AO Coolers Canvas Series 24 Pack Cooler Review

The AO Coolers Canvas Series 24 Pack Cooler doesn’t have the sleek look or rock-hard insulation you get from brands like YETI, but it’s highly regarded online as a budget-friendly, lightweight, and durable cooler. We’ll test that and, most importantly, how long it keeps ice frozen. Let’s check it out!

External Components

The exterior is crafted from 600-denier polyester canvas and is durable. It looks sleek, too. Some of the colorways have a heritage vibe, similar to TOM BIHN bags. They are not out of style, just timeless looking.

At the time of writing, Black, Charcoal, Navy Blue, Red, and Royal Blue colorways are available. We like the Black model, but it will certainly absorb more sunlight than some of the brighter options. Depending on how you’ll use this cooler, that may not be an issue for you!

The cooler uses YKK zippers, the best brand in the business. They’re easy to use and durable. The pulls are simple and effective, with a loop to stick your finger through.

The buckles aren’t from a brand we recognize, but they work well and are snappy. There are straps on either side of the cooler, each of which secures with a buckle. You don’t have to engage them to close the zippered main compartment, but it looks goofy and is hard to carry without attaching the buckles. It looks tapered and clean when they’re engaged, and we prefer how solid it feels in this state.

Four large plastic eyes on the sides of the pack are used to attach the shoulder strap. The strap only uses two eyes when engaged, so you can use the other two at your leisure. They also work well for attaching a Bluetooth speaker with a clip or a carabiner. After all, what’s a few brewskis with your buds without some tunes?

The cooler’s bottom has reinforcement, making it more durable and adding slip protection. However, the materials hold water, and the cooler isn’t sealed, so keep that in mind if you’re taking it on a water adventure.

Overall, the materials and hardware are rugged enough to handle the bumps and knocks of travel. In testing, we took this cooler to city parks for picnics and hauled it to remote beaches on Lake Superior for sunsets, and it excelled at both.

Fit Notes

There are two carry methods, the first and easiest with the attached handles. A small fabric tab with a hook-and-loop fastener connects them, though it lacks padding or aeration for comfort. It works for short trips from the house to the car to load the cooler, but it isn’t ideal for longer treks. If you’ve ever gone to physical therapy for your elbow, it starts to feel like the exercise where the physical therapist makes you hold heavy weights to straighten your arm after a while. Whereas we love cheap PT, it’s not ideal for your vacation.

The shoulder strap is detachable, so you can use it when needed and remove it when you don’t. Without the strap, the cooler is less prone to getting caught on things. The included strap has a thin segment with padding that slides and adds comfort to your shoulder, though it still isn’t a great experience if you’re walking for more than 10 minutes.

If you love this cooler but don’t love the comfort of the included carry methods, you can attach your own strap. Many sling and duffle bag companies sell straps separately, so you can buy one or use a strap from a bag you already own to add comfort.

If you plan to keep the cooler as-is, go with the handles for trips less than a minute and the shoulder strap for anything longer. If you’re hiking into a campsite that’s a few miles away, go with a cooler that has backpack straps instead!

Inside The Cooler

There’s just one secondary compartment. However, most coolers don’t have any, so we can’t complain much. It’s large but flat, making it the perfect spot for thin items, like your phone, wallet, camping paperwork, or flat snacks like protein bars. There isn’t much protection here from bumps and knocks, and the pocket isn’t waterproof, so be careful what you stow here!

The main compartment’s white interior features solid insulation without taking up too much space inside the cooler. There’s no organization, but we didn’t expect there to be. This is a cooler, not a travel backpack!

We tested many coolers for our guide, and the AO Coolers Canvas Series 24 Pack Cooler was one of the best performers, which surprised the Pack Hacker staff. Though it appears well-made, we expected it to fall in the middle of the pack for a soft-sided cooler. After 24 hours, without opening it in between, the water inside was a balmy 33.2°F (0.67°C) with almost all the ice still intact. This was a tie for second place, and we’re here for it. That said, how often do you use a cooler without opening it for 24 hours?

So we took the AO Coolers Canvas Series 24 Pack Cooler to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for some in-the-field testing. It was a two-day drive to our destination, and the cooler was opened close to ten times during that span to get drinks and snacks. When we arrived, there was still a good chunk of ice, and all our beverages and food were ice-cold.

Our accommodations had a refrigerator, so we transferred the goods inside the cooler to that and set the cooler outside. Temperatures over the next 24 hours ranged between 40 F and 60 F, and when we used the cooler the following day for a sunset hike, there was still enough ice inside to keep our drinks and snacks cold. This thing performs incredibly well in the studio and in the remote reaches of the Upper Peninsula.

As long as the size works for you, the only drawback we can see for this cooler is the comfort of the carrying methods. It’ll work fine for most uses, and you can upgrade the strap if you want something more accommodating. Overall, this thing is cooler than being cool—ice cold!