Cut the wood for the base (A), sides (B), top cap (C), front and back top faces (D)andpot supports (E). All the components are straightforward, square cuts on the miter saw,exceptthe front and back top faces (D)that havea miter cut on each end.
Weve tested a range of coolers, comparing the classic Yeti Roadie vs the Oyster Tempo and rounding up our all-time best coolers for camping. Now, weve tested the newest lightweight, soft cooler from BruMate, one of our favorite cooler brands.
To cut to the chase, we love that the new BruMate MagPack Soft Cooler is made for easy carrying and travel. You can pack it in the backseat of your car or sling it over your shoulder for cold refreshments wherever, whenever. Above all, we love its second-to-none ice retention abilities. This sleek, portable cooler will be your favorite cooling accessory for sporting events, springtime picnics and day trips.
Made for on-the-go adventures, the new MagPack Soft Cooler from BruMate is lightweight, durable, leakproof and insulated to keep things cold for days. It has a magnetic lid to seal in the cold instead of a cumbersome zipper top, and its soft outer shell is waterproof and punctureproof. This small but mighty cooler keeps things cold for24 hours and sometimes longer.
Each cooler has straps and handles for easy carrying and waterproof pockets for storing a few essential items when needed. The tough insulated lining is antimicrobial, so your drinks stay cold and fresh (free of mold and mildew).
The BruMate MagPack Cooler comes in three sizes and four colorways. Keep reading for all the specs and features.
VIA MERCHANTA sleek, ultra-portable soft cooler with maximum ice retention
The BruMate MagPack comes in three sizes: 12-can, 18-can and 24-can. The two smaller sizes have shoulder straps, while the largest size is designed as a backpack. Each size is available in four contemporary colors: graphite, lilac, sage and nightfall blue. The largest weighs under eight pounds, and the smallest weighs six pounds.
We tested the smallest cooler in lilac. The interior of the 12-can cooler is 8-1/2 inches tall, 11 inches wide and 6-1/4 inches long. Outside, the mini cooler is 13-1/2 inches wide, 9 inches long and 11-1/2 inches tall.
The smallest 12-can cooler fits most of my daily needs. It can fit, as it says, 12 standard 12-ounce cans with ice, 8 pounds of ice only or two bottles of wine and liquor plus ice. Itll hold multiple drinks and a large meal for a long workday or overnight shift.
I tested the BruMate MagPack for several months before writing this review. Off the bat, I noticed the cooler is beautiful. It looks and feels like its made of quality materials and performs like it, too. Its incredibly durable, easy to carry and well-insulated (cold cans alone will keep their temperature, even without ice). I love the lilac and sage colorsthe lilac is even prettier in person than online.
I used the cooler to carry evening drinks to gatherings with friends, my partner used it to pack his lunch for the workday, and as a new mom, I even used it to carry milk for the baby when we had to spend whole and half days going to appointments. Its excellent because its lightweight and keeps things dependably cold. Should there be a spill, it will be contained within the coolers leakproof seal. Plus, the inside is made of hard, BPA-free plastic, and the soft interior lining is easy to wipe clean.
Regarding storage space, I found that you can fit 12 cans snuggly with ice packs by lining four cans along the bottom and stacking two more rows of cans on top. Taller cans (larger than 12 ounces) must be turned the other way, but they fit in the smallest MagPack cooler. Standard wine bottles also fit; I could pack three in the smallest cooler. However, taller wine bottles do not fit in the 12-can cooler.
When keeping things cold, I prefer coolers with ice packs instead of real, meltable ice. With quality ice packs, I found the cooler keeps items cold all day long. With enough ice packs, packed items stayed cold overnight and well into the following day. To be safe, after 24-36 hours (depending on the coolers internal and external environments), I recommend repacking this cooler if what youre carrying needs to be preserved at freezing temperatures.
To put this coolers ice retention into perspective, most soft coolers cant last two days before their inner contents become lukewarm or soggy. With this cooler, drinks remained cold past the 48-hour mark. It has a similar ice retention rate to Yetis Hopper.
I only found two issues with the cooler while I was using it. For a cooler of this quality and price, I would expect it to come with its reusable ice packs. However, BruMate sells its signature Black Ice separately, but I did not have those to test the cooler. To get the most out of your BruMate cooler, Id recommend buying the brands reusable ice packs. However, they do come at a relatively high price.
The second issue I had with the cooler is minor. I found that the lid handle isnt easy to open. It latches well (you can hear it clicking into place when sealed shut). Sometimes, however, it takes me a few squeezes to get the lid to unlatch and open. Again, this is minor and only delays opening by a few seconds, but as a parent to a newborn, those few seconds can be crucial, so I think its worth mentioning.
We recommend the BruMate MagPack if youre shopping for a soft cooler with the best ice retention. It is expensive and can be tricky to open, but it also holds ice just as long (if not longer) than competitor brands like Yeti. Its also incredibly durable. The MagPack survived many drops and throws into the backseat of the car during testing without a scratch or dent. If you want the best soft cooler to keep things cold, this one is it.
VIA MERCHANTA soft cooler with maximum cooling powers made for on-the-go adventures
You can shop the BruMate MagPack Soft Cooler directly from BruMate and on Amazon. The 12-can cooler retails for $200, the 18-can for $250 and the 24-can for $275. FYI: BruMate frequently runs sales and deals, and you can score 10% off your first order by signing up for emails. Snag one now in time for Mothers Day!
Flagstone comes in various colors, and the hues in the stone depend upon the area of the country where it was quarried. This fire pit from @cascapes_landworks was made with Mahogany Blue Brown flagstone that has a gorgeous combination of blues, grays and browns on each piece.
What We Like About It: The perfect layout of stones. “I use three-way joints, meaning no more than three stones are fit together,” says Taube. “This forms consistently irregular series of Y’s and T’s in the joinery pattern. That visual repetition is very important for looks, but it’s also easier to level.”
Most of my homes out west have included a large outdoor living space in the backyard perfect for barbecues, fire pits and social gatherings. But when I moved to Florida, where mosquitoes and rainstorms are prevalent, I soon came to appreciate the perks of fresh air combined with greater weather and pest protection.
If you’re trying to decide whether to build a porch vs. a patio, here’s how to figure out which is right for your home.
By definition, porches are architectural structures connected directly to a home and accessible through a door. They are almost always covered by a roof and often located at the front of the house, with stairs leading down to ground level. Sometimes, they are also enclosed with screens or windows.
“Most have wood floors, though concrete floors are not unheard of,” says Rafi Friedman, the president of Coastal Luxury Outdoors. “These can be anything from a small shelter over your door all the way up to large outdoor living spaces that wrap around your home.”
The cost of building a porch varies depending on the location, size, intricacy of features and how it attaches to your house. But nationwide, the average 200-square-foot porch runs around $14,500, according to Angi’s statistics.
“For a small porch under 100 square feet, without many features, it can cost about $4,500,” says Angie Hicks, cofounder of Angi. “For a larger 600-square-foot wraparound porch with features like lighting, heaters, fans and other elements it could cost up to $90,000.”
“A porch is a great way to expand the space of your home,” says Hicks. “It can provide a relaxing, sheltered outdoor space that can be great for sitting out and enjoying a cup of coffee, even in the rain.”
Other benefits of porches include:
“Porches are ideal for small, intimate gatherings and sitting quietly to watch the world go by,” says Friedman.
“Perhaps the most expensive part of building a porch is extending the roof out to cover it,” says Friedman. “This requires modifications to your home and specialized contractors to make sure the work is done correctly.”
Other cons of porches include:
“With a porch, it’s important to understand its limitations,” says Hicks. “Many people might add a porch thinking it can provide more entertaining space, but it is generally a smaller space that can’t accommodate larger groups, so is a bit more difficult for entertaining.”
Different from a porch, a patio is a freestanding structure built next to your home, such as a concrete pad. They are often located in the backyard and are simpler than porches, with minimal railing, covering and other structures.
“They can be made of pavers, flagstones or gravel, but concrete is by far the most common material choice,” says Friedman. “They’re large, open, flexible spaces that are good for everything from lounging, dining and grilling to quiet nights around the fire and a play space for kids.”
Again, it varies according to size, materials, complexity, and whether you need to remove an existing patio or deck. However, the average price is around $4,000, according to Angi’s statistics.
“A good cost estimate for patios is around $15 to $25 per square foot, including labor and materials,” says Friedman. “So a 400-square-foot patio would cost around $8,000.”
“Patios are a great way to entertain large groups of guests,” says Hicks. “They’re great places to set up tables and chairs, a movie projector or anything else you might dream up.”
Other benefits of patios include:
“You’ll also need to do more accessorizing of your patio,” says Friedman. “Furniture, umbrellas, fire pits and grills can quickly add to the cost of your project.”
Choosing between a porch vs. patio all comes down to what you want to do with the space. If you want a more intimate place to get fresh air that’s protected from bugs and weather, a porch is your go-to solution. But if want to entertain larger groups of people, or your budget is smaller, then a patio is the better option.
“The thing that differentiates patios the most is the material used to build them,” says Hicks. The most common patio materials include:
Angie Hicks is cofounder of Angi (formerly Angie’s List), where she also works as the Chief Customer Officer. Through her roles there, she’s helped guide people through home maintenance decisions for more than 25 years.
Rafi Friedman is president of Coastal Luxury Outdoors, in Jacksonville, Florida. He and his team have a collective 100 years of experience building backyard living spaces, including more than 100 pools annually.
VIA MERCHANTPros:
Cons:
Along with being recommended by every appliance expert we spoke to, Bosch was also the top brand in a Consumer Reports survey of more than 75,000 people, according to consumer trends analyst Nguyen Huy.
“Bosch emerged as a leader, earning top marks for predicted reliability over five years,” Huy says. “This aligns with Bosch’s reputation for quality engineering and thoughtful design.”
Drew Hamblan has used several appliance brands in new builds and renovations and says Bosch offers the best value due to their reliability.
“Bosch models, particularly those in the 800 Series, provide an excellent user experience with features like quiet operation, energy efficiency and advanced drying technologies that employ Zeolith (a chemical compound) for perfect, spotless results,” Hamblan says. “These dishwashers are designed to fit seamlessly into any kitchen design, from traditional to modern, without being a distraction.”
The Bosch 800 series is a 24-inch dishwasher available with a pocket or bar handle, comes with a third rack for utensils and has five wash cycle settings. Here’s how to get the most out of your dishwasher.
Even the pros use graph paper to lay out the ceiling grid for each room. It helps not only with your materials list but also with getting equal-sized panels at each side of the room. Include items like light fixtures and heat registers. The room should be bisected at the center by either a main tee or a centered row of ceiling tiles. Wades tip on ordering materials: order by even numbers. If a room is 9 x 11 ft., order enough for a 10 x 12-ft. room.
This gorgeous patio extension by @jstreeservicetx involved a bigger patio and a roof extension, creating a seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor living spaces. The planked ceiling and columns and made of sustainable cedar; and is big enough to house a sitting area and outdoor kitchen.
What We Like About It: The covered design and sustainable materials promote a cozy gathering space while letting in loads of natural light and preserving the connection to nature.
Cut all pieces of wood Cut the wood for the base (A), sides (B), top cap (C), front and back top faces (D) and pot supports (E). All the co...
