REI Co-op Campwell 18L Folding Cooler Review
Affordable insulated tote bag, rectangular, or flat bag that's easy to store in your car "just in case"
The Campwell 18L soft cooler folds into a tote, rectangle, or lies flat.
October 25th, 2025
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Our verdict
The REI Co-op Campwell 18 L Folding Cooler is a lightweight cooler bag designed for day trips, grocery store runs, and car rides where you want to keep food hot or cold. It's got a clever design that is modular, so it can work as a tote bag or as a rectangular soft cooler that can fit rectangular ice packs. The Campwell 18 L is similar to a lot of cooler bags on the market, but has a more modern and stylish design. It also folds down flat for easy storage.
You can find a lot of cheap, cooler bags at grocery stores and big box stores. But this one actually keeps your food cool (or hot) for a longer period and the zippers and materials are higher quality, too.
When it comes down to it, a lot of people use their high-end coolers most often for daily trips where a high level of insulation isn't necessary. The REI Co-op Campwell 18 L soft cooler gives you a lot of the convenience of a much more expensive cooler without the high price.
While this isn't the pack we'd recommend for an overnight trip or even an all-day trip, the REI Campwell 18 L will keep items cold for hours. However, it doesn't hold ice like other soft coolers designed for weekend camping. But if you’re looking for a lightweight and packable soft cooler for daily use schlepping to and from the grocery store, bringing hot or cold food to friends or parties, or keeping lunch or picnics cool, this is all you need.
REI Co-op Campwell Folding Cooler
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REI Co-op Campwell 18L Folding Cooler specifications
Capacity: 18 liters / 1,099 cubic inches (8L also available)
Can Capacity: 12 cans with 10 lbs of ice
Ice Retention: 37+ hours below 40°F
Weight: 1 lb 2.3 oz
Dimensions: Cube: 13" x 10" x 9" / Flat: 21" x 18" x 1"
Materials: Recycled polyester (bluesign approved)
Best for: Day trips, short road trips, grocery shopping, picnics, supplemental cooling
Features: 3-in-1 folding design, wide-mouth zip, front pocket
Sustainability: bluesign approved, recycled materials, Climate Label Certified
Price: $34.95
Comparison table
| SOFT COOLER | COOLER TYPE | CAPACITIES AVAILABLE | CANS IT CAN FIT | WEIGHT (LBS) | MSRP* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REI Campwell 18L Folding Cooler | Tote, cube, or flat | 18L | 12 | 1.1 | $40 |
| REI Campwell 8L Folding Cooler | Tote, cube, or flat | 8L | 6 | 0.8 | $30 |
| YETI Hopper M30 2.0 Soft Cooler | Rectangular | 15, 30L | 42 | 7.0 | $350 |
| REI Trailgate 30L Weekend Cooler | Rectangular | 20, 30 L | 24 | 5.9 | $160 |
| YETI Hopper Flip Cooler 18 | Rectangular | 8, 12, 18 L | 13 | 5.1 | $320 |
Who is it for?
The REI Campwell soft cooler is easy to transport and is a handy companion in your campsite, as we used it on a 4-day trip in Sequoia National Park.
Day trips where you need a lightweight, compact cooling
Grocery shopping where you want a collapsible bag that can keep stuff cool
Campers who want an affordable supplemental cooler to use alongside soft coolers or camping coolers
Space-conscious users, people who live in small apartments, and others who value flat storage when not in use
People who and a cooler made of sustainable materials and construction
Casual outdoor enthusiasts who appreciate the many carrying options (tote, cube, flat)
How we tested
The author using the soft cooler at a camp in the Eastern Sierra.
I spent a month living out of the REI Campwell 18 L Folding Cooler while camping and living at a summer camp in the Eastern Sierra. We used it first to transport food up from the city to the camp, especially fresh fruit, vegetables, pesto, and fancy cheeses that were hard to find locally. Then, we used it daily to take lunch to lakes for swimming and kayaking, and to trailheads for daily hikes. And we used it for grocery trips to the "big" town an hour away to keep the groceries cool on the way home.
But when the refrigerator stopped working at the summer camp I was living at, we relied on the REI Co-op Campwell 18 L even more. This became more than just the thing that held our lunch. It held our breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and tomorrow's, too. I've bought a lot of ice for this cooler just to function in daily life and got to know how many hours I could push it before needing to buy more.
When I got back home, I spent the rest of the summer using this cooler on a weekly basis, though I am thankful that I have access to a refrigerator again. Back in everyday life, I've used the REI Co-op Campwell 18 L to transport groceries and to bring cold and hot dinner items over to my friends' houses. I've used it to keep drinks cool on road trips. I’ve walked it over to listen to live music in the park.
I've also used it on a 4 day camping trip in Sequoia National Park to supplement food I carried in soft coolers or camping coolers.
What we liked
The Campwell folding cooler creates a sturdy base when turned into a rectangular soft cooler.
Transforms between tote bag, rectangular cooler, and flat bag
Stylish and sleek design looks nicer than similar minimalist soft coolers
Made of eco-friendly materials that are more durable than similar soft cooler bags
Comes with shoulder strap and sturdier handles than most soft cooler bags
Lightweight and packable
Stores flat, which works well for keeping in the car "just in case" or for people who live in smaller spaces
What could be better
Ice retention is not as good compared to higher-end coolers
More expensive than Big Box store lightweight cooler bags
Folding into a cube could be more intuitive (we recommend watching the video on the product page)
Features
The REI Campwell folding cooler in our campsite in Sequoia National Park.
3-in-1 folding design
Transforms between tote, cube, and flat configurations using side toggles. We've never quite seen a design like this and it gives a lot of flexibility in how you want to pack it in your car or store it in your house. It also gives you flexibility on the shape of items you want to store inside.
Cube mode provides structured shape for easier packing and transport. This is easier for hauling most items like eggs and yogurt or canned beverages.
Tote mode offers flexible carrying with dual handles and shoulder strap. This mode works better for taller items like wine bottles or long but flat items like pre-made cheese trays.
Flat storage collapses to just one-inch thick for space-efficient storage. This is also great for keeping in the car for "just-in-case" grocery runs.
Toggle system allows quick reconfiguration without tools or a complex setup. This almost makes it like having two bags in one.
Lightweight and portable construction
Close-up on the folding toggles on the REI Campwell as seen near my campsite in the Eastern Sierra.
Weighs only 1 lb 2.3 oz —among the lightest coolers in its capacity class. You can find a lot of cheap, lightweight, nearly-disposable feeling cooler bags at grocery stores and Big Box stores that are similarly light. But this one does a much better job of keeping stuff cool.
Recycled polyester construction balances durability with minimal weight. Unlike those nearly-disposable other soft cooler bags, you can't see the exposed Mylar or other cooling bag features, so the REI Co-op Campwell feels a lot more durable (and stylish).
Padded, adjustable, removable shoulder strap included. Unlike most lightweight cooler bags, this one comes with sturdy handles and a shoulder strap, so you can walk to and from campsites or the grocery store more easily.
Compact dimensions fit easily in car trunks, RV storage, and small spaces. Most of the coolers we've tested take up extensive amounts of real estate in our garage. This cooler is the only one we'd ever want to leave permanently in our car for grocery runs.
Ice retention and cooling
Keeps 12 cans cold below 40°F for over 37 hours with 10 lbs of ice, according to the manufacturer. The key here is keeping cans cold. In our experience, the ice melts within 12 hours, but the water stays cool enough to keep your cans cold.
A leakproof liner prevents spills and protects surrounding gear. When the ice melts (and it will if you're attempting to use this cooler overnight), we found all the water stayed contained inside.
Nonfluorinated DWR treatment on shell and liner helps moisture bead up. This PFAS-free waterproofing treatment doesn't use forever chemicals.
Straight-zip design provides wide-mouth opening for easy loading. This is especially useful when you're trying to fit bigger items inside.
Adequate insulation for day trips. The ice isn't going to last as long as with other coolers we tested, but we think it is all you need for most day trips or even multi-day road trips where you have access to ice or freezer packs every day.
Organization and usability
A large front stash pocket provides storage for utensils and accessories. This is another benefit of this design over the cheap, nearly disposable cooler bags you can find at Big Box stores.
Liner wipes out with soapy sponge and air dries quickly.
Wide-mouth opening allows visibility and access to all the food inside.
Flexible construction accommodates irregularly shaped items. This is a benefit over other soft coolers that have a more rigid construction. You can really stuff some weird shaped items in here, like heads of broccoli, without any issue.
Sustainability features
Made from recycled polyester materials meeting bluesign criteria
REI Co-op Climate Label Certification
Nonfluorinated DWR avoids harmful chemical treatments
Durable construction reduces the need for frequent replacement. This is a big benefit over other single-day soft coolers out there.
Performance in the field
The author walking the soft cooler to a campsite in the Eastern Sierra.
Ice retention
The manufacturer states that it has a 37+ hour performance for day trips and short adventures. Our experience was far different, but we still think this is a good cooler for day trips. We found that if we load it up with 10 pounds of ice on a Friday afternoon on an 80°F day (high) with 50°F lows at night, the ice will be almost completely melted out by 10 a.m. the next day. The items were still cool (below 40°F) but it was a mess of melted water inside. We had to decide what mattered more: keeping the items cold or dumping water.
Most rigid soft coolers, in general, will hold ice for a weekend whereas hard-sided coolers can last five days or more.
We conducted numerous ice tests side-by-side with the REI Trailgate 30 L, YETI Tundra hard-sided cooler, YETI M30 2.0 Tote Bag Soft Cooler, and the REI Trailgate cooler with temperatures around 80°F during the day. While there was ice, it consistently kept the contents cool, though (no surprise here) the items towards the bottom, closer to the ice, tended to stay cooler.
Portability
The REI Co-op Campwell 18 L was the lightest-weight soft cooler we tested and also comes with an excellent padded shoulder strap and sturdy handles. This made carrying the coolers to the campsite easy. We often carried it fully loaded to and from the car and the shorted handles were sturdy and well-positioned to make this easy.
Storage efficiency
Compared to the more rigid soft coolers we tested, the flat-pack design of the REI Campwell 18 L saves significant space when being stored. The more flexible material could also accommodate weirdly shaped foods, like entire heads of broccoli or peppers. Lastly, because this bag can become a rectangular cooler or can be used flat, it can fit in food and beverages of different shapes. The rectangular shape is best for canned beverages, eggs, and yogurt. The open bag is better for carrying wine bottles or taller or weirdly shaped items.
Versatility
The Campwell folds flat and can easily just stay in the car for those "just in case" moments when your food needs some extra insulation.
When we originally got this cooler, REI wasn't talking up the 3-in-1 versatility of the flat, tote bag, or rectangular design. We didn't realize it was a feature until we were researching more about this cooler. But once we learned that it can be used in many ways, we were surprised how handy it is. The rectangular design in particular makes it easy for storage in a loaded vehicle filled with gear.
Durability
Compared to similar minimalist soft coolers on the market, the REI Co-op Campwell 18 L is impressive in durability. There's no exposed Mylar or Tyvek-like material that feels like something you'd find on disposable hospital scrubs. Compared to other soft coolers like the YETIs we tested, this cooler is adequate for light to moderate use. It's not going to survive falling off a truck like those hard-sided? camping coolers, but it feels like it will survive a few years of weekly use for grocery runs.
Ease of folding
Before I figured out how to fold the REI Campwell, I used a carabiner to secure it.
Ok, maybe I'm not the most spatially inclined person, but I found it hard to figure out how to fold this soft cooler into a cube. I ended up securing it with a climbing carabiner to get that perfect cube shape on the manufacturer's photos.
Then, when I got home and had reception, I watched the video on the manufacturer page and realized how straightforward it is (11-26 seconds in the video). The loop on the top of the cooler goes down to the plastic toggle towards the bottom. The loops on the bottom go up to that plastic toggle as well.
For what it is worth, I find I use this soft cooler more often as a zipped tote than the rectangle on the website. But maybe that is because I couldn't figure out how to secure the cube shape.
REI Co-op Campwell 18L vs. similar coolers
The REI Campwell 18 L is the most minimalist and least expensive of the coolers we considered. There's also a Campwell 8 L, which is a smaller model that can carry just a few drinks and snacks and not a full picnic or grocery run.
The Campwell 18 L has a 3-in-1 design that can convert to a tote bag, rectangular cooler, or store flat, unlike the YETI Hopper Flip 12. The rigid design on the Hopper Flip makes it take up a lot more room in storage.
A more similar soft cooler bag is the affordable Coleman Soft Cooler Bag, which is more of an insulated lunch bag. It's about the same price, but doesn't look as sleek or minimalist. The Coleman 16-Can Cooler also doesn’t come with a shoulder strap and ultimately doesn't hold as much room. The Coleman doesn't store flat and always stays rectangular, which means you can't carry taller items in it or as easily keep it in the car "just in case."
The similarly priced hard-sided cooler, the Coleman Chiller 16-Can Soft-Sided Portable Cooler, doesn't have the collapsibility or portability of the Campwell. Plus, it isn't as stylish looking.
Ultimately, the closest thing we found to the Campwell 18 L is the almost disposable soft cooler bags lined with Mylar that you find at grocery stores and Big Box stores or sometimes handed away as freebies at events. The material, durability, and ice retention on the REI Campwell is far superior. The REI Campwell has the handy 3-in-1 design. And the carrying features on the Campwell are padded and are a lot less likely to fall apart over time. Also, the Campwell just looks better and is a more stylish-looking bag to roll up with at a potluck.
Yes, the Campwell costs more money than mass-market insulated bags. But it's going to last a much longer time and insulate better. It'll give you a lot of the convenience of a much more expensive cooler without the price.
Should I buy the REI Co-op Campwell 18L?
Buy if you need an affordable, space-saving cooler for day trips and want the convenience of flat storage when not in use.
Skip if you require maximum ice retention for extended trips or need heavy-duty construction for frequent rough use.
Where to buy the REI Co-op Campwell 18L?
The REI Co-op Campwell 18 L is sold exclusively at REI.
REI
Pros: 100% satisfaction policy for 1 year; 10% dividend for members.
Similar products
YETI Hopper M30 2.0
Type: Semi-rigid tote soft cooler
Capacity: 15, 30L
Other capacities available: 18L
Weight: 7.0 lbs
The YETI Hopper M30 is an insulated tote-style soft cooler bag with a higher capacity than the REI Campwell, though it is available as an 18L bag as well. We've been testing the YETI Hopper M30 for the past 5 years, including the previous version, from Maine to California.
The big difference is the M30 has much better ice retention. The REI Campwell 18 L will hold ice for a few hours. The M30 will hold for a few days. The YETI Hopper M30 does an even better job than the REI Campwell 18 L at storing taller items like wine bottles.
The Campwell 18 L stores flat and also can fold into a cube-shaped cooler for easier loading of food (and loading into a vehicle). The M30 has a more rigid shape. When it's empty, it can be stored flatt-ish, but the solid base that makes it easy to stand up also can't quite be totally flattened down.
The M30 has lots of fun colors and designs and the YETI name-brand. It's a lot more puncture proof, abrasion proof, and easier to clean. It's undeniably a more stylish cooler. It is also about eight times the price of the Campwell.
You can read more in our in-depth review of the YETI Hopper M30 2.0.
YETI Hopper M30 2.0
Type: Semi-rigid soft cooler
Capacity: 30 liters (24 cans)
Other capacities available: 20 liters (18 cans)
Weight: 5.9 lbs
The REI Tailgate 30L is a great product that does mostly everything you want a soft cooler to do. Even though it’s not totally leak proof, it keeps snacks and drinks cool for a weekend. Its square design makes it less convenient than the Campwell to pack and tote around.
Ice lasts, as advertised, about a weekend in the REI Trailgate. We got about half that in our ice test of the REI Campwell. It's a convenient size and you get a lot of cooler for the price.
However, the REI Trailgate is four times the price of the REI Campwell. It also is a lot harder to store and takes up significant space in the back of your vehicle, so you probably wouldn't want to keep it around for every day use like you would with the Campwell.
Read more in our in-depth review of the REI Trailgate soft cooler.
REI Trailgate 30L Weekend Cooler
Type: Rectangular
Capacity: 8, 12, 18 L
Other capacities available:
Weight: 5.1 lbs
We've been testing the YETI Hopper Flip 12 for the past three years, on everything from month-long camping trips in the Sierra, to kayaking and canoeing on lakes in Maine, to our ritualistic run to get this month's flavors from our favorite ice cream shop across Los Angeles.
The YETI Hopper Flip is a rigid soft cooler. Compared to the Campwell, it is a pain to store. It doesn't turn into a tote bag or a lie flat.
However, it holds ice a heckuva lot longer. With enough cooling capability to hold ice for more than a weekend camping trip, the YETI is designed to maximize space while giving you just what you need for most situations.
Even though it’s on the expensive side, the YETI Hopper 12 is worth it for people who want that extra ice retention, don't like leaks, and value the visibly premium craftsmanship, durability, and warranty of the YETI brand. It also comes in a bunch of colors and different sizes, giving you lots of options to find the model that works best with your style and space limitations.
The YETI Hopper Flip 12, which is a smaller-capacity version of the Hopper Flip 18, is the Best Overall winner in our Best Soft Coolers guide. You can also learn more in our in-depth review of the YETI Hopper Flip Soft Cooler.
YETI Hopper Flip
Type: Semi-rigid soft cooler
Capacity: 30 cans
Other capacities available: 12, 20, and 40 cans
Weight:
The RTIC Soft Pack is our winner for best cooler for road trips for a few reasons. A lot of soft coolers can work for road tripping, but what sold us on the RTIC Soft Pack was its value, leak-proof design, watertight zipper, and stellar insulation, and flip-top lid. For road trips, we like the pared-down exterior that makes it easy to pack in a vehicle.
The RTIC soft pack is a rigid-sided soft cooler similar to the YETI Hopper Flip, so it doesn't store as well after you're done using it. It also is three times more expensive than the REI Campwell.
RTIC Soft Pack 30
Why you should trust us / About the author
Liz Thomas is an award-winning writer and the Editor-in-Chief of Treeline Review. She is a former Fastest Known Time (FKT) record holder on the Appalachian Trail.
She was guest editor at Backpacker Magazine, where she is currently the columnist of “Ask a Thru-hiker” and instructor of their online class, Thru-Hiking 101.
Her first book, Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-hike, was the recipient of the National Outdoor Book Award for Best Instructional Book called by judges destined to become the “Bible of the Sport.” Liz has talked gear on Good Morning America (TV), in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post, Men’s Journal, Women’s Health, Gizmodo, and Outside Magazine.
She represented the sport of hiking at President Obama’s Great American Outdoors Initiative and has spoken on Capitol Hill as an advocate on behalf of trails.
You can read all of Liz’s articles on her website or Treeline Review author page.
