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We Tested 73 Coolers and These 9 Will Keep Everything Cold For Days

These workhorses will guard your food and drink, and give you peace of mind

Coolers displayed on grass and picnic table with wood fence in background

The Spruce Eats / Henry Wortock

When the warmer months approach, everyone starts planning their outdoor travels. Whether that looks like camping, beach time, park picnics, pool days, or even just hanging in the yard, a cooler is essential for spring and summer hangouts. Coolers also come in handy when entertaining year-round or on long road trips. From lightweight options great for hiking to large rolling models designed to hold beverages for large gatherings, there are coolers of every shape, size, and design to fit your budget and lifestyle.

To help you narrow down the choice that's right for you from all the options on the market, we tested some of the top coolers and compared them side-by-side. We gathered extensive testing insights by loading each cooler with ice and cans to assess capacity and then recording temperature after intervals of time in order to assess their efficacy. And of course, each cooler was rated on its design, insulation, durability, portability, capacity, and value.

Editor's Note

None of the Yeti products on this roundup are part of the March 2023 recall. We will continue to monitor and update our recommendations accordingly.

Best Overall

YETI Tundra 65 Cooler

YETI Tundra 65 Cooler

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4.5/5
  • Insulation
    4/5
  • Durability
    5/5
What We Like
  • Certified bear-proof

  • Perishables will stay cold for days

  • Leakproof

  • Easy drainage system

What We Don't Like
  • Heavy

  • Expensive

Yeti is probably the most famous name in cooler-dom, and it's for good reason. The company's Tundra line of hard-sided coolers are incredibly durable, well-designed, and well-built. They are able to keep all the food and drinks cold for an entire weekend camping trip while also serving as a chair for someone to sit on around the fire. And all models are indeed certified bear-proof by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee—as long as they're padlocked closed. Tundra coolers come in a wide range of sizes, from the day-at-the-beach 35 model to the bathtub-sized 350, but we think that the 65 offers the best balance of size and cost.

Cost is the big downside: Yeti is also probably the most expensive name in cooler-dom. This cooler is a big investment that'll last a long time, but it might only be worth it if you're going to use a cooler a lot. The Tundra 65 is also fairly heavy, especially when filled up, but the heavy-duty polyester handles let two people share the load and move it around more easily. After testing, we came to the conclusion that this cooler would be a good investment, especially if you go tailgating or camping often. As one of our testers stated, "it will keep your beverages and food cold for days. It's well designed, doubles as a table, and holds a ton of drinks."

Overall Dimensions: 30.6 x 17.3 x 16 inches | Carrying Capacity: About 55 quarts, 52 pounds of ice, or 42 cans with a 2:1 ice-to-can ratio | Material: Polyurethane foam insulation, UV-resistant polyethylene exterior

Yeti Tundra 65 Cooler

The Spruce Eats / Henry Wortock

Best Budget

Igloo Retro Picnic Basket Cooler

Igloo Retro Picnic Basket Cooler

Igloo

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4.5/5
  • Insulation
    4.2/5
  • Durability
    3.7/5
What We Like
  • Insulates well

  • Easy to carry

  • Fun design

What We Don't Like
  • Smaller capacity

  • Not for heavy-duty use

With an old-school picnic basket shape in neon colors straight out of the '90s, this cooler looks super fun. It might not be sized to feed a group for a full camping trip, but it is perfect for a day at the beach or a music festival. And for a small, cheap cooler, it performed amazingly well: a cooler full of ice and 11 cans stayed at 33 degrees for a full 24 hours.

That insulation performance is extra surprising considering how light the cooler is. It's just made of hard plastic, which cracked when dropped. That didn't render the cooler useless, but a few more dings and cracks would; it's not a great choice for heavy use.

Overall Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 13.1 inches | Carrying Capacity: 25 quarts, 23 pounds of ice, or 11 cans with a 2:1 ice-to-can ratio | Material: Plastic exterior

Igloo Retro Picnic Basket Cooler

The Spruce Eats / Henry Wortock

Best Wheeled

Yeti Tundra Haul Cooler

Yeti Tundra Haul Wheeled Cooler

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4/5
  • Insulation
    4/5
  • Durability
    5/5
What We Like
  • Certified bear-proof

  • Keeps contents cold for days

  • Easy to roll and steer

  • Extremely durable

What We Don't Like
  • Expensive

  • No lifting handles

Yeti makes fantastic coolers. They're durable, well-constructed, and insulate their contents amazingly well. They are, however, priced accordingly. Like the Tundra 65, our overall winner, the Tundra Haul was able to keep nearly two dozen cans ice-cold for a full 24 hours without any trouble, but it's got a folding handle and set of wheels for easier transport. The one-piece plastic "Neverflat" tires are designed to be impact- and puncture-resistant and can handle rocky trails, grassy parks, potholed tailgate parking lots, and bumpy docks with ease. (Yeti states that sand won't damage the wheels but admits that they might not roll well on the beach.)

This cooler is made with the same insulation, lid design, and cold-lock gasket as the rest of the Yeti Tundra line, and performed equally well in our tests. It’s virtually indestructible—absolutely strong enough to use as a chair with no damage—and the handle is a durable welded-aluminum arm with comfortable grips that tucks flat into indentations in the side. We found that the curved design tracks left or right for easy steering and the turn radius is excellent. Besides the sky-high price tag, the only real downside is that it doesn't have any carrying handles: It's easy to wheel into place, but lifting a full cooler onto a table or tailgate is a bit of a pain.

Overall Dimensions: 28.3 x 18.6 x 19.5 inches | Carrying Capacity: About 58 quarts, 55 pounds of ice, or 45 cans with a 2:1 ice-to-can ratio | Material: Polyurethane foam insulation, UV-resistant polyethylene exterior

Yeti Tundra Haul Cooler

The Spruce Eats / Henry Wortock

Best Soft

RTIC Insulated Soft Cooler Bag

RTIC Soft Pack 20-can Cooler

RTIC

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Insulation
    5/5
  • Durability
    5/5
What We Like
  • Excellent cold longevity

  • Leakproof

  • Durable

  • Floats in rivers and lakes

What We Don't Like
  • Heavy when full

The RTIC Insulated Soft Cooler Bag looks like a Yeti cooler, but comes at a lower price. We tested the 30-can version in our Lab (there are also options for 12, 20, and 40 cans), but to make more room for ice, we scaled down to 20 cans instead. Considering the contents, this cooler is fairly large and does get heavy, so it isn't the easiest to tote around. We just wouldn't suggest taking it on long excursions, as it comes with just two handle carrying straps and one shoulder strap. That said, there is a 20- and 30-can backpack version with a padded and ventilated back panel, shoulder straps, and waist straps that we also tested and rated highly.

As far as insulation goes, the RTIC features 2-inch closed-cell foam with a puncture- and tear-resistant liner to keep drinks nice and cold. After filling it with soda cans and ice, we left it to sit in our 70-degree Lab. After 24 hours, the temperature had only risen 11 degrees from our original temperature reading the day prior (compared to about 7 degrees for the similar Yeti we tested). About 20 percent of the ice remained, as well. And while you likely won't be getting rough and rowdy with this cooler, we did toss it off a tabletop to test its durability. Not only did it survive the fall with flying colors, but it also didn't leak a single drop.

Like most zippered coolers with excellent insulation and a leakproof design, the zipper on this cooler can be a little difficult to open and close at first, though it does come with lubricant. The super-tight seal and heavy-duty nylon shell even allow you to take this into water, such as lakes, rivers, and pools—every RTIC Soft Pack Cooler is designed to float. It's a wonderful option for boating, camping, beach days, backyard barbecues, and more.

Overall Dimensions: 12 x 10 x 8 inches | Carrying Capacity: About 20 quarts, 18 pounds of ice, or 30 cans with no ice | Empty Weight: 4 pounds | Material: Nylon

RTIC soft insulated cooler

Tamara Staples / The Spruce Eats

Best Backpack

RTIC Backpack Soft Cooler

RTIC Backpack Soft Cooler

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Insulation
    4.5/5
  • Durability
    5/5
What We Like
  • Large capacity

  • Comfortable to wear

  • Leakproof

  • Amazing cold retention

What We Don't Like
  • Water bottle holders can become worn and rip

Taking your things with you on the go? RTIC has a backpack for that. The company’s soft-sided cooler backpack can hold 30 cans and a bag of ice. Designed to keep your perishables cold for days, it features an easy-access zipper on the front, allowing you to grab a drink or snack without having to stop and dig around. Additionally, it floats, so you can take it along with you on pool and lake days.

We found that the zipper was hard to open (this is because of its top-notch insulation and leakproof design), but the included lubricant made the process slightly smoother. The zipper has a durable, T-shaped plastic piece instead of a traditional metal slider, which makes it easier for you to get a good grip and pull the teeth open and shut.

Although this bag can hold 30 cans and ice, we used 20 cans and ice. After filling and leaving it for 24 hours, we were pleasantly surprised to find that just 50 percent of the ice had melted and the temperature had only risen 11 degrees. Plus, the wide rectangular opening made for an easy fit of Tupperware or other oddly shaped containers. Despite its large size, it's also really comfortable to carry, as there is a lot of padding for your shoulders and back on both the straps and the actual cooler. There's also ventilation on the back panel to ward off moisture and a waist strap to help with weight distribution. You won't feel like you have a giant backpack on filled with ice and cans despite, well, having a giant backpack on filled with ice and cans.

There are multiple places where you can attach a carabiner, and the stretchy straps at the front offer additional real estate for storing soft items, such as a small tent, towel, rain jacket, or compact sleeping bag. If you’re someone who loves the outdoors, then this cooler backpack is pretty much right up your alley. You can take it with you from the mountains to the lake—hands-free, at that.

Overall Dimensions: 20.25 x 15 x 10 inches | Carrying Capacity: 30 cans and a bag of ice | Material: 100 percent waterproof fabric shell

rtic soft insulated backpack cooler

The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples

Best Portable

Engel Heavy-Duty Soft Sided Cooler Bag

Amazon / Engel HD30 Waterproof Soft-Sided Cooler Tote Bag

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Insulation
    4/5
  • Durability
    4.5/5
What We Like
  • Spacious capacity

  • Multiple handles

  • Waterproof

What We Don't Like
  • Pricey

For a large and easy-to-transport cooler, look no further than this Engel 32-quart bag. It's equipped with not only an over-the-shoulder strap, but top and side handles as well for added convenience. Plus, our tests proved that this bag is capable of holding up to 60 cans, which is great for large gatherings.

Made with foam-like insulation in the interior, this cooler also has a drainage plug and bottle opener. We also appreciate the waterproof material and zipper, which ensures no leakage. In fact, it is such a sturdy zipper that they include lubrication with the cooler to help it budge.

One thing to note is that this cooler can get rather heavy when filled up completely. Although the spacious size of the bag is ideal for holding a mini bar fit for a party, it also means the weight can get uncomfortable when carrying for long periods of time.

Overall Dimensions: 20.5 x 9.5 x 17 inches | Carrying Capacity: 30 quarts | Material: Thermoplastic Polyurethane

Engel 30

The Spruce Eats / Henry Wortock

Best for Quick Meals

Polar Bear Coolers Original Nylon Soft Cooler

Polar Bear Coolers Original Nylon Soft Cooler

Amazon

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Insulation
    5/5
  • Durability
    5/5
What We Like
  • Well-insulated

  • Easy to carry

  • Heavy-duty construction

What We Don't Like
  • Small capacity for price

  • Leaks from zipper

A cooler's insulation can just as easily keep hot food hot as it can cold food cold. This highly portable soft bag is ideal for bringing a meal to a potluck or anybody in need of hot sustenance, whether it be a new parent or a sick relative. The cooler can also keep food and drinks cold for a day hike, be used if you want to prep ingredients ahead and cook later elsewhere, or it can just keep your beer refreshingly cold for a day of fishing.

Polar Bear's soft cooler is well-constructed, using the same kind of nylon and stitching as you'd find in fancy soft-sided luggage, and it's got both a pair of handles and an adjustable shoulder strap to make carrying easy. It's also one of the rare coolers that actually held the number of cans advertised—ice included. The bag was able to keep cans cold (44 degrees) for 24 hours, though not quite under the USDA's recommended food-safe temperature of 40 degrees. It also leaks through the zipper if turned upside down or sideways, so you have to make sure it stays upright.

We found that the design was reminiscent of an oversized tote handbag (with the bonus of thick and effective insulation). The Polar Bear brand makes this cooler in a bunch of different colors and sizes—including a backpack model—so you can also customize your pick to your particular needs.

Overall Dimensions: 14 x 7 x 12 inches | Carrying Capacity: 12 cans with ice | Material: Nylon, high-density foam insulation

Polar Bear Original Nylon Soft Cooler

The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples

Best for Parties

BrüMate 55-Quart Rolling Cooler

BrüMate BrüTank 55-Quart Rolling Cooler

Dick's Sporting Goods

Our Ratings
  • Design
    5/5
  • Insulation
    5/5
  • Durability
    5/5
What We Like
  • Rugged wheels for portability

  • Retains ice and keeps drinks cold for more than a week

  • Has an array of features and fun colors

  • Cheaper than YETI wheeled coolers

What We Don't Like
  • Heavy and bulky

  • More expensive than some YETI hard coolers

For entertaining, you really can’t go wrong with the BrüTank 55-Quart Rolling Cooler. For starters, it comes in a whole host of fun colors, including bright pink and aqua as well as swirly tie dye-like options, that look great sitting in your backyard. 

Where this cooler really stands out, though, is in functionality. Like other high-quality coolers of this caliber, the BrüTank has excellent ice retention. Our tester said there were still cubes of ice in her cooler a week later. More than two weeks later, drinks inside were still relatively cold. The cooler also comes equipped with a built-in tap, so you can serve up a mixed drink like a margarita in addition to whatever beer, wine, and soft drinks you might be housing in the cooler. There’s a built-in bottle opener for convenience, too. 

We also love that this cooler has a slip-proof top that’s great for picnicking. And although it’s on the heavy side—it weighs a staggering 50 pounds without anything inside—the cooler is equipped with a fold-down handle and rugged wheels that make it easy to pull across a variety of terrain, including crushed stone and soft sand. If you're looking for something a bit smaller, BrüMate did come out with a 35-quart version.

Overall Dimensions: 19.5 x 32 x 19.5 inches | Carrying Capacity: About 55 quarts, 40 pounds of ice, or 48 cans | Material: Rotomolded polyethylene

Best Bucket

Yeti Rambler Beverage Bucket

Yeti Rambler Beverage Bucket

Yeti

Our Ratings
  • Design
    4.5/5
  • Insulation
    4.2/5
  • Durability
    5/5
What We Like
  • Large capacity

  • Double-walled insulation

  • Multiple color options

What We Don't Like
  • Lid won't fit with tall bottles

  • Expensive

  • Heavy

Whether it's bottles of chilled Champagne to celebrate a beach wedding, a sixer of cheap beer to bring on the fishing boat, or scoops of crushed ice for fancy cocktails, the Rambler Beverage Bucket puts Yeti's serious insulation power into a very simple bucket. It has a capacity of two gallons, which is enough to hold a 6-pack of beer or three bottles of wine with ice to keep them cold for hours.

The padded handle and secure plastic lid make it easy to bring your beverages from kitchen to backyard to campsite, though the lid won't fit if you have wine bottles (or even tallboy beer cans) inside. Thankfully, the double-insulated sides keep drinks cold and ice frozen more than the lid, so it doesn't affect performance much to leave it off. As with other Yeti products, this one is fairly pricey, though it looks fancy and is available in many colors. It's also fairly heavy for its size.

Overall Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.8 inches | Carrying Capacity: 256 ounces | Empty Weight: 6.7 pounds

Final Verdict

The Yeti Tundra 65 Cooler is our winner because it's leakproof, has an awesome drainage system, will keep food cold for days, and is impervious even to hungry bears. On a budget? We recommend the Igloo Retro Picnic Basket Cooler instead.

How We Tested

To date, we've tested 50 hard coolers and 23 backpack coolers on their capacity and ability to keep drinks cool, as well as several other factors. We measured each cooler's capacity in standard 12-ounce cans, ice, and cans mixed with ice in the recommended one-third-cans to two-thirds-ice ratio, comparing all of those numbers to the manufacturer's stated capacity. After filling the coolers with ice and cans, we measured the cans' surface temperature after two hours and again after 24 hours to test their ability to keep things cool.

We also tested the coolers' durability and construction in a bunch of ways. We turned them upside down and on their sides to check for leaks and poor-fitting hinges. We picked up the coolers and carried them around to assess portability, also testing how wheeled coolers moved and steered with both pushing and pulling motions. We dropped each cooler—fully loaded—off a table onto concrete and checked for damage. And for coolers large enough to serve as a chair, we even sat on them to make sure they didn't buckle or crack.

Other Options We Tested

  • Engel 65 High Performance Hard Cooler: This is a solid cooler with bear-resistant construction and a hefty capacity. And its UV-resistant colors are a plus. However, it lacks wheels, making transport a bit more of a challenge.
  • Cotopaxi Helio Cooler Bag: We love the colorful design of this soft cooler, and the padded shoulder strap makes carrying it a snap. It also did a great job on our insulation test. But there are some issues with construction: The fabric and zipper leaked liquid, and both were heavily damaged in a drop from only table height.
  • Igloo Ecocool Latitude 52-Quart Cooler: This capacious cooler holds a huge amount for its price. We weren't quite able to cram in the 85 cans it claims, but we did manage five dozen. The main problem is that its lid doesn't have a latch or any way of sealing closed. If the cooler gets tipped over, the lid pops right open and spills the entire contents.
  • Polarbox Pop 21 Quart Cooler: This cooler's retro style and pastel color options are attractive, but we found that the top doesn't seal perfectly and leaks liquid, which also made it not perform very well on the insulation test.

What to Look for in a Cooler

Construction and Insulation

Coolers have either hard (metal or plastic) or soft (fabric or vinyl) shells containing insulation. Look for closed-cell foam insulation, as it’s more efficient than open-cell foam, and check that the lid is sufficiently insulated and that it seals tightly when shut.

Hard-shell coolers are typically better insulated, more durable, and keep food colder longer than soft-shell ones. Some are even built certified bear-proof, meaning they are designed to protect your food or hunting-trip hauls from bears and other animals you might encounter in the wilderness. However, hard-shell coolers don't collapse, so they’re harder to store (but sometimes get recruited to serve as extra seating).

Soft-shell coolers are more lightweight. They often feature non-insulated storage on the exterior and can collapse. They usually don't retain cold as long as hard-shell coolers.

Size and Capacity

You'll want to take two things into account: storage capacity and the footprint of the cooler itself. If you're going on a quick day trip or to the grocery store, a capacity of 25 quarts or less will likely suffice—and for soft coolers, that’s about all you’ll be able to comfortably carry. But if you're embarking on a seven-day hiking journey, a hunting trip, or even a tailgating party, a hard-sided option that can hold 50 to 100 quarts or more is a better bet. 

In terms of footprint, consider the following questions: Is the cooler able to fit in your vehicle? And when you're not using it, can you stow it in the garage or the trunk of your car? If soft, does it collapse for easy storage?

Portability

A metal cooler might suffice for a large backyard barbecue, but it could take a beating bouncing around the back of your truck or getting lugged around to various campsites. Think about how you’ll transport your cooler. Look for design elements such as wheels, handles, and shoulder straps.

FAQs

Should you get a hard or soft-sided cooler?

It all comes down to how you're going to use the cooler. Soft-sided coolers work for those everyday events and are easy to store. Hard-sided coolers are better for camping and road trips, tailgating events, or large gatherings and parties.

How long do soft-sided coolers stay cold?

These lightweight coolers are great for day trips to the beach, hiking, or car trips. Some will keep food and drink items cold for as long as three days.

How long do coolers last?

Coolers can last five years or longer. It depends on how well they're taken care of and how much use they've had. 

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

This roundup was written by Taylor Rock, Commerce Editor for The Spruce Eats. She knows how important it is to keep food and drinks chilled for an extended period of time, especially at the beach on a hot summer day when refreshments are vital. Taylor and other editors personally tested soft coolers on this roundup at the Dotdash Meredith Lab.

The Spruce Eats Commerce Writer Jason Horn updated this roundup with further testing insights. He's not really one for camping and hiking, but he did once cram an entire full punchbowl (it was sealed with plastic wrap!) with glasses into a cooler for a holiday party.

Brigitt Earley is a freelance lifestyle writer who covers food and kitchen-related content for The Spruce Eats. She really loves her BrüTank rolling cooler, even after years of having a YETI.

Additional reporting by
Brigitt Earley
Brigitt Earley
Brigitt Earley is a lifestyle writer with a culinary degree and a master's in journalism. Her writing has been published on OprahMag.com and Good Housekeeping.
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  1. CDC. Game day food safety tips. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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