The 10 Best Soft Coolers of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

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If you’re in the market for a lightweight cooler that’s easy to carry and store, these soft coolers are for you.

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Travel + Leisure

Soft coolers are the unsung heroes of campouts, road trips, picnics, and beach days where portability is paramount. Like hard-sided coolers, they can be durable enough to last for years, but they’re more lightweight and far easier to store. Soft-sided coolers also come in an array of styles and sizes ranging from oversized lunch bags you can fit in the office fridge to waterproof backpack coolers that float alongside your boat, plus wheeled coolers so big they can fit enough food and beverages for a large family.

We put dozens of coolers to the test everywhere from hiking trails to the beach to determine the best soft coolers on the market. We evaluated each based on performance, durability, value, and even style. Whether you’re looking for the perfect soft cooler to take to the park for a quick picnic, the beach for a full day of sun and fun, or on a weekend camping trip, here are the best soft coolers.

From the chic fabric to the shiny hardware, patterned lining, and even the satisfying way it cinches closed, everything about this cooler looks and feels luxurious.

Ice retention lasts about 12 hours, so this isn’t the best option for overnight trips.

At first glance, this classy cooler from Stanley looks like an personal item bag. It features the same hinge-top opening that makes packing and unpacking a breeze. This cooler won us over thanks to its design and high-quality construction. It’s the ideal size for a two-person picnic, and, even when fully loaded with a six-pack of soda, a large container of food, and a bag of ice, it was comfortable to carry.

We loved the removable (and adjustable) shoulder strap, but you also have the option of toting it around by its padded top handles or attaching it to a larger cooler (or anything with a telescopic handle) via the handy luggage pass-through. You can also stash anything you don’t want in the main compartment in the zippered front pocket. In terms of insulation, we found it to be better than some hard-sided coolers we’ve tested. After leaving the cooler out for more than 12 hours at room temperature, the ice had melted, but all of the contents were still cold to the touch.

The Details: 13.8 x 9.1 x 13.4 inches | 2.07 pounds | 18.9 liters | Recycled polyester

Between the side grab handles and the telescopic handle, it’s easy to maneuver in different environments.

The wheels and bottom bumpers scuff and scratch fairly easily.

Coleman has been keeping campers comfortable, and safe, for more than 100 years, and we love this wheeled cooler for many reasons. For starters, it’s so portable that you don’t need to use a lot of strength in order to get it from point A to point B. While we wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as durable enough for off-roading adventures, it’s well-equipped to handle a summer of heavy use on paved surfaces.

We also found it to have decent ice retention. Despite opening and closing the cooler several times while using it at the beach, there was still a good amount of ice left by the time we got home. While most soft coolers don’t have removable plastic bins, this one is an overachiever—not only does it have one, but it’s stain-resistant and resists the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew.

The Details: 20 x 13.25 x 13.25 inches | 7.2 pounds | Polyester

When it comes to comfortably carrying heavy loads, the shoulder strap that runs diagonally (versus running straight down the middle of the cooler) is a total gamechanger.

It’s almost big enough to warrant having wheels, so don’t be tempted to pack it full unless you’re ready to lift some serious weight.

Looking for the perfect cooler for a family of four? Say no more. The Engle HD30 High-performance Soft Sided Cooler Bag has you covered. It’s so big, in fact, that you may wish it had wheels. That said, it features a variety of straps, so you have several ways to carry it. And thanks to the strategically placed side handles, it’s convenient to lift and set atop tailgates and picnic tables alike. We also loved the welded seams: even when we tipped the cooler—which had standing water in it—upside down, there was very minimal leakage, and it was all via the zipper. In terms of insulation, we couldn’t ask for better. We noted approximately 50 percent of our ice was still frozen after 24 hours of use.

The Details: 18 x 22 x 11 inches | 5.25 pounds | 35 liters | Thermoplastic urethane

With its sturdy freestanding frame, it’s a hybrid cooler marrying the best features of both hard and soft coolers.

It could definitely benefit from an interior pocket or two to keep items separate.

What the Carry Out Soft Cooler lacks in bells and whistles, it more than makes up for in durability and stability. Even on the bumpiest roads, its compression-molded base is designed to stay upright, and its semi-hard shell prevents contents from being crushed or squished. If you need to transport a five-layer ice cream cake or other delicate cold foods, look no further.

Capacity-wise, it holds up to 38 cans or enough food, drinks, and ice for a picnic for 4-6 people. Like other coolers we tested, it has both a removable crossbody strap and top handles. What makes it unique, however, are the beautiful hues—including contrasting limited edition colors—you can choose from.

The Details: 16.14 x 11.81 x 14.57 inches | 2.75 pounds | 20 liters | Recycled polyester

It’s super light and can be used as a square cooler or a tote cooler.

We wish it had a bit more protective padding.

Igloo’s Latitude Snapdown 36-can Cooler is best described as an oversized insulated lunch bag. While it’s not the most stylish, it is ideal for those looking for something functional, affordable, and versatile. Thanks to the snaps on the sides, it can take on a square shape or, if you prefer a wide mouth opening and need more room, don’t snap it down, and use it in tote bag mode.

While it’s not the kind of cooler that will survive getting dragged on the ground year after year, it surprised us with how well it resists normal wear and tear. While ice started to melt after around 30 minutes of sitting in a hot car, it didn't leak, and even after all the ice had melted, the cooler’s contents were cold to the touch.

The Details: 15.93 x 12 x 8.45 inches | 2.7 pounds | Recycled polyester

The bottle opener is a nice touch, and the colorways are stylish and help the bag stand out.

While this cooler fully collapses, the foldability is not as intuitive as it could be.

When fully collapsed, RTIC’s best-selling Everyday Cooler takes up about as much space as a box of cereal making it easy to store in tight spaces. That said, when expanded, it’s big enough to hold plenty of food, drinks, and ice for 2–3 people. While RTIC recommends using this cooler with its ice packs (sold separately), we tested it with ice cubes and didn’t notice any melting until after 8 hours of storing it at room temperature. Even after 17 hours of use, only half of the ice had melted. In addition to the attached bottle opener—a great bonus we ended up using more than expected—this cooler boasts built-in organization including a zippered front pocket for keys or cards, mesh side pockets for napkins, and two interior lid pockets big enough to stash utensils.

The Details: 11 x 8 x 10.5 inches | 2 pounds | Polyester

This cooler’s padded handle is incredibly strong and makes lugging the cooler an easy process.

We wish it had pockets to keep small items organized.

The Snow Peaks Soft Cooler 38 is large and in charge, best suited for groups of four or more. Like other collapsible bags we tested, it comes folded up, so you can immediately see how easy it is to store when not in use. The double zippers make it convenient to open and close (but keep in mind that they’re not leakproof), and Snow Peak’s claim that the outer fabric repels heat checks out. We never noticed any condensation on the outside of the cooler, even after a two-hour picnic on a sunny day.

The Details: 19 x 12.5 x 12.5 inches | 3.8 pounds | 37.8 liters | PVC polyester

This cooler is so impenetrable we filled it with food, swam with it in the ocean, and didn’t taste a hint of salt water.

The zippers are so tight they come with zipper lubricant, which we recommend reapplying often.

Puncture-proof, leakproof, UV-resistant, mildew-resistant, and designed to keep ice frozen for days (if you follow Yeti’s instructions), the Hopper Flip 12 is the soft cooler that can withstand anything you throw at it. It’s so durable and well-insulated, in fact, that like a high quality pair of leather gloves, it has a break-in period. While it’s at least twice as expensive as most coolers of this size, we found that the durability and design is well-worth the price. We threw it on rocks at the beach, checked it in a suitcase, and tried to submerge it in water (spoiler alert: it floats).

The Details: 14.3 x 12 x 10.7 inches | 3 pounds | Double thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)

The roll-top design makes it easy to compress down when you’re not carrying much.

It only has one main compartment and could benefit from a stash pocket or two.

As far as hands-free coolers go, it doesn’t get better than IceMule’s Pro Cooler 23L backpack cooler. Thanks to its generous padding on the back and straps, we had no complaints when it came to comfort and weight distribution. Like the Yeti Hopper Flip 12, it floats, making it a favorite among boating and water sport enthusiasts. It also has an elastic bungee cord on the outside of the bag where you can store items you need easy access to like sunscreen or a sunhat. The bag kept the contents of the bag cold for at least 24 hours and we only noticed a few drops of water leaking out.

The Details: 14 x 11 x 21 inches | 3.2 pounds | 23 liters | Dual-layer tarpaulin

It’s incredibly portable and can double as a beach tote, too.

We wish it came in more eye-catching colors and summery prints.

This is easily the most stylish cooler bag we tested, so you can use it as a stylish tote or lunch bag. We filled it with ice and drinks and took it to the beach where even after four hours of use, the ice cubes were still frozen. The inner lining also passed our waterproof test, and we were pleasantly surprised with this cooler’s capacity given how compact and lightweight it is. It expands further when you undo the side buckles and use it as a tote bag. Two exterior pockets, including one with a secure zipper. add even more storage.

The Details: 12.5 x 10.5 x 8 inches | 1.65 pounds | 17 liters | Polyester

Below are a few coolers that were close contenders, but had minor flaws that may be better suited for your travel needs.

Hydro Flask 26L Day Escape Tote: This handsome tote from Hydro Flask is big enough to fit a veggie tray; however, its waterproof zipper does leak a bit.

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Monti the Mayfly 14L Cooler: While this ultralight (it weighs just 14.7 ounces) backpack cooler compresses down to fit in its included stuff sack, it’s not watertight or ideal for carrying dense items.

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dbest Ultra Compact Cooler Smart Cart: We love that this wheeled-cooler breaks down for easy storage, but it’s made of a cloth that’s tricky to clean and has a tendency to collapse in on itself if it’s not more than half-full.

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We rigorously tested dozens of soft coolers covering a variety of categories in real world settings over several weeks. While some factors, such as weather and cooler contents, varied, all testers packed their coolers with food, drinks, and ice, using the coolers multiple times. We filled each cooler with a combination of 50 percent ice cubes and 50 percent food and drinks. Ice-to-water ratios and content temperatures were noted approximately every two hours throughout each day of testing.

We also rated each cooler on attributes ranging from capacity to portability and quality of materials used including fabrics, handles, straps, zippers, and pockets. In addition, we looked for leaks, and cleaned the coolers in between uses while noting scratches, scuffs, and other signs of wear and tear. These coolers made multiple trips to the beach, were used at ball games and park picnics, got tossed on rocks and manhandled by toddlers, and a few coolers even spent time in saltwater. While they all passed our initial tests, we’ll continue to test them for the next six months and update this list accordingly.

Travel + Leisure

If you’re the kind of traveler who appreciates an ice cold beverage after a 10-hour road trip or a full-day out on a boat, emphasis on the word “ice,” you’ll need to zero in on insulation above all other features. Look for soft coolers that make claims pertaining to ice retention and/or emphasize that their products keep contents cold for a matter of days, not a matter of hours. Typically, the thicker the insulation, the colder the contents. If you’re only planning on using a soft cooler for half-day adventures, you probably don’t need to shell out big bucks just to be able to brag about how long it takes for ice in your cooler to turn into water.

A soft cooler you can’t carry is about as useful as a match you can’t light. While it’s easy to equate capacity with value, keep in mind that the more you can fit in your cooler, the more you’re going to have to carry in, and out. Fortunately, today’s soft coolers come with a variety of straps, handles, and wheels that make transporting them easier than ever. Think about whether you’ll be toting them alone, across long distances, and over uneven surfaces.

Soft coolers come in a range of sizes—if you primarily plan on using your cooler to carry food, you may not need as much room as you’d need if you plan to transport cans or bottles. That said, if you use a lot of food containers, you may want to opt for a soft cooler that is versatile and can expand into a tote if more space is needed.

Soft coolers are designed to be used with ice or ice packs. If you’re concerned about leaking, store your ice cubes in watertight bags for a homemade ice pack. That said, some brands, such as Yeti and RTIC, say their coolers perform better when used with their hard, reusable ice packs (usually sold separately).

Depending on what they’re made of, how well they’re built, and what they’re used for, soft coolers can last for a matter of days, or a decade. Generally speaking, the more you pay, the longer the cooler will last. If you want a cooler that lasts for multiple seasons, look for soft coolers that are made of high-density fabrics that claim to be UV-resistant, puncture-proof, and waterproof.

Soft coolers are usually better for travelers who prioritize portability. They’re more lightweight and often collapse down so they’re easier to store. In addition, there are more ways to comfortably carry them. Choose from a backpack, tote bag mode, over-the-shoulder style, or a wheeled version. On the other hand, hard coolers tend to keep contents colder for longer, and they are far more durable making them a better option if you plan on spending a lot of time outside in the elements.

For this story, Katie Jackson relied on her 35 years of experience using coolers at home in Montana and on the road while camping everywhere from Botswana’s Okavango Delta to Greenland’s largest ice cap. She keeps at least six coolers in rotation at all times for use in different scenarios. For this article, she utilized her own experience as well as insights from T+L testers.

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