The 19 Best Insulated Cooler Bags of 2023

Best Overall

RTIC Outdoors 30-Can Backpack

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The RTIC Soft Cooler sports a tough nylon exterior and tear-resistant interior lining with 2 inches of closed-cell foam to keep items cold for up to 24 hours, depending on the amount of ice or ice packs used. This cooler bag comes in five different sizes that can hold from eight to 40 12-ounce cans. The smaller eight-can size is great as a lunch box, while the larger sizes are great for things like picnics, fishing trips, parties, and boat days. The cooler floats and is made from 100 percent waterproof material, so don’t be shy whipping it out for days spent on the water.

All in all, this is a durable soft-sided cooler that can handle bumps and jostling without breaking. It can be carried either by the crossbody shoulder strap or two handles that come with a slightly padded carrying grip. It’s a cinch to clean (just wipe it down with a wet cloth). But a word of warning: The zipper is watertight, which means you may have to struggle a bit to get it closed (or use zipper lube — yes, that’s a thing).

Price at time of publish: $130 (for 30-can size)

The Details: 30 cans max | 2.4 to 5.5 weight | Up to 24 hours ice retention | 15.5 x 11.5 x 12.75 inches | 12-can, 20-can, 40-can other available sizes

Best Budget

Tourit Lightweight 30-can Cooler Backpack

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The Tourit Lightweight 30-can Cooler Backpack is a compact backpack that can be used as a lightweight day bag. When loaded up with freezer packs, it will hold temperature for up to 16 hours. The thick insulation also works to keep hot foods hot. We love this backpack because it’s a great bang for your buck loaded with several storage pockets and straps, including two mesh side pockets and two front zippered pockets. The front strap can be used to hold a rolled-up blanket, hat, or shirt or can be used to add accessories. The bag comes with a built-in metal bottle opener on one of the padded shoulder straps. Note that the company warns against using actual ice in this bag as it can damage the waterproof interior.

Price at time of publish: $30

The Details: 30 12-ounce cans max | 1.1 pounds | Up to 16 hours ice retention | 13 x 7.5 x 17 inches | 12-can, 20-can, 40-can other available sizes

Best for Lunches

Herschel Supply Co. Pop Quiz Lunch Box

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Herschel’s Pop Quiz Lunch Box is a stylish pick for keeping food cold or hot for midday eats. The classic rectangular lunch box shape comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and prints that appeal to kids and adults alike and is made from recycled materials. The cooler can be carried via a reinforced fabric handle, though it’s small enough to fit into most backpacks or briefcases. The interior of the lunch box has enough space to hold six 12-ounce cans without ice. There’s also an exterior pocket with a waterproof zipper. The padded insulated liner is food-safe and leakproof — but the main zipper is not, so you may have to think twice about items that may break open or leak out of the lunchbox, like ice. Keep in mind that this cooler isn’t designed for long-term temperature retention; it’s designed to hold food until lunchtime.

Price at time of publish: $35

The Details: 6 12-ounce cans max | 10.25 x 3.75 x 7.75 inches

Best Ice Retention

OtterBox Trooper Cooler

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If you’re looking for an insulated cooler that can go the distance — or rather keep your food and beverages ice-cold for the distance — Otterbox’s Trooper 20 is a solid choice. Food-grade interior lining, top-notch thermal insulation, and a leakproof seal work to keep ice intact for at least three days. This is key for road trips, long hikes, and short camping trips. The flip top makes it easy to grab what you need quickly, and the included bottle opener accessory means you won’t have to MacGyver anything. There’s also an exterior pocket with a water-resistant zipper for storing smaller, necessary items like keys and your phone, and the cooler is outfitted with several loop straps for adding additional accessories as needed. Unfortunately, there have been reports of this cooler having broken parts, so some people may not find it worth the investment.

Price at time of publish: $100

The Details: 19 liters | 6.5 pounds | Up to 72 hours (or more) ice retention | 10.25 x 3.75 x 7.75 inches

Best for Groceries

Hydro Flask 20L Insulated Tote

4.8

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Available in five solid colors and three different sizes, the Hydro Flask Insulated Tote is our go-to pick for groceries or quick takeout grabs for picnics. Although insulated and capable of keeping your food and drink chilled for up to four hours, this tote remains slim and is easy to slip on and off the shoulder. The 8-liter size is great for packing lunches, while the 20-liter and 35-liter sizes are better for shopping trips. This tote stands out by standing up — the molded base keeps the tote from collapsing and holds the bag upright, making it easier to load and unload. The waterproof exterior and water-resistant zippers are clutch for rainy day transports, though we do wish the temperature retention lasted more than just a few hours.

Price at time of publish: $65

The Details: 20 liters max | 1.3 pounds | 17 x 7.25 x 14 inches | 8-liter, 35-liter other available sizes

Best Soft-sided With Wheels

Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze

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Sturdy, all-terrain wheels help keep the weight of this insulated cooler bag’s 60-can capacity off your back and on the ground for easier portability, especially when you’ve got a bit of a walk ahead. The 300D Poly Ripstop with TPE coating material means it can take a few scrapes and small beatings with no problem. An insulated heat barrier keeps things cooler longer by reflecting heat instead of absorbing it, and there’s an additional insulated, expandable front pocket for smaller items. The bottom of the cooler bag is triple-thick with Superfoam insulation to protect your goods from the ground’s heat. The bag itself is collapsible and — bonus! — you can actually use the cart on its own. It comes with a built-in shoulder strap, which we recommend only using when the cooler bag is empty. Sadly, while the bag interior is leakproof, the zipper is not.

Price at time of publish: $80

The Details: 60 12-ounce cans max | 6.75 pounds | Up to 72 hours ice retention | 14.75 x 15.5 x 19 inches | 8L, 35L other available sizes

Best Backpack

Igloo Outdoor Pro Snapdown 42-can Backpack

5

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Our Ratings

• Design
  4.8/5
• Insulation
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Portability
  5/5
• Capacity
  5/5

During our testing to find the best cooler backpacks, the Igloo Outdoor Pro Snapdown 42-can Backpack scored highest on our list. We loved how durable the exterior ripstop poly material was and the functionality of the bag’s “hidden” features. In addition to being water-resistant, this cooler backpack has a zipper front dry pocket, two side pouches for water bottles, and a built-in bottle opener, plus D-ring and MOLLE loops to add features for functional customization. It’s a top-loading bag with a wide, strong zippered opening and sides that buckle down for extra leak protection. This bag showed no signs of leaking — or dented cans — after we tossed it off of a table, and it retained most of its ice after sitting for a few hours. We were also big fans of the slightly padded backpack straps and tote-carry strap. Although we had no major ice loss in our lab, this bag’s ice retention may weaken when outside in hot temperatures.

Price at time of publish: $140

The Details: 42 cans max | 2.1 pounds | 13 x 7 x 17.5 inches | 36-can other available size

Best Individual

Igloo Fanny Pack Cooler

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With the Igloo Fanny Pack Cooler, you don’t have to sacrifice style for function. We love the bright and bold ’90s look of this waist-wearable cooler bag that holds up to three 12-ounce cans of your favorite beverage and a handful of ice to keep it cold. There’s also a front zip pocket for your keys, lip balm, or other small accessories. The thin lining and proximity to your own body heat means it’s best for quick cooling needs, such as lake parties, short hikes, beach days, and parties where you want the freedom to roam around without being too far from your drinks. This cooler bag’s ice and temperature retention may only last a handful of hours, but at least it’ll keep you looking cool.

Price at time of publish: $27

The Details: 3 12-ounce cans max | 0.26 pounds | 10 x 3.25 x 5 inches

Best for Six Packs

Yeti Hopper Flip 8 Portable Soft Cooler

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The Yeti Hopper Flip 8 can hold up to eight 12-ounce cans with ice, making it a solid pick for a snack and six-pack or lunch for two. Cold cell rubber foam insulation provides superior ice and temperature retention, perfect for long or overnight travels. You’ll also be getting Yeti durability with mildew-resistant fabric that blocks warming UV rays and can stand up to rugged environments. We like this cooler bag because it’s so reliable and is designed to add additional accessories when needed. Are there less expensive personal cooler options out there? Yes, but considering this cooler bag’s features are designed to protect your precious cargo and the bag’s longevity, you won’t have to replace it as often.

Price at time of publish: $200

The Details: 8 12-ounce cans with ice max | 2.8 pounds | 12.4 x 8.6 x 10.6 inches | 8-can, 12-can, 18-can other available sizes

Best Collapsible

IceMule Pro Cooler 23L

5

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Our Ratings

• Design
  4.8/5
• Insulation
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Portability
  5/5
• Capacity
  5/5

This cooler bag has a drybag design with a roll-top closure that seals in leaks from any melted ice or spills inside. The official capacity says it tops out at 18 cans, but, during testing, we had tons of room left over to fit at least another 12-pack with ice included. We like the malleable, soft-sided design that still manages to remain durable and collapsible, while the backpack-carry design shifts the load from your arms and shoulders to be comfortably on your back. This bag has versatile use, from grabbing some drinks for a party to keeping lunch chilled on a hike. Plus, it collapses and rolls up so easily, you can stash it in your luggage, in the trunk of your car, or in a cabinet at home without losing too much space. Speaking of storage, a major downside to this bag is that it doesn’t have any exterior storage features. You just get the main cooler compartment, and that’s it.

Price at time of publish: $135

The Details: 18 12-ounce cans max | 3 pounds | Up to 24 hours (or more) ice retention | 14 x 11 x 18 inches | 33-liter other available sizes

Best for the Beach

Creative Green Life Jumbo Insulated Cooler Bag with HD Thermal Foam Insulation

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The Jumbo Insulated Cooler Bag with HD Thermal Foam Insulation is an ideal grab-and-go way to keep things hot or cold on a quick daytime outing. The reinforced bottom helps to keep the bag upright, making it a natural pick for days at the beach. Convertible straps can be worn as a backpack or over-the-shoulder (but, beware, there’s no padding), and contents are accessible through the main top-zippered compartment. Interior spills and condensation are contained thanks to the heat-welded seams, and the bag itself is machine-washable on the gentle cycle. As a bonus, you can use this lightweight bag as a grocery tote to keep your hot items hot and your cold items fresh on the way home from the store. A major downside is the unstable temperature retention rate and that you’ll likely need to use ice packs over fresh ice.

Price at time of publish: $27

The Details: 30 liters max | 1.32 pounds | 21 x 8 x 17 inches

Best for Water Activities

IceMule Jaunt 15L Soft-sided Cooler

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The Icemule Jaunt’s insulated cooler bag’s dry bag design, welded seams and straps, and waterproof MuleSkin fabrics work together to make it a waterproof, floatable cooler bag to take with you on the boat and in the water. It’s also got an air valve to help with full collapsibility, making it easy to pack down for trips and to store until the next time you need it. It also has a separate zippered front pocket for things like keys and phones. The company claims its PolarLayer insulation can keep the goods ice-cold for 24 (or more) hours. The small 9-liter size keeps it from being too cumbersome on your back while still providing storage for a six-pack plus ice or three 750-millilter bottles (upright!). The Jaunt is also available in a 15-liter size that can hold up to 12 12-ounce cans or four bottles of wine. That said, we do wish the design had a chest strap to help support heavier hauls.

Price at time of publish: $110

The Details: 9 liters max | 1.6 pounds | Up to 24 hours (or more) ice retention | 21 x 8 x 17 inches | 15-liter other available sizes

Best for Golf

CleverMade Collapsible Cooler Bag

4.4

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Our Ratings

• Design
  4.5/5
• Insulation
  4/5
• Durability
  4.5/5
• Portability
  4/5
• Capacity
  4.5/5

This insulated bag is an above-par cooler for hitting the golf course because it folds down flat for easy stowing between runs on the green — but has a wire frame that snaps into place and keeps the bag shaped and sturdy while in use and on the back of the cart. There’s also extra-thick insulation padding and a boarded base to keep things level inside and to support its 35-pound weight capacity. Two sizes allow you to fit up to 30 cans or 50 cans along with ice inside the bag, and it can be carried either on your back or as a tote. We love that it’s made from recycled plastic and has a secret bottle opener built into one of the straps as well as external pockets and loops for hooking in any accessories. We’re less excited that it requires an elastic band (called the WireStrap) to keep it flat when folded down; if you lose the band, it’ll puff up beyond the compressed 3 inches. 

Price at time of publish: $40

The Details: 20 liters max | 1.7 pounds | 16 x 9.8 x 13 inches | 50-can other available sizes

Best Disposable

Ice N Cold Insulated Cooler Bags

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These Ice N Cold Insulated Cooler Bags are a good, cheap option to have ready for last-minute picnics or parties. The 35-liter capacity is big enough to hold a 12-pack, several bottles of wine, or hot food items like rotisserie chickens. These bags are thin and easy to store. Just pull them out when needed and discard them after use. Technically, these cooler bags are reusable, though we doubt their ability to be your go-to cooler bag. Since you’ll likely only use them once or thrice, we like the fact these bags are 100 percent recyclable, so you at least won’t be adding to the trash. We also appreciate how lightweight (and waterproof!) these thermal-lined aluminum foil and plastic bags are, though the flimsy snap-closed plastic handles aren’t very comfortable to carry, especially for heavy loads, and the bag isn’t really designed to be used for more than just a quick transport between Point A and Point B.

Price at time of publish: $9

The Details: 35 liters max | 8 to 10 hours (with ice) ice retention | 15 x 7 x 13 inches | Comes in packs of 1, 2, 5, 10, 40, 80 other available sizes

Best for Breastmilk

Momcozy Breastmilk Cooler Bag

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This breastmilk cooler bag keeps milk at the same temperature (warm or chilled) for up to five hours. And it can keep milk chilled for even longer if you add an ice pack. We love that it is designed to hold up to six milk bottles, including tall bottles. The bag’s dual-level design means you can separately store milk bottles in the bottom compartment and pumping materials or snacks in the top compartment — or take out the removable insulated divider and merge the two compartments to store tall milk bottles, a picnic lunch, or even a couple bottles of wine (the insulated divider also has a stash pouch for an ice pack). Parents will also appreciate the top buckle strap that is designed to loop around a stroller, several access points, the detachable padded shoulder strap, and the easy wipe-clean, waterproof material. Our only real complaint is that it doesn’t come in enough colors or pattern options.

Price at time of publish: $27

The Details: 6 milk bottles max | 7.8 x 6.3 x 11.8 inches

Best for Wine

True Brands Metropolitan 2-bottle Insulated Wine Tote

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This all-in-one double wine tote works as a thermal-insulated cooler bag for keeping either two 750-milliliter bottles or one magnum-sized bottle cool. Just note that you’ll want to pre-chill your wine or bubbly before putting it inside. Padded sides keep wine bottles from clinking and breaking, and there’s enough room in the cooler compartment to add a small ice pack if you think you’ll need to keep things cool for more than a couple of hours. We’re also impressed with the front pocket that holds all the basic wine accessories you’ll need to enjoy your vino ASAP: a corkscrew, two stemmed acrylic glasses, and even a wine stopper, in case you can’t finish both bottles. We’re huge fans of the spontaneity this cooler bag suggests, though we do wish there was more than one way (which is via cut-out handles) to carry the bag. 

Price at time of publish: $54

The Details: 2 bottles max | 1.9 pounds | 9.5 x 4.5 x 18 inches

Best Convertible

Scorlia Insulated Lunch Bag Cooler Backpack

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This insulated cooler backpack goes far beyond being a cooler vessel for your drinks and snacks. Six pockets give you several storage options — a water bottle, cell phone, napkins (via a dispensing slot), tablet, utensils, and more — all protected with water-resistant fabric. Inside, the thermal insulated compartment holds up to 14 liters, enough for lunch, 14 12-ounce cans, or a bottle of wine and some cheese. The bag’s backpack carry straps are adjustable and padded for a comfortable and custom fit. We love that you can unclip and hide the backpack straps, too, if you’d rather carry the bag as a tote. Overall, the streamlined design of this bag makes it look more stylish and sophisticated than the price. This bag could also be used as a regular backpack, tote bag, or another carry bag, just be careful with what you put inside so you don’t puncture or damage the insulated compartment.

Price at time of publish: $19

The Details: 14 liters max | 1.4 pounds | 11.5 x 6 x 13 inches

Best Style

MinkeeBlue Nilah Tote Bag

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When is an insulated cooler bag actually a stylish accessory? The Nilah Tote bag says total vegan leather tote on the outside, but, on the inside, there’s a secret two-in-one, dual-compartment design that can turn the bottom half of the bag into an insulated cooler lunch box (or a shoe compartment). To use it as a cooler, all you have to do is zip the insulated cooler bag in the compartment either from the back peekaboo pocket or through the top and under the zippable divider panel. This cooler-in-a-tote bag also has a laptop sleeve that can fit up to a 16-inch laptop, a detachable change purse, and several zip and stash pockets for odds and ends you need throughout the day. It comes in plum, black, and taupe vegan leather, and features twill and poly lining as well as gold-plated hardware to keep your look professional and posh. No one would ever guess it’s hiding a cooler inside — just keep in mind that in order for the bag to pull off this trick, you really only have the top half of the bag to use as a main compartment.

Price at time of publish: $225

The Details: 2.8 pounds (without lunch bag) | 16 x 6 x 13 inches