I’ve Hauled Soft Coolers From Peak to Sea—Here Are the Best Ones

Our Top Pick

RTIC Soft Cooler 20 Can

$115 $85 at Amazon

The Outdoors Soft Pack Cooler can handle just about any adventure in any weather. RTIC uses the closed-cell foam of a hard-body cooler to line a soft shell for the best of both styles. A coated exterior, sealed seams, and tightly fitted waterproof zipper keep the cooler’s contents dry if you lash it to a kayak or stand-up paddleboard and prevent slowly melting ice from leaking onto your car’s seat on a hot day. The cooler actually floats in water, so you can take it on a lazy river tubing day or retrieve it easily if it goes overboard.

Sturdy stitching attaches a pair of handle straps to the cooler’s front and back, and easy-release clips let you snap on the adjustable shoulder strap for hands-free transport. This model comfortably holds lunch and drinks for two with plenty of ice or up to 20 cans of your favorite beverage. It’s relatively heavy for its size, so keep that in mind as you load it—and especially if you decide to scale up to a 30- or 40-can model (it comes in a 12-can size, too).

Allstar Jenny Aleman de Bolaos loves this cooler for its durable, waterproof design and exceptional cold retention performance. After loading the cooler up with ice and cans on a 90°F day, the internal temperature remained “impressively cold” at 30.2°F after one hour and 33°F after five hours—even colder than the initial reading of 36.6°F.

“I found the cooler's simple design easy to transport and clean,” she says. “The leakproof design makes it float, which is a great feature for water activities. Even with its medium size, it stores easily in small spaces. Overall, the design is a winner.”

Although the zipper required extra effort to open and close at first, RTIC includes a zipper lubricant that does the trick. Once closed, the cooler forms a complete seal that keeps everything inside waterproof.

The Details: 13.5 x 9.5 x 13.75 inches; 20-can capacity; 3 pounds

Best Collapsible

CleverMade Eco Pacifica 30-Can Collapsible Cooler

$40 at Amazon

Soft coolers come in two general shapes: a solid cube that takes up the same space, whether full or empty, and a bag that squishes down or lies flat when emptied but wobbles when packed. CleverMade presents a midway solution with its Eco Pacifica cooler. The cooler collapses flat and even has an elastic strap to keep it tidy. Once expanded, side hinges lock into place, and a metal top rim holds the mouth wide. The zipper slides easily along this rim as you close the lid.

This cooler trades the thicker insulation of some brands for a light, empty weight, yet it feels sturdy when fully loaded. The side hinges can release if you lean on it, but they easily snap back into place. A stiff baseboard keeps the contents from sagging, and four small feet further protect the durable exterior material from rough ground. The cooler sits steadily on all sorts of surfaces, from a cobbled beach to a rocking boat. The main body, including the water-repellent shell, is made of recycled materials.

At a 30-can capacity, it’s one of our larger picks, yet you can bump that up to a 50-can model or choose an 18-can design.

The Details: 15 x 10 x 13 inches; 30-can capacity; 1.7 pounds

Best Splurge

Yeti Hopper Flip 18 Insulated Cooler

$300 at Amazon View on Yeti $300 at REI

YETI coolers are known for three things: durability, ice retention, and high price. So, if you’re going to splurge on a soft cooler, consider the Hopper Flip—and look for a sale.

The Hopper Flip 18 holds 20 cans with sufficient ice, making it a great size for lunch or after-work beverages. Closed-cell rubber foam helps keep everything inside cold for hours. The zipper is leakproof—and so sturdy that the company includes lubricant and recommends reapplying it after every cleaning.

The zipper runs around a flat-top lid that flips fully open, giving you complete access to the cooler’s contents and making it easy to drain and clean at the end of the day. The heavy-duty fabric on the outside has UV protection and mildew resistance to help keep the color from fading or developing unsightly spots over time. Well-padded handles on the top and sides with an adjustable strap, long enough for shoulder or crossbody carrying, make it easy to haul to the park or beach. The only other exterior features are four rows of loops handy for hanging a bottle opener and car keys once you settle on grass or sand.

In tests, this cooler boasted even better insulation performance than our top pick during a river tubing trip on a 92°F day. Even after five hours, the internal temperature remained at 30°F, and the ice was still intact. After leaving the cooler outside on the patio overnight, the inside temperature had only risen to 32.4°F. It was also surprisingly lightweight to carry despite its rugged design.

“While the price tag might be steeper than some competitors, the quality and features you get in return are truly top-notch,” says Jenny. “If you're looking for a cooler that will keep your food and drinks cold for days on end, even in extreme conditions, then the YETI cooler is a great investment.”

The Details: 17.7 x 11.5 x 12.8 inches; 20-can capacity; 5.1 pounds

Best Small

REI Co-op Pack-Away 12 Soft Cooler

$40 at REI

REI has made a name for itself as not just an outdoor gear store but also for its own thoughtfully designed products. The Pack-Away 12 has many of the features standard in small soft coolers: a durable exterior, insulated liner, and multiple carrying options. Then it adds some extras, like a reinforced bottom, multiple attachment points for the adjustable shoulder strap, several daisy chains, and an external pocket for bonus storage. Recycled materials are used for the exterior shell, while the seam-sealed liner minimizes leaks—although REI says the zipper is not leakproof.

The most unique feature is the cooler’s origami-style shape. As an empty bag, the cooler lies completely flat, making it easy to store. If you clip the bottom corners partway up the side, it becomes a freestanding tote. Once you’ve closed the wide zippered top, you can clip the top corners down, creating a 12-can-shaped rectangle. The loops at each corner can be a little challenging to slide over the clips, especially when the cooler is full, but they stay secure once in place and help stabilize the walls. The design also comes in 6-can and 24-can sizes.

Although the portability and smaller size are definite advantages, Jenny found it to be less insulating than other options. It was super easy to clean and excelled at keeping its contents chilled for short journeys, so it would be ideal to use as a lunch box, a cooler for a day trip, or something to bring on public transportation. Overall, it offers excellent value for the price. “It fits neatly between car seats, in the trunk, or even on your lap, and its easy access design allows you to quickly grab a refreshment on the go or at any party,” she says.

The Details: 12 x 9 x 9.5 inches; 12-can capacity; 1.3 pounds

Best for Day Trips

Arctic Zone Titan Guide Series Cooler

$65 at Amazon View on Arcticzone.com

The Arctic Zone Titan Guide Cooler holds all the cold food and beverages you need to fuel a day of adventuring. This model is loaded with pockets inside and out, keeping crispy summer beach snacks and an ice pack separate from chilled food. Daisy chains of attachment loops let you clip further items on the outside, essentially creating the “Swiss Army knife” of coolers with everything you need in one place.

Fully enclosed zippered pockets and open-topped mesh pouches surround three sides of the cooler. Only the back panel is unadorned but instead features thick padding for comfort while carrying the cooler over your shoulder. The solid molded base sits sturdily on the ground or in a vehicle, with handy D rings for tying down the cooler before you bump down a dirt road to a trailhead. Two access points let you reach inside: a zip-top lid around the entire perimeter and a thick inset lid secured by hook-and-loop closures. Unfortunately, this easy-access feature prevents the cooler from being watertight.

Allstar Sarah Stone appreciated the magnets in the carry handles and found the cooler to be easy to clean, but noted that the ice melted faster in the 92°F Oklahoma heat than other models. She even exposed it to Oklahoma red dirt, which is notorious for staining anything it comes into contact with. The bottom of the cooler only needed a quick wipe to remove the dirt, though the mesh fabric on the back required more effort to clean.

“This cooler is too small for a larger family, but is the perfect size for a couple or a single person,” she says. The 16-can model has about 12 liters of interior space, making it well-sized for personal day use. For a larger party, upsize to the series’ 36-can model or 30-can backpack-style design.

The Details: 13 x 10 x 12.75 inches; 16-can capacity; 2.29 pounds

Best for Lunch

Lifewit Thermal Cooling Bag

$22 $19 at Amazon

If you're looking for a lunch-size cooler more suited to the office than the backcountry, Lifewit has you covered. The exterior water-resistant fabric comes in several muted colors, from gray to wine red or statement-making patterns like leopard, all offset by black straps and trim. The padded top straps and adjustable shoulder strap make the cooler comfortable to carry.

Inside the cooler, the plastic and foil lining covers insulative foam, helping to keep cold food chilled and hot food warm. Lifewit says the material and seams are leakproof, and fabric and liner can simply be wiped clean. The large model has a 15-liter capacity, which fits up to 24 cans. A smaller 12-can model and jumbo 40-can model are also available and just as affordable.

According to Sarah, this cooler has a more straightforward design than others, with fewer crevices for water to get trapped in. Beyond the cooler space, this soft-sided lunch box features a wide front zippered pocket and two mesh side pouches, letting you tuck away utensils, dry goods, and even your cell phone. It can even be flattened and packed in a suitcase.

It also performed well in the trunk of her 100°F car. Despite starting with room-temperature beverages, she was “shocked” to find the ice barely melted after two hours. “The cooler is so lightweight the bulk of the weight will only come from the items you place in the cooler,” she says. It's easy to open, roomy enough for the essentials, and can be transported easily.

The Details: 11.8 x 9.1 x 9.1 inches; 24-can capacity; 13.8 ounces