our testers noted this cooler is large and heavy and not the easiest to lug around, we also appreciate that the cooler floats in the water, is spill- and leakproof, and comes in four sizes. We also found it to be an ideal road trip size as it’s small enough to fit easily into a car yet sufficient to carry drinks and snacks for a few people. We enjoyed using this cooler on a road trip from California to the Midwest and back to California and saw it as the perfect cooling copilot. For the weekend warrior, the rugged adventurer, the daily luncher, the boater, the weekday commuter, the beach-goer, the Sunday hiker, the park picnicker, the snack provider (aka MOM)…the list goes on.
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.
The thick extruded closed cell foam in the Marine Ultra will keep whatever sodas, water bottles, beer, or snacks you keep inside cold for the entire day. This also makes the cooler reliable for days at the office when you want to have your lunch outside when the sun is out. Whatever cooler brand you trust should be able to provide items that can satisfy you in any situation. We’ve tested Polar Bear coolers for seven years now, buying them or receiving test units from Polar Bear. Recently, however, we’ve been let down by the lifespan of its soft coolers (though not this backpack in particular). But with care, you can extend the lifespan of any soft cooler—the number one rule seems to be not to leave it out in the sun.
Importantly, not all coolers measure interior capacity in the same way. Some use cans as a unit of measure, while others use liters, quarts, or gallons. That said, “cans” is the most commonly used measurement for soft coolers (hard-sided models are generally listed in quarts), and we’ve utilized that spec throughout this article whenever available.
In our lab, the temperature inside the tote actually dropped 8 degrees between two hours and 24 hours after filling it with ice. Previously, we tested hard coolers in the summer in Baltimore through a week that saw highs of 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of 64 igloo water cooler to 72 degrees. And more recently we tested most of our picks again throughout the year in Hawaii. The price spread among soft coolers is significant, ranging from just $25 for the Coleman 24-Hour 16-Can Cooler all the way up to $300 for RovR’s premium TravelR 30.
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.