The 12 Best Soft Coolers of 2022, Tested by TripSavvy (2023)

TripSavvy's Pick

Yeti officially replaced its infamous Hopper BackFlip 24 (more on the BackFlip below) with the Hopper M20 this spring, and overall, we'd say it's an upgrade. First, the M20 has the same insulation bona fides as its predecessor. We placed a small bag of ice in it with a few cold beverages, and the ice didn't fully melt till 30 hours later in temperatures around 70 degrees. Even with the ice fully melted, our drinks remained cool for about 48 hours.

Yeti ditched the zipper for a magnetic closure, which is the most prominent and noticeable upgrade. We're all for it. If you've used a Yeti cooler—or a similar one from another brand—you probably know how tough it is to open and close the zipper, especially during the first few months of use. Sure, Yeti includes the zipper lube, but it can still be a pain. We love how easy the magnetic closure works. The additional clips add some protection—we shook it upside down, tossed it down a steep hill, and didn't have any issues with objects flying out of the top.

We also dig the M20's weight and size as it's lighter and sleeker than the BackFlip, making it easier to pack into a vehicle and tote around. Our minor nitpick is there are no waist or sternum straps (which undoubtedly helps cut down on the weight). Longer approaches aren't as comfy without the weight distribution from waist straps, in particular.

Still, Yeti continues to nail the cooler game. We love this cooler and appreciate it's at a bit more accessible price compared to the Hopper BackFlip.

Capacity: 18 cans with a 2:1 ice-to-can ratio | Size: 18.5 x 9.5 x 18.75 inches | Weight: 4.8 pounds

If you're looking for a collapsible and durable option at a more affordable cost, we highly recommend the Icemule Classic. It isn't as comfortable on the back compared to Yeti's Hopper BackFlip. 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.

Icemule uses a proprietary material it calls "MuleSkin" for a tough outer layer. That's combined with another proprietary insulation called a "PolarLayer." And while Icemule claims that combo will keep ice solid for up to 24 hours, we found that wasn't the case. Still, we don't think you can find a better soft cooler on the market for its cost.

Capacity: 12 cans including ice | Size: 10.25 x 10.25 x 18 inches (closed) | Weight: N/A

While pricier options like Yeti outperform cheaper alternatives, the amount of time many people use soft coolers is so short it’s hardly worth the expense for the extended performance. If your drinks need to stay cold until the end of the game, do you need ice to last for three days?

This MaxCold soft cooler from Igloo may not be a status symbol, and it won’t keep ice for days, but it’s a solid soft cooler from a longstanding cooler brand that doesn’t break the bank. The soft exterior holds a removable stiffer insulative liner that provides some structure and gives you confidence that your sandwiches won’t get crushed the second something bumps up against the cooler.

The 1.12-gallon volume holds about a dozen 12-ounce cans, so it’s a great size for lunch for a small group. Unlike more expensive, multi-day soft coolers, which can weigh 5 pounds or more, this Igloo offering is light: under a pound, making it easy to grab and go.

Capacity: 4.5 quarts | Size: 10.5 x 10.75 x 7.75 inches | Weight: 0.95 pounds

The beach can be one of the harshest environments for coolers: direct sun, high temperatures, sand, and water. Unfortunately, most beach tote-style coolers are not serious coolers and prioritize aesthetics over function. Thankfully, Orca’s Walker looks sharp and delivers cooling performance in an over-the-shoulder soft cooler tote. The cooler has a build like an inflatable paddleboard with welded seams, a rugged rubberized bottom, and a stiff canvas hide. The thick insulation also gives it structure, so while it’s soft and flexible enough to carry, it protects contents and stays rigid.

While we tested during cooler fall temperatures, the Walker delivered days of ice retention versus the hours we got from flimsier bag-style soft coolers. Those times would be shortened in direct sun and high temps, but the thick walls of the Walker are more than enough for a day at the beach. In our lab, the temperature inside the tote actually dropped 8 degrees between two hours and 24 hours after filling it with ice.

It’s tall enough for wine bottles and can carry about 18 cans with ice, but it’s not so big you hate to carry it, and it only weighs 3.6 pounds empty. We also loved the magnetic handle closure.

Capacity: 18 cans with ice | Size: 15 x 9.5 x 15.25 inches | Weight: 3.6 pounds

Drink slingers; look no further. Most soft coolers focus on toting cans and measure their capacities in can increments. However, the RovR KeepR focuses on mixology with an open-top bar cart soft cooler designed to mix drinks away from home, whether at camp on the beach or on a boat. Unlike most soft coolers, the KeepR is more of a cocktail caddy built around the IceR double-wall stainless steel ice bucket. Adjustable pockets not meant for cold-retention encircle the IceR. However, we recommend buying the sold-separately ChillR ice pack inserts, which slide into the compartments for keeping bottles cold for shorter periods.

While the KeepR is an excellent drinks caddy, it’s also a perfect picnic option as you can still tote ice for cold drinks but use the compartments for utensils, dishes, and food for two or a small group. RovR even sells small SnackR food containers that fit neatly into the IceR, which can keep food either hot or cold. Our testers liked how the ice consolidated in the center helped even out the weight and noted it was comfortable to carry by hand.

Capacity: 10 liters | Size: 12 x 11 x 11 inches | Weight: 5 pounds

Dry bags are a staple of river trips, as are heavy, bulky hard-sided coolers. The Icemule Pro essentially combines the two into an insulated, durable dry bag perfect for a day on the water. Like a good dry bag, the Icemule Pro has a roll-top closure that it claims will not let water in or out and allows you to trap air inside for extra insulation. Our testers noticed a bit of a leak from the roll-top closure when inverting the cooler. It also has the added benefit (significant on the water) of making the bag float.

The IceMule Pro doesn’t deliver multiple days of extreme ice retention, but it’s enough to get you through a single hot day. When emptied, it’s much more collapsible than stiffer softer coolers meant to retain ice for multiple days—an important feature when conserving space in a boat or on a pack. Stiffer soft coolers are not collapsible and take up the same amount of space regardless of whether they’re in use. We tested the extra-large 33-liter size and the 23-liter large size, which is probably plenty for most people’s day trips. While perhaps not its most exciting use, we also found the Icemule Pro a great addition to grocery trips to keep refrigerated and frozen items cold in my vehicle.

Thanks to the padded straps and chest and hip straps, carrying it around was comfortable, and the weight was distributed evenly. Our testers also liked the spout for draining water.

Capacity: 23 liters | Size: 17 x 14 x 11 inches | Weight: 3 pounds

The RTIC Soft Pack Cooler has a similar feel and look to a Yeti cooler but comes in at a more accessible cost. And there's not much difference in performance for the RTIC. A 2-inch closed-cell foam boosts the insulation—it only raised about 11 degrees between two and 24 hours of having it filled with ice during our lab test (compared to about 7 degrees for the comparable Yeti we tested).

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.

Capacity: 12, 20, 30, and 40 cans | Size: 12 x 10 x 8 inches | Weight: 2 pounds

Like RTIC, Orca has taken the soft cooler design many people associate with the Yeti Hopper and made it their own. Besides the fact it looks almost identical to Yeti's Hopper, it's got the same beefy construction with massive walls for insulation, burly denier on the outside, and an attachment system. But Orca has added innovations like the magnetic split handle and some newfangled welding adopted from whitewater craft construction. The result is one of our favorite coolers we tested that could probably be dropped from a five-story building with minimum damage.

Despite looking like a Yeti—and having thicker insulation on its lid (by half an inch)—it didn't quite have the same performance as the Yeti Hopper. At the end of our 24-hour ice test, the Orca had no remaining solid ice while the Yeti had some. And where the Yeti's inner temperature increased by about 6 degrees over 24 hours, the Orca's went up by about 13 degrees. Still, if you're looking for a cooler that has the aesthetics, design, and durability of a Yeti but don't want to spend quite the amount (we don't blame you), the Orca is a solid alternative.

Capacity: 20 cans | Size: 14.5 x 11 x 13.25 inches | Weight: 3.6 pounds

The Yeti Hopper Flip series is a classic line of soft coolers. Yes, it's expensive. But as long as you don't drop it off the south rim of the Grand Canyon, you're likely to have this cooler for a very, very long time. We had no problem filling the cooler with 20 cans and plenty of ice. And not surprisingly, it had some of the best ice retention and coldest temperatures at the end of our 24-hour test. The Hopper Flip's inside temperature only raised by about 6 degrees over 24 hours, thanks to Yeti's closed-cell insulation, for which it's become infamous.

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 leak-proof 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).

We've taken this cooler and Yeti's BackFlip 24 on many fishing and fly fishing trips. We like the Hopper Flip because of its size and ability to keep drinks cold all day, even in the warm sun. It's the perfect companion and size for a group of three or four to have a few cans each throughout the day.

Capacity: 20 cans | Size: 10.75 x 13 x 16.25 inches | Weight: 5.1 pounds

We didn't throw this backpack cooler off the side of a mountain (yet), but we probably could, and it'd be fine. Icemule's Boss Backpack Cooler is incredibly rugged and has some serious insulation. "The design reminds me of a single big backpack that people use for backpack travel," is how one of our testers put it. Icemule uses proprietary fabrics, welded seams, and extra-padded straps to make this one heavy-duty yet comfortable backpack. Our testers loved this pack's comfort compared to other large backpack coolers, thanks mainly to the extra padding and chest and waist straps.

While the Boss is very durable and comfy to carry, it didn't do as well in ice and cold retention compared to Yeti's Hopper BackFlip backpack cooler. Some 24 hours after we put ice in the coolers, the inside temperature of the Boss increased by 19 degrees compared to just 7 degrees in the Yeti. And where the Yeti still had about half of its ice frozen, our testers reported only about 20 percent of the ice placed in the Icemule stayed frozen.

Still, this is the one for you if you're looking for a cooler that will keep your drinks and food cold—and your shoulders and back comfortable—while going on a day hike.

Capacity: 24 cans | Size: 12.5 x 9 x 25 inches | Weight: Not listed

We love the Titan Deep Freeze cooler from Arctic Zone for car camping and picnics. Besides having some of the best cold-retention (more on that in a bit), the Titan has some excellent features helpful to picnic organization. We dig the "HardBody" liner that comes out of the cooler and can serve as a shelf or table. We like the side mesh pockets to store utensils, napkins, or other picnic items that do not need cooling. And we like the bottle opener.

But what impressed us most was the cold retention of the Titan. 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. Still, we didn't find a much better option for your picnic outings.

Capacity: 30 cans | Size: 12.25 x 8 x 12.25 inches | Weight: 2.9 pounds

Polar Bear's Original Nylon Soft Cooler was one of the most portable and best at cold-retention among all coolers we tested. Our testers loved the short handles on top of the bag and included shoulder strap. "It feels like a large tote bag and carries like one," is how one tester put it. The inch of high-density insulation worked very well in our cold-retention test as the temperature inside the cooler only increased by about 2 degrees over 24 hours, and only about half of the ice melted during that same timeframe.

One potential issue, especially when transporting for lunch, is the cooler leaked a bit from the zipper. We recommend avoiding holding it upside down when possible. Four tie-down points on the cooler will help with that during transport in a vehicle.

Capacity: 12 cans | Size: 20 x 15 x 6.5 inches | Weight: 2 pounds

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are soft coolers as good as hard coolers?

  Hard coolers usually deliver the best cold-retention as they often have extra-thick walls, rigid construction, and solid seals. Soft coolers are popular because they provide cold-retention in a more user-friendly format with coolers that are more flexible, lighter, and easier to carry. Many can be worn as a backpack or slung over a shoulder. Heavy-duty hard coolers usually need wheels or two people to hold them and are limited in how far you can travel without a vehicle.

  Neither type of cooler is “better.” Hard coolers work well when you need long-lasting cooling and don’t need to carry them much more than a hundred yards. They’re also great to double as seating when car camping or boating, unlike soft coolers, which are usually just bags. Soft coolers are “better” if you need something lightweight or just want something more straightforward and don’t need a week-plus of cold retention. Some soft coolers are collapsible, making them ideal for constrained journeys where space is at a premium and can be conserved by compressing the cooler when not in use.

• Do soft coolers leak?

  Good ones don’t! Most modern soft coolers have watertight zippers and seals, and openings that close with robust mechanisms. Most quality soft coolers also use materials and construction that avoid seams and junctures that could provide opportunities for leakage.

  Still, the durability prize goes to hard coolers, so if you have zero tolerance for leakage and want to abuse your cooler and still get leak-proof performance, consider a hard cooler for your needs.

The 12 Best Backpack Coolers of 2022