Thurso Soft Cooler Bag: Overview
The Thurso Soft Cooler Bag bridges the gap between low-insulation soft coolers and heavy rotomolded hard coolers and adds features that make it easy to use with your paddle board. Keep your beverages cool and within easy reach with this waterproof cooler.
Thurso also has smaller “lunch box” style coolers designed to hold up to 20 12-oz cans for shorter periods of time.
— Thurso Coolers Summary —
| Size | Type | Water-Resistance | SUP Attachment | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10-Can Deck Bag
| 10 12-oz Cans | Soft | Water Resistant | Clip-on | Check Best Price | |
20-Can Deck Bag
| 20 12-oz Cans | Soft | Waterproof | Clip-on | Check Best Price | |
Soft Cooler Bag
| 24 12-oz Can | Soft Rigid | Waterproof | Clip-on | Check Best Price |
Thurso Soft Cooler Bag Review
The Thurso Soft Cooler Bag provides a fantastic blend of insulating performance, capacity, and weight in a SUP-ready form factor.
I think Thurso has mis-named this cooler. While it’s not a true hard cooler like a rotomolded or blowmolded option, the Thurso Soft Cooler is quite rigid – I can even sit on it without it collapsing – thanks to its extra thick insulating layer. The foam insulation is over an inch thick all the way around the cooler.
Outside, the Thurso Soft Cooler Bag uses heavy-duty TPU-coated nylon fabric, and a lighter TPU layer on the inside, to keep water from getting in or out of the cooler. A heavy-duty waterproof zipper is paired with the fabric to completely seal the Thurso Soft Cooler Bag to keep your food and drinks safe and help seal in the cold.
The bright blue interior makes it easy to see in the cooler and find your favorite flavor or snack. With over 15 quarts (14L) of space, you can fit up to 24 cans, or 14 cans with a 2:1 ice:drink ratio.
With over an inch of insulation, the Thurso Soft Cooler can maintain ice-cold temperatures for up to 48 hours. Of course ice and temperature retention always depend on how often you open the cooler and where it is stored. Though with this much insulation in such a light package (just over 3 pounds) the Thurso Soft Cooler Bag can easily keep your items cold for a full day on the water.
When it’s time to get on the water, the Thurso Soft Cooler has a padded shoulder strap and two nylon handles on the sides to easily carry the cooler (capable of holding up to 14 lbs of ice).
There are four daisy chain webbing loops on the corners of the cooler and four double-ended straps to attach the cooler to your paddle board. The various positions on the daisy chain and small amount of elastic in the straps let them reach the D-rings on just about any paddle board while still keeping the cooler tightly held in place.
Overall the Thurso Soft Cooler Bag offers the best balance between thermal performance, weight, size, and features for a paddle board cooler. It’s incredibly easy to attach to your board, keeps drinks and food cold all day, and has enough space to share with other paddlers.
SUP Cooler FAQ
What size cooler should I get for stand up paddle boarding?
For one or two people on shorter trips, a small lunch-box size cooler is usually sufficient for drinks and snacks. For a full day on the water or for more people you’ll want to increase to a 20-30 quart cooler to have enough room for drinks, food, and plenty of ice. If you will be paddle boarding for multiple days you’ll want thicker insulation and a waterproof cooler like the Thurso Soft Cooler Bag.
Should I get a soft cooler or hard cooler for stand up paddle boarding?
Most paddlers will want a soft cooler that can easily attach to their board or board’s deck rigging. These coolers are lighter, but still keep cold through a day of paddling. Hard coolers are ideal when you need to keep food cold for multiple days at a time.
How long does ice last in the Thurso coolers?
Ice retention is affected by air temperature, sun exposure, how frequently you are opening the cooler, and of course the amount of insulation present. Thurso’s smaller 10- and 20-Can Coolers are meant for shorter day trips and can hold ice up to 12 hours in ideal conditions. The Thurso Soft Cooler Bag has over an inch of insulating foam and can hold ice for up to 48 hours.
