The summer’s here, and that means that people from far and wide are going to be leaving for vacations. While millions of people will venture off for weeks at a time, going to places like the beach and amusement parts, others will be frequent visitors of their local swimming pool, baseball field, et cetera. All categories of people have one thing in common here: they could use one of the great cooler lunch bags available today to save money and gain time-saving convenience on their journey.

Lunch bag coolers come in all shapes and sizes, different materials and colors, and can be found for great prices. Whether you’re looking around for something small and portable, able to handle a few pieces of fruit and a cold bottle of water, or something on the larger size that can handles your entire family’s lunch for the day, nothing does the trick like a lunch bag. They’re great for the beach, for trips to amusement parks, hiking, camping and boating trips, and an assortment of other summertime activities.

With so many cooler lunch bags to choose from, many people often ask the same question: “Which is right for me?” By this, of course, they’re not so much referring to the size, price, or any one particular thing. They’re asking what type of function it serves overall, and what type of material is it made of. After all, cotton lunch bags—even if they’re lined inside with plastic or Styrofoam—might not be the best choice if you’re frequenting the pool or beach.

When you’re selecting from the assortment of cooler lunch bags on the market, keep in mind what you plan to do with it. Let’s say you have a time-share property on the beach. (Don’t we all wish that were true!?) You could rush back up to the house when you get hungry. You could drag a heavy plastic cooler down with you. Or, if you feel like spending the few bucks it takes, you could purchase a vinyl lunch tote and bring what you need with little effort. A thick canvas material would also work well for this. Just try to keep it out of the water. It won’t attract sharks, allegedly, but the salt water won’t do it any favors.

If you’re planning on taking cooler lunch bags on hiking or camping trips, you want something a little more durable than vinyl. The heavy canvas is another good option here. Or you can find composite materials that are much stronger than both vinyl and cotton. Cotton bags are good for summer picnics, the baseball game, or any other occasional use. For everything else, go with heavy-duty material. The price range is still relatively low.