Are Yeti or similar “high end” cooler brands worth the money?

[Bugsinrugs]

When I went rafting down the middle fork of the Salmon in Idaho my friends had Yeti coolers. Had no idea how good they were. Six days on the river and there was still ice in the coolers at the end of the trip. That being said, they are too pricey for me.

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

One of these days I'll probably re-gift it.

I make a mental note - that if by chance I volunteer to run the Pelican Gift Exchange again this year, I might just happen to have Sammy get me as his gift recipient - purely by chance I tell ya!

[Roswell]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Do you plan to use your cooler for ten years then flip it for a profit? They two items aren't comparable.

I plan on driving my Porsche til I die, then leaving it to my son. Same thing with the Yeti cooler, so...in my eyes very comparable.

[wdfifteen]

My son-in-law swears by his Yeti cooler. He can keep beer cold all day at the beach.

[fireant911]

My wife and I just went through a similar exercise. We needed a new cooler for an 1,100 mile road trip as our IGLOO had seen its better days. After some research, it appeared that the 'roto-molded' coolers were the best - these include the high-end Yeti coolers but also include some lower-priced types available at... Walmart. We purchased a 52-quart Ozark Trail cooler for $137 and set off on our adventure. The cooler was in the bed of my truck and after driving for nine+ hours, I unscrewed the drain and about two ounces of water came flowing out!

This particular cooler is rated for keeping ice for seven or more days. We were both impressed and think that this was a good buy. Granted, the hardcore campers may benefit from the Yeti coolers but the price difference did not justify such a purchase for us. I have seen many reviews comparing the Yeti to the Ozark Trail with conflicting results... at least than half the price, the Ozark Trail performed splendidly!

My recommendation is to look for the roto-molded coolers as a starting point and take it from there (but do not dismiss the Ozark Trail coolers as these appear to offer much bang for the buck!).

[TimT]

I have a few Igloo Marine coolers.. have served me well for years at the track, and I have an RTic soft cooler that I use during the week for lunch, I only bought the Rtic because my bro bought a Yeti soft cooler, not to be out done..

I've accumulated a few Yeti thermoses and coffee mugs over the years, all were gifts..

I wouldn't buy a Yeti, but I would and have bought Rtic product..

ATK reviews.. give thumbs up to the premium coolers

[Cajundaddy]

It really depends on your needs and planned uses. For a day on the river at 110*, a bag of ice and chilled drinks will stay ice cold for about 24 hours in my Coleman that was $30 ten years ago. My kid's Yeti-knockoff will keep the same chilled for 3-4 days. If you are hunting, camping or house boating away from civilization and need more cold storage than the onboard fridge, a Yeti-equivalent makes sense. For a day trip, a 20lb bag of ice and pre-chilled drinks will stay cold in most any decent ice chest.

[p911dad]

[rsrguy]

Originally Posted by p911dad

Would you take $150 for your yeti?

[p911dad]

Guy, I suggest you order some Omaha steaks. You get the nice white cooler free, and you can make it into a YETI of your own. Steaks and a free YETI, what a country!

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by rsrguy

Would you take $150 for your yeti?

I will pay $200. Not a penny less!!!!!!

[mdj930]

Cooler shootout
https://youtu.be/zu-V0ZqfYHg

[mjohnson]

We bought the ATK-recommended "best cheap buy" and splurged on a $5 luggage strap. We've flown by air numerous times with it and it's never let us down. Shove your clothes in a duffle _in_ the cooler, then extract when arrived. It works, it's cheap but it won't get bro points in the parking lot. I actually hacked it so that there's an Eagle Creek cube pouch attached to the inside of the lid to hold accessories or dry ice. One benefit of the price is that there's less fear of buggering up a $400 toy.

The Pelican cooler was intriguing but so darn heavy. They make amazing products - as a program manager over the last few years paying for "response" type people I must have spent house-sized piles of cash on their product. I have a wheeled roll-aboard for travel to wine/liquor rich places when I might want to check some fragile and precious items that can't go in the cabin.

[87maniac]

YETI is for pretentious 'look at me' lemmings.
Tweaker Magnets.
'I only buy the best' = More money than brains.

I have a Stanley Adventure cooler. about $150.
same construction as YETI, big fat sidewalls, sealed lid.

I freeze Costco water bottles, stack them inside.
Works well for steak and seafood. Ice lasts 5-7 days.

A secondary cooler is used for beer, sodas, snacks and vegetables.

EVIAN water = NAIVE, same marketing tactics with YETI. pathetic~

[flipper35]

I wouldn't buy a Yeti for the same reason I don't shop at Dick's Sporting Goods.

For long road trips I have a plug in cooler. Chill everything before we leave and drop it in and it works great.

[Seahawk]

vvv So, We can put you down for a "no"?

Originally Posted by 87maniac

YETI is for pretentious 'look at me' lemmings.
Tweaker Magnets.
'I only buy the best' = More money than brains.

I have a Stanley Adventure cooler. about $150.
same construction as YETI, big fat sidewalls, sealed lid.

I freeze Costco water bottles, stack them inside.
Works well for steak and seafood. Ice lasts 5-7 days.

A secondary cooler is used for beer, sodas, snacks and vegetables.

EVIAN water = NAIVE, same marketing tactics with YETI. pathetic~

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

vvv So, We can put you down for a "no"?

I think he's still on the fence on the coolers.

He's probably got one of these in each color, because who doesn't need a $40 five gallon bucket.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by masraum

I think he's still on the fence.

Strong fence.

I have got to get out more.

[gtc]

I have a few CAT-branded Taiga coolers. They work just as well as my friends' Yetis, and are cheaper, but the Yeti products are a lot nicer looking.

Cheap coolers often have no insulation in the lid... you can improve their performance by drilling a few holes and filling them with some spray foam.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by gtc

I have a few CAT-branded Taiga coolers. They work just as well as my friends' Yetis, and are cheaper, but the Yeti products are a lot nicer looking.

Cheap coolers often have no insulation in the lid... you can improve their performance by drilling a few holes and filling them with some spray foam.

Not sure why, but I see this evolving into someone here on the board building their own custom coolers. I'm seeing welded stainless steel, carbon fiber, engraved hardwoods. We'll have all manner of coolers.