RTIC Soft pack 20, 30 Coolers; Who is it for? Does it Float?
RTIC Soft pack coolers are best suitable for fishing (Yes, its floats), beach activities, Air travel and your Day trip to lake and camping sites. Its zipper is waterproof, sandproof and its lightweight design makes it a handy for all types of uses. It is comfortable to carry to the difficult terrains that you may need to walk for your fishing trips.
RTIC soft pack cooler usage is dependent on its size, soft pack 8 can also be used as a Lunchbox. It will be a great lunchbox for construction workers, flight attendants or anyone who has limited resources of refrigerating their food at their workplace.
Soft pack 20, 30 and 40 are definitely a picnic cooler, they are lightweight and easier to carry. You do not need to carry a hard cooler if you are going on a 1-2 days trip near your city. Soft coolers as big as Soft pack 40 can easily replace small hard coolers without wheels.
How good is RTIC SOFT Pack cooler bag
Let us see what are the major parameters related to RTIC Soft Pack cooler bag and what we feel about this soft cooler bag.
Qualities
It holds ice for more than a day. In our tests, which we performed in the direct exposure to the sun in 95 degrees temperature, RTIC Soft pack holds the ice for almost 40 hours. It is definitely a must buy for the day trips that you may plan for your outdoor activities.
Construction
Its lid is 2 inches thick and the inside wall is 1 inch thick with insulated material. It has a waterproof outside pocket to keep your cellphone and car keys safe.
Key points –
Its outer layer is made of a heavy duty nylon shell.
Zippers are waterproof.
Closed cell insulation holds the insulating foam inside which doesn’t give a sweat, so no outside sweat will appear on the soft pack. This construction helps this cooler to float in the waters, you can use it with your kayak or a fishing boat.
All the materials that are used are lightweight, durable and waterproof.
It’s easy access lid is wide enough for all our needs.
I have used it for multiple day trips to the lake, beach, golfing and it always performs as expected. It fits a six pack, some fruits, water bottles, and still has room for more stuff. It’s the perfect size for the day!
It’s zippers are sandproof which makes it a really useful beach cooler.
Overall, it is made to last longer and it is definitely a durable cooler bag.
Check this Video on why Zippers are tight and How to replace them!
Rtic soft cooler vs Yeti bag
Yeti offers Yeti hopper flip soft cooler which is a high quality soft cooler than RTIC. It also comes with a premium price. If you compare RTIC soft cooler vs Yeti, RTIC offers more value for money than Yeti hopper flip.
Ice retention is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a cooler bag. After all, what’s the point of packing a cooler if the ice is going to melt within an hour? Thankfully, in the battle of RTIC soft cooler bag vs Yeti, both the RTIC Soft Cooler Bag and the Yeti Hopper Flip are well-known for their excellent ice retention. In fact, many users report that the ice in their RTIC or Yeti cooler lasts for days, even in hot weather. So if you’re looking for a bag that will keep your food and drinks cold, you can’t go wrong with either the RTIC or the Yeti.
When it comes to price between Yeti vs RTIC soft cooler bag, RTIC gets you the good value. It’s typically less expensive than the Yeti Hopper Flip, but it still offers great features and ice retention. If you’re on a budget, the RTIC is a great option. However, if you’re willing to spend a little extra for top-of-the-line quality, the Yeti is the way to go.
Both coolers are available on Amazon, so you can compare prices and reviews before making your decision. Ultimately, both the RTIC Soft Cooler Bag and the Yeti Hopper Flip are best in the segment.
Conclusion
This is a multipurpose soft cooler that is by far the best soft cooler that we have tested. If you are looking for a soft cooler which is strong, durable, handy, and holds ice for more than a day, RTIC soft pack is the best soft cooler currently available in the market.
The RTIC 30 can hold 25 12ounce bottles standing up and still has some space left for the snacks.
Initially, zipper is not easier to use but by the time and more use it will get easier to operate.You also get a zipper gel with the purchase and we suggest to apply some gel after every 2-3 months. A simple tip is to keep the zippers closed when not in use.
You also get a sidestrap with the RTIC soft pack, and it is comfortable to carry this soft pack with this sidestrap on your shoulder. Overall, it is a nice soft pack that will be useful at many purposes and at many occasions.
Personally I bought it to use on the planes as a carry on bag, I travel with my family and a daughter of 2 years old, and I prefer to carry our own food wherever we travel. And for my needs, RTIC Soft Pack cooler bag was a perfect cooler.
If you prefer more premium soft cooler bag than RTIC, then I would suggest to check yeti hopper flip coolers.
Who are the competitors for RTIC soft cooler Bag?
There are many but only few are worthy of a mention in this list. As always, Yeti vs Rtic soft cooler competition is fierce.
Main competitors are YETI Hopper Flip, Arctic zone Titan zipperless coolers, Tourit Soft Cooler, Icemule Pro cooler backpack. These are the main competitors for RTIC where Yeti is more premium and offers more ice retention.
If not RTIC soft pack cooler, Tourit soft cooler will be our second choice. And if a backpack cooler is a right fit for you, you must consider buying an icemule backpack cooler.
What is lacking in the competitor’s soft cooler?
Value for money – there are few cheap options available in the market, but those are not giving us the value that has gone into making those products.
The price that we pay for an RTIC soft cooler justifies the quality and durability that we are going to get.
Why are we recommending RTIC over its competitors?
We always consider 3 major parameters to find the best cooler in its category.
- Ice Retention capacity – RTIC soft pack ranks in top 3, other coolers that beat RTIC soft coolers are more expensive, almost double the price than RTIC soft pack.
- Build and durability– One of the best quality soft coolers in the market.
- Price – Scores maximum points when it comes to Price, and when it comes to RTIC products they always score better on the prices, RTICs tagline is “Overbuilt, not Overpriced”.
A cooler with great ice retention capability, high quality materials and longer durability forced us to recommend RTIC soft cooler over other competitors.
On top of it, the buyer’s intended use of the cooler may trump all of the 3 parameters that we consider, that is obvious though. If you need a soft cooler that can be a good backpack and a Carry-On bag on a flight, there are very limited choices and an RTIC soft cooler is not a backpack.
Otherwise, be assured that our choice is the best option among all of the other coolers in the market.
Ice Retention test
We filled up the RTIC soft pack with ice to its 70% capacity and left in the sun in a 95 degrees heat. All the ice turned into the water after 44 hours.
I had pre-chilled the soft pack cooler before putting it under this test. It also works best with the cooler ice packs. I had bought RTIC small size cooler packs and I haven’t had any troubles with the cooling capacity of the cooler. My lunch and snacks were always cold and fresh.
Customer Service
RTICs customer service is Active. I call it active when I get a response from any customer service representatives.
They are good and will process our requests without any unnecessary questions. I never had to return anything back to RTIC. I have read reviews on their website that some of the buyers were not happy. For common reason of stiffness in zipper, and RTIC sent them a new cooler instead of trying to repair the already sold cooler.
Capacity of any manufacturer to replace their products without asking many questions is a huge parameter to decide if the customer service and warranty is of any use to the buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we use RTIC Soft Bag in the airplane?
Answer is Yes. Personally, I have bought this soft cooler bag to use it as a carry-on bag when I am on a 16+ hours flight. Specially in the Covid 19 times I prefer not to eat food that is being offered in the long international flights. Yes, I am still travelling and have not faced any issues with RTIC soft cooler in any of the planes.
Is RTIC a cheaper Yeti?
It is not a cheaper Yeti, but a better alternative to a premium YETI brand. RTIC offers high quality products for affordable prices.
If you compare RTICs products with Yeti products, you will always find the similarity between these two brands. In a way, for the buyers who cannot afford to buy expensive YETI coolers, RTIC is a better alternative.
It gives you almost the same product quality with a better price. Yeti is obviously the premium brand with the best ice retention capacity in the market. But not every buyer needs ice retention of the maximum possible days, especially when it costs a few hundred dollars.
RTICs has capitalized on this and made their products for the people who cannot afford premium brands but expect the same quality for the money they are investing.
Is RTIC products made in the USA?
No, RTIC is a Houston, USA based company, their products are designed in the USA and Manufactured in China. Similar model is in practice by Yeti, their products are designed in the USA and manufactured in Asia, Australia.
Where to buy an RTIC cooler?
Either buy it directly from RTIC Website or from Amazon.
Direct links for both are given below.
RTIC coolers are not sold on any of the retail superstores, and exclusively sold on the online platforms only.
This is a well thought strategy by RTIC outdoors company to reduce middlemen and offer great prices for the end consumers by selling their products only on their website, Amazon and the RTIC outlet in Houston.
How do you use an insulated cooler bag?
Ice won’t last as long if it’s used frequently or if the bag is left in direct sunlight. Ice cream will stay frozen for around two hours. If you’re planning trips where you’ll need to keep food cold for longer periods of time, it’s best to buy an ice pack specifically for that purpose. Amazon sells ice packs that fit well in both RTIC and Yeti soft cooler bags. If you’re using your bag mostly in moderate temperatures, you won’t need extra ice packs. Ice will last longer if the bag is kept in the shade or indoors. Ice will melt faster if the bag is exposed to direct sunlight or high temperatures.