The benefits of a soft cooler are flexibility, lighter weight, and portability compared to hard coolers. 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 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.
igloo trailmateWe love that this cooler has handles and backpack straps, making it ideal for different carrying methods. And we dig the bonus features like side pockets, webbing to attach gear to, and an attached bottle opener. Despite the product’s claim to be a leakproof cooler, we did have some leaking.
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. Bear in mind a 24-can capacity means the cooler can fit up to 24 cans and nothing else. According to our research and experiments, ideally, a cooler, by volume, should have twice as much ice or ice packs inside of it as it does food.
The zipperless design for the main compartment makes it completely painless to use, and the hard plastic interior makes it simple to pack. A removable plastic shelf adds functionality, keeping sensitive items out of melted ice, and numerous pockets adorn the outside for wine corkscrews, napkins, and silverware. However, we can’t quite get the top rolled tight enough to be waterproof, though it only leaks little drips when completely inverted. When fully loaded with a whopping 39 cans, we wish we had a waist belt to take some of the weight off our shoulders. But for lighter loads, wearing the IceMule is like carrying a grade school backpack. At first glance, the AO Coolers 24 Pack Canvas Cooler may not look like much.
Our tester, a Colorado-based electrician and mountain biker, packed it with a canned drink, sandwich, fruit, and chocolate. The cooler’s shape and size were easy to fit in a messy work truck. The exterior is made of a 600-denier polyester shell that’s waterproof.
The compact sizes are great for picnics, day trips, overnight camping, and grocery shopping. When you need cold food and drinks for a trip to the campsite, lake, or beach, look to the Igloo 40-Can Soft Cooler with Wheels. This compact cooler bag sports high-end quality and high-end style that’s made for anyone to use anywhere. Take this soft insulated cooler bag along camping, hiking, fishing, relaxing on the beach, or to a family picnic thanks to rolling wheels, a height adjustable pull handle, and side carry handles.