Are Yeti coolers worth the cost?

[Pete Meisinger]

I have been doing a ton of research, there is a lot out there. Five day tests, leak tests, interior room, latches, durability, etc. The Yeti always scores high.

Tell me about your personal experience.

pete

 

[ktdtx]

They keep things cold for a while but they are heavy. If you are just keeping ice in one location it works well (although there are other comparable & cheaper) but it you plan on getting a mid sized to larger one it will be difficult to move around.

 

[ragin cajun]

Check out the RTIC line of coolers. Much lighter for same size and less expensive!

 

[Woodland Hills]

Yes they are. When we were driving 13hrs to our houseboat on Lake Powell we would bring two with us: on with dry ice for frozen pre-cooked meals and one for cold food like salad and fruit. We always had ice in the coolers after a two day drive in 100 degree heat and then a week on the boat. Any uneaten food was always cold upon our return home after 11 days.

One note: I bought real block ice from an ice plant, not compressed cubes from the supermarket. We also kept the coolers closed except once a day when we transferred food to the propane fridge and we kept them in the shade covered with towels. They were kept on the foredeck in 100+ degree temperatures.

 

[Retriever]

The Yeti fanboys turn me off. That and the $40 five gallon bucket.

Several family members use them for schlepping food to and from the cabin. They are well built but weigh a ton and I haven't had problems with "normal" coolers falling apart rapidly in similar use.

 

[AlanT]

In a word yes. I actually have an ORCA which is almost identical to the YETI. I am looking at it now after completing a 4 day road trip from WA to San Diego. We pre-chilled the ORCA and everything that went into it (including insulin for a dog that had to be kept chilled) using only the ice that came out of our fridge/freezer compartment plus one igloo plastic freezer block. Before we left 4 days ago we replaced the now melted freezer block and added more ice (probably a total of 3lb of ice) and set off. Each day we added the ice that our hotels mini fridges would make (Less than 1lb). After 4 days we still have ice and the contents are still chilled.

As others have noted they are heavy even when empty. My wife and I usually take a handle each and I would guess each of us is lifting about 30lb when its full.

~A

 

[rslifkin]

They're big for their internal volume and heavy, but they're very good coolers. However, there are other similar looking knock-offs that are almost as good (but not quite) for a lot less money if you don't quite need all of that performance.

Also, like any cooler, they stay cold longer if you pre-cool them before loading.

 

[Stout]

Cordova coolers

We looked at online reviews and decided to try a Cordova brand cooler. They had good reviews, robust handles, hinge and latches. Plus, they are made in Idaho, USA! After one seasons use it has held up well, keeps the beer & food cold for days and we have even used the built in handle bottle opener.

https://cordovaoutdoors.com/hard-side/

 

[psneeld]

Go on you tube and watch some tests between some of the different sizes.

I watched one where a Walmart Ozarks Trail was just about as good as the Yeti, had nice features and I got it for about 1/3 the price.

From camping forums to fishing forums to boating forums.....several brands stack up well against Yeti but are much less in cost.

After 20 years there might be a difference in wear and tear...but maybe the price difference may allow me to buy a second one and come out ahead.....only time will tell...maybe the reverse may happen

 

[Datenight]

+1 on the Ozark but I have done no comparison testing. Just worked well in the three years we have used one

Rob

 

[JLD]

I have a Yeti Tundra 35 that I bought about 18 months ago for off-roading with out UTV's. Lots of ice left over at the end of the day, even when in direct sun for the whole day. Been very happy with it. Got it during one of the West Marine sales for 20% off.

For traveling in my truck, I bought an ICECO JP30 (30 liter) portable fridge/freezer. Paid $420 on Amazon over the holidays (regulary $479). I have been happy with this purchase as well. It does have a Secop (Danfoss) Compressor. Pretty good review by Professor Hobo (HOBOTECH) on the 40 liter model.

I have no regrets on either purchase.

Jim

 

[timb]

I have a rtic 45 it's great but as others have said it is heavy when empty(so it stays on the fly-bridge)is not bad to move empty but a little tough to get on and off the boat . we use it for beverages when there are more than 2 people on the boat or if we plan on anchoring.

that iceco looks cool is it waterproof ?

 

[Ken E.]

Heavy and expensive, but the best. My other coolers don't come close.

 

[psneeld]

Yeti sure thinks so.....

 

[Pdxstriper]

No. Since they came to the market others have come out with similar solutions for far less cost. We use an Igloo cooler on wheels that keeps ice for 5 days. It costs about 1/3 the cost of a similar size Yeti. Shop around.

Isn't capitalism grand!

 

[tiltrider1]

It’s not the name that keeps your food cold for so long. It’s the materials. Yes, the Yeti design is worth the extra money. If you can find the design with a non hyped up name even better.

 

[rslifkin]

I have the 52 quart Ozark Trail cooler as well. It's definitely not quite as good as the Yeti, but it's about 80 - 90% as good for 1/4 the cost. Still worlds better than most standard thin wall coolers.

 

[Group9]

When we bought ours, on a cruise once, in 2015, I figured it was mostly hype about how good they were, and I really didn't feel great about dropping $400 for a 65 quart cooler. I have to say, watching it keep ice frozen for five days in the Bahamas, over and over again, made me a believer. That said, these days, I think you can get cheaper brands that are just about as good. But, the Yeti is a quality piece of equipment.

The biggest problem around here is you have to keep them locked up. They are a prime target of thieves. We had one group that hit our marina in boats and took eleven of them in one night. I don't know why they didn't get ours, but we locked it up after that.

 

[rsn48]

Save yourself some money, look at the 120 or 150 Mariner Extreme Coleman:

https://www.coleman.com/coolers/hard-coolers/120-quart-xtreme-5-marine-cooler/SAP_3000002458.html

For reviews, look it up on American or Canadian Amazon, the Canadian Amazon gives them a good rating (1300 + reviews).

I have two I actually bought for storage on my boat in the cockpit. My older boat came with zero storage in the cockpit. I like them as you can sit on them, stand on them, drink holders and sufficient insulation for stuff to last. I use one of them for actual food storage when I'm on longer trips.

As for ice, I use the blue freeze packs that rotate from my boat freezer/fridge. I will add four in the morning, take em out in the evening and add four fresh ones, and freeze overnight the ones I took out.

 

[Lollygag1]

We use an Engle 80q. Couple of reasons for this over yeti. Lower cost, weight and optional cushion so it makes a great table/bench seat. 25lb of block ice will last 5/6 days.

The key is you have to start out w the cooler cool. Otherwise you are trapping the ice in w warm air on a product that is well insulated. So when going out for a multi day trip I drop a bag of ice in the cooler the night before. The next day I drain the water pack the cooler and load the ice. Makes a huge difference.

 

[AKDoug]

+1 on the larger Yeti, I have a 100 quart tall. Not a cooler to move around, wouldn't have a smaller model as there is too much volume lost to the materials used in construction. I use a Lifetime 28 for small jobs, made in the USA and love the latching system! Certified Bear Proof (yeah right)!

I also bought my Yeti discounted from Sportsman's Warehouse, not a "Yeti fan", but a fan of Yeti coolers

Coleman and Igloo are fragile for the use I put a cooler through.

 

[firehoser75]

Pete,
Yeti makes a good, but expensive product. I did some research online (reviews, utubes, etc.) and decided on a "Lifetime" cooler (many sizes available). It is much less expensive, and so far works very well. It may not perform as well as a Yeti, (but would be close), but it is good value for the money, seems well built, and works much better than "basic" coolers.

 

[Bill V]

I have two Yeti coolers, a 160 and a 125 qt size. I fill them with crushed sea ice from the canneries in Ucluelet, BC and keep my fish cooled very well for 3-5 days till I get home to put them in freezer. Generally speaking, they are 50/50% of ice & fish. After 3 years with cheap Igloo coolers and having to continually purchase ice I bought the Yeti's and haven't looked back since.

 

[RCook]

We have a Yeti 75 which is used primarily for keeping fish long enough to deliver to processors (who vacuum pack in 1-1.5 lb portions and freeze) in various places in SEAK. When we're not actively fishing, beer storage.

It keeps fish ice for 10-11 days, more than twice as long as the Igloo we used to have.

 

[psneeld]

For those comparing Yetis to basic coolers, other companies have stepped up lines that are very competitive in performance and for much lower to slightly lower cost.

Sure I ditched my old Igloos and Coleman, but to buy a cooler for twice the price and nearly equal performance just doesn't make sense in my book.

Didn't take much research to see the marketing ploy.

 

[Bud]

It depends on what climate your in. Down here in the Florida Keys we need max insulation for coolers. We have a yeti that far out performs an Ozark bought 2 years ago. I feel the Ozark Grey color does not help it. It might be better in white. We had a pelican cooler that did almost as well as the yeti.

Bud

 

[Bill V]

We have a Yeti 75 which is used primarily for keeping fish long enough to deliver to processors (who vacuum pack in 1-1.5 lb portions and freeze) in various places in SEAK. When we're not actively fishing, beer storage.

It keeps fish ice for 10-11 days, more than twice as long as the Igloo we used to have.

From your pic, now you see why I have a Yeti 160 & 125.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

For those comparing Yetis to basic coolers, other companies have stepped up lines that are very competitive in performance and for much lower to slightly lower cost.

Sure I ditched my old Igloos and Coleman, but to buy a cooler for twice the price and nearly equal performance just doesn't make sense in my book.

Didn't take much research to see the marketing ploy.

Agreed! Yeti developed a niche with a good product and a better marketing plan. Nothing wrong with that. They ran out front early on with high end coolers and related marketing materials... The rest of the market saw the opportunity and played catch up..,at a lesser price point but similar product. I would never spend the money for a Yeti or put the Yeti sticker in my back window of my truck at the marina..But enough serious sport fisherman did to move the market...

My sister in law got offered Yetti coolers for free (product placement) on movie sets for her craft service biz years ago. Yetti did it right in the marketing/branding..

 

[BruceK]

A powered cooler makes more sense if powering is possible. Cooled at home on mains, 12v powered in the car, taken to the boat. There are compressor units sold here which take a plug in rechargeable Li battery,useful for shorter periods away from power.

 

[Flatswing]

I use a Pelican as they were $100 less than Yeti. It works well -block of ice lasts 4 days in summer (exposed to part sun). It is very durable but heavy as a Yeti -just sits on our back deck. I wouldn’t want to move it when full. I find the clasps are easier to use than the Yeti. Seal is good enough that it will barely drain with the valve open & lid closed. Opening the lid you feel the suction release followed by sudden draining of water.