The 9 Best Soft Coolers of 2024 Tested & Rated

Learn about the products you’re wondering if you should buy and get advice on using your latest purchases. It doesn’t have a drain plug so emptying it of water can be a hassle. A vapor lock can form that requires you to open the drain plug to open the lid. Actively engages with the outdoor community to continually improve and tailor products to real-world needs.

These are perfect for sticking your cell phone, keys, wallet, or anything else that you don’t want to get potentially cold and/or wet in the insulated area. As is typical of most other cooler brands, the smaller coolers will utilize an overhead carrying handle while the larger coolers will stick to traditional side rope handles. We will go into more detail about the specific features later in this review. In addition to this, Ozark Trail also has some ozark trail chair more mainstream designs for those who are simply on a tight budget and looking for a product to pack their lunch or picnic in. It won’t go for days, but this backpack cooler is more than capable of keeping your picnic cool until it’s time to roll out the picnic blanket. This highly rugged cooler is designed to withstand scrapes and jabs, ensuring it remains in top condition.

It features two sturdy nylon handles at the top of either side of the pack and a handle between the top of the backpack straps on the back area. Meanwhile, the IceMule Jaunt 15 was our favorite adventure pack of the ones we tested. While the straps are not as comfortable as other coolers, they are adjustable, and you can carry the shoulder straps or dry bag rollover top, too. The RTIC Backpack 30 is another favorite for sheer carrying comfort. It features padded carry handles and a comfy over-the-shoulder sling. The bag felt surprisingly secure, with no contents jostling around.

The weather was in low 90s during the test, the coolers were in full sun for most of the morning, and we opened them several times throughout the day. The ice melted in the Coleman in 39 hours and the Ozark Trail in 73 hours. The water turned warm in both coolers fairly quickly after the ice melted. The lower-end can models take a very traditional approach in styling. Also, there aren’t a lot of colors to choose from (3 is the maximum we have found for a particular model). The tote and cooler backpack look much more progressive but are limited to just one color choice.

But if you are on a tighter budget, the Ozark Trail Cooler might also cut it as it is a very good cooler – but the ice may not resist as much as in the case of YETI. Yeti introduced a magnetic closure in 2022, which ozark cooler offered a huge improvement on the former zipper closure but also introduced its own complications. The bag is now significantly easier to open but also more difficult to keep open. Yeti seems to have added some bridging support to help hold the bag open, but those magnets simply want to be together. The Canyon Coolers Outfitter 55 Quart Cooler is all but indestructible for longer camping and rafting trips if you don’t mind giving up a bit of interior space for thicker insulation.

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. We wish the shoulder strap was longer for cross-body wear for tall users, but average and small users likely won’t have complaints. Lastly, this model lacks the high-end look of the more premium models in our test, but that may not matter to you.