The new RUX Soft Cooler Bag is a rugged yet surprisingly refined tote-style soft cooler. Instead of a zipper or magnets, RUX uses a reliable roll-top closure system. What you get is part tote bag, part dry bag and part soft cooler.
To get us a closer look, RUX sent Man Makes Fire a review unit. Man Makes Fire writer Chris Maxcer took it out on multiple day trips to test its ease of use and cooler capabilities. To help you determine if the RUX Soft Cooler Bag is right for you, here is what he learned and are his buying recommendations:
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The RUX Soft Cooler Bag
I really like the new RUX Soft Cooler Bag for quick day trips. At 25-liters, it’s small enough to tote around easily but large enough for a dozen drinks with ice and snacks.I first ran into RUX when I reviewed the company’s RUX Waterproof Bag, which was downright excellent. RUX is a Canadian company that got its start making a collapsible, modular gear storage system for outdoor adventurers. The core RUX system is the RUX 70L collapsible gear box made from a rugged waterproof TPU material.
The system is all configured to work well together, with bags that can fit perfectly into the totes. The whole idea is to keep your gear organized and packable.
The new RUX Soft Cooler Bag is the freshest rugged take on a soft cooler we’ve seen in years.
The RUX Soft Cooler Bag fits inside the 70L box, of course, but you don’t need the system to appreciate this cooler. It’s not only rugged with removable straps and lash points, it’s also surprisingly refined. You can take this handy cooler to a rocky beach, grocery store, picnic, party, or youth sporting event and it’ll blend in.
Design Elements
The roll-top closure is easy to use and effectively seals the cooler.One of the features I like most about the RUX Soft Cooler Bag is that it’s collapsible like a bag. It’s well-insulted, but not so much that it becomes a bulky cube. I can leave this in my pickup under the seat or stow it on a packed shelf in my garage or closet. Very handy.
If you haven’t used a roll-top closure system, don’t worry, they’re easy to use. All you have to do is fold over the material three times then clip the two ends together. What you get is a watertight seal that also seals cold air in and hot air out.
RUX includes a removable shoulder strap, which attaches and detaches easily. It’s not particularly padded, but I like that. I find that I usually ditch bigger shoulder straps. With the RUX, I leave it attached more often.
Materials & Specs
RUX uses a heavy duty welded 840D TPU double-sided coated nylon fabric. Some TPU fabrics can look plasticky, but RUX fabric does not. It looks surprisingly rich and vibrant without being flashy. I’m a big fan of the RUX fabrics.
In addition, the Soft Cooler Bag is FDA approved and doesn’t use any BPA materials.
It weighs in at just less than 1.5 pounds.
Dimensions: 14.2″ x 9.1″ x 11.8″
Capacity: 25 liters (30 cans)
Weight: 39.2 ounces
How I Like to Use the RUX Soft Cooler Bag
RUX offers the Soft Cooler Bag in four color options, including this understated blue.I like to use the RUX Soft Cooler Bag for shorter events. It excels on simple day trips as an extra-large lunch and drink cooler. It’s also great for loading up with drinks before heading over to a friend’s house or backyard BBQ.
In terms of ice retention, it does well, but it’s not designed to compete with bulky soft coolers. I took the RUX Soft Cooler Bag loaded up with a dozen drinks and ice for a beach day. We drank most of the drinks. Back at home 10 hours later, I still had a few chips of ice and a lone drink that remained cold enough to enjoy as I cleaned up wet paddleboarding gear. Score.
For any relatively simple trip that doesn’t require intense chilling, I find myself skipping bigger coolers in favor of RUX’s lightweight cooler option.
The 5L RUX Cooler Cube
The little 5-liter Cooler Cube can hold a six-pack or your lunch!Meanwhile, RUX has also introduced a small lunch-style cooler bag: the Cooler Cube. It has the same basic design as its larger sibling, but it’s sized for a six-pack of beer. Instead of handles and a shoulder strap, the the roll-top closure acts as a handle. While it doesn’t come with a shoulder strap, it is compatible with the Soft Cooler Bag shoulder strap or the RUX Waterproof Bag shoulder strap. I like it because it’s big enough for some drinks and a sandwich but small enough to stow in a daypack.
I think that both the bag and cube could make great gifts for outdoor adventurers.
The Bottom Line
All in all, the new RUX Soft Cooler Bag is the freshest rugged take on a soft cooler we’ve seen in years. It’s lightweight, easy to carry, and has a no-fuss vibe I appreciate. The roll-top closure works great and the rugged TPU fabric is hard to scratch or scuff. Very highly recommended.
