If you’re not super passionate about your cooler, you haven’t found the right one. A great cooler is a joy in life: not only can a hard body cooler make a great seat, they also protect and cool your food on the go. Think of them as portable refrigerators. And better yet, if you get a good one, you’ll rarely need to replace it. Coolers are built to withstand anything, even bears. To help pick out the right cooler for you, whether you’re hiking, spending a day at the beach, or just making your backyard a bright spot, we’ve rounded up some of the best coolers out there.
Best Overall: Yeti Tundra 35
Best Soft Cooler: CleverMade Cooler
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Best Soft Lunchbox: Arctic Zone Deep Freeze
Best Mini Cooler: Igloo Mini Playmate
Best Tote Cooler: Vintage-Inspired Striped Canvas Cooler Tote
The creme de la creme of coolers, the Yeti Tundra is designed with bear-tested toughness to protect against bears, or even yourself. The PermaFrost insulation truly holds ice in for days at a time, and the best part, the T-Rex heavy duty rubber latches are easy to lock in, and won’t break like the latches on other coolers will. Best Feature: This cooler has everything and won't break under pretty much any circumstances.
This is a great soft cooler option. It won’t keep things cool for as long, but sometimes you don’t need that. It’s easy to store when you’re not using it, and is great for just a day picnic, grocery shopping, and anything in between. Plus, it has a bottle opener attached to it. Just saying. Best Feature: For a soft cooler, this has it all. It will keep things cool for a long time, and even has a bottle opener.
If it’s just you and maybe one other person going to have a drink, or buying a filet of salmon from the store, this is a great option. It has a flip open zipper lid so you can get quick access, is a soft shell with an interior hard lining, and is puncture proof and stain resistant. Best Feature: The stain resistant feature is my favorite part as I’m constantly spilling things.
I mean, does anything beat an Igloo Playmate? This has the classic button to open it up, the iconic tent-shaped lid, and plenty of space for whatever you need to keep cold.Best Feature: For a mini cooler, this is one you’ll want to keep around. And the swivel lid is simply perfect.
Scouted Contributor G.L. DiVittorio loves this cooler precisely because it doesn't look like a cooler. She writes, "Coolers are traditionally a bulky fiasco you wouldn’t dare take on public transportation. However, business & pleasures’ tote takes a more convenient approach with a malleable material that I can sling over my shoulder. As a result, I could fit enough drinks and snacks for five people in the sleek bag while also not being a space hog on the subway."Best Feature: Beyond being stylish and easy to carry, it also has a bottle opener in the front pocket because they've thought of everything.
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