【Daiso】 A serious verification of cooling packs! When comparing hard and soft types, the results were unexpected

Cooling packs are essential for enjoying outdoor activities like camping and picnics. Daiso sells easily accessible cooling packs, but how do they actually perform? This time, let's compare hard-type and soft-type cooling packs!

Hard type and soft type cooling packs checked

The first item checked was the hard type "cooling pack." The size was 188×138×24 mm, and the weight was 498g (measured by the author).

It was stated that the freezing time is about 6 hours, so I froze it overnight in the freezer. The cooling ability is said to last about 5 hours (varies depending on the usage environment). The surface material is polyethylene, making it durable for use. It's perfect for outdoor scenes like picnics.

Product name / Cooling pack (hard type, 500g)
Price / 110 yen
Size / 188×138×24 mm

The other item prepared was the "deodorant infused cooling pack," which was selling nearby. Measuring 22×2×14 cm, it is slightly larger compared to the hard type cooling pack, but if you fold the sides, the size hardly changes. It weighs 502g (measured by the author), which is also slightly heavier.

This cooling pack can be reused, and after use, it can be repurposed as a deodorant. While the cooling time remains at 5 hours, it takes about 10 hours to freeze, so caution is necessary. Being a soft type, it can be adjusted according to the shape and size of the cooling bag or cooler box used.

Product name / Deodorant infused cooling pack (500g)
Price / 110 yen
Size / 22×2×14 cm

Checked in a "foam cooler box"

This time, I will compare by placing two of each cooling pack in the "foam cooler box" bought at Daiso. On this day, the temperature was high for April, reaching a maximum of 24 degrees. However, when summer truly arrives, the temperatures are expected to rise significantly. Therefore, this verification will be conducted based on "early summer" conditions.

Product name / Foam cooler box (4.8L, gray color)
Price / 220 yen
Material / Body Styrofoam, strap polypropylene
Size / 30.3×19.7×18.8 cm, strap 80×0.9×0.9 cm

3 hours later

After a quick 3 hours, I opened the cooler box to find that the temperature inside the hard type "cooling pack" was 13 degrees.

In contrast, the temperature inside the soft type "deodorant infused cooling pack" was 7 degrees. Surprisingly, there was a 5-degree difference between the two, revealing a more significant discrepancy in performance than expected. Generally, the hard type is recognized for having higher cooling power, so this is a surprising result. However, this may just be a coincidence. Let's see the results after 8 hours for a proper judgment.

8 hours later

Next, I checked the situation after 8 hours. Since both cooling packs were said to have a cooling time of 5 hours, I thought that since 8 hours had passed, the cooling effects would have diminished... but the cooling effect persisted surprisingly well. And indeed, the soft type is cooler! This cannot just be a coincidence; it may reflect its true performance.

What could be the reason for this? I was a bit curious, so I researched the ingredients. The contents of the hard type "cooling pack" include water, propylene glycol, CMC, preservatives, and dyes. The contents of the soft type "deodorant infused cooling pack" include water, super absorbent polymer, preservatives, and plant extracts. It seems the significant difference lies in the parts highlighted in black.

After doing a bit of research, it appears that soft-type cooling packs, which primarily consist of super absorbent polymer, are generally considered to have superior cooling performance compared to hard-type packs that primarily consist of propylene glycol (although this may vary by product). It seems that the ingredients did influence the results this time.

If choosing based on cooling power, go for the soft type "deodorant infused cooling pack"

In this verification, the soft type "deodorant infused cooling pack" demonstrated high cooling effectiveness. Although it takes longer to freeze, it is sure to be useful in outdoor summer situations where you want to keep food cool for a long time. However, considering the price of 110 yen for the hard type "cooling pack," it also performed satisfactorily. If you choose based on cooling performance, go for the "deodorant infused cooling pack"; if you choose based on durability, I recommend the "cooling pack."

● Daiso Industries

Search cooling pack on Amazon