Soft Coolers As Good as Yeti (And Better!)
When you and your family, loved ones, or friends go out to the beach, it would be great to bring your own food and drinks. To keep your drinks and beverages cold, the best partner to have is a durable and cold-retaining cooler. However, some coolers have a great ability to retain their cold temperature for days. These coolers are usually made with roto-molded construction with two or three inches of polyurethane wall. Fortunately, there are so-called soft-coolers that can provide the same kind of keeping your drinks and beverages cool for days of adventure and best of all, lightweight. YETI is one of the trusted brands when it comes to coolers, soft coolers included, but they usually come at a steep price tag.
Here are some soft coolers that are as good as YETI, but can be better and of course, more affordable:
Our Top Picks At A Glance:
Note: The links above & below will take you to more information, current prices and customer reviews on Amazon.
AO Canvas Soft Cooler
The AO Coolers Soft Cooler is an ideal companion to have when you go out on your adventure trips. Take it with you fishing, boating, sporting events, hunting, picnic, parties and many more! Aside from keeping your drinks at an ideal temperature, it can also keep the food you have warm and ready to eat any time. This cooler is designed to meet the airplane carry-on requirements. It features a removable shoulder strap, side pocket for dry items and clip-down ends. AO Coolers are guaranteed to never sweat and leak thanks to its TPU liner which makes it resilient to wear and tear, abrasions, impacts and more. The inner insulation of this soft cooler is ¾ inch thick with closed cell foam and is high-density. This combination then makes this cooler capable of 24 hour cooling retention even in 120 degree Fahrenheit heat. Even if this cooler has a soft exterior, it will not get scratches or tear up. This soft cooler has models that can accommodate 12 to 48 cans. There are also models which you can get which are under $100.
Pelican Elite Soft Cooler
The Pelican Elite Soft Cooler is designed to accommodate up to 24 cans of beer or soda. It has a high density closed cell technology as its insulation capable of retaining the cold temperature for more than a day. It is also 55% lighter that its hard cooler counterparts. It also features fully leak proof zipper that has quick access dual lock buckle system. The liner of this soft cooler is food grade and is FDA approved. It is made to be durable with its double-coated TPU outer fabric with bottle opener and s/s tie-down. These soft coolers are on the pricey range of about $300, which is relatively close to YETI. Get this soft cooler and you will also receive warranty for this product for three years.
RTIC Soft Pack
The RTIC soft cooler is part of the RTIC’s midsize cooler range. It is constructed to be an ideal multipurpose cooler, which you can bring anywhere you want to go. It is designed to be puncture-resistant and 100% leak proof. It features an antimicrobial liner that works by resisting the growth of mildew. It is made to be tough in which it can keep the ice as well as the cold temperature for up to five days. This particular model can hold up to 30 cans of your favorite carbonated or alcoholic drinks. Of course, even with that amount of cans, it can still accommodate the ice necessary to cool down the temperature.
This soft cooler is wrapped with a heavy duty vinyl shell making it, arguably, stronger than any other soft coolers out in the market. It is also UV protected and even tear resistant making sure that it will not fade. Its closed-cell foam insulation is constructed to be two inches thick in order to keep the contents frosty cold. It has exterior pocket for you to place any dry items. The exterior of this soft cooler will not sweat. This model is on the midrange level when it comes to pricing.
Conclusion
Although YETI is arguably one of the best brands of coolers (whether hard sided or the soft sided), it is still good to look at other brands in the market. There are other brands of soft coolers that have the same or even better features in comparison to YETI with pricing lower than the popular brand. Nevertheless, it is important to get to know the features of the brands you will consider as an alternative. Soft coolers are a good investment to have if you are always on the go exploring or going on adventures or simply hanging out with family and friends.