Updated on Sep. 13, 2024
I tested BruMate’s new soft cooler to tell you how it performs ahead of your springtime outings and camping trips. Spoiler alert: It’s comparable to Yeti’s performance soft cooler.
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We’ve tested a range of coolers, comparing the classic Yeti Roadie vs the Oyster Tempo and rounding up our all-time best coolers for camping. Now, we’ve tested the newest lightweight, soft cooler from BruMate, one of our favorite cooler brands.
To cut to the chase, we love that the new BruMate MagPack Soft Cooler is made for easy carrying and travel. You can pack it in the backseat of your car or sling it over your shoulder for cold refreshments wherever, whenever. Above all, we love its second-to-none ice retention abilities. This sleek, portable cooler will be your favorite cooling accessory for sporting events, springtime picnics and day trips.
Made for on-the-go adventures, the new MagPack Soft Cooler from BruMate is lightweight, durable, leakproof and insulated to keep things cold for days. It has a magnetic lid to seal in the cold instead of a cumbersome zipper top, and its soft outer shell is waterproof and punctureproof. This small but mighty cooler keeps things cold for 24 hours and sometimes longer.
Each cooler has straps and handles for easy carrying and waterproof pockets for storing a few essential items when needed. The tough insulated lining is antimicrobial, so your drinks stay cold and fresh (free of mold and mildew).
The BruMate MagPack Cooler comes in three sizes and four colorways. Keep reading for all the specs and features.
VIA MERCHANT
A sleek, ultra-portable soft cooler with maximum ice retention
The BruMate MagPack comes in three sizes: 12-can, 18-can and 24-can. The two smaller sizes have shoulder straps, while the largest size is designed as a backpack. Each size is available in four contemporary colors: graphite, lilac, sage and nightfall blue. The largest weighs under eight pounds, and the smallest weighs six pounds.
We tested the smallest cooler in lilac. The interior of the 12-can cooler is 8-1/2 inches tall, 11 inches wide and 6-1/4 inches long. Outside, the mini cooler is 13-1/2 inches wide, 9 inches long and 11-1/2 inches tall.
The smallest 12-can cooler fits most of my daily needs. It can fit, as it says, 12 standard 12-ounce cans with ice, 8 pounds of ice only or two bottles of wine and liquor plus ice. It’ll hold multiple drinks and a large meal for a long workday or overnight shift.
I tested the BruMate MagPack for several months before writing this review. Off the bat, I noticed the cooler is beautiful. It looks and feels like it’s made of quality materials and performs like it, too. It’s incredibly durable, easy to carry and well-insulated (cold cans alone will keep their temperature, even without ice). I love the lilac and sage colors—the lilac is even prettier in person than online.
I used the cooler to carry evening drinks to gatherings with friends, my partner used it to pack his lunch for the workday, and as a new mom, I even used it to carry milk for the baby when we had to spend whole and half days going to appointments. It’s excellent because it’s lightweight and keeps things dependably cold. Should there be a spill, it will be contained within the cooler’s leakproof seal. Plus, the inside is made of hard, BPA-free plastic, and the soft interior lining is easy to wipe clean.
Regarding storage space, I found that you can fit 12 cans snuggly with ice packs by lining four cans along the bottom and stacking two more rows of cans on top. Taller cans (larger than 12 ounces) must be turned the other way, but they fit in the smallest MagPack cooler. Standard wine bottles also fit; I could pack three in the smallest cooler. However, taller wine bottles do not fit in the 12-can cooler.
When keeping things cold, I prefer coolers with ice packs instead of real, meltable ice. With quality ice packs, I found the cooler keeps items cold all day long. With enough ice packs, packed items stayed cold overnight and well into the following day. To be safe, after 24-36 hours (depending on the cooler’s internal and external environments), I recommend repacking this cooler if what you’re carrying needs to be preserved at freezing temperatures.
To put this cooler’s ice retention into perspective, most soft coolers can’t last two days before their inner contents become lukewarm or soggy. With this cooler, drinks remained cold past the 48-hour mark. It has a similar ice retention rate to Yeti’s Hopper.
I only found two issues with the cooler while I was using it. For a cooler of this quality and price, I would expect it to come with its reusable ice packs. However, BruMate sells its signature Black Ice separately, but I did not have those to test the cooler. To get the most out of your BruMate cooler, I’d recommend buying the brand’s reusable ice packs. However, they do come at a relatively high price.
The second issue I had with the cooler is minor. I found that the lid handle isn’t easy to open. It latches well (you can hear it clicking into place when sealed shut). Sometimes, however, it takes me a few squeezes to get the lid to unlatch and open. Again, this is minor and only delays opening by a few seconds, but as a parent to a newborn, those few seconds can be crucial, so I think it’s worth mentioning.
We recommend the BruMate MagPack if you’re shopping for a soft cooler with the best ice retention. It is expensive and can be tricky to open, but it also holds ice just as long (if not longer) than competitor brands like Yeti. It’s also incredibly durable. The MagPack survived many drops and throws into the backseat of the car during testing without a scratch or dent. If you want the best soft cooler to keep things cold, this one is it.
But if you need something more heavy-duty, an electric cooler may be best for you.
VIA MERCHANT
A soft cooler with maximum cooling powers made for on-the-go adventures
You can shop the BruMate MagPack Soft Cooler directly from BruMate and on Amazon. The 12-can cooler retails for $200, the 18-can for $250 and the 24-can for $275. FYI: BruMate frequently runs sales and deals, and you can score 10% off your first order by signing up for emails. Snag one now in time for Mother’s Day!
