Can These CHEAPER Coolers Beat a YETI?
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- I put a famous YETI Tundra cooler up against 10 CHEAPER coolers head to head to see if any of them can hold ice longer than a Yeti. The results were surprising! See if you can save hundreds of dollars and still have top notch ice retention.
In this video I compare coolers from YETI, RTIC, Coleman, Igloo, Blue, Cordova, Engel, Lifetime, and Ozark Trail. They range in price from $60 to $350. I hope it helps you find a great cooler for camping, hunting, fishing, beach days, or whatever it is you like to do outdoors.
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🚨 GEAR IN THIS VIDEO
⚡️ Yeti Tundra 65 - yetius.pxf.io/... or amzn.to/3Yj50o8
⚡️ Cordova Basecamp 48 - alnk.to/7X4Dv6T or amzn.to/3zVvHW2
⚡️ Lifetime High Performance 65 w/wheels - amzn.to/4deGTLF
⚡️ RTIC Ultra-Tough 65 - alnk.to/bit28sm or amzn.to/3YfZ1k7
⚡️ Blue Ice Vault 60 - cabelas.xhuc.n...
⚡️ Engel UltraLite 60 - amzn.to/4ddO86u
⚡️ RTIC Ultra-Light 52 - alnk.to/87ZotLo or amzn.to/3WBXmnH
⚡️ Igloo BMX 52 - amzn.to/3SnBf1I
⚡️ Ozark Trail High Performance - goto.walmart.c...
⚡️ Igloo Latitude Marine Ultra 70 - bassproshops.v... or amzn.to/4cWnFe5
⚡️ Coleman 316 Series 70 - amzn.to/3WjEFUA or goto.walmart.c...
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You might wanna buy an ice machine
Edit: they break all the time..nevermind
Nice to see another Idahoan on here!
$20 Coleman wins. 100% of the time.
hilarious comment! and so true
Seeing as how if the power goes out long term, I won't have any ice anyways, there is no need to have an 8 day cooler. There just isn't any real world application for that. So the cheap cooler that keeps ice for 5 days is plenty good and saves me a lot of beverage money. Also, paying extra for a badge is just dumb. I like Yeti, but I would never buy one.
I would go with the one that is the lowest price. We always run out of beer before the ice is melted any way. Use the money saved to buy more beer.
...AND, when you put the replacement beer in the cooler with ice water, it cools the drinks completely in 10 minutes. How much beer and ice can you buy for $350?
Just buy 3 $100 coolers, fill them all with beer and they’ll last for days without making a beer run. Use the empty coolers to store empty beer cans. Enjoy!
Here is a prime example of someone who understands the importance of establishing rational priorities !
@@noyopacific Thank you.
Agreed 😂.
Just a dude with a cooler describes 99.9999% of us! Great video!
Thanks for watching, fellow dude with a cooler.
Did he said 108 degrees outside? Water boil at 100 degrees.
6 days? I need my cooler to keep beer cool for about 18 hours max. Colman still works for me.
The way I see it, I want the ice to keep things cold in there for maybe two days. Any longer than that and, in the real world as I see it, the ice water is going to get disgusting. Look at all the crap floating around the inside of that yeti at the end of this test. And that's a controlled situation were the cooler was just in his yard and opened once per day. In a real world situation, that thing would be totally nasty on day 7.
There's one thing I do think is important though and it isn't talked about here. In my opinion, the inside surfaces of the cooler should absolutely be smooth and easy to clean with zero nooks and/or crannies. I'm not cool with these companies that are stamping their names and ridges and other crap into those surfaces. When you go to clean it, there should be nowhere for mold/bacteria to potentially hide.
But this is just like... My opinion man...
Weekend camping is usually 2.5 days, but take a day off or do it over a holiday weekend and that could easily be 3.5 or four days. The last place I camped was utter hell on our vehicles just to get to, so there was no leaving the campground to go get more ice. Four days' worth of cool storage is the expectation these days.
I've always used 2L juice bottles (filled with water and frozen) instead of ice. Keeps your food more or less dry, and lasts longer than cubed ice.
Great tip, thanks for sharing.
Gatorade bottle with frozen water works great
Was looking for another “Dad ice” guy. My dad would freeze cranberry juice bottles because they’re flatter. 👍
Not to mention the frozen water bottles once melted will also double as spare water if so needed.
Why water? Just use what's in it from the shop, lemonade, Gatorade, vodka, so you can drink it and not waste space with useless cooling stuff.
Dude, THIS is an excellent side-by-side comparison. It gives us a cost/benefit comparison to work with.
I made what I call some "poor man's Yetis". I went to some garage sales and bought 3 of the old Coleman metal-sided 54 qt coolers with the metal cinch-down latches. Got them cheap. $10-$15/cooler. I then went to a construction site and picked up some of the 1" blue insulation board scraps which the contractor was going to throw away. I cut the insulation to size and used contact cement to adhere it to and lined the inside of the coolers. I put one layer on the sides and bottom and two layers in the lid. I had removed the original lid insulation. We do a lot of week-long camping trips. After adding 2 one-gallon ice jugs to each of the coolers, I filled them with perishables. I kept them all covered with wool army blankets and tried to keep them in the shade as much as possible. The area we camped in was fairly barren i.e., not that many shade trees around. Temps were in the 80's during the day. On the 5th day, we finally got around to opening the third and final cooler which had not been opened since I filled it. I had packed it with frozen meat and some frozen homemade chili which was in zip-lock bags. To my amazement, everything in that cooler was still pretty much frozen. I remember that the package of chili on the very top was starting to get a little bit soft. But that was all. Since then, I've acquired two more of these old coolers and some more insulation. Garage sales are cool. 😉😎 And that's the low-down on my "poor man's yeti". 😁
You've got the right idea. From another old school camper.
What kind of chemicals are in the contact cement. I not sure I am eating or drinking anything out of that cooler. I know, everything is sealed. Well, I don't know that there is any way to unseal and not contaminate. Are you drinking out of the can? Probably low contamination, but .... Anyway, I would rather spend a buck, than take that chance.
@@mikesamson1930 I forgot to mention that I sealed all of the corners where the insulation boards met with a bead of silicone caulk. I'm not worried about any contamination from any of the chemicals which might be in there. All food & drinks are sealed in containers. I'd be more worried about what is in the bags of crushed ice. Are you a Yeti sales rep?
We did something similar also. We froze steaks, cherry pies, hot dogs, chorizo, pemmican and similar items before we went out. Even carbos and vegetables sometimes (rarely). We stick with the old Mexican Cowboy foods, what they used on the trails, and most of them at least one cattle drive. I grew up on BlutWurst, so this was a natural, good for weeks without coolers, for a Polish cowboy.
The " blue board" insulation was Closed - cell ?
I've been camping for almost 50 years. I had the opportunity to use a Yeti on a weeklong camp a few years ago.
Yes it holds ice a little longer. But not enough to offset the expense and the loss of interior space. My go to for decades has been a steel belted Coleman but any decent $100 cooler will more than take care of the typical camper, boater etc. I'm sure there are practical applications for these high dollar coolers if your not going to have access to ice for an extended period of time. For the average person its simply a status symbol that needs to locked up if you leave camp.
Most people call that homeless. 😂
Steel belted Coleman? Please see my post about my "poor man's Yeti" above.
Not to mention the weight along with what you said.
I bought the Ozark Trail cooler about 4 yrs ago. I’ve gone camping with it twice with temps in the high 90s, and it kept my stuff below 40 degrees & still had ice for 4 days.
I still have one of the old OT insulated cups before they (supposedly) got a C&D from Yeti.
That thing will hold ice and keep things cold for nearly 24 hours!
A smaller SetPower 12/24V compressor cooler/freezer for under $150.00 was my choice over ice. It ran 2 weeks in 100 degrees in the sun and kept my soda very cold. I had the AC to DC plugged into the wall. Then used it 3 days in the car and since then it has been indoors running for a year holding my soda just over freezing. No melted ice mess or cost, no draining, very very low electricity consumption, no opening the main refrigerator door every time someone wants a drink. Very quiet too.
Yes, but what is the capacity ? They are typically much more $/Qt !
A small 37 qt set power is $230.00 +
Here is a tip,i buy those plastic clear shoe boxes at walmart and make my own blocks of ice.i fill them about half,after they freeze,i fill them some more these last a long time,i put them in the bottom of my cheap cooler,then load it up.i also make block ice too put in my medium sized chest freezer,makes it run less,and in a power outage,its good for days and days,its worth doin,look at the cost of bagged ice now3.00 bag or more!!😂😂😂😂
Block ice for the win! I even freeze small water bottles to fit in between stuff. My fam would camp for week(s) at a time. My dad always got block ice and even dry ice( but be careful with that, could crack a cooler) Also, used two coolers, one for the beverages that acted like a fridge. The other cooler had food & more blocks. Stayed closed & colder. I pity the child who tried to open the 2nd cooler 😂
I love that idea, thanks for sharing Doug!
We make blocks in small plastic tubs. We also make it at our remote cabin with solar running the freezer. We give it to our remote cabin neighbors that don’t have refrigerators.
I freeze gallon water jugs. They fill the garage freezer to the top. They have a convenient handle. Many uses.
I remember years ago being so impressed with the ability to keep ice for 7 days! Never needed it though on my boat or camping, but YETI sure did make millions off of us consumers, good for them
got an old red metal Coleman cooler..it was my old man's ..its probably 50 years old. recently it held ice for 3 days after we had a birthday party. and it was outside in the heat and in sun part of the day.
I was wondering how well an old Coleman (we had the green one) compares to newer ones.
We had the green one. I miss it.
Nice comparison. I've had the Lifetime 55 for years and it works great. Not sure if you mentioned it because I skipped ahead in the video to the "money shot" but Lifetime is a US based company and manufactured in Utah, so there's that.
Side note, after 25 years living in Boise so glad we took the crazy money the Californians were throwing at us for our house and ran - between the heat, smoke from wildfires, forest closure due to wildfires, increased traffic, inversions during the winter it just became too much.
Don’t vote blue and wreck Idaho like blue voters have wrecked California.
Where did you decide to relocate to?
Not surprised by the results to be honest, bought a 55qt blue cooler a few years ago and it has always exceeded when called upon. Pre chilling, keeping it shaded and keeping it shut is they key to any cooler but was cool to see this test done to see where performance meets our consumer dollar😎
I have had Rubbermaid coolers for 18 years now and they are superb. I use ice from my local beer place and the right ratio of ice to water and any bottle/can will stay very cold for 48 hrs at least. I never buy trendy, social media hype like Yeti, Jackery and such. I buy value and dependabilty first.
We looked at coolers last year and we both agreed that we dont want a cooler that people are going to potentially steal because of its high price. So, we got the cheap one and it works perfectly for our needs
Your right anybody spending that money on a yeti is just asking to get it stolen not because it is better just that it has a higher resale value.
of note is the Cordova is made in America (several others were too which is great to see). one of the big reasons i bought one a couple years ago. also just a good cooler overall, even if it doesnt hold ice quite as long in testing conditions. im not out camping for weeks on end away from ice so that wasnt a deal breaker for me. and those latches are "upside down" so that you can open the cooler easier if it is packed in with things around it since you dont have to get your hand down underneath the latches to flip them up. the metal handles on it are great too, make it much easier to carry and they feel very premium. that blue was impressive though. that little valve on the front of the blue that allows for dry ice is also a pretty clever little feature. one to consider.
Good info thanks for sharing!
Also consider the lack of internal capacity of the thick walled roto coolers, I don't go way off trail camping so ice is usually available. Remember thieves will steal expensive coolers more often given the opportunity, keep them in a locked vehicle when possible.
Awesome of you to take the time to perform this comparison, edit the video, absorb whatever expenses involved…..I always bought cheap coolers, (usually Igloo’s and Coleman’s) then I won a Yeti 20 and have really liked it…your hard work has me now looking for a Blue Ice Vault…..thanks for the “Battle of The Coolers” video…
Oh yeah: How’s the Stink Balls working?
Glad to do it and thanks for watching! Ya, that shirt made me laugh real good and the guy gave it to me at a tradeshow. The irony is, I've never used that fish bait.
I had an RTIC 65. It was a fabulous cooler but so impractical I wound up selling it to a construction crew. Fully loaded, it was well over 100 pounds. I still have and use three other smaller RTICs.
Thanks for the comment Joe. They're definitely not lightweight, that's for sure.
Wow! Yes! Always wondered. I have the Coleman, but almost bought a Yeti, then thought, it's name recognition marketing, has nothing to do with cool food, but how good you look with name brand equipment. Will definitely buy the blue next. Maybe how long they last. Of course I know, wear & tear, but some of the lids fall off right away, or have other deformities. Anyway, THANK YOU for your tests! Something I have really wondered about! AWESOME!
Right on! Glad to help and thank you for watching.
We did a side-by-side at a camping event, I used my Walmart lifetime cooler, and a friend of mine used a similarly sized yeti. They lasted about the same.
Now you have to ask yourself the question is the yeti worth almost three times? As much as the lifetime? I don't think so.
I just got the 60 qt Blue cooler and am impressed so far. It came with a free backpack cooler too.
Nice!
Where did you buy it? Post the link.
Link
Where did you buy it ?
What did you pay ?
He says $250 in this video, I don't see one under $400.
one of the best real world comparisons I have seen on coolers. Thanks for the info.
Years ago, I bought a Cordova factory second. Low price and good performance beats high price and good performance. Four days is our maximum camp time so far, no problems yet, and plenty of cooling power.
Wrapping coolers with additional insulation and aluminum adhesive tape will improve cooling.
old blanket doubled up and covering cooler helps a lot
@@Luckyrider1958 Under it too.
But no on will see the yeti name on my cooler😢
@@bsecat7252 get a yeti sticker and put it over all the igloo coolers. the best for the $$
@@bsecat7252 Nice one! 🤣
I have a Yeti Tunda 65 and a rolling Igloo that is about the same size. I take them both on week long camping trips twice a summer, both fully loaded with ice, etc. The Igloo is not only more convenient, but it always holds ice for days longer.
I agree with your bang-for-the -buck assessment. It has the smallest high/low temperature spread and I'm good with the top 13 percentile at 43% lower price than the Yeti that couldn't beat it in enough categories. The RTIC 52 QT Ultra-Light is the cooler for me if I ever need a premium one.
This is the kind of science experiment I can get interested in. Great job!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! That was definitely a lot of work and expensive. Great information and worth it. Good job! Thanks 😊
Glad it was helpful!
After experiencing hurricanes and losing power for several days, this test of yours is so valuable! It was a challenge to keep perishables cold as long as possible. I'm really impressed with the Blue cooler. After one of the hurricanes, I made a thermal liner for the coolers plus a "cooler cozy" made from Warm Company's insulated window material. It worked much better after the next hurricane. I always wondered about the Yeti and thanks to you we have our answer.
I love that cooler cozy idea. Thanks for watching!
@@theoutdoorempire I would love to see a test of coolers - one with a cozy and one without. Wish I had dupe coolers and run my own test. Maybe that'll be the next trend.
I've used the Igloo Marine Ultra for years. I have them in several different capacities. 6 days in sub optimum conditions is quite the testament. I think I'll be sticking with it.
The BLUE looks good
The Coleman, Steel Cooler, Model 6150 6155, Silver beat the Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler, in my real life camping trip test. Coleman Steel cooler is about $200 brand new but only like $85 if you find it used. Using the cooler throughout the day opening it more often melts ice faster, but still, I saw a huge difference between the 2. The Yeti lasted 2 days ad Coleman lasted over 5 days.
i have a older coleman that my bro gave me and i like it its a green one
I just bought a used coleman steel belted cooler for $30.00.When camping I use a smaller cooler for meat that you don't open much and the steel belted for continuous use.
@@andysinn8655 i did that once, i put my meat in the coleman steel to keep longer, and drinks in another.
Jesus Christ you're like the cooler guru. I chose the Cordova basecamp because of it's unique features but only became aware of it because of your videos. Thanks for doing the work! Edit: With the Cordova traction pad I noticed better ice retention maybe a day longer, but it's expensive at $60.
Same here!! I recently bought a Cordova because I saw it here. They are the best coolers for the price and they are made in the U.S.A.
Wow, thanks! And that's some good intel on the traction pad. Perhaps that little bit of extra insulation is enough to make a difference.
Jesus Christ, son of God, a real man, the one true King who came to serve His people, and give himself up as a ransom. He’s our redemption bro! Why is it, His name used so often without thought? There’s more to Him than another catch phrase.
I’ve a Rtic UltraLight and been from the Mexico/NewMexico border to to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT on the Arctic Ocean with it. Well satisfied with its performance.
I love it! My dude said I’m just a dude with a bunch of coolers, dying laughing
I believe he thinks since he has all those coolers, that he's cooler than most dudes. lol
This has been the best cooler video yet
No precool!!! Imagine that,,, A REAL WORLD REAL LIFE TEST!!! Thank you for an honest REAL test!!! This is exactly why I love your channel!!! KEEP IT REAL I LOVE IT!!!!
You are so welcome! And thank you for the support.
Something about buckees ice is that it last longer. Found a Coleman Ice chest on the road years ago and has worked fine but the handle broke the other day. And Buc-ee's ice is no longer 99 cents as it used to be. It still may be the best but not the cheapest.
Bucee's was selling the electric cooler fridges for the same price as the Yetis
Love my lifetime cooler. I go on a 4th of July camping trip every year and even if it’s 90+ degrees out I consistently get 4-5 days of ice out of it. Lose some, but stays cold enough to keep my meat cold.
That is awesome!
A friend let me borrow his Yeti 65 for a road trip and when kept in the car and used as I typically use a cooler on a trip it kept ice about one day longer than an Igloo Marine 70 quart. The problem is that it's bulkier for less room. Yes, I am aware of the extra room for insulation but for my uses three days of ice retention is more than enough and I'd rather have more food and drink kept cold than less for one day longer. It's like, okay, the Yeti did a better job but held less (and it seems like a lot less than the published numbers suggest) so I have to restock in about the same amount of time as I have to buy more ice for my usual Igloo Marine. I think the Yeti is better made and would last longer under rough conditions but I don't subject my coolers to rough conditions so, no need.
Yeti's (or other roto-molded brands) are practicool... not practical. 8) It's more for show; like, check me out, I need this much cooler for my extreme outdoorsy-ness. I mean, it has a place for a padlock! That's some serious stuff in there. A cooler that weighs 20+ lbs empty is a pain to carry.. takes up most of my trunk too. I use an 80's era Kenmore that holds as much as a Yeti 45 and it weighs 5 lbs, takes up 30% less space than its roto-molded equivalent (in capacity). It's an 'heirloom' cooler.. still works for keeping my stuff cold for however long that food/drink lasts.. which isn't long. We usually eat and drink the food from the cooler when we travel. I've never needed 2 days of ice retention. I use blue ice packs anyway. I feel our family food is safe enough with a compression fit lid and no hinges, no locks. lol
Great cooler test. I happen to have the 52qt Ozark Trail model. I've only used it once, and it did OK, but man it's heavy even when it's empty. Once it's loaded up with ice and food, it's too much for my old back to deal with solo. I'd love to see the weights of these coolers listed. And yes, a lot of it is about the bulkiness of them, but the Ozark's "assembled weight" is a whopping 29.73 lbs. That's sure a lot heavier than old style, probably injection molded, coolers I've had. Thanks for the test video. BTW, as I checked for the weight specs I saw that this cooler is now on sale at Ozark for $66. I should have waited a few years. LOL.
I have a lifetime cooler I love it it keeps ice for a few days it sits in the bed of my truck in 100 plus temps everyday l love it
that was alot of work good video enjoyed the info
Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the comparison. You mentioned that either can be set up in free-standing mode, but I’ve found no information online on how to do that. If you have an opportunity, please demonstrate that aspect in a future video. Meanwhile, thanks again.
On returning from a SUP trip to a "premiere" boat launch, I found a perfect mid-size Yeti cooler, nestled in the early morning *flotsum.* After appraising its "value," I gave it to my son, who has more tolerance to BS than I.
That was easy..
"Dude with a bunch of coolers" is what we are ALL in everyday life. You represent 99.9% of all of us in real world applications, minus opening the cooler 20+ times a day. Thanks Buddy. Say hi to Gerdi!
I appreciate that! She says hi back.
Simple aid. Use water bottles about 3/4 full of frozen 😊salt water. Salt water(dissolve 1 cup salt per gallon of water) freezes at 26*f versus 32*f for fresh water. Takes up less space and does not immerse perishable items in water.
It doesn't matter that salt water freezes at a lower temp. If you put a bottle of fresh water in a freezer it will freeze at 32F but then it will go down to whatever the freezer temp is, just like the salt water. You can argue a miniscule delta in specific heat but that is not going to be noticeable
Good job. Just a tip on the IR thermometer. Point it at the tape you used to hold the hanging thermometer, color absolutely affects the temp they read. So it would be consistent.
Ive manages to use a smaller igloo bmx. Fits nicely on the floor behind the driver seat and packs almost everything for my fam for a weekend camp in 80°. When i get a bigger car, ill get a better cooler.
I understand what you are talking about with the HEAT in Boise in the summer time. We live in West Texas and visit family in Boise several times a year. Every time we visit Boise in July or August it is hotter in Boise then it is at the same time in West Texas.
Lifetime at Atwoods, on sale for $100 from $150. Yeti without the fancy name. Kept my ice 🧊 for a week at deer camp with outside temperatures ranging from 40-80 degrees, opening it 3 times a day taking out drinks and food items. Bottle opener on front corners. Good enough.
The first high-performance cooler I purchased was a lifetime 28 quart for around 100 bucks at Walmart completely satisfied with it although Haven’t used it in a couple years because I have purchased a couple yetis due to the fact they were on sale 20% off, which is rare. I think I have the roadie 24 if I’m not mistaken and the yeti Hopper flip that holds 12 cans which I’ve got a good deal on due to coupons and what not with no regrets. They’re great coolers and I have no plans on ever purchasing another one.
I bought the Igloo Overlander 50gt 3 weeks ago at Walmart., I used for a week camping and started by prechilling for 1 night and started my trip with a 10lb block of ice and the frozen food, it was 7 days before I needed to and any ice.
One metric I'd love to see: how well does each cooler do at keeping food safely cold? I'm less concerned with the number of days it lasts, and more with whether food's going to spoil *before* the ice runs out.
Maybe another chart: coolers down the Y axis, days across the X axis, and each cell gives the number of hours to date that the contents have been above 40 degrees. (Each row should be cumulative, not simply the hours for that day alone, because it's the running total that matters for food spoilage.)
From the graphs, the Yeti looks like the winner on this, but it's hard to tell from those whether it wins by enough to be worth the extra money.
Thanks for a great comparison!
This is great, was thinking to buy a Yeti. Can't wait to see which "wins"
Amazing video. Gave me all the information I needed to know! So if I have no chance of anyone going for ice during my trip I am ponying up for the blue or the Artic the yeti was only averaging 2 degree better so i'd most likely go with the Blue. Otherwise my three and four day trips with regular real world visits I can snag another bag or two on the way back and live with my crappy no name brand off amazon that cost like 40 bucks and has insanely horrible kid toy made in China wheels. Loved you video, had some great comedy moments and you are a natural at talking on camera!! Thanks again! Subbed and liked!
Man this made my day! Thanks for the sub and the thought process. Cheers.
Concise and informative, great video. New subscriber, thanks for the info!
Awesome, thank you!
You are a legend for doing this. Hats off mate!!!
Greetings from the Kimberly/Hansen area! Love to see UA-camrs from my home state!
Pre chill the cooler friends. Use ice packs with ice. Some ice packs ( purple) keep ice colder freezer temps over the (blue).
No..Almost nobody ever pre chills a cooler. They grab it and throw ice in it. Thats how a cooler should be tested.
@@shawnglass108 if your not staying out long enough for a 4 day or 10 day claim ice retention, i imagine it wouldn’t matter for an over night or in and out. Just buy a domectic solar panel and eco flow ditch the ice!
Great shear. ty for being practical about no pre cooling for the on the go testing.
I cheat...I'm a trucker in the food service industry...the warehouse has a massive freezer at zero degrees F. When I'm taking off for a trip, I put my coolers in the freezer for a day or 3 before going to the ice producer and pay almost nothing for a few hundred pounds of ice.
We have an 400qt Grizzly we call "The Morgue" we use for meat storage on warm weather hunts. We held ice cream in that thing for deer season after thermal loading. We also put a couple hundred pounds of ice in it, too.
That's awesome! The Morgue 😂
So we have been travelling with a cheap sub $30 plastic cooler and I started covering it/wrapping with a wool blanket. I can tell when I get into it that the wool blanket is helping to retain the cool. You should try comparing the same cooler but with different mods. Like a blanket or some other kind of exterior insulation. Cheap ways to extend the cool in really cheap coolers.
Love my Igloo BMX. It being green, tan, and orange clasps it looks like an ammo crate classes it up a bit. Perfect for sitting in a sweltering work truck all day with two big ice packs.
Bought a Roto molded style Igloo cooler from Sam's for $200.00 and it could not hold ice for 48 hrs.
Within in one year the sides started to cave in, contacted Sam's and Igloo reps neither one would stand behind the product.
Run with your hair on fire from Igloo coolers, also buy from Costco as they will stand behind what they sell.
BTW, I had a Coleman 5-day cooler that would run circles around Igloo and it was $30 from Walmart.
Thanks for all your hard work and time.
Regular Igloo coolers are the same price as Coleman and work exactly the same, no need to pay exorbitant prices for a status symbol name! That Igloo ice chest is less than 1/7 the cost of the Yeti name!
My smaller cooler is an Igloo, its about 10 yrs old. My 20+ yr old one is so much better.
People don't always pre chill their coolers, so I see you're doing a pretty realistic test.
All my years 68 I've never heard of pre cooling. Where, in your ice house?
Very interesting the"ultralight" coolers beat the more expensive rotomolded ones!
As I'm a tightass Ozark Trail FTW (now to find one).
Nice vid and makes one think. Thing is most don't fill with ice but fill with warm or cool beverages and cool meats or frozen things and then ice, it's all about the room. I double up with smaller ones. I'm old and can't handle one of them elephant coolers by myself, so it's one cooler that's hardly opened with frozen meats and veggies and the other with the water or beverages. I don't mind a cool beer vs ice cold and it saves me $$ in ice cause some only want an ice cold beer
I have one of the elevated Igloos. It’s drastically cheaper than the Yeti but is amazing. I’d say it’s as good. I don’t need a status symbol cooler.
My cheap Igloo works better than my Yeti Tundra 65 (which was a gift). I use them both for weeks at a time but surprisingly the Igloo is easier to move around and holds ice much longer.
Another variable would be that the lids will be open more if people are using the coolers for storing food and drinks. A very good video my man.
Honestly, for me, this video confirmed what I expected going into it - It just doesn't make any difference at all as far as my needs go.
The way I see it, I want the ice to keep things cold in there for maybe two days. Any longer than that and, in the real world as I see it, the ice water is going to get disgusting.
There's one thing I do think is important though and it isn't talked about here. In my opinion, the inside surfaces of the cooler should absolutely be smooth and easy to clean with zero nooks and/or crannies. I'm not cool with these companies that are stamping their names and ridges and other crap into those surfaces. When you go to clean it, there should be nowhere for mold/bacteria to potentially hide.
But this is just like... My opinion man...
15:35 Such a nice table - thanks!
Terrific test! Great job
The Walmart exclusive Igloo overland coolers are the best bang for the buck and MADE IN USA! Similar to the BMX series but less $$
I have a couple coolers but I also have a portable refrigerator freezer and a battery bank. When the cars running, it charges the battery bank and that keeps the fridge running continuously. I would like to have a decent cooler that can handle dry ice.
Awesome comparison video. Though I don't think this would apply to real world, in my opinion, it's a great comparison when it comes to using one for power out emergencies, as normal use would introduce constant opening and closing the lid, and if in a vehicle, constant shaking of the ice, which will melt faster, once the water overwhelms the ice. I never quite got over the pricing on the Yeti, as always knew there were a few other coolers with a bit better performance, and lower price.
Biggest problem with this test was different sized coolers (the Yeti) for one is huge and the coolers don't just keep the water cold but they keep the air cold also so a bigger interior is a bigger handicap. Other than that it was a great test.
Actually based on several tests I've done now, bigger coolers tend to have the advantage, especially when I fill them all up chock full of ice like in this test. More thermal mass, takes longer to heat up.
I bought my lifetime for $110.00 3 years ago and couldn't be happier.
X-Y Scatter plot of PRICE vs DAYS of ICE lets you see the tradeoff between Price and Days. Price per Days of Ice is useful but not important if someone doesn't need the max days - in this case the scatter plot would show the best choice. (When Price is involved the Scatter plot you can see what price gets you.)
I like that idea a lot, thanks.
@@theoutdoorempire I'm surprised I've never seen "Price Scatter" plots used in other comparison posts. But then I'm an engineer and we are always scheming to visualize things. When Price is involved the x-y scatter is always useful. But there can also be many of them if you have other performance parameters. If you get nuts, you can do a contour plot where x and y would be 2 parameters (days of ice, and temperature) and Price would be the z-axis which would produce the contours - just like a contour plot of elevation on a map. Excel has this all built in their charting.
So I have a 55 quart lifetime and it holds ice in Texas heat for about 5-6 days. But my camper has a refrigerator so it's really just a drink cooler and the longest trips I go between restocking is 5 days. I had an igloo cooler that would easily keep ice for 5 days. I have no idea where it went. I probably loaned it to somebody years ago which is why I bought the lifetime.
I would never spend that much on these top name brand coolers that are for sale these days (that's what I thought for years). With that said I do have several Yeti coolers that were given to me as gifts. One of them is about 12yrs old, its the bag cooler and the zipper just broke a few weeks ago. The zipper would still close but the plastic on the zipper handle snapped off. I contacted yeti to see if they could send me a new zipper handle. Yeti went way above and beyond and sent us out a brand new cooler to replace the old, outdated model. I can honestly say that with customer support like that, it really helps justify the price they charge. I don't mind paying top dollar for items if I know that as a customer, Im covered by the product company. That they stand by and back their products. Just my .02
Because with a rotomolded cooler prechilling is so important to the end result the way to do it would be to fill them with ice for 24 hours then drain. Top them off again with ice and start the challenge. That will give a true test for how they are supposed to be used and take away the "guy with a cooler" excuse.
8 days ....wowwie...been 20 yrs since I've been camping.....that test just " blue " me away......pun intended
The yeti cost more because because some people are willing to buy it for some reason because they think it's better
I bought the RTIC 52qt ultra-light when it first came out. Then about 6 months later I bought the Treeline 45 qt at tractor supply. I paid $150 for each cooler and they have been great so-far.
Nice!
For longer camping trips I only use block ice which lasts 3 times as long as cubes.
I only have two questions. The first is: would you ever consider testing a 12v DC fridge against a cooler in terms of value for dollar? Would you really be saving money by using a 12v and not buying ice I guess is the question. And two: When will you be holding the cooer giveaway?
I have the same question about a 12v fridge and hope to do a test soon to try and answer your question. For the latter, sign up for our email list as I hope to do some giveaways there soon!
Since the 1960's I've always been an Igloo customer and because they out performed the early days in coolers for modest cost. I'd guess it's been a good 8 to 10 years now that I have seen the competition exceed Igloo however, the prices of the competition were an easy two time more. Then, during this time, I notice Igloo pricing rise quite a bit even those that are for sale at Costco. It seems now that Igloo has almost made a complete flip, less performance or the same but for much more money than they used to be. I'm not much for spending over $50 for a 48 or 52 quart cooler but that RTIC and Ozark seem to have much value even though the Igloo BMX is about comparative. I'm not fond of the thickness of the interior to the exterior space but apparently that is what it takes to get more than a weekend of cold storage. The Blue 60 has the best performance no question but does it carry as much value when including the sales price. That is a challenge $250 or $130 to double the cold storage days. Maybe two smaller coolers will perform better than one large one?
I doubt it. A larger cooler, packed full with a 2:1 ice to food ratio will probably take the cake as it has greater thermal mass. When I've tested dozens of coolers at the same time, one of the bigger coolers always beats the small ones. But I do like a two cooler system for longer trips. One cooler for food that must stay cold that only gets opened maybe once per day at dinner. And one cooler for drinks and the first day or two of food that gets opened frequently.
Nice man, If you do this again could you see how much water drains out? If you leave the drain open (if they have a drain plug) how much water weight comes out over time to see the melt rate. Maybe put it on a scale that can record over time. You wouldn't have to open the coolers to see.
Interesting idea, I just might do that sometime.
Great video again Chase. I’m sure it is easier up keep but sad to see the hair gone. It was an inspiration to me.
Wow thanks, but I think you're the only one haha. I told myself I wanted to experience what it felt like to have a pony tail before I die, but I'm starting to go bald so I seized the day while I could. Got to the point of a dinky little pony tail, then hacked it all off to a mullet for a couple weeks. Had my fun then went back to short and easy. My wife was thrilled when it was all done. 😂
😂
I decided early this summer that I wanted to grow mine out before it all turns grey. So far so good.
Fantastic test! Thanks so much for doing this. All of those were in the shade and I wonder how a blue cooler would do in any sunlight. Seems like a cooler should always be white colored to reduce head absorption
They each got a tad bit of sunlight for part of the day, but I've been meaning to try and test that specifically.
I’ve got a Rtic 52qt wheeled cooler in the “Patriot” color scheme coming in a few days. Got a week at the Outer Banks and Labor Day weekend up in the Adirondacks planned and I’m pretty excited to see how it performs.
The Adirondack region is wonderful. Too bad it's in NY.
@@joewoodchuck3824 Upstate as a whole is a beautiful place. Politics, not so much.
Adirondacks!!! I'm a "native/local" to that area...... however using coolers will vary in the mountians as opposed to the OBX which I "tenured" there for 6 years in NC (Totallly different dynamics as far as geography goes.)😉
Yes Adirondacks is beautiful place but not "how it is operated" by politics. 😝 Exiled to Maine which lasted 7 1/2 years (from ADK) then moved to Manatee Capital in "Down-da-Camp" in the 29°N.😏
I have several very very nice coolers. I cook BBQ competitively and I use them a lot. Out of all of my coolers, the Pelican I got for $200 works the best. My Cambro's work the best as coolers, but that's not what they're meant for. They're meant for keeping food hot.
While I appreciate the time and effort involved and doing a fairly good job with your testing, I also somewhat disagree with you final findings for a couple of reasons... In regards to the "bang for the buck", I would place the Ozark Trail 52 as the best overall between price, longevity and performance... with you other two at the top of the list in second and third. Yeti would be in fourth place and this is based on long term usage with little to no option for a refill on ice. For shorter term usage (like a weekend camp) and/or the possibility of refill on ice, the igloo Marine Ultra would be far and away my top pick for "bang for the buck" with the Ozark Trail coming in second. I say this with the most likely camping scenarios I have seen and/or been on over the past 50 years, especially multiple trips per year. Thank you very much for all of your efforts as it gives a really firm basis and verification for making an educated choice! The Yeti is great, but I never really believed the level of hype and regarded the cost as outrageous despite the claims.
Great video by all accounts. For my needs, I just need cold beer for an afternoon on the lake, so the cheapest cooler works for me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching.
In the past I found that two of those really cheap styrofoam coolers doubled up lasted longer than anything else... I also injected insulating foam into a cheap cooler and had good success. The only rael competitors to Yeti are coolers tha are similarly roto molded... like "Woods" brand they are better largly because they are stronger and will last longer.