Marine-style coolers like Yeti have seen a surge in popularity over the last decade — but do you really need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a great cooler?
Based on our testing, yes…and no. If you're trekking out into situations where your life or livelihood depends on keeping your perishables cold, we absolutely think a powerful, durable cooler is worth it. Our top pick is the Yeti Tundra 75, which by far has the best cold retention we tried, with many rugged features to keep the cooler functional in all environments and weather. But if you're just looking to keep a few cases of beverages cold for a barbecue or day at the beach, you probably don't need a bear-proof, 30-pound, $450 cooler. A $35 cooler like the Coleman Chiller will suit you much better. It's easier to lift, perfectly adept at keeping items cold for a few days, and wallet-friendly.
Having been a commercial and recreational fisherman on and off throughout my life, I've purchased, wrecked, and replaced more coolers and cooler parts than I can recount. For this guide, I put dozens of coolers through a series of cold retention, durability, and portability tests to find the best for every need — whether you're sailing the seas like me or kicking back ashore.
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Our top picks for coolers
Best overall: Yeti Tundra 75 - See at Amazon
Best budget: Coleman Chiller 48-Quart Cooler - See at Amazon
Best backpack: Yeti Hopper M20 - See at Amazon
Best soft: Yeti Hopper M30 - See at Amazon
Best budget soft: AO Coolers Carbon Soft Cooler - See at Amazon
Best overall
Yeti coolers have unbeatable temperature retention and durability, making them well worth the money if you’re camping for days without access to replacement ice or will be putting the fridge through a beating. The Tundra 75 is the perfect size for most trips, and will keep ice frozen for more than a week.
- Amazing ice retention
- Rugged construction
- Great for boating or long road trips
- Very expensive
- Very heavy
To deal with the elephant in the room first, yes, this cooler costs almost $500. That's a lot of money to spend on a cooler, no two ways about it. But for that price, you will get one of the absolute best coolers on the market.
The Yeti Tundra 75 Cooler's rugged rotomolded design makes it tough enough to be certified as bear-resistant. That's right, in a fight between a bear and this cooler, the cooler will probably win. Its three-inch-thick PermaFrost insulation and ColdLock gasket allow the cooler to keep ice frozen for days on end.
It has a 50-can capacity and also comes with a dry goods basket that holds a selection of foodstuffs above the ice. Its non-slip feet and tie-down points help you to secure the cooler in the bed of a truck or aboard a boat.
Do most people need this level of cooler? Probably not. But if you're a serious fisherman, if you're on a road trip and you want to stay self-sufficient, or if you're stocking a cabin or campsite for an extended stay, you'll be glad you have the Yeti Tundra 75 at your disposal, no buyer's remorse involved. Just note that the cooler weighs 30 pounds even when empty, so if you have trouble lifting heavier loads, you might need to look elsewhere.
Best budget
This classic, hard-shelled cooler will keep ice cold for, realistically, two days and is a solid option for causal campers looking to not break the bank.
- Great price
- Sturdy construction
- Large capacity
- Trusted legacy brand
- Hinges on lid prone to eventual breaking
This is the cooler your dad brought on family camping trips. It's the cooler of your childhood, and it's still an awesome buy. It costs less than thirty dollars, but it will last you 30 years or more, provided you take the time to wipe it clean now and then.
Coleman's 48-quart cooler can hold 76 standard 12-ounce cans and is tall enough for two-liter soda bottles to stand upright with the lid closed. It's more than sturdy enough to double as a seat, yet still light enough for one rather fit person to heft alone or for two people to easily carry down the dock, into the park, or onto the beach. Empty, the cooler weighs about eight pounds, so you can easily lift it up onto the top shelf of the garage for storage, too.
The Coleman Performance 48-Quart Cooler has a drain built into the bottom so you can let out any spilled beverages or ice melt without dumping the entire contents, but for the record, there won't be much meltwater provided you keep the lid secure most of the time. This cooler offers three-day ice retention even when the mercury tops 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Oh, and this cooler is made in America, too.
Best backpack
The Yeti Hopper M20 does it all and does it all extremely well, with a tough-as-nails DryHide Shell, a 100% leak-proof zipper, and insulation that can keep ice cold for several days.
- Keeps ice cold for multiple days
- Ergonomic shoulder straps allow for easy and comfortable transport
- High-quality and durable construction
- Expensive
It should be no surprise that Yeti appears multiple times in this guide. The company has made its name manufacturing some of the best coolers on the market. With its Hopper M20, the brand delivers the same durable construction and quality design its fans have come to expect in a backpack cooler.
With space enough to carry roughly 20 cans of beer or soda (with ice included), or 25 pounds of ice, the Hopper M20 is at no lack of available cooler space. And don't worry about the loaded pack feeling especially heavy, either. Yeti designed it so weight distributes evenly, and its ergonomic shoulder straps make it comfortable to tote around, whether it's down a long trail to the beach, a short jaunt to a campsite, or a few steps to a backyard.
Yeti also includes its Magshield zippers, which help keep any contents from spilling out (e.g., water from melted ice), and its ColdCell Insulation, which can keep ice for several days (something we've tested and confirmed often).
Similar to many of Yeti's products, the Hopper M20 isn't cheap, sporting a price tag of $325. However, Yeti consistently exceeds standards of quality, and this backpack cooler is no different — it'll be one of your favorite pieces of go-to gear for several, several years.
Best soft
Yeti's Hopper M30 is a highly durable, tote-style soft cooler that now features a better zipper closure system that made its already quality ice retention even better.
- Extremely durable
- Keeps ice anywhere from 15 to 20 hours
- Large capacity
- Highly portable
- Expensive
- Requires two hands to unzip and close
It should be apparent at this point that Yeti's coolers are worth every bit of the recognition of nabbing three spots in this guide, as its coolers are just that damn good. And when it comes to picking the best soft cooler, the Hopper M30 is a clear choice. With the brand's patented bomb-proof construction, some impressive ice retention, and surprisingly large capacity, this is the one you want for day trips to the beach or local park.
Though the Hopper M30 gets a lot right, its best feature is how well it keeps ice throughout the day. During my tests, it reliably kept ice anywhere from roughly 15 hours up to 20 hours, depending on how hot it was outside, how often I opened it for a drink, and whether I'd remember to fully zip it up or not. But even on its lower 15-hour days, that's more than enough time to get your fill of hanging at the park or lounging on the beach (it was even a nice supplemental cooler on two-day car camping trips).
You'll be surprised at how much this cooler is able to house, too. Despite often stocking it with more cans of beer than I'd know what to do with, there was still plenty of room for a couple of sandwiches, some cheese sticks, and whatever other snacks seemed fit for the outing. It also comes with a padded shoulder strap that makes lugging the thing either from the car to the beach or park a comfortable experience — I've even slung it over my shoulder while riding my bike, and it was completely fine.
Then there's its durability. The Hopper M30 can take an utter beating, whether it's getting tossed into the back of a car, dragged down a trail, or even falling completely off my bike (this only happened once and the cooler managed to avoid taking any damage at all). Its zipper closure system also seals the cooler airtight, and not even water drips out if it's tilted upside down or lying on its side.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more high-quality soft cooler, which is why the Hopper M30 is our go-to whenever I want to leave my bulky, cumbersome cooler at home.
Best budget soft
The AO Coolers Carbon Soft Cooler is stuffed with insulation and a thick liner that keeps things plenty cold for over 24 hours and can handle a bit of abuse.
- Great insulation
- Tough exterior and interior linings
- Exterior pouch
- Comes in 12-, 24-, 36-, and 48-can sizes
- Not the easiest to clean
- Zipper isn't airtight/leakproof
You don't need to spend a fortune to buy an effective soft cooler for general use and, in fact, this is one of the coolers I tend to use most. From lighter fishing excursions to an afternoon picnic, I haven't found a handier cooler, hands down.
I've also been using it for well over two years — that's two years of sea time, being left outside through every season, and countless fruitful trips home from the fishing grounds.
While the brand touts its use of high-density insulation, it seems to be that the large air pockets between the insulation and the inner and outer linings are what give it its best retention qualities. High-density foam (or insulation) is actually a better conductor of heat than low-density foam (or insulation), while air is one of the worst conductors. So, while the insulation may seem curiously loose against the linings, all that space is actually helping to improve ice and temperature retention.
Regarding features, there are more than you'd find in your average soft cooler. First, there are briefcase-style handles that velcro together and a padded shoulder sling, buckles on either end for strapping it down and making it more compact, and there's also an outside zipper pouch in which I keep utensils, a cutting board, a folded rag, a wine key, and still have room for a couple of other odds and ends.
The only room for improvement with this cooler is an airtight zipper but that would probably drive the cost up too much. It's also a bit tougher to clean than some other options in this guide, but it's nothing a sponge and some dish soap can't handle (I like to fill it with warm soapy water, zip it, and give it a shake first).
How we test coolers
Each cooler featured in this guide went through several field tests, be it fishing, camping, lounging in the backyard at home, or at the park, to see how well they fared across these four categories: ice retention, durability, portability, and value. Specifically, here's how each category factored into which coolers ultimately made this guide:
Ice retention: Perhaps a cooler's most impactful feature is how well it's able to keep ice. Though variables such as how often you open and close the cooler, how much ice you use, and what is in the cooler impact ice retention, the differences shouldn't be so dramatic that you're able to confuse a poorly designed cooler for a quality one. We judged ice retention in a number of ways, though mostly used each cooler as we normally would while keeping track of how much ice or ice water was left after one, two, and three days.
Durability: A cooler's durability comes down to more than just its exterior quality but also how well its hinges or zippers hold up to constant use. If the cooler you buy gets a lot of run each summer and by fall you're already thinking you'll need to upgrade next year, then durability is a major concern. This is where spending more money on a premium cooler can save you quite a lot in the long run.
Portability: Coolers are inherently portable (for the most part) but some are designed far better than others. Even the most cumbersome of coolers should still offer some method for it to be easily carried (via one or two people), and if it's a small cooler like a soft cooler or a backpack cooler, then these should have portability near the top of what list of what they do exceedingly well.
Value: As mentioned above, coolers aren't always an inexpensive investment — especially the premium options like what Yeti offers. But if you're able to piece together how exactly you need to use the cooler and for what activities you'd use it most, then you're able to make a better decision on a cooler's true value. Consider the three categories above, as well, and keep in mind that it's better to invest a little more in a premium product that's designed to last than to spend less money, more often on something that's second-rate.
FAQs
How do I know what cooler would work best for me?
The most important thing to consider is where you'll most often use it. If a cooler is too big to bring along on a camping or fishing trip, it's useless for those outings.
The same goes for if it can't retain ice well enough to keep things fresh during a weeklong stay in a cabin or camper. If its only purpose is for convenient beverage chilling in your own backyard during cookouts, that's going to have a huge impact on how much you need to spend (which should be well south of $100 in that scenario).
Does it matter what I store in a cooler?
Yes, what you store, and how much of it, can impact how well a cooler works. To really keep contents cold, you'll need to keep a ratio of somewhere around 2/3 ice to reach optimal efficacy. Even a rotomolded cooler simply won't do its job without you meeting it halfway.
Do I have to spend a lot of money on a cooler?
For simple day trips and backyard barbecues, you'll be perfectly fine with a budget-friendly cooler.
When you start going on dayslong expeditions with no fridge or access to power, you'll need something with thick insulation to store your perishables safely. You'll also want to consider its durability, as you'll probably knock the cooler around a bit.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
