Despite not having a lid whatsoever, the RovR KeepR did exceptionally well holding its chilly temperatures. Staying cold by its center ice bucket, it lasted almost 70 hours, or about three days, below 40 degrees. The AO loses some points since its exterior and zipper are not waterproof, though the regular zipper is much easier to use than waterproof ones, which typically require a lot more tugging. And though its hull isn’t as stiff and impenetrable as some of the others we tested, it’s still pretty strong and well-constructed.
Besides its ability to hold cold temps and ice for days, our testers liked the size and shape of the cooler. They also liked how leakproof it is and the two handles on each side of the cooler’s body. However, they were not impressed with the lack of padding on the Hopper Flip’s shoulder strap and how heavy it was (it’s about 1.5 pounds heavier than the similar Orca Walker 20-Can). Coleman is probably one of the—if not the most—popular budget outdoor gear brands.
The flat backside wall alleviates bounce when we were using the shoulder strap. We also appreciated the water-resistant exterior pocket, which is easy to open and close. We miss the top handle, but the two side grab handles are robust and ergonomic. The wide opening is great for quick, easy access, and the leakproof seal prevented melted ice from dripping out (and also prevented rain from seeping in during storms). The cooler didn’t take up too much space in the backseat, either.
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.
When testing soft coolers, we focused on performance, capacity, and how comfortable each is to carry. If you want a soft cooler for under $25, check out the Ozark Trail Soft Sided Cooler. When it comes to cold storage, the Ozark Trail did decently, keeping its interior cool for 38 hours. However, the quality of its webbing feels on the thin side and the straps are less comfortable than others on this list. Performance issues aside, this Coleman soft cooler is easy to store and easy to carry, and a fine soft cooler option for day trips or hikes. In terms of keeping things cold, this Coleman soft cooler fell to the back of the pack of the soft coolers we tested.
We periodically checked, making notes regarding melt rate, condensation, and leaks. Each reported time is based on when 100% of the ice was converted to water. But when traveling outdoors, these controlled variables disappear and the ice will likely melt faster. We took this cooler on a two-person, 3,400-mile road trip from Colorado to Washington for ski mountaineering followed by ocean surfing.
Then we packed it again with drinks only, fitting 12 cans plus ice. After several hours at the beach on an 80-degree day, only about a third of the ice had melted, and everything inside was still perfectly cold. Not only that, but it proved to be leakproof, showing no signs of drips when we flipped it upside down with melted ice inside. 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).
The REI Trail Pack is one of our favorites for fully loaded distance missions, offering all the comfort of a backpacking backpack with its perfectly padded weight-bearing waistbelt. Though not completely waterproof, we still find ourselves reaching for its straightforward functionality and above-average insulation time and igloo water cooler time again. The most inexpensive cooler we generally recommend is the Arctic Zone Titan. It’s surprisingly easy to use and handy for infrequent use at a bargain price. This rigid cooler doesn’t fold down, and its footprint is rather large. That said, with a full load of groceries, its bulky size can be awkward to carry.