The Best Soft Coolers of 2024

We’ll always have a spot in our gear closet for a hard cooler, but soft coolers have proven to be just as essential. They weigh less and are easy for one person to grab and quickly transport from the deck to the truck bed.

There’s a broad range of sizes and softness in soft coolers. Some of these designs are actually very rigid, stout, and stackable, such as the YETI Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler. Others are fully collapsible and pliable, like the REI Co-op Pack-Away Soft Cooler, and we celebrate the space-saving option for storage.

For day-long roams, weekend adventures, road trips, or running errands, these soft coolers kept our provisions chilled without weighing us down. At the end of the list, read the Buyer’s Guide or jump to the Price & Value summary. Still weighing your options? Consult our Comparison Chart to see how ski pants stack up. Otherwise, scroll through to see all of our recommended buys for 2024.

Editor’s Note: We updated our Soft Coolers buyer’s guide on October 25, 2024, with the Yeti Hopper M15 Tote, Orca Wanderer 24, and Icemule Impulse.

The Best Soft Coolers of 2024

• Best Overall Soft Cooler: YETI Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler
• Best Budget Soft Cooler: Arctic Zone Titan Bucket Tote
• Sturdiest Soft Cooler: Orca Wanderer 24
• Best Large Soft Cooler: Snow Peak Soft Cooler
• Best Collapsible Design for Storage: REI Co-op Pack-Away Soft Cooler
• Best Soft Cooler Tote With Bike Attachment: ICEMULE Impulse
• Best Soft Cooler Ice Retention: Yeti Hopper M15 Tote

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Soft Cooler Comparison Chart

Scroll right to view all of the columns: Price, Size, Capacity, Weight, Ice Retention Test.

Soft Cooler	Price	Size	Capacity	Weight	Ice Retention Test
YETI Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler	$250	14.3″ x 10.7″ x 12.0″	12L	1,361 g (3 lbs.)	~3 days
Arctic Zone Titan Bucket Tote	$53	15″ x 10″ x 13.5″	33L	816 g (1.8 lbs.)	~3 days
Snow Peak Soft Cooler 38	$185	19″ x 12.5″ x 12.5″	38L	1,724 g (3.8 lbs.)	~2.5 days
Mountainsmith Takeout	$30	8″ x 9″ x 6″	7L	363 g (0.8 lbs.)	~21 hours
REI Co-op Pack-Away Soft Cooler	$55	10″ x 11″ x 15″	32L	680 g (1.5 lbs.)	~2+ days
ICEMULE Impulse	$100	11″ x 4.25″ x 9″	4.5L	Unavailable	~1.5 days
Yeti Hopper M15 Tote	$300	20.3″ x 16″ x 9.2″	17L	2,268 g (5 lbs.)	~4 days
Orca Wanderer 24	$250	15″ x 10.5″ x 15.25″	24L	Unavailable	~3 days
Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote	$150	12.2″ x 20.5″ x 7.8″	18L	1,134 g (2.5 lbs.)	~2.5 days
RTIC 20 Can Soft Pack Cooler	$99	13.5” x 9.5” x 13.75”	12L	1360 g (3 lbs)	~3 days
Booe 30L Waterproof Insulated Tote	$200	22.5″ x 14.38″ x 8″	30L	975 g (2.15 lbs)	~2.5 days
Mountainsmith Sixer	$35	11″ x 11″ x 6″	12L	499 g (1.1 lbs.)	~25 hours
REI Co-op Cool Haul Soft Cooler	$100	14″ x 11″ x 11″	15L	1,415 g (3.12 lbs.)	~2.5 days

How We Tested Soft Coolers

Our team has developed cooler guides year after year, objectively testing dozens of soft, hard, and backpack coolers in the field, from whitewater raft trips to fly fishing adventures and music festivals in the mountains.

Our Expert Testers

Lead tester Morgan Tilton, Senior Editor specializing in Snow Sports Buyer’s Guides, coordinated five studious gear testers to adventure with and examine the soft coolers in this guide from ultrarunners and ski mountaineers to fly fishing and whitewater rafting guides. With that test team, she wrote the original soft coolers and backpack coolers buyer’s guides that were first published in 2022.

Dedicated outdoor enthusiast Constance Mahoney explores trails, goes fly fishing, and crews 100-mile races: She knows when to invest in high-quality gear and when budget-friendly options will do the job. Constance has been a GearJunkie contributor since 2019, after she reviewed outdoor gear for FitnessTravelGear.com for two years.

Gear tester Makena Gross is the assistant ski patrol director, and a ski and bike patroller, at Brian Head Resort, alongside teaching Wilderness Medicine courses. While adventuring throughout the Southwest, Groos took these coolers on a multitude of activities ranging from day trips to the lake to go fishing and swimming to multiday road trips. Gross always tests the coolers across a range of conditions. 

Our Testing Grounds

Our crew took these coolers through myriad conditions from summertime park BBQs to camping in Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, guiding fly fishing sessions on rivers, and road-tripping to ski mountaineer in the Pacific Northwest.

Our Testing Process

For this soft cooler guide, we examined the most popular, innovative, highly acclaimed, and bestselling products with diverse storage and carry capacities, ice retention ability, and across a price spectrum.

We also performed a controlled in-house ice retention test to verify brand claims. For the experiment, we filled each pre-cooled cooler approximately 70% with fresh, frozen cubed ice and set them in a shaded, dry indoor space at a steady average of 65 degrees.

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. This data provides a benchmark. But when traveling outdoors, these controlled variables disappear and the ice will likely melt faster.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Soft Cooler

Storage Capacity

Choose a soft cooler based on the storage capacity and type of support you need for the load. A super malleable product like the Snow Peak Soft Cooler might not be the best for carrying dozens of heavy cans compared to a more rigid design like the Orca Wanderer 24.

The larger the group, the more cargo space you’ll need. The soft coolers in our guide range from the Mountainsmith Takeout, which can fit six cans, to the 38L Snow Peak Soft Cooler. Most of our choice soft coolers are either larger (30 L to 38 L) for group multiday trips or more compact (12 L to 19 L).

Compartments & Pockets

Other than the main storage pocket, which typically has an insulated liner inside, there are plenty of other pocket and storage features to consider when choosing a soft cooler to fit your needs. 

Some coolers like the Booe 30L Waterproof Insulated Tote only have the main storage compartment with no other pockets or mesh liners to put extra objects in. However, this cooler offers dry side storage with the ability to take out the liner where you can add items in between the exterior shell and the liner.

Other coolers such as the RTIC 20 Can Soft Pack Cooler have an additional exterior zip-up pocket that fits small items, like your phone, keys, and wallet, and is waterproof for extra safekeeping. Some soft coolers even have a mesh pocket that may hold a water bottle nicely. 

You may also see coolers with a hitchpoint grid, like the YETI Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler, which has daisy chain loops that you can clip your keys, other carabiners, or straps to for additional items or maybe secure your cooler down on the boat.

Weight

The weights of soft coolers are typically reflected by their size and capacity. The smallest design in our guide is the Mountainsmith Takeout, which weighs less than a pound. The heaviest soft cooler is the 5-pound Yeti Hopper M15 Tote, which has a 17L capacity and the best ice retention.

Even the heaviest soft cooler in our guide is lighter than a hard cooler. For comparison, the YETI Tundra 45 Cooler weighs 23 pounds, and the RovR Products RollR 45 weighs more than 37 pounds.

Soft Cooler Shape

Soft cooler totes are long, slender, and streamlined against your side. They’re comfortable to carry over a shoulder. However, taller coolers get trickier with access to buried items, so you have to be mindful when packing the cooler.

Soft coolers that are wider or more bucket-style are easier to access, as far as finding a specific item. But, they can feel more cumbersome to carry over a shoulder. Coolers with a broad, flat surface that rests against you can help absorb that swing and bounce.

Boxier coolers can be easier to stack — as long as the walls and base are rigid — while sleeker coolers can more likely slip behind a seat in your car. Shorter, more compact coolers are easier to fit in tight spaces on a boat.

Soft Cooler Materials

A soft cooler’s materials include the exterior, insulation, interior liner, and handles. A range of top closures exist, the most common being waterproof and leakproof zippers or non-waterproof and leakproof zippers.

We pay attention to that variable to know if a cooler needs to always be upright. Some unique closures don’t allow leaks. Other coolers have magnetic seams, like models made by YETI. Welded seams also help prevent leaks.

Soft coolers may have shoulder straps — which are typically removable — buckles, attachment points, and interior or exterior pockets. Some pockets have durable, waterproof zipper closures, but many are not weather-resistant or secured with a closure.

The quality of materials influences the waterproofness, durability, insulation value, and whether or not the face fabric produces condensation. The materials also determine the comfort, breathability, support, and overall cost.

Recycled Materials

Certain soft coolers, like the REI Co-op Cool Haul Soft Cooler, are made from recycled materials, offering eco-conscious options for your outdoor excursions.  

Straps & Handles

Handles and straps are constructed with a variety of materials. Some are more ergonomic, comfortable, and durable than others.

Most soft coolers have side or top handles, two straps that swing up to secure together above the cooler, or a removable shoulder strap. A bunch of designs have a combination of handles and straps, too. For coolers on the larger side, like the Yeti Hopper M15 Tote, it’s key to have padding on the hand or shoulder straps for comfort while carrying a fully loaded cooler.

In our testing, we liked the wide, soft material of the two swing-up straps on the Snow Peak Soft Cooler.

The handles on the Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote were a great length and easy to slide over one shoulder.

Soft Cooler Base

The base of a soft cooler can play a significant role in the integrity of your cooler. A strong base keeps your cooler walls from collapsing, while a flimsy base could result in the walls caving in.

Another factor is how well-insulated the base is. A thicker, more insulated base can keep your contents cooler for longer while it is sitting on a hot truck bed, dock, or boat.

Both the RTIC 20 Can Soft Pack Cooler and the YETI Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler are more box-shaped and have a thick, sturdy base that provides stability and insulation support.

Tote-style coolers including the Booe 30L Waterproof Insulated Tote have welded seams on the base that prevent leakages and keep the cold insulation from escaping.

Ice Retention

We completed our ice retention test with controlled variables. Each soft cooler was stationed indoors at around 65 degrees, shaded, and filled with the same ratio and type of ice.

Ice Retention Test Results

• Yeti Hopper M15 Tote — 96 hours
• YETI Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler — 72 hours
• RTIC 20 can Soft Pack Cooler — 72 hours
• Orca Wanderer 24 — 70 hours
• Arctic Zone Titan Bucket Tote — 70 hours
• Booe 30L Waterproof Insulated Tote — 60 hours
• REI Co-op Cool Haul Soft Cooler — 60 hours
• Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote — 60 hours
• Snow Peak Soft Cooler — 60 hours
• REI Co-op Pack-Away Soft Cooler — 57 hours
• ICEMULE Impulse — 36 hours
• Mountainsmith Sixer — 25 hours
• Mountainsmith Takeout — 21 hours

For a variety of conditions, the soft coolers in this guide provide enough cooling power to serve a range of recreation needs.

When you use a cooler outside, many factors influence a pack’s ice retention, including the frequency of opening the cooler, direct sunlight, and ambient temperature. For instance, the REI Co-op Cool Haul Soft Cooler preserved ice for 60 hours during our test but only for 18 hours during one toasty car camp trip.

Extra Features & Attachment Points

Soft coolers come with various attachment points and other features to enhance functionality. That includes hard clip points, daisy chains, webbing straps, and bungee cords for carrying extra gear. The ICEMULE Impulse offers unique straps that can be used to attach it to bike handlebars. Many models also feature reflective logos and built-in bottle openers.

For organization, some of these soft coolers offer extra storage options — both inside and on the exterior — that’s perfect for stowing items like phones, keys, chapstick, or utensils. Also, padded customizable straps like the ones on the Igloo Pursuit Tote are comfortable yet removable when not being used, and you can switch to utilizing a hand strap.

However, it’s worth noting that many soft coolers lack tiedown points, which could be particularly beneficial for river adventures or motorcycle trips. Having this feature would provide additional security for your gear while on the go.

How to Properly Pack a Soft Cooler

The best way to pack a soft cooler is to pre-chill it. This simple step can make a significant difference in keeping your food and drinks cold. You can pre-chill the cooler by placing ice packs or crushed ice inside for a few hours to maintain a low temperature.

After a pre-chill, begin with a layer of ice at the bottom, followed by your food and drinks. Pack these tightly to minimize air space, which helps keep everything cold. Overall, you want a ⅔ to ⅓ ice to food/drink ratio.  

Place heavier items at the bottom and lighter ones on top, grouping similar items for easy access. This will not only keep your cooler organized but also make it easier to find what you need. Utilize any external or internal pockets for small items like utensils, keeping them separate from the main contents.

Once packed, ensure the cooler is closed up completely to minimize air exposure and prevent temperature loss. Fill any extra space with contents, because air speeds up the ice melt. If needed, you could pack crumpled paper or small towels to take up air space.

Try to avoid frequent openings — as each time you do, cold air escapes, raising the temperature inside. Ideally, when you arrive at your destination, place the cooler in the shade on a cool surface to help maintain its temperature and prevent the acceleration of ice melt.

How to Care for Your Soft Cooler

Some soft coolers have materials that are mildew-resistant and antimicrobial like the interior liner of the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler. YETI also treats the interior and exterior of its Hopper Flip soft coolers to be mildew resistant, which helps with keeping your tote sanitary while extending the life of the product. 

Between uses, you can clean the interior of a soft cooler with a sponge, lukewarm water, and standard dish soap. You can wipe down the exterior and zipper, too — don’t miss the feet and bottom, which touch ground surfaces. Let the interior completely air dry or use a towel to wipe down before zipping shut for storage. 

The most airtight, temperature-regulated, and waterproof soft coolers boast burly zippers that take hand grease to open and close. A handful of brands even send you home with zipper lubricant, like RTIC and YETI. 

For instance, YETI advises applying the lubricant to the front and back of the zipper including the teeth and seal. RTIC says to add a couple of drops, and then open and close the zipper a few times. The moisturizer can be applied every 6 months to help protect the zipper teeth — around the time you head in for an oil change. Easy. 

Price & Value

The price of a soft cooler is reflected by the size, durability, quality of materials, design features, and ice retention.

Checking the tags, the prices of soft coolers in our guide range from the $30 Mountainsmith Takeout, which is the smallest cooler, to the Orca Wanderer 24 ($250) or with the YETI Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler ($250) with top-shelf ice retention.

Budget

Plenty of soft coolers are fairly comfortable to use and reliable (as long as it’s not too sunny or scorching hot out) in the less-than-$100 category. Those choice designs include a range of designs such as the Mountainsmith Takeout ($30), REI Co-op Pack-Away Soft Cooler ($55), and Arctic Zone Titan Bucket Tote ($53).

Mid-Tier

Soft coolers in the medium price range include the Snow Peak Soft Cooler ($185), REI Co-op Cool Haul Soft Cooler ($100), ICEMULE Impulse ($100), and the RTIC 20 Can Soft Pack Cooler ($99). The well-constructed, premium Hydro Flask Day Escape Tote is available at a moderate price ($150).

Premium

You’ll also find the Yeti Hopper M15 Tote ($300) at the premium end, which unsurprisingly had the queen hours for ice retention at 96 hours of stay power. The volume is on the larger end for soft coolers, and the attachable shoulder strap is really sleek, durable, and comfortable, plus there’s an exterior pocket and ample attachment points for accessories.

With average ice retention but waterproof prowess, the Booe 30L Waterproof Insulated Tote ($200) is near that high-tier price, too, and offers a greater amount of volume and space compared to smaller soft coolers on our list. Also, this tote’s liner is removable, so the piece can double as a dry bag.

Frequently Asked Questions