When you need cold drinks and fresh food without hauling a bulky hard cooler, a portable soft sided cooler—especially a durable soft cooler built for real-world use—is the perfect solution. From quick road trips and tailgates to beach days and job sites, soft sided coolers deliver serious performance in a lighter, easier-to-carry design.
At Grizzly Coolers, our portable soft coolers are built for adventure, combining rugged materials, effective insulation, and travel-friendly designs. In this guide, we’ll explore what makes a soft cooler truly great, when it’s the best choice, and how to select the perfect one for your lifestyle.
What Is a Portable Soft Cooler?
A portable soft cooler is a flexible, insulated cooler made from durable fabrics and high-performance insulation rather than rigid plastic. The result is a cooler that’s:
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Easier to carry
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Lighter when empty
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More compact to store
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Perfect for short to medium-length outings
If you’re looking for a balance between portability convenience and cooling power, a soft-sided cooler is hard to beat.
Why Choose a Soft Sided Cooler Over a Hard Cooler?
Hard coolers are great for long trips—but they aren’t always practical. Portable soft coolers shine when mobility matters.
Key Benefits of Soft Sided Coolers
Lightweight & Travel-Friendly
Soft coolers weigh significantly less than hard coolers, making them ideal for carrying longer distances or tossing in the back seat. Their soft outer shell also makes them less rigid.
Flexible Storage
They fit better in vehicles, boats, kayaks, and tight storage spaces.
Quick Access
Zippers and wide openings make grabbing drinks fast—perfect for tailgates and social settings.
Everyday Versatility
Great for lunch at work, kids’ events and tournaments, day trips, or running errands with refrigerated or frozen items.
What to Look for in a High-Quality Portable Soft Cooler
Not all soft coolers are built the same. If you’re shopping for a durable soft cooler, here’s what actually matters when choosing one.
1. Insulation Performance
Look for thick foam insulation that keeps ice longer than basic lunch coolers. Premium soft coolers can hold ice for multiple days when packed correctly.
Grizzly soft sided coolers are designed to deliver reliable cold retention without sacrificing portability.
Explore all Grizzly soft sided coolers here:
2. Durable, Waterproof Materials (What Makes a Soft Cooler Durable)
A true portable soft cooler should be able to handle:
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Dirt, sand, and mud
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Water splashes and rain
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Regular loading and unloading
Look for reinforced seams, heavy-duty fabrics, and water-resistant liners—features that Grizzly Coolers builds into every soft sided cooler.
3. Comfortable Carry Options
Since portability is key, carry comfort matters.
The best portable soft coolers include:
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Padded shoulder straps
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Reinforced grab handles
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Balanced weight distribution when fully loaded
Grizzly’s soft side coolers are designed to stay comfortable even when packed with ice, drinks, and food.
4. Size That Matches Your Use Case
Choosing the right size keeps your cooler efficient and easy to carry.
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Small soft coolers (like the Drifter 6 pack) – Lunches, day trips, or solo use
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Medium soft coolers (like the Drifter 20) – Beach days, couples, short road trips
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Large soft coolers (like the Drifter 24 Backpack or Drifter 30) – Tailgates, group outings, fishing trips
Grizzly offers multiple soft cooler sizes so you’re not carrying more cooler than you need and can select the carrying style that best accommodates your lifestyle.
Best Uses for a Soft Cooler
A portable soft cooler isn’t just for one activity—it’s built for everyday adventure.
Popular Ways People Use Soft Coolers
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Tailgating – Easy to carry, easy to access
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Beach and pool days – Lightweight and sand-friendly
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Camping and fishing – Ideal for short trips and day excursions
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Road trips – Fits behind seats and in trunks
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Work and job sites – Keeps lunch cold all day
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Grocery runs – Perfect for frozen, refrigerated, and perishable items
If you need flexibility and mobility, a soft sided cooler makes more sense than a hard cooler.
Why Grizzly Soft Coolers Stand Out
Grizzly Coolers designs soft sided coolers with the same mindset as their hard coolers—built tough, built to last. If you’re looking for a durable soft sided cooler that can handle repeated outdoor use, Grizzly Coolers is a proven choice.
What Sets Grizzly Apart
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Rugged construction for real outdoor use
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Reliable insulation that keeps contents cold
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Thoughtful designs for travel and carry comfort
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Trusted brand known for durability
Whether you’re heading to the game, the campsite, or the beach, Grizzly’s portable soft coolers are made to perform.
Browse Grizzly’s full lineup of soft sided coolers:
Portable Soft Cooler FAQs
How long will a portable soft cooler keep ice?
With proper packing and minimal opening, high-quality soft sided coolers can keep ice for 24–72 hours, depending on conditions.
Are soft coolers leakproof?
Many premium soft coolers feature waterproof liners and sealed seams to prevent leaks—ideal for travel and vehicle use.
Can a soft cooler replace a hard cooler?
For short trips, day use, and portability-focused outings—yes. For multi-day base camps, a hard cooler may still be better.
Final Thoughts: Is a Portable & Durable Soft Cooler Worth It?
If you want a cooler that’s easy to carry, easy to store, and ready for everyday use, a portable soft sided cooler is absolutely worth it. And when you choose Grizzly Coolers, you’re getting dependable cold retention and rugged construction you can trust.
Find the right portable soft cooler for your next adventure: