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How We Tested
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Hi, Kyle Hamilton, Jon Chan, and Dr. Julia MacDougall here! We’re the testing team at Reviewed, which means we designed and implemented the experiments involved in this article and most of the items Reviewed evaluates.
When testing soft coolers, we focused on performance, capacity, and how comfortable each was to carry.
Our testing team filled each of the coolers featured in this guide, halfway up with ice. The coolers were then placed in Reviewed’s humidity and temperature-controlled lab space to ensure that the coolers were tested with an outside ambient temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 percent relative humidity.
Two sensors designed to track temperature changes over time were placed inside of each soft cooler—internal conditions over time were placed inside. One was placed at the bottom of the cooler, wrapped in a ground pork meatball. The other sensor was placed on the ice at the top of the cooler. The sensor at the top of the cooler was removed, daily, to record its findings and simulate the temperature gains that occur when a cooler is opened during normal use. We ran these temperature tests until no ice was left inside of the cooler.
best-right-now
To test the portability of each soft cooler, the team walked around with each of the coolers to see how comfortable they were to carry. The coolers were all tipped upside down to see if they were, in fact, leakproof. Finally, each of the coolers was filled with soda cans to compare against their claimed carrying capacity.
The build quality and aesthetics of each cooler were also taken into consideration.
To maximize your cooler's performance, keep it locked up tight and in the shade.
Because of their size, lightweight construction, and other features—like being equipped with padded handles or backpack straps—soft coolers offer more flexibility than traditional hard-sided coolers. They are better for activities like a summertime picnic in the park or a day hike. Unlike hard-sided coolers, their soft-sided construction makes them easy to store when not in use. Once a soft cooler has been emptied and wiped clean of water, it can be collapsed and stored away in your home, taking up a minimal amount of space.
When shopping for a soft cooler, always look for the following:
It should have a leak-resistant or waterproof closure. Give priority to coolers with closed-cell foam insulation over ones that employ other cooling methods. A cooler should be made from puncture-resistant materials, so that it can stand up to casual (and not so casual) abuse.
Extra features, such as an exterior pocket for carrying utensils are a plus, but not at the cost of cooling capability or durability.
According to Popular Mechanics, ideally, a cooler, by volume, should have twice as much ice or ice packs inside of it as it does food. So, if you were chilling a gallon of milk, you’d use two gallons of ice to keep it cool. That said, using more ice allows for better food preservation over a longer period of time.
To preserve food for more than a day, you will need to use a combination of ice chunks and ice chips. The chips help with immediate cooling, and the chunks keep your food fresh over a longer period of time.
Pre-cool your cooler: If you’re storing your cooler in a hot garage, bring it inside of your home so that it can reach room temperature. That way you’re not wasting ice in an attempt to lower the cooler’s temperature.
Avoid using ice that’s already melting: Using a bag of ice that is already melting won’t keep your cooler as cold as ice straight out of the freezer. This is also true of ice packs.
Keep it in the shade: During your travels, a good way to keep your food and drinks cool for longer is to keep your soft cooler in the shade, whenever possible.
Keep it Closed: Open your cooler as infrequently as possible in order to keep what’s inside cold, for longer.
Most soft coolers work best when cooled by ice packs or ice cubes. However, Dry ice reaches lower temperatures than regular ice and can be used in most soft coolers. It’s a good choice if you need extra cold temperatures to keep ice cream or meat not just chilled but frozen. Aside from being colder than ice, the biggest advantage to dry ice is that, as it warms up, it evaporates, instead of melting. So, you won’t be stuck cleaning up a puddle of water.
There are a few downsides to using dry ice, however. While it is colder, it won’t last as long as regular ice. Additionally, as dry ice constantly emits carbon dioxide, it must be stored outdoors or, lacking that, in a well-ventilated area.
In most situations, the best way to utilize dry ice is to place it at the bottom of your cooler, wrapped in newspaper. Place the items you’d like to stay frozen or colder, on top of the dry ice. Edibles that only need to be chilled should be placed closer to the top of the cooler.
Good seal
Wide-mouth opening design
Durable exterior
Expensive
Bulky
Zipperless for easier access
Removable hard body liner
No seal means less temperature retention
Has a velcro hatch for easy access
Includes a front pocket
Doesn't retain temperature for long periods
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Kyle Hamilton
Product Tester
Kyle Hamilton is a product tester at Reviewed, specializing in home appliances and technology.
Cailey Lindberg
Staff Writer, Updates
Cailey Lindberg is a Staff Writer at Reviewed and full-time Dog Mom to @sandor_thebassethound. In her spare time, she publishes her personal writing on Medium.
We use standardized and scientific testing methods to scrutinize every product and provide you with objectively accurate results. If you’ve found different results in your own research, email us and we’ll compare notes. If it looks substantial, we’ll gladly re-test a product to try and reproduce these results. After all, peer reviews are a critical part of any scientific process.
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