Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze 30 Review

With plenty of pockets and good insulation results, the Arctic Zone Deep Freeze 30 is an excellent messenger-style option to take to the beach or picnic. It features a removable interior shelf, multiple exterior pockets, mesh bottle holders, and a bottle opener. It's available in various colors and sizes, all of which are friendly to the wallet.

Performance Comparison

Insulation

For such a thin cooler, you'd expect the insulation performance to be a bit lacking. However, this isn't the case for the Arctic Zone Deep Freeze 30. This model lasted 50 hours under 40 degrees F, which is the FDA recommended food-safe temperature. Of course, we tested each cooler for the ideal beer-drinking temperature too, which is under 50 degrees F. The Arctic stays within this beer-happy threshold for a little over 55 hours. Though you'll be limited in its cooling powers by the end of the weekend, you'll certainly have enough chill to get you through the day.

The Deep Freeze does well among other coolers under 20 L and is about average when compared to other lunchbox models. It has one of the most unique designs in our lineup, as it has no zipper. Instead, it has a structured lid that fits snuggly over the bottom lip, creating a slight suction. So, even though it lacks the traditional zip closure, it still manages to hold its chilly temps among the rest.

Convenience

When testing for convenience in soft coolers, there are a few key factors we look for. First, we inspect their ease of use during the loading and unloading phase. Along with this, we check to see if the lid closed on our hands when grabbing a snack or while packing more in. Then, we clean the cooler inside and out by wiping it down and letting it dry out. Finally, we look to see how well the model collapses down for easy storage. With how well the Arctic Zone did in these inspections, it's not surprising to see it land on top.

The zipperless lid opens effortlessly and tucks behind the rest of the cooler. Thanks to this, it never once shut on our hands when dumping in ice or grabbing for goodies. Inside are two plastic removable inserts. One is the bright orange cooler box itself, resting snuggly within the insulating fabric. The other insert is shallow and sits at the top of the other. This smaller one helps separate dry items to help keep them from soaking as the ice melts.

Cleaning the Arctic is a breeze thanks to a combination of the plastic liner and wide open lid. The hard liner is very simple to wipe down as it's not fabric like many others. It's also removable, so if you need to do a deep clean, it wouldn't be too difficult. The lid also stays wide open during this entire process and allows for quick drying. The only area this model lacks is when attempting to store it. The cooler is rigid due to its solid insert. Once removed, it packs down nicely. However, you'll still need to store the insert, so it makes sense to store it as one piece. It has a relatively small footprint, but don't expect it to fold up to fit in tight places.

Portability

After towing this along to various destinations, short and far away, the Arctic Zone Titan impressed us with its overall portability. This model is transported around by its single shoulder strap. This strap is well-made, padded, and didn't dig into our shoulders when carrying a heavier load. Along with this, it has two padded side handles that help load it in and out of the car, though it shouldn't get too heavy based on its size and soft-bodied construction.

This lunchbox-style soft cooler is comfortable and easy to get around. It is small enough that it sits tight on the hip and doesn't feel difficult to control. Hiking this into our favorite picnic spot wasn't challenging whatsoever. However, when packed light, the contents feel like they slosh around a bit. Additionally, it's not watertight. Wherever your plans take you, you can expect a bit of leakage if the unit gets knocked over.

Packability

For our packability tests, we loaded each model with as many cans as we could, along with plenty of ice and variously shaped goodies. We also inspected any extra storage, like exterior pockets, daisy chains, and more. The Titan Deep Freeze 30 is able to accommodate quite a large selection of items, even though it's on the smaller side. An impressive 30 cans fit well within this 20 L pack. It also has no trouble accommodating a bottle of wine. Its ribbed plastic insert helps keep items in place, and its smaller removable insert helps keep dry goods safe from moisture.

The exterior of the pack has plenty of storage options, too. A large zippered pocket runs along the front of the bag. Here, cutlery and small plates could be stored. This smaller, low-profile pocket is great for housing a phone or car keys. Two stretchy mesh side pockets are on either side of the cooler. Additionally, a bungee cord is strung on top of the lid, ideal for bringing along a light layer, jacket, or towel. The Arctic Zone is available in six different sizes and a handful of colors, all of which are packed with these great features.

Durability

While we were impressed with the rest of the Titan Deep Freeze, its durability performance didn't hold up. To test this metric, we soaked each closed model in a bucket filled with water. As the Titan doesn't have a zipper, it's not surprising that it's not fully waterproof. The exterior was damp alongside all of the walls, and the inside had roughly an inch of pooling water. That said, this isn't the best choice to take on a river trip or anywhere with the risk of getting submerged.

In addition to our own inspection and soak test, we also read what users had to say across the internet. Many had troubles with the model's overall durability, stating zippers broke over time and wishing for an adjustable shoulder strap. With our tests being limited to a few months, we didn't have any issues with broken zippers or pockets, though we could see this being a potential issue as the stitching and materials don't seem to be of the highest quality. However, it should be noted that this cooler is very inexpensive, making it a bit easier to replace. If you're not planning on using it more than a handful of times each year, you shouldn't have too many issues when it comes to durability.

Should You Buy the Arctic Zone Deep Freeze 30?

Overall, the Arctic Zone Deep Freeze 30 does slightly better than other coolers its size. It's incredibly easy to use and transport around. Plus, it does all this at a price that's hard to come by. However, it's not the most durable option out there. Over time, you might need to replace it. For casual users who only plan to use this a few times a year, it's an excellent option.

What Other Soft Cooler Should You Consider?

Should durability be crucial to you, the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 is a great option and is about the same size. The Flip does well overall but comes at a hefty price. For a larger option that still performs well, check out the Engel HD30. This hefty bag has a vacuum valve that pulls warm air out and keeps its many contents chilly for extended periods.