High End Cooler Comparison
 

I have several Yeti's, and have had great luck with them. Looks like there may be better choices out there though.

http://www.alloutdoor.com/2014/01/24...kly+Newsletter

Softsided is where it's at for me. I like my Polar Bears and my friends like their AO's. Who else is in the softside market?

Yeti doesn't count.

love my soft side coolers, got my first AO's in the mid 90's and they still work like the day i got them. No leaks and keep ice for a long time.

I agree with the soft sided options as well, the trick is you have to get a nice one. Not sure what brand mine are but got them at the boat show and love them, no sweating and hold ice for more than a day even when left out in the sun all day. Yeti's are nice but to big and heavy for the ammount of space you get inside. The other thing I like about the soft sides are you can throw them on the floor and they don't tip over or bounce around like all the hard ones I've tried while running or you can set them on the deck and not worry about them scratching the paint.

Only caviot to that is if you need ice for an extended weekend you may need a bigger cooler and then the extra insulation of a hard side may be needed, with the skater I only boat for the afternoon / evening so I don't need to take a ton with me, if we go out for the weekend the bigger boat has an ice maker...

Sailor Bags makes the best soft sided cooler I have found. It is about $100 for the 24 can size, but the cooler is awesome, I take it everywhere as the mobile bar.

speaking of coolers anyone use dry ice in a cooler? Buddy of mine said they use to use it and it worked great, no mess because it goes straight to a gas but he did say they had to layer towels in to keep it from freezing everything.

Surprised by all of the softside users. didnt know they made high end softsides except the new Yeti. Has anyone tried the Yeti softside cooler?

I dont think the soft side ones are quite as good as the best hard side ones but the trade off for us offshore guys is worth it. I bought mine at the street rod nationals in like 94 and they work remarkably well, at the time i dont think i ever had a cooler that held ice near as long. Mine AO's have always worked very well, swear by 'em. They seem to always be able to tuck in somewhere on any boat i have ever had, hard sides need a specific space. My soft sides usually go under a bolster or something and remain convenient at any orientation. My GF's dad has a Yeti hard side on his cruiser . . . . i think you only have to put ice in it when ya get it then its good forever lol :D. Holds ice for an astonishing time.

I have three AOs and swear by them. Have one of their largest and two smaller. I tried every soft side till I bughy my one large one. The two small come with Sunsations. They never sweat and have no issues keeping ice.

Yes the ice lasts forever. I have a Yeti 110qt for hunting, and the 65qt for all day on the water. I can see were a soft side would be more convenient, just never had a good one. The Yeti soft side is like $300. I'm going to check in to the AO's and others.

Thanks for posting this... I have used the Coleman thats in the video, and it has worked great. Only problem is when they are empty they are still taking up so much room. I never realized that the soft side coolers worked so well. I will be getting a good 48 can soft side for this summer.

I have a yeti 75, the only problem with it I have is you need two body builders to get it out of the boat when full!

Thought this was a good use for a cooler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evy_Nj1L4tE Otherwise this is my favorite:

http://www.heringpropellers.com/medi...ooler-2011.jpg

The new Jeti cooler is suppose to keep the ice the longest, they did leave a few name brands off the list

AO, got a new carbon fiber style for Christmas, of course you don't worry about ice today when it's 10 outside.lol

I did all the research and ended up just getting a new pair of these again, the last ones I had were getting worn out after many years of use.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-Mari...44530/36130973

They also hold ice for several days and hold more because the are not as thick and they are much much lighter. For most of the boating we do it either gets emptied everyday or only needs to keep for a 2 or 3 days max. Can't justify spending 10 times the price on one that is better but really not by much.

I also have one of these for when I need to bring a lot of stuff, I also have the freezable dividers and ice packs for the lid and it stays cold for a long time.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rubbermaid...Chest/20613569

I may have to get one of those AO coolers for when its just me and the Mrs.

We use AO soft side coolers. They work as advertised.

Yeti has a soft cooler now, I have not seen it. Love my yeti hard side.

Have 4 AOs and work great. Just don't put bottles in them. The caps will puncture the liners and leak.

I was impressed with how the Coleman Extreme did after 4 days.

Has anyone seen the new " coolest " cooler out I got one for xmas look forward to trying it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4irb2K1p8E

AO and the plastic Ice they sell.

BUT Bubba's Issue is they need to be Strong enough for the Beeeeeches to dance on!!

That is a problem Quinlan does not have! You are out of beer before the ice you dumped in the half full box it came in has melted! :ernaehrung004:

Every AO cooler I have had has ended up leaking after a couple of seasons.......my wife likes bottled beer and i think the caps take their toll on the soft sided coolers....I got two Yeti soft-sided coolers for Christmas but have not had a chance to try them out......they appear to be quite rugged

If you want the best there is only one. www.frigidrigid.com the ice will last 7-10 days depending on your usage.

I have two onboard.

Frigid Rigid is what I have built into the Cigarette. I didn't realize those thing were that expensive:faint2:

I clicked on this expecting it to be about oil coolers!!!

all soft coolers say not to put bottles in them. AO will send you a patch kit, will reline it for a few bucks, and they will send you new one discounted if you cut a hunk out the liner and send it to them.

2 Yetis? WOW. THey look and feel awesome. I just cant spend $300 on a cooler

I'm also looking for a soft sided cooler. Doesn't have to be as rugged as the Yeti. I'm actually looking for one that will do its job for the day as I'm not worried if it stores the ice for days. Does anyone know where to get one custom with the boat logo or PR team on it or know someone they can recommend. Thanks

I hear ya....and I probably would not either....I have a good wife and good friends

I think they make a great product....I have many friends that have had great luck with them.....just not the solution for me.....we will see if the Yetis hold up

That's all I drink is bottles- Usually the liner tears at the top after a 2 or 3 yrs. By then its in pretty rough shape anyway.

There is a clear cut best cooler, its not even close

http://coolest.com/

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While we are on the topic of Yeti...

Figured I would share that I got one of these for Christmas from a very good friend.

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http://yeticoolers.com/rambler-tumblers/

It's the cat's meow when it comes to keeping the morning joe hot; and it's designed for cold drinks too with no sweating.

I got one of those Ramblers for Christmas too from a family member. Gotta watch these things with coffee. They stay dam hot for a very long time. Hard to believe really.

Just got a new Yeti Roadie today. One of our guys came in with a great deal on a brand new one. Nice little 20qt. I still want the soft side Yeti though.

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I have the bigger one and am very impressed will hold ice all day if you don't open the top a lot