I ordered a soft sided RTIC cooler off the web. It looks solid and will use it on upcoming trips..but..The zipper takes 2 men and a boy operate it. The cooler comes with a tube of lube which is basically vaseline. Doesn’t really help. Any suggestions. I hear the zipper thing is common on the high end coolers with waterproof zippers
My buddy bought a Yeti Hopper for our Canada trip last year and the zipper basically came apart in pieces after one use. I’ve used a few others and didn’t like how hard it was to open the zippers.
Don’t understand the uber expensive soft cooler craze myself…..
After a couple of years the brothers RTIC zipper is still tough to unzip. Works well as a boat cooler though
I got an RTIC for Xmas and that is my one complaint with it. Hoping that it loosens with use but not counting on it.
Many of the soft sides have that have the waterproof zipper are this way from what I have seen.
The RTICs had pretty good pricing over the holidays, 50% off on at least the smaller sizes. The 20 that I have was around $80 or so, I think the 30’s were around the same price.
I bought a soft sided cooler and after listening to the wife and my kid complain after the first weekend with it I sold it. The zipper was dumb. Small hard sided cooler i like better. But the cooler did perform like it was supposed to. No complaints other then the zipper. Which isn’t that big of a deal if my except for the wife and kids
Both of my rtics zippers are hard to open. I’m fine with it as long as they are waterproof.
Mine is also hard to open but that’s the only complaint I have
Mines a little hard but not too bad.. maybe consider exchanging it for another… zippers can vary.
Mines a little hard but not too bad.. maybe consider exchanging it for another… zippers can vary.
The zipper has to be tough so it can retain water and fight the weather
I have the big RTIC soft side. Yes, the zipper is stiff when they are new. It has to be tight or it can’t hold in water should the cooler tip. They do break in and get easier to open.
1. The zipper lube is not vaseline. It’s silicon mixed with wax. Use it, it works. With the cooler open, spread it evenly along the teeth and both sides of the seals (inside and outside). Use your finger to spread it evenly.
2. Spray silicon lube on a cloth and wipe the zipper (again, with the cooler open so you can do both sides. Wipe it several times with the cloth almost wet with silicon lube. Allow to dry.
Don’t understand the uber expensive soft cooler craze myself…..
The RTIC soft side is awesome. Best cooler I’ve ever owned. It’s the only small cooler I’ve ever had that can sit in the sun in a boat for 2 days and still have ice left in it. Terrific ice-keeping ability for the size and weight.
Also, the key advantage to the soft sides is they don’t weigh 3.5 tons even when empty like the rotomolded coolers do. Key consideration for anyone who goes where space and weight are a consideration like on a fly in or a float trip.
Grouse
They’re far easier in the summer months.
Don’t give up yet. You’ll love it later.
We had a yeti hopper 20 we won in a contest. Hated the zipper and was lucky enough to find a guy on Craig’s that hated how heavy his hard yeti tundra 65 cooler was. We traded even up. I find the big heavy Yeti to be to impractical to use most times. Now we pretty much use it on the boat or to haul our groceries from the store in the summer, an hour away. Don’t even have to use ice when hauling frozen/refrigerated groceries. That said. No way I would ever pay the hundreds of dollars that either one of these yetis command. For the $0 I’ve got into the big yeti, I’ll keep it.
I’ve had the RTIC 20 softside for 2 years now. I would agree that when I first got it the zipper was almost impossible. But, do what Grouse said and it will be much easier. Still stiff but much easier. I love my RTIC, best boat cooler I’ve owned.
When the Yeti/NRA thing happened and pitchfork nation came unglued I was able to buy a hopper for $50. The zippers are sturdy…but I use the lube 2-3 times a year and have had no issues. Also have tundra 65…agree, its heavy to lug around but the thing does its job.
Consider AO Coolers. IDO turned me onto them and they are pretty darn cool and heavy duty.
Did you ever consider it’s hard to unzip because you got a female cooler…
Maybe exchange for a male one.. 
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