If the first signs of spring have you planning hikes and other outdoor adventures, you'll want a soft cooler for snacks and drinks. Even if you're not wearing said cooler on a 3-mile hike, you'll probably end up lugging it around for a while. We tested the best soft coolers of 2026 to find easy-to-carry options that keep contents genuinely cold and are as tough-wearing as the best hard coolers .
In this story
Depending on where you're going and the size of your group, you may not need more than a budget-friendly soft cooler, or you may want a top-of-the-line bag that withstands a ton of wear and tear. After researching hundreds of options, my fellow home editors and I gathered 12 highly rated soft-sided coolers (including backpack coolers ) in Yahoo's New York City office. We spent days stuffing them full of ice and drinks, taking their temperatures, hauling them on our backs and shoulders and generally beating them up to assess their comfort, durability, ice retention and value. Once we narrowed down the pool to the top six, we sent them out to editors across the country for field testing. Our team took these soft coolers on hikes in the Colorado Rockies, on a trip to Bear Lake in Utah, to the park in New York City and beyond.
Best soft coolers of 2026
Amanda Garrity/Yahoo
Capacity:13 L | Material:Coated vinyl | Dimensions:13.4"W x 14.6"H x 10.6"D | Weight (empty):4 lbs. | Features:Zippered pocket, flat lid, removable shoulder strap | Waterproof:Yes
What we liked:This model from Rtic looks similar to the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 soft cooler, but costs about one-third the price. It has a generous capacity — in our office testing, we were able to squeeze in two more cans than the brand promises. After letting the ice in the cooler melt, we flipped it upside down and found it fairly leakproof, aside from a few errant drops of water.
Gifting Editor Amanda Garrity , who tested this cooler in the field, says, "I live in New York City, so I don't necessarily have space for a big, hard-sided cooler. The Rtic got me through summer, and I love that it doesn't take up a ton of space in the offseason."
In the office, we filled each soft cooler halfway with ice and a layer of room-temperature cans of different drinks. After 24 hours, we took the interior temperature of the cooler — the Rtic clocked in at 29°F, one of the lower (i.e., better) readings. Garrity found its ice retention impressive: "I schlepped it to Central Park for picnics with friends, used it to keep drinks cold at cookouts in our courtyard, and even brought it along on road trips to the lake. It looks just like its competitors (you know the ones). Seriously, my friend thought it was a Yeti!"
Minor criticisms:The zipper on this cooler doesn't glide smoothly, so it can be difficult to open and close. "Sure, it's rugged and all, but it takes some elbow grease to actually zip it closed," explains Garrity. "It often got stuck, but I was able to zip/unzip with extra force." Make sure to use the included zipper lubricant to help move things along.
- Fits two more cans than the brand promises
- Keeps food and drinks impressively cold
- Easy to carry
- Easy maintenance: wipes clean in seconds
- Designed to float
- The zipper is tough to use
- Wasn't completely leakproof in our testing
Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo
Capacity:24 L | Material:Low-density polyethylene | Dimensions:7.5"D x 10.5"W x 16.93"H | Weight (empty):1.5 lbs. | Features:Insulated outer pocket, bungee cord for added storage | Waterproof:No (but it is water-repellent)
What we liked:If you're going out for more than three hours in the heat, you want to be able to carry snacks and drinks comfortably and keep them cool. Are you going to carry 24 cans at once? Probably not, but that's the brand's capacity promise, and we were able to fit about 20 cans in the bag with ease.
This Titan backpack cooler is perfect for toting food and drinks for two to four people. I took it on a couple of hikes in Colorado, one with significant elevation gains and one without. On both days, it was truly easy to wear throughout all types of terrain. I wasn't dying to take it off, and it made me feel like a bit of a rockstar — I rationalized that it was just like wearing a weighted vest on those demanding physical days.
The backpack has an insulated lining that wipes clean easily, plus an insulated outer pocket, mesh side pockets and a bungee cord for strapping towels or other essentials to the pack's exterior. When we checked the cooler in the office to see how cold drinks were after 24 hours, it was among the top contenders, clocking in at 28.6°F.
Did I mention the price? It's about $50, which is $150 less than the other top-rated backpack coolers on the market.
Minor criticisms:Though Arctic Zone claims the lining is leakproof, it says the zipper is not. Our testing confirms this: The bag leaked when we flipped it upside down while filled with melted ice. But if you use re-freezable ice packs, this isn't an issue.
- Keeps drinks and snacks cold all day
- Lighweight
- Padded back and straps
- Numerous storage pockets
- Affordable
- Llimited lifetime warranty
- Leaked melted ice from zipper when flipped over
- Water-repellant but not waterproof
Kris Scott/Yahoo
Capacity:30.3 L | Material:Thermal plastic urethane (TPU)-laminated nylon | Dimensions:11"D x 22"W x 18"H | Weight (empty):5.25 lbs. | Features:Zippered outer pocket, detachable bottle opener, removable shoulder strap | Waterproof:Yes
What we liked:When we tested the Engel in the office, we found that after 24 hours, its ice retention was the best of all the soft coolers, with about one-third of the cubes still frozen. The Engel also passed our leak test with flying colors, so we weren't surprised that Commerce Editor Kris Scott was a fan after field testing. "I wasn't disappointed," she says. "I used it on some pretty hot days in Utah while vacationing with multiple families, and I loved that I could fill it with everyone's drinks and keep them ice-cold."
About that capacity: The brand says the HD30 can hold 60 cans; in our testing, we could fit only 51 (without ice). Still, it should be big enough for many groups, and it's tall enough to fit wine bottles.
The polyurethane construction makes it rugged and easy to keep clean. Even after a few days at the lake, Scott reports it looked good as new after a quick wipe-down. This cooler offers a lot of carting-around options: an adjustable shoulder strap, top handles (that you can Velcro together) and side handles. Says Scott, "All its many straps feel well-stitched and like it would take a lot for anything to unravel — and trust me, I yanked the heck out of them on multiple occasions to make sure."
Minor criticisms:Like with many soft coolers we tested, the zipper can be frustratingly hard to use — but Engel does provide a lubricant. Scott adds, "Because of the rigidity of the opening and the jet-black interior, it can be tough to find what you're looking for inside the cooler."
- Keeps contents incredibly cold
- Feels indestructible
- Easy to clean
- Leakproof in our testing
- Zippered outer pocket
- Difficult zipper; must be kept oiled
- Dark interior makes it hard to see what's inside
Janelle Randazza/Yahoo
Capacity:20 L | Material:Polyester | Dimensions:8.47"D x 18.52"W x 18.12"H | Weight (empty):2.6 lbs | Features:Exterior loops for extra storage, chest strap | Waterproof:Yes
What we liked:The sleekest backpack cooler we tested is also one of the most comfortable to wear, with a generously cushioned back and straps. This makes it one of our top picks for camping. "It's incredibly easy to carry," raved Commerce Editor Janelle Randazza , in her review .
Hydro Flask says this pack can fit 36 cans without ice; in our office testing, it fit more like 30. But we still found its capacity generous, with room for plenty of food and drinks and even a wine bottle or two. There's a helpful mesh side pocket for keys or a phone, and grab handles on the top, so you can tote it around even if you don't want to wear it.
Hydro Flask is known for its insulated products (and, in fact, the brand makes our top-tested water bottle of 2026 ), so we had high hopes for its ice retention. Although this bag didn't stay as cold as some of our other picks, we still saw some ice chunks when we opened it after 24 hours. Four days later, although the ice had melted, the interior temperature was slightly cooler than that of most of the competitors. For what it's worth, the brand claims the bag will keep contents cold for 36 hours.
Randazza was impressed with its durability, materials and build: "It feels like scuba suit material and holds up really well when dragged across sand or rocks. My kid helpfully did both." She also appreciated the quality of all the components. "I've seen this type of zip closure, these types of straps, etc., elsewhere, but Hydro Flask seems to have done it all the best. It's a well-made beast, but still lightweight."
You can easily wipe it clean, and it was entirely leakproof, even when we flipped it upside down after the ice melted. There are no grooves or crevices to worry about. It's also a cinch to rinse with a hose.
Minor criticisms:The self-sealing, toothless zipper closure is common in high-end soft coolers. This one takes two hands to seal, though it does so with relative ease and zero puckering (which can be an issue with these types of coolers). We tested the black color, which attracted heat.
- Sturdy toothless zip closure
- Sleek look
- Easy to clean
- Chest strap helps keep weight evenly distributed
- Leakproof
- Zip top requires two hands to open
- Darker colors attract heat and are hotter to carry
Factors to consider when choosing a soft cooler
You'll want to ask yourself a few questions when shopping for a hard cooler, including:
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Does it keep the contents cold?These coolers all kept at least some amount of ice from melting for 24 hours, and the contents stayed cool for even longer. Different brands offer varying levels and types of insulation, with closed-cell foam one of the most effective.
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Is it easy to carry and use?If you're going to load up a soft cooler with ice, cans and food, it should be easy to carry and not too heavy before you fill it. Coolers with adjustable straps can help balance the load — look for both top handles and shoulder straps that are padded with welded seams for durability.
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How will you use it?The name of the game with soft coolers is portability. If you're planning to go only short distances, a standard soft cooler should suffice, but if you're taking it with you on a hike or camping, a backpack-style will feel more comfortable to carry. Soft-sided coolers that are headed to the beach or on a boat should be waterproof, and if you anticipate lots of jostling, make sure it has a leakproof zipper.
How we tested soft coolers
I'm Yahoo's resident cookware expert, and I teamed up with two fellow home editors to conduct two levels of testing, one in the office and one in the wild. To start, we unboxed the soft coolers in our office, inspecting their design, closures and insulation. Our top picks excelled in the following:
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"Can jam" test:If a cooler is described as having the capacity for 24 cans, does it truly hold 24 cans when the average person is packing them in? To check whether each brand's promised capacity was accurate, we counted the number of cans we were able to fit comfortably in the cooler without ice.
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"Mr. Frosty" test:How long does it take ice to melt, and, once melted, how cold do the cans stay? We filled each cooler about halfway with fresh ice cubes, then a layer of room-temperature cans of different beverages. Using an infrared thermometer, we took the temperature inside each cooler after 24 hours and then after five days. Only the coolers that kept the cans the coldest and had the best ice retention made it to the next step.
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"Splash zone" test:Once the ice had melted, we flipped the soft coolers upside down and shook them to see if they leaked.
We then moved the top performers on to the next step, field testing. For this, we asked Yahoo's staff of shopping editors and writers, who live all over the country, to use the coolers in various ways at least a few times over the course of several months. They filled out a rubric with their thoughts, commenting on how easy each bag was to carry, how well it kept its contents cold, how difficult the cleanup was, how durable the cooler was and how easy it was to open and close.
Other soft coolerswe tested
Ninja FrostVault Go 24 Can Backpack Cooler :Yes, this pack is built like a tank and keeps everything nice and cold, but it's not quite as nimble as our top picks. Tester Saundra Latham , Commerce Editor, explains, "It's a breeze to carry while it's empty, but once it's loaded down with ice, food and drinks, it's quite heavy. It's more of a 'toss it on your back and go find a spot for a picnic' cooler than a 'hike with it all day' cooler." That said, she appreciated the separate compartment for snacks and dry items, the padded straps and the thoughtful bonuses, like the integrated bottle opener and expandable mesh pockets on the outside.
Yeti Hopper M20 Backpack: When it comes to temperature retention, this super-pricey ($325) Yeti backpack excels due to its powerful magnetic closure, airtight design and excellent insulation. In our office testing, cans measured a frosty 29.7°F after 24 hours, one of the lowest temperatures we clocked. When our field tester, Executive Commerce Editor Nicole Sforza , stuffed the insulated bag with two family-size packs of raw chicken and loaded it with ice to bring on a road trip during a heat wave, she reported the chicken stayed cold for two full days until she arrived at her rental house. As for cleaning the bag afterward? "So easy. I just wiped down the inside with a soapy paper towel," she said. Read more in her review .
Yeti Hopper Flip 18: Like most Yeti products, this cooler is well-made and well-regarded. It's certainly watertight and durable, but in our ice melt test, after 24 hours, we found that there was but one small piece of ice floating in a cooler full of water. If it were less expensive, we might have advanced it to the round of field testing. For $300, we decided to move forward with other models that had similar builds and sizes, with better results.
IceMule Jaunt Collapsible Backpack Cooler : The IceMule rolls closed, and you clasp the ends together like a traditional wet bag. It's a bit hard to open and get into, and it's not particularly can-friendly. The padded, thick straps are comfortable, but the back is less so. After 24 hours, when the ice melted, water escaped from the ends of the bag when we tipped it over, and it didn't keep its contents as cold as others. It's worth noting that water rolls right off the exterior. We did not advance it to the round of field testing.
Sparter 30 Can Backpack Cooler : The Sparter looks like a regular backpack, but with an insulated lining. It's on the smaller side, but has lots of pockets, a padded mesh back and cushioned straps. It was easy to open and put stuff inside, unlike some of the others, but it leaked when we turned it upside down after holding ice for 24 hours, and it didn't keep its contents as cold. We did not advance it to the round of field testing.
Coleman 30 Can Soft Cooler :This lightweight cooler is easy to carry and to zip and unzip, but it did not fare well in our ice retention test. After 24 hours, all the ice had melted, and the resulting water was about 20 degrees warmer than many of its competitors. For this reason, it didn't make it to field testing.
Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze 30-Can Cooler :We immediately appreciated the ease with which you can open and close this cooler — it has a velcro closure instead of a zipper, which stayed closed even when we dropped it from a high shelf. Unfortunately, this closure rendered the cooler anything but leakproof. It also didn't do well in our ice melt test, so we did not advance it to the round of field testing.
Polar Bear Original Soft 12-Can Cooler :This small cooler can be slung over your shoulder and toted along to an outdoor lunch, but if you're planning to keep drinks cold with ice cubes, we wouldn't recommend it. It didn't do well with ice retention or watertight testing, leaking everywhere. We did not advance it to the round of field testing.
Soft cooler FAQs
What is the best way to pack a soft cooler?
First, you may want to consider chilling the cooler itself (which only works with small coolers) and/or chilling or freezing items you want to bring along. Doing this can help the cooler more effectively chill food and drinks. For sturdiness and to prevent items from getting crushed, layer cans and hard items on the bottom, with food and anything more delicate on top. Some soft coolers have separate compartments for this very purpose.
How do I clean a soft cooler?
We cleaned all of the coolers we tested with a damp cloth and dish soap or outside with a hose, or we did a combination of both. If your cooler has tough-to-clean spots, create a paste by mixing two parts baking soda and one part water, says MaidPro technical trainer Georgette Mintz. Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then use a sponge or soft-bristle brush to remove the paste. The experts at Yeti note it's also important to regularly rinse the zippers on your cooler, so dirt and debris don't build up. To prevent mold and mildew, let the cooler completely dry before closing it up for storage. Avoid folding it, which can damage the zipper.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.
