The 3 best backpack coolers for summer adventures, tested and reviewed – ryan
It’s the height of summer, when hikes, beach outings and concerts in the park are all potentially on your calendar. If you’re like me, you’re always thinking about what to bring to eat and drink, and the logical next question is, how are we carrying all this stuff? The answer is a cooler — but not just any old one you may have collecting dust in the garage. We tested the best backpack coolers of 2025 to find comfortable, durable options that keep contents genuinely cold.
Depending on where you’re going and the size of your group, you may be perfectly happy with a budget-friendly backpack cooler, or you may want a top-of-the-line bag that withstands a ton of wear and tear. After browsing hundreds of coolers, I, along with two of my fellow kitchenware and houseware testers, gathered six highly rated backpacks and evaluated each on its ease of use, temperature retention and value. Once we narrowed down the pool to the top four, we sent them out to editors across the country for in-depth “field testing.” We took these backpack coolers on hikes in the Colorado Rockies, on a boat day cruising Virginia’s Rappahannock River, to the park in Los Angeles for an evening picnic and beyond.
Table of contents
Best backpack coolers of 2025
Material: Polyester | Capacity: 20 L | Empty weight: 2.6 lbs.
The sleekest backpack cooler we tested also happened to be one of the most comfortable to wear, with a generously cushioned back and straps. “It’s incredibly easy to carry,” raves Yahoo Editor Janelle Randazza. “Even though this backpack is a bit clunkier than the Rtic I’ve had for nearly a decade, I might prefer it.”
Hydro Flask says this pack can fit 36 cans without ice; in our office testing, it fit more like 30. But we still found its capacity generous, with room for plenty of food and drinks and even a wine bottle or two. There’s a helpful mesh side pocket for keys or a phone, and grab handles on the top, so you can tote it around even if you don’t want to wear it.
To check temperature retention, we filled each backpack cooler about half full of ice, then added a layer of cans. Hydro Flask is known for its insulated products (and, in fact, the brand makes our top-tested water bottle of 2025), so we had high hopes. Although this bag didn’t stay quite as cold as some of our other picks, we could still see some chunks of ice when we opened it after 24 hours. We checked back four days later, and though the ice had melted, the interior temperature was slightly cooler than that of most of the competitors. For what it’s worth, the brand claims the bag will keep things cold for 36 hours.
Randazza was impressed with the Day Escape’s durability, materials and build: “It feels like scuba suit material and holds up really well when dragged across sand or rocks. My kid helpfully did both.” She also appreciated the quality of all the components. “I’ve seen this type of zip closure, these types of straps, etc., elsewhere, but Hydro Flask seems to have done it all the best. It’s a well-made beast, but still lightweight.”
Plus, like most of the coolers we tested, you can easily wipe it clean and it was entirely leakproof, even when we flipped it upside down after the ice melted. There are no grooves or crevices to worry about. It’s also a cinch to rinse with a hose.
Pros
- Durable construction
- Sturdy toothless zip closure
- Sleek look
- Easy to clean
- Chest strap helps keep weight evenly distributed
- Leakproof
Cons
- Darker colors attract heat and are hotter to carry
- Zip top requires two hands to open
$189 at Amazon
Material: Low-density polyethylene | Capacity: 24 L | Empty weight: 1.5 lbs.
If you’re going out for more than three hours in the heat, you want to be able to carry snacks and drinks comfortably and keep them cool. Are you going to carry 24 cans at once? Probably not, but that’s the brand’s capacity promise, and we were able to fit about 20 in the bag with ease.
This Titan backpack cooler is perfect for toting along food and drinks for two to four people. I took it on a couple of hikes in Colorado, one with significant elevation gains and one without. On both days, it was truly easy to wear throughout all types of terrain. I wasn’t dying to take it off, and it made me feel like a bit of a rockstar — I rationalized that it was just like wearing a weighted vest on these demanding physical days.
The backpack has an insulated lining that easily wipes clean, plus an insulated outer pocket, mesh side pockets and a bungee cord for added storage. When we checked it to see how cold drinks were after 24 hours in the backpack, half-filled with ice, it was among the top contenders, maintaining a temperature of 28.6°F. It did leak when we flipped it upside down while filled with melted ice, but if you use re-freezable ice packs, this isn’t an issue.
Did I mention the price? It’s $45, which is at least $150 less than the other top-rated backpack coolers on the market.
Pros
- Keeps drinks and snacks cold all day
- Lighweight
- Padded back and straps
- Numerous storage pockets
- Affordable
- Lifetime limited warranty
Cons
- Leaked melted ice from zipper when flipped over
$45 at Amazon
Material: TPU-coated high-tenacity nylon | Capacity: 5.2 gal. | Empty weight: 5.6 lbs.
When it comes to keeping contents cold, this Yeti backpack excels due to its powerful magnetic closure, airtight design and excellent insulation. In our office testing, cans measured a frosty 29.7°F after 24 hours, one of the lowest temperatures we clocked.
When Executive Editor Nicole Sforza stuffed the insulated bag with two family-size packs of raw chicken and loaded it with ice to bring on a road trip during a heat wave, she reports the chicken stayed cold for two full days until she arrived at her rental house. As for cleaning the bag afterward? “So easy. I just wiped down the inside with a soapy paper towel,” she says.
And though she thought it looked bulky at first, the design quickly won her over. “This thing was so comfortable, it was shocking. Somehow, the straps and back just fit right onto my body. It’s so well made — you can tell that it was designed to carry heavy loads evenly and easily,” she says. She even took the Hopper Backpack on a boat and swam with it to shore, and all its contents stayed dry. If you’re looking for a truly leakproof backpack cooler, this is it.
Drawbacks? The magnetic closure at the top of the bag is so secure, Sforza said needed both hands to open it; it also lacks an outer pocket for small items like keys or a tube of sunscreen (though it does have a series of rope loops for attaching carabiners, dry bags and other accessories). And like Yeti’s other goods, including the beloved Tundra 45 hard cooler, the price is, well, pricey at $325 when it’s not on sale.
Pros
- Indestructible interior and exterior
- Comfortable
- Spacious interior
- Leakproof magnetic closure
- Comes in nearly 20 colors
Cons
- Expensive
- You can’t open it with one hand bc the magnet closure is so strong
- No outside pockets
$325 at Amazon
The Yeti Hopper Backpack Cooler passed the float test and remained impervious to river water on editor Nicole Sforza’s summer road trip. (Nicole Sforza/Yahoo)
What to consider when shopping for backpack coolers
You’ll want to ask yourself a few questions when buying a backpack cooler, including:
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Does it keep the contents cold? These coolers all kept at least some amount of ice from melting for 24 hours, and the contents stayed cool for even longer. Different brands offer varying levels and types of insulation, with closed-cell foam, like what Yeti uses, one of the most effective.
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Is it comfortable to wear and easy to use? If you’re going to load up a backpack with ice, cans and food, it should be easy to carry, comfortable and not too heavy before you fill it. Of our top picks, the Yeti Hopper weighs the most, at more than 5 pounds; the Titan by Arctic Zone backpack is just 1.5 pounds. Padded straps and a cushioned back can help balance the load; you may also want to look for chest or waist straps to help you manage a lot of weight.
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How will you use it? If you’re heading out for a hike, comfort is essential. But if you’re putting the cooler in the car and only carrying it from there to the beach or the park, capacity is probably more important. If you have a large group, you’ll need a cooler that can hold more food and drink, but also consider that the more you put in the backpack, the heavier it will be.
I wore the Titan by Arctic Zone backpack cooler on several hikes in Colorado. It kept drinks and snacks cool all day without digging into my shoulders or feeling lumpy on my back. (Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo)
(Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo)
How we tested backpack coolers
I’m Yahoo’s resident cookware expert, and I teamed up with two fellow home editors to conduct two levels of testing, one in the office and one in the wild. To start, we unboxed the backpack coolers in our office, inspecting their design, closures and insulation. Our top picks excelled in the following:
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“Can jam” test: If a cooler is described as having the capacity for 24 cans, does it hold truly 24 cans when the average person is packing them in? To check whether each brand’s promised capacity was accurate, we counted the number of cans we were able to fit comfortably in the bag without ice.
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“Mr. Frosty” test: How long does it take ice to melt, and, once melted, how cold do the cans stay? We filled each backpack about halfway with fresh ice, then added several room-temperature cans of different beverages. We took the temperature inside each cooler after 24 hours and then after five days. Only the bags that kept the cans the coldest made it to the next step.
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“Splash zone” test: Once the ice had melted, we flipped the backpacks upside-down and shook them to see if they leaked.
For our field testing, we asked Yahoo’s staff of shopping editors and writers, who live all over the country, to use the coolers in various ways at least a few times. They then filled out a rubric with their thoughts, commenting on how comfortable each pack was to carry, how well it kept its contents cold, how difficult the cleanup was, how durable the pack was and how easy it was to open and close.
We filled coolers about halfway with ice and then added drinks to see how long it would keep them cold and whether or not they leaked when the ice melted. (Saundra Latham/Yahoo)
(Saundra Latham/Yahoo)
Other backpack coolers we tested
Ninja FrostVault Go 24 Can Backpack Cooler ($200): Yes, this pack is built like a tank and keeps everything nice and cold, but it’s not quite as nimble as our top picks. Field tester and Yahoo Editor Saundra Latham explains, “It’s a breeze to carry while it’s empty, but once it’s loaded down with ice, food and drinks, it’s quite heavy. It’s more of a ‘toss it on your back and go find a spot for a picnic’ cooler than a ‘hike with it all day’ cooler.” That said, she appreciated the separate compartment for snacks and dry items, the padded straps and the thoughtful bonuses, like the integrated bottle opener and expandable mesh pockets on the outside.
Sparter 30 Can Backpack Cooler ($37): The Sparter looks like a regular backpack, but with an insulated lining. It’s on the smaller side, but has lots of pockets, a padded mesh back and cushioned straps. It was easy to open and put stuff inside, unlike some of the others, but it leaked when we turned it upside down after holding ice for 24 hours, and it didn’t keep its contents as cold.
IceMule Jaunt Collapsible Backpack Cooler ($90): The IceMule rolls closed, and you clasp the ends together like a traditional wet bag. It’s a bit hard to open and get into, and it’s not particularly can-friendly. The padded, thick straps are comfortable, but the back is less so. After 24 hours, when the ice melted, water escaped from the ends of the bag when we tipped it over, and it didn’t keep its contents as cold as others. It’s worth noting that water rolls right off the exterior.
Backpack cooler FAQs
What is the best way to pack a backpack cooler?
The key to keeping drinks and food cold is to either chill the cooler itself before using (which only works with small coolers) or to fill it with ice or reusable ice packs before using. Chill or freeze items you want to bring along before packing them in the cooler, and open it up as little as possible to keep the temperature from rising.
How do I clean a backpack cooler?
We cleaned all of the coolers we tested with a damp cloth and dish soap (the Titan) or outside with a hose (the Hydro Flask and Yeti), or we did a combination of both. To prevent mold and mildew on any cooler, it’s imperative to wipe the inside completely dry before closing it up for storage.
Can you use dry ice in a soft cooler?
In a word, no. Most soft coolers are airtight and not designed to be filled with dry ice, as it can cause the cooler to explode when the CO2 pressure builds as the dry ice sublimates. Another reason to avoid dry ice with soft coolers? Their linings are not designed for exposure to the very low temperatures of dry ice and may dry out or crack when exposed to it. Hard-sided coolers are designed to vent when CO2 pressure builds, so using dry ice in those should be ok, but always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for any cooler.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.