best soft coolers for the beach

Engel HD30

The biggest and best insulated tote here, and the one to reach for when you are feeding a whole group out of a single bag. OutdoorGearLab rated its insulation second only to the Yeti M20 and praised the waterproof exterior, the sturdy end handles and a zipper that seals without being a fight to open. The trade-offs are bulk and price: access is awkward, and their testers noted that even with a friend helping, a fully loaded HD30 is not the bag you want to haul a mile down the beach.

Yeti Hopper Flip 18

A boxy top-zip cooler that is easy to load and unload, and it floats, which matters if it ends up in the surf. OutdoorGearLab found the insulation good rather than exceptional and liked the adjustable shoulder strap and the hard-wearing shell. Two complaints come up repeatedly: the waterproof zipper takes real effort to pull, and the price is steep for how much it actually holds.

Yeti Hopper M20 Backpack

The best insulated soft cooler in OutdoorGearLab's test group, scoring a perfect 10 on insulation and keeping drinks cold well past every other bag they measured. It is built to be carried a long way, with a padded harness and a shell their tester said beads water like a rain jacket. The catch: it is the most expensive bag here, the magnetic top buckles are genuinely hard to clasp when it is packed full, and it has no outside pockets.

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze 30

The budget pick, and a sensible one for a casual beach day. Its zipperless flip-top lid scored the highest of any cooler here for day-to-day convenience in OutdoorGearLab's testing, and it comes with more small features than the price suggests. They marked it down for durability and noted it is not watertight, so it suits occasional weekends better than hard weekly use.

IceMule Jaunt 15

A light roll-top pack for one or two people that is unusually well insulated for how little it weighs. OutdoorGearLab found it floats, wipes clean easily and folds flat when empty, and their tester said the buckle is far less arduous to work than the Yeti's. It is expensive for its size and there is very little outside storage, so it suits a solo day at the beach more than a family outing.

AO Coolers 24 Pack Canvas Cooler

OutdoorGearLab's pick for most people: simple, light for its size, and roughly half the price of the premium bags. The plain zipper is much easier to work than the stiff waterproof ones, and the bag folds flat for storage. Neither the zipper nor the canvas is waterproof, though, so it is a poor choice if it will sit in wet sand or take a wave, and testers wished the shoulder strap were longer for taller people to wear cross-body.

RTIC Backpack 30

A large waterproof backpack that floats, at roughly half the price of the comparable Yeti, which is why it comes up so often as the value pick for a beach day. OutdoorGearLab rated its insulation among the stronger performers and liked that a waist strap takes weight off the shoulders on a long carry. It is bulky to store, and their testers noticed pressure points on the back when it is packed heavy.

Engel Roll Top BP25 Backpack

A rigid roll-top backpack among the largest bags here, meant for hauling a group's drinks and food in one trip. It stays upright on its own instead of slumping, and OutdoorGearLab rated it near the top for durability with solid insulation behind it. Their testers disliked that it has no hip strap, so a loaded pack rides awkwardly on the waist, and that roll-top access is fiddly when you only want one drink.

IceMule Pro 33

A big waterproof drybag cooler that floats even loaded, which is what makes it a real beach-and-boat bag rather than a picnic one. It carries as a backpack and swallows more than its size suggests. OutdoorGearLab cautions that it only seals properly if you get enough rolls in and every roll costs you capacity; they also found it uncomfortable against bare skin and wished it had carry handles.

Sparter 30-Can Backpack

The cheapest way into a backpack cooler and the lightest bag in this table, which counts for more than people expect when you are crossing soft sand. OutdoorGearLab found it fits more cans than advertised and carries comfortably on padded mesh straps. It is clearly the compromise on performance: insulation is mediocre, the fabric is not water-resistant and wets through fast, and their testers had durability concerns.

CleverMade Pacifica Collapsible Bag 30

A collapsible bag made from recycled materials that folds down to almost nothing, so it stores in a trunk or a closet without claiming a shelf. It holds a surprising amount for what it weighs and costs. OutdoorGearLab rated it middling on insulation and noted it is not water-resistant, which makes it a good pick for a short afternoon rather than a long day in direct sun.

RTIC SoftPak 20

RTIC's entry-level soft cooler: waterproof construction, a watertight seal and good straps. OutdoorGearLab came away underwhelmed, finding that it looks the part but its insulation only matched much cheaper bags in their testing, and flagging both an awkward shape and some durability concerns. Worth a look if you specifically want a sealed bag at a mid price, but the AO canvas and the Arctic Zone give you more for less.

IceMule Classic 15

The most basic of IceMule's roll-top bags, and the one most people picture when they say floating cooler. It is genuinely waterproof, it floats, it packs down small and it comes in a lot of colors. OutdoorGearLab is blunt about the limit: insulation is mediocre and they would not trust it to keep contents cool for more than a few hours, so treat it as a short-trip bag.