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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
After a long hike, there's no better reward than cracking into a frosty beverage—but you have to keep it cold until you reach the end. Enter the cooler backpack. It attaches an insulated container to comfortable carrying straps so you can bring beer, soda, or water up a mountain, to the beach, or anywhere else without having to drag a bulky traditional cooler over unstable terrain.
There are lots of options out there, in various sizes and configurations, offering all kinds of extras and special features (and, of course, at all kinds of prices). To help you find the optimal option, we put a range of cooler backpacks to the test, measuring not just their capacity and ability to keep drinks cold, but also how comfortable they are to carry and how well they hold up to use and abuse.
Best Overall
RTIC Backpack Soft Cooler
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Large capacity in compact size
Large opening for filling
Floats
No exterior pockets
As we tested out RTIC's backpack cooler, we kept finding new features to appreciate. The large rectangular top opens all the way so you can fit and arrange packages of food, ice packs, and really any item of any shape. The 20-can pack was able to fit 20 cans no problem—with ice, plus room for a few extra cans. (There's also an even larger 30-can model available for a few bucks more.)
Everything's padded for comfy carrying, including the tote bag–style handle, the shoulder straps, and the entire side of the cooler that sits against your back, and there's a chest strap to help balance out the heavy weight when it's full. The thing even floats, making it perfect for a river trip in a canoe, kayak, or inner tube.
In our two-hour insulation test, the RTIC kept about half of the ice solid, and nothing was damaged when we dropped it from counter height. The pack's watertight zippers make the whole thing leak-proof, though to so you have make really sure they're zipped all the way closed to get a good seal.
The only minor complaint we had is that there aren't any exterior pockets for things like napkins, maps, or electronics that you don't want to get wet. (There's an elastic strap on the front of the pack, but nothing more secure than that.) The RTIC's price is right in the middle of the range for similar packs, which makes it a fantastic value.
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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
Dimensions: 12 x 6.3 x 16 inches | Material: Polyester | Empty Weight: 3.7 pounds
Best Budget
Tourit Cooler Backpack
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Inexpensive
Many extra storage pockets
Well-padded straps
Holds 20 cans, not 30
Leaky
Not very durable
Let's get the big issue out of the way first: Despite the name, this bag will not hold 30 cans, certainly not with space for any ice. But if you consider it as a 20-can cooler backpack, it's still a great value. We were able to get 20 cans and plenty of ice into the Tourit's main compartment, with room in the insulated zip pocket in the lid for another three more.
Our favorite part of this pack's design is that it has lots of extra storage areas. In addition to the lid pocket, there are pair of stretchy mesh side holsters for reusable water bottles, a sizable zip pouch on the front (with its own inner zip pocket), and an extra little pocket in front of that to tuck snacks or other small items. You can carry not only cold food and drinks on ice, but also paper plates and napkins, flatware, and any other supplies that need to stay dry.
As the low-end price probably makes clear, the Tourit is not the best-insulated or most heavy-duty backpack cooler. Almost all of our test ice melted over the course of two hours, and the zippers don't make any kind of waterproof seal, so liquid leaks out of the main compartment easily, especially if the pack turns on its side. There's not much padding to cushion impacts, and in our drop test, one of the cans burst open. But it's a reasonably comfortable cooler to carry, it manages to pack a lot of storage space into one unit, and it's very inexpensive.
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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
Dimensions: 13 x 7.5 x 15.8 inches | Materials: Polyester, PEVA | Empty Weight: 1.5 pounds
Best Splurge
Pelican Dayventure Backpack Cooler
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Comfortable to carry
Heavy-duty and spill-proof
Versatile
Very expensive
Only one exterior pocket
The Pelican Dayventure is a really nice daypack, with thick, soft padding on both the straps and the back to help keep you comfortable as you tote a full picnic's worth of supplies to the top of a mountain, a remote beach, or a secret waterfall in the woods. It has two separate insulated compartments: a hard-sided bottom section made to fit a six-pack with ice and a huge main section with a roll top. We managed to get 16 cans into the main compartment, but it's also good for holding cold food or as dry storage for other supplies.
The Dayventure is impressively waterproof, with zippers and straps that didn't let out any leaks in our test. The more highly insulated bottom section kept the ice mostly solid over close to three hours. The ice in the main section almost all melted, but the drinks were still completely cold. There's a mesh sleeve inside the big compartment for easy-to-lose small items, as well as a separate wet-or-dry pocket on the outside that can expand to a decent size thanks to its attached strap. It's not quite as much exterior space as other packs provide, but it is something.
This pack is just extremely pricey. It's made of high-quality materials and has the performance to justify its cost, but only for a seriously outdoorsy person who's going to put it to heavy use. If you want a pack to bring beers from the parking lot to the beach a couple times a year, the Dayventure is probably overkill. One other small issue we found in testing is with the chest strap: It does a great job of helping balance heavy loads, but someone with a larger bust might have trouble adjusting and positioning it comfortably.
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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
Dimensions: 21.1 x 7.1 x 21.7 inches | Materials: Nylon, TPU | Empty Weight: 3.1 pounds
Best Insulation
IceMule Boss 30
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Large capacity
Excellent insulation
Lots of extra compartments
Very expensive
Bulky
We considered it a great result in our insulation test if a cooler had more than a few chunks of solid ice left after two hours. The IceMule Boss had barely any liquid inside after the test, and the brand says it'll keep ice frozen for more than 24 hours. On top of that, it has a huge capacity, able to hold two dozen cans and plenty of ice without any trouble.
The Boss also has tons of extra storage, with sizable compartments on either side and an even bigger one on the back, plus lots of straps, loops, and clips to attach additional gear. All that capacity takes up physical space, however, making the pack rather bulky to move around. And it's heavy when full—the liquid inside 24 cans weighs 18 pounds by itself, before you account for ice or aluminum.
This was the single most expensive backpack cooler in our test, but its materials and construction really do stand out for their quality. There was no damage whatsoever to the cans or the pack in the drop test. It looks and feels tough, with welded seams and heavily reinforced stitching, but it's also comfy to carry, with heavily padded shoulder straps as well as a hip belt and chest strap to even out the load. There's even a valve that lets you add air to the insulation so the bag can float. (We didn't test this feature, but it sounds cool.)
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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
Dimensions: 12.5 x 9 x 25 inches | Materials: MuleSkin, foam | Empty Weight: 7.9 pounds
Best Collapsible
IceMule Pro Cooler 23L
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Large capacity and rolltop opening
Relatively inexpensive
Effective insulation
No exterior pockets
The IceMule Pro is only a little smaller in capacity than the IceMule Boss, but it offers similarly excellent insulation at a much lower price and in a completely different configuration. This cylindrical cooler folds down completely flat and can even roll up to pack away in your carry-on while you fly off to your adventure. But when fully extended, it was able to hold 18 cans and ice without any trouble. (That's all the brand claims this pack can hold, but we probably could have fit closer to 24 cans and still had room for ice.) The ice stayed almost entirely frozen throughout our two-hour test, as well.
The rolltop closure gives you plenty of room to load up large or oddly shaped items, but it also helps the bag seal completely. The inner fabric and seams were totally waterproof in testing, though when we laid the bag on its side, a little water dripped out from the corners off the rolltop. Another quibble we have is that the IceMule Pro could use a little extra storage on the exterior: It's got an elastic strap to hold a few small items, but nothing else.
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The Spruce Eats / Henry Wortock
Dimensions: 14 x 11 x 18 inches | Material: MuleSkin | Empty Weight: 2.6 pounds
Best With Wheels
Coleman High-Performance Leak Proof Soft Cooler
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Excellent insulation
Has wheels and backpack straps
Extra-stable base
Small capacity for its size
Water soaks through fabric
Minimal extra storage
This multifunctional cooler can roll across the boardwalk, parking lot, or stadium concourse with its wheels and extendable handle, but it also has surprisingly comfortable straps so you can wear it backpack-style on a short hike or going up stairs. The Coleman offers serious insulation, which kept almost all the ice solid over our two-hour test, and which the brand says will keep drinks cold for up to 42 hours. The wheels on the back and pair of short legs on the front also make for a nice stable base that keeps the bottom off the ground and the cooler from tipping over on the beach or other uneven surface.
However, we were less than impressed with this cooler's capacity. Coleman claims it'll hold 24 cans but we could only fit 20, and that was with next to no ice. (For the insulation test, with the cooler one-third full of cans and two-thirds with ice, we could fit just eight cans.) There's only one small zip pocket on the back and mesh straps on the sides, when it seems like there could be a lot more room for extra storage. In our leak test, water didn't spill out through the seams or zipper, but it did soak through the fabric itself, which could be messy if you're anywhere that sand or dirt might stick to a wet bag.
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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
Dimensions: 17.3 x 12.4 x 21 inches | Empty Weight: 6.3 pounds
Best Large-Capacity
Igloo Pro Snapdown Backpack
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Large capacity
Leakproof and well-insulated
Adjustable shoulder and chest straps
Heavy when full
Not very stylish
This Igloo claims a capacity of 36 to 42 cans, and that's no lie: We managed to fit 40 cans in its capacious main compartment, albeit without any ice. You'll need to replace some of those with ice to keep the cans cold, but the bag also has excellent insulation and kept almost all the ice frozen in our two-hour test. The pack includes some extra storage in the form of water bottle pockets on the sides and a small zip pocket on the front (with a bottle opener built into the strap!), though it doesn't offer as much auxiliary room as other models.
The zippered top on this bag opens fairly widely for loading, and we found it to be totally leakproof when closed. It has the additional nice feature that it can fold down and buckle closed in a more compact shape if it's not all the way full—the Igloo can hold up to 40 cans but it's still practical for carrying just six or a dozen. The adjustable straps make it comfortable to wear, though a full load in this big bag is going to be heavy no matter what you do.
The price on this bag is nice, too. However, we don't love its look. The coated fabric is waterproof but feels hard and plasticky, and neither of the color options—a black-and-white checker or a mix of blue, aqua, and red—thrills us.
Dimensions: 13 x 7 x 17.5 inches | Material: Coated ripstop polyester | Empty Weight: 2.1 pounds
Final Verdict
For its leakproof construction, high-quality insulation, and large capacity for its size, we chose the RTIC Backpack Cooler as our overall favorite. For decent performance at a much lower price, try the TOURIT Cooler Backpack, our top budget pick.
How We Tested
After researching the universe of backpack coolers available, we chose 23 models to purchase and test. To measure capacity, we tried to fit as many standard 12-ounce cans as possible into each cooler, up to the maker's stated capacity. If there was still room available, we added ice and noted how much ice is included in the stated capacity. To test insulation, we filled each cooler with the recommended ratio of two-thirds ice and one-third cans, then zipped or buckled it closed before putting the straps on our backs and carrying them around the testing Lab to evaluate comfortability.
After two hours at room temperature, we measured the temperature of the cans and noted how much ice remained and whether any liquid had leaked out. We also set the coolers on their sides during the insulation test to see if any liquid would leak through zippers, seams, or seals. For a test of durability, we dropped each full pack from tabletop height onto a concrete sidewalk and noted any damage to the bag or the cans inside.
Only after all other tests were complete did we reveal the retail prices and consider value for money.
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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
Others Options We Tested
- Carhartt Insulated Cooler Backpack: This sturdy backpack looks the most like a "normal" backpack of everything we tested, and it's as sturdily built as the Carhartt brand name suggests. It's just a bit small, able to fit only eight cans and ice in its insulated bottom section. (The separate top section is about the same size but not insulated.) If not for the Tourit, this would have been our best budget pick.
- Corkcicle Eola Bucket Cooler Bag: We love the look of this cooler, with its compact shape and faux-leather material available in several colors. But it underperformed in testing, with a lot of the ice melting over two hours. Worse yet, a drop from table height left a long scuff, including a small tear in the fabric. It can't handle a lot of heavy use, which is the opposite of what you want in a cooler backpack.
- Seehonor Insulated Cooler Backback: This brightly colored pack is impressively large, able to fit 25 cans with ice alongside its sizable bonus pockets. It's also cheap—and unfortunately we mean that in both senses of the word. It feels poorly constructed in general, and the melted ice just poured out of the zipper when we set the bag on its side after the insulation test. In the drop test, several cans dented and one exploded entirely.
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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
What to Look for in a Backpack Cooler
Size and Capacity
The most important consideration when you're buying a backpack cooler is just how much stuff it can fit inside. For throwing huge parties on the beach, you probably want more capacity, but if you're going on a hike with just one or two other people, you might not need anything that big. Higher-capacity coolers are generally bigger in size, but some use their space more efficiently than others and feel less bulky. Keep in mind that no matter the cooler, liquid-filled cans are heavy; the more you pack in your bag, the more it's going to weigh.
Straps
The straps can make a big difference in how comfortable it is to carry a heavy cooler. Look for thick, adjustable shoulder straps with soft padding, along with extra straps that buckle across the waist or chest to help even out the weight and support it with your entire torso. The straps also reveal a lot about quality: If the stitching looks loose or uneven, or if the fabric or color don't quite match, it could be a sign that the rest of the bag also isn't very well-made.
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The Spruce Eats / Henry Wortock
Insulation
If a backpack cooler can't, y'know, keep things cool, it's no good. Unfortunately, there's not a great way to judge a cooler's quality of insulation without testing it in person. There are so many different materials of different thickness, weight, and insulation quality that you can't judge based on the size or shape of the cooler alone. We did find that coolers with product listings that mention how long they can keep drinks cold or give details about the insulation tended to insulate better than those that doesn't make any promises at all.
Extra Storage
If you're carrying a whole bunch of cold cans to a campsite, you probably have a lot of other stuff with you, as well: food, napkins, plates, flatware, maybe some maps and a camera or cell phone. Some of that can stay in the main compartment with your cans and ice, but having some substantial dry storage is a big plus. We tended to give higher ratings to coolers that included plenty of additional pockets on the front and sides.
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The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples
FAQs
How much ice should you put in a backpack cooler?
In an ideal world, you should fill any type of cooler with about two-thirds ice and one-third cans, bottles, food, or whatever you want to keep cool. This will ensure everything remains as cold as possible for as long as possible, but it also means that most of your storage space will be taken up with ice. If you only need the contents to stay cold for a few hours, you can get away with less ice, but you should use enough for at least a layer on the bottom and between each layer of cans. It's also helpful to pre-chill anything you plan to carry in the cooler overnight in the refrigerator.
How do you clean a backpack cooler?
For everyday cleaning, you can simply wipe the inside and outside of the cooler using a cloth or sponge with water and dish soap or heavily diluted laundry detergent. Afterward, make sure to leave the top open and let the backpack dry completely to avoid mold or mildew. For major stains or odors, make a paste of baking soda and water, scrub that on the surface using a sponge or old toothbrush, and wipe clean with a damp cloth. You should never put a backpack cooler in the washing machine or dryer, as this is likely to damage the bag.
Do I need a soft-sided cooler or a hard-sided cooler?
It depends on how you're going to use it! A hard-sided cooler can hold a lot of stuff, but it's heavy, bulky, and tough to move around. (Some hard-sided coolers have wheels and handles, but they're not going to be as mobile as a backpack.) Both types of coolers come in a wide range of prices, but those ranges roughly line up—neither style really costs much more than the other. A hard-sided cooler is best when you want to set up in your backyard, at a tailgate, or anywhere else you need lots of food and drinks to stay cold but don't need to carry them around very much. A soft-sided cooler can hold comparatively less, but you can strap it to your back and take it anywhere you can walk to.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
The Spruce Eats commerce writer Jason Horn put together this roundup based on a plethora of testing data. He's been writing about food and drinks for almost 20 years, for publications including Playboy, Liquor.com, Serious Eats, and Wine Enthusiast. He loves to cook but isn't much of a hiker or camper, so he's glad someone else had to lug around the backpack coolers for our tests.
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