We’re big fans of using soft-sided coolers for day trips and other short outings. They’re lighter to carry, much nicer to look at, and just a lot more convenient than those large, rotomolded ice boxes. If you’re looking to bring enough drinks to keep a small group of friends quenched for an afternoon at the beach, for instance, this Igloo Reactor 30-Can Cooler Bag should offer a more convenient option.
A part of the outfit’s newly-released Reactor line, the soft-sided cooler combines a curvy box shape with a shoulder strap, allowing you to carry it with same ease as a packed messenger bag. Whether for a picnic, a day hike, or a socially-distanced get-together while getting soused at the beach, this lets you bring a decent amount of libations without having to deal with the heft and inconvenience of a traditional cooler.
The Igloo Reactor 30-Can Cooler Bag measures 16.1 x 10.6 x 13 inches (width x depth x height), with enough room inside to accommodate up to 30 cans of your favorite refreshments. A compression-molded base provides the necessary structure and stability, allowing it to bear the brunt of all those drinks and ice you’re lugging along, all while ensuring it stays upright when you set it down on a table or a blanket on the ground. They pair that molded base with a waterproof and abrasion-resistant exterior shell that’s been welded at the seams for full waterproofing, as well as an insulated liner that’s both leak-proof and easy to clean by simply wiping down and a leak-proof T-bar zipper around the lid.
According to Igloo, it has enough insulation to keep drinks cold for up to two days inside the bag. We know, that doesn’t sound much, especially when compared to the roto-molded and indestructible cooler you have stashed in the garage. Then again, that’s why this is aimed for day trips and similarly short outings, as the two-week ice retention of those large and heavy ice boxes are just plain overkill in those situations.
The Igloo Reactor 30-Can Cooler Bag’s shoulder strap is adjustable, so you can carry it close to your shoulders or have it dangling around your hips, as well as removable, in case you don’t feel like having a fully-packed cooler hanging on one shoulder. If you remove the strap, you can carry the cooler bag using one hand via the top handle or two hands through loops on the sides. Those loops, by the way, can serve as tie-down sections, in case you want to carry extra pouches on there or secure it to a table, so no one steals your precious, ice-cold suds. We know, they can still open the cooler and take the drinks, but that’s a lot more work than just taking the whole thing, so we’re still cool with it. The whole thing weighs just 3.1 pounds.
The Igloo Reactor 30-Can Cooler Bag is available now, priced at $99. If it’s not quite your style, Igloo has recently dropped multiple bags in the new Reactor line, which include a smaller version of this cooler, a tote cooler bag, and a backpack cooler.