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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.
...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!
@@Deontjie The boiling point of water in Fahrenheit is 212 for those Stateside using that scale (for Canadians and those across the pond using Celsius, then it's 100-degrees).
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!
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.
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.
Bought the Ozark trail rotomolded for 65 on sale. Bought a few cans of expansion foam. Drilled 2 1/4"holes in opposite sides of the lid and body. Injected foam until it copious flowed out . Allowed 3 days for the foam to completely dry then sealed the holes with epoxy. That thing held frozen milk jugs for 11 days in Indian summer in the gila mountains of New Mexico. On day 12 when I got home the jugs were still partially frozen and the sodas were still cold.
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.
@jimt828 Been hunting, fishing, and boating in AZ for 45 years - your analysis is spot on. Unless you're going on an off the grid away from civilization trip, get a decent cooler - the Ozark WalMart and Igloo BMXs are good - and save your $$ for beer and ice.
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.
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!
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
Mine is 15.8 quarts and holds 20 cans. The FC series 15.8 quart is $109.00 now (9/9/24). There are bigger units but cost goes up to $200-$400. The cost is much more than a regular cooler but the convenience of no ice cost far outweighs me ever using ice again.
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". 😁
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.
Engel and Cordova are really cool for sending you a cooler to test, if i was a fisherman or work for long period of times in the outback i would definitely invest $300 for a blue cooler they seem worth it, really cool video!
I agree, they do seem like they'd be worth the investment. And I've spent thousands of dollars on coolers to test so it's definitely nice when a company sends me one on the house. It just makes it so I can test even more coolers in these videos so hopefully people know what to expect when they make their choice.
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.
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
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 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.
I've got the Igloo BMX and the one thing I did that made a HUGE difference in it's seal was to add adhesive weather stripping along the channel where the cooler seals. Made a massive difference in it's ability to insulate.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
I included a Kong in some other videos, but since they are the same price or a tad more than a Yeti, I left them out of this video to focus on cheaper options. Kongs are great though! Cheers.
Fun test. I have a YETI I got on sale and it's kept the food fresh and still had ice on multi-day summer camping trips. Just have to make sure to store it in the shade. Perhaps I'll try one of the other high performing brands when I need a bigger cooler.
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.
for me all the coolers in this video are good, based on my experience we (family and friends) only go outdoor activity/camping on weekend or holiday weekend (2-4 day max), and we making sure theres close store near by our site or we google it 1st to check where is the close store nearby our site so for the kids if they need anything or we run out of water/ ice/ whatever we need, we can just designate someone and drive there and buy all the things we may need. but yeah, cool video!
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!!!!
My brother and I have a very large Moeller " Ice Station Zero" we keep inside at the front a white aluminum cargo trailer we use to haul our quad and camping gear. We live in Southern AZ, but even in the heat it's great because it's out of the sun. I got my son an Igloo BMX (with the nifty looking little strip of stainless diamond guard on the front) on a clearance deal (maybe a mistake?) online delivered from WalMart for $54. It's great, comparable to my friends Yetis.
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.
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.
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. 😂
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.
Good video. Wish my supervisor had seen this before he went out and bought coolers for the work site. The igloos lasted less than 6 hours in our real world use...
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 😂
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’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.
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
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
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 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.
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
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!
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.
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 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!
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.
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.😏
Great comparison. I have the Yeti but only because out of the 65 quart coolers it is the shortest one and it can fit in my tacoma bed with my bed cover. otherwise usually go with the cheapest
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.
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.
00:03 ❄️ The test compares the ice retention of a Yeti Tundra 65 with ten cheaper coolers. 00:22 🌡️ The test is conducted in extreme heat (up to 108°F) to evaluate cooler performance. 01:11 📊 Coolers are filled with ice and monitored using Bluetooth thermometers for accurate temperature tracking. 02:08 🌞 All coolers are placed in a shaded area to ensure equal exposure to sunlight. 03:57 💰 Coolers range in price from $60 to $350, with various sizes and types included in the test. 04:25 ❄️ The test evaluates coolers based on ice presence, temperature of items, and insulation performance. 07:11 📉 After six days, several coolers, including Coleman and Igloo, have run out of ice. 09:00 💸 The Yeti Tundra, despite its higher price, is not the longest-lasting cooler in the test. 10:41 🏆 The Blue Cooler Ice Vault emerges as the top performer, lasting over nine days with ice. 13:01 📉 The Yeti Tundra 65 showed consistent lower temperatures but did not outperform all cheaper coolers. 14:19 🔥 The Arctic Ultra Tough cooler lasted slightly longer than the Yeti, but still not the longest. 15:09 🥇 The Blue Ice Vault cooler is the clear winner, retaining ice the longest in the test.
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!
Just add insulation to the outside of any cooler for a noticeable improvement. Pay special attention to the lower half and the bottom. That's where most of the losses are.
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.
NOT paying $350 for a cooler. The secret which is NOT a secret is to buy a thick walled cooler.....at least 2" from top to bottom side walled. Some trick you by being thick at the top but NOT the bottom half. $100 cooler from Walmart keeps ice and drinks cold for 3 days at least....I only need 2 days !
I really like this video and how you attempted to test the different coolers. Thank you! Just some suggestions as it left me kind of feeling like it can be improved. I would suggest that you leave all the coolers shut for the duration of the test and use the bluetooth temp reader and use that reading for the test results chart. I know you are making a UA-cam video and want to let people see how it "looks" inside the cooler, but maybe do both tests (always closed (real test) vs "this test" where you aren't consistent on how long you keep the lids open while trying to catch a good video for UA-cam) and show those results instead.
Thanks for the feedback! Rest assured that what you see in the video is only a small portion of what was done (the test did last over a week) and that each cooler was treated as evenly as possible. I like to open them daily as well as you would when camping, but a test like you mention could be interesting too. Cheers.
@@freedomisfromtruth So the key to your test "failure" is your own response to me, when you said "each cooler was opened about the same time". Just make it fair and not open them at all. We know that they will be opened in real world testing, so let that be a user variable, instead of a cooler efficiency variable. Aren't you testing the efficiency of the cooling of each cooler? Let's test that so people have real data to make an informative decision and remove the user variables. Just do a follow up if you can, that's all i'm asking. I just don't trust the results with this method. Also, as a possible second follow up, take all the coolers off the fence and put them in the center of the yard for full sunlight to show the real effectiveness of the cooler.
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.
First off, you did the Coleman dirty... You left it open the longest explaining the scoring... Also(an more importantly) you kept closing the branches of the fern tree next to it under the lid, which didn't give it a correct seal. 🤦
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 have two 32 at RTIC coolers. I bought them because of the cool accessories that it had. A basket and a cold divider. Works out for trips to the fishing pier I can keep bait on one side and drinks on the other without them co-mingling. Also, came in handy during Hurricane Beryl... No way I'm paying that much money for a cooler. You'd be better off buying a generator and a mini fridge for that price
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.
First world countries have universal healthcare, common sense gun laws, and accept the results of their elections. They also fight climate change and Covid. Just sayin!
I'm glad to see I'm not alone. And Yeti is one of many on that list for their lack of true American Values. I wish more people gave a crap about who they help profit..
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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.
@@Deontjie The boiling point of water in Fahrenheit is 212 for those Stateside using that scale (for Canadians and those across the pond using Celsius, then it's 100-degrees).
Who keeps their beer 6 days ? Camping , primitve maybe to keep Food cold !
Pre cooling,,, how many do that?? 😂. I get the benefits, but my freezers are full!!
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 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!
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.
Its for hunting bud
If you're out in the back country for 4-8 days you need a cooler that can last that long
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.
one of the best real world comparisons I have seen on coolers. Thanks for the info.
Bought the Ozark trail rotomolded for 65 on sale. Bought a few cans of expansion foam. Drilled 2 1/4"holes in opposite sides of the lid and body. Injected foam until it copious flowed out . Allowed 3 days for the foam to completely dry then sealed the holes with epoxy. That thing held frozen milk jugs for 11 days in Indian summer in the gila mountains of New Mexico. On day 12 when I got home the jugs were still partially frozen and the sodas were still cold.
That's the way to do it.
If anyone else does this, make sure to do the window/door foam cause the big gap filler stuff will bust the cooler apart
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.
@jimt828 Been hunting, fishing, and boating in AZ for 45 years - your analysis is spot on. Unless you're going on an off the grid away from civilization trip, get a decent cooler - the Ozark WalMart and Igloo BMXs are good - and save your $$ for beer and ice.
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?
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.
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.
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.
My Coleman classic is going on 30 years.
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!
Love my RTIC! I just got me thru another hurricane (Milton) without power for four days.
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 +
Mine is 15.8 quarts and holds 20 cans. The FC series 15.8 quart is $109.00 now (9/9/24). There are bigger units but cost goes up to $200-$400. The cost is much more than a regular cooler but the convenience of no ice cost far outweighs me ever using ice again.
Wow! That was definitely a lot of work and expensive. Great information and worth it. Good job! Thanks 😊
Glad it was helpful!
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 ?
Great simple video by the common man. Nothing fancy, just results.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is the kind of science experiment I can get interested in. Great job!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Engel and Cordova are really cool for sending you a cooler to test, if i was a fisherman or work for long period of times in the outback i would definitely invest $300 for a blue cooler they seem worth it, really cool video!
I agree, they do seem like they'd be worth the investment. And I've spent thousands of dollars on coolers to test so it's definitely nice when a company sends me one on the house. It just makes it so I can test even more coolers in these videos so hopefully people know what to expect when they make their choice.
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.
Thank you for taking the time to do all of that.
Thank you for taking the time to watch!
Great shear. ty for being practical about no pre cooling for the on the go testing.
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.
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
Hi Gertrude, thanks for being part of this podcast. You’re a beautiful dog.
Woof woof. 🐶
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😎
Thanks!
Thank you! This made my day, I appreciate it.
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.
I've got the Igloo BMX and the one thing I did that made a HUGE difference in it's seal was to add adhesive weather stripping along the channel where the cooler seals.
Made a massive difference in it's ability to insulate.
I've heard that can make a mediocre cooler a great cooler. Will have to give it a try.
You are a legend for doing this. Hats off mate!!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lol, I never jump on those product bandwagons either.
What do you buy besides Jackery?
This is an excellent comparison video. Thank you.
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.
Great reviews of your coolers. I was surprised that you did not include a Kong Cooler.
I included a Kong in some other videos, but since they are the same price or a tad more than a Yeti, I left them out of this video to focus on cheaper options. Kongs are great though! Cheers.
that was alot of work good video enjoyed the info
Glad you enjoyed it.
Fun test. I have a YETI I got on sale and it's kept the food fresh and still had ice on multi-day summer camping trips. Just have to make sure to store it in the shade. Perhaps I'll try one of the other high performing brands when I need a bigger cooler.
Sounds like you've got a good setup!
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
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.
Great video. Thank you for making it. Very helpful.
You're most welcome and thank you for watching!
for me all the coolers in this video are good, based on my experience we (family and friends) only go outdoor activity/camping on weekend or holiday weekend (2-4 day max), and we making sure theres close store near by our site or we google it 1st to check where is the close store nearby our site so for the kids if they need anything or we run out of water/ ice/ whatever we need, we can just designate someone and drive there and buy all the things we may need. but yeah, cool video!
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.
Fantastic video. Excellent objective analysis.
My brother and I have a very large Moeller " Ice Station Zero" we keep inside at the front a white aluminum cargo trailer we use to haul our quad and camping gear. We live in Southern AZ, but even in the heat it's great because it's out of the sun. I got my son an Igloo BMX (with the nifty looking little strip of stainless diamond guard on the front) on a clearance deal (maybe a mistake?) online delivered from WalMart for $54. It's great, comparable to my friends Yetis.
My biggest gripe with most coolers is lid hinge quality. It's a key failure point that a lot of makers cheap out on.
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.
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.
15:35 Such a nice table - thanks!
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.
Good video. Wish my supervisor had seen this before he went out and bought coolers for the work site. The igloos lasted less than 6 hours in our real world use...
Bummer about the Igloos.
It's not all that bad. Igloos are still better than Coleman.
I needed this video! We just went through Hurricane Milton in Tampa. I need the best cooler for no electricity.
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! 🤣
Greetings from the Kimberly/Hansen area! Love to see UA-camrs from my home state!
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’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.
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.
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.
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.
Great test! Thanks from a guy who's in the market for a cooler.
The BLUE looks good
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.
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
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.
Love it when I see deer hunting and Yeti decals on the same truck. Yeehaw!
Yeti is anti 2A !
You just saved me a lot of money and I truely appreciate it 🙏🏻☺️
You are most welcome! Thank you for watching.
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
It is in Florida
I have the RTIC and it holds temps pretty good even in the sun @ 100 degrees plus. Best thing is, it was a gift lol😊
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.
Terrific test! Great job
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!
This is great, was thinking to buy a Yeti. Can't wait to see which "wins"
I want to see a backpack cooler test
I've tested a few in my soft cooler video you can find on UA-cam. But there are way more I'd like to try.
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.😏
As I'm a tightass Ozark Trail FTW (now to find one).
Great comparison. I have the Yeti but only because out of the 65 quart coolers it is the shortest one and it can fit in my tacoma bed with my bed cover. otherwise usually go with the cheapest
Yeah, sometimes you just gotta pick the one that fits your space.
Yeti spent the tiem and money to develop that cooler design just for everyone to steal it. Of course they can make it cheaper
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.
How about just a super cheap styrofoam cooler ???
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.
00:03 ❄️ The test compares the ice retention of a Yeti Tundra 65 with ten cheaper coolers.
00:22 🌡️ The test is conducted in extreme heat (up to 108°F) to evaluate cooler performance.
01:11 📊 Coolers are filled with ice and monitored using Bluetooth thermometers for accurate temperature tracking.
02:08 🌞 All coolers are placed in a shaded area to ensure equal exposure to sunlight.
03:57 💰 Coolers range in price from $60 to $350, with various sizes and types included in the test.
04:25 ❄️ The test evaluates coolers based on ice presence, temperature of items, and insulation performance.
07:11 📉 After six days, several coolers, including Coleman and Igloo, have run out of ice.
09:00 💸 The Yeti Tundra, despite its higher price, is not the longest-lasting cooler in the test.
10:41 🏆 The Blue Cooler Ice Vault emerges as the top performer, lasting over nine days with ice.
13:01 📉 The Yeti Tundra 65 showed consistent lower temperatures but did not outperform all cheaper coolers.
14:19 🔥 The Arctic Ultra Tough cooler lasted slightly longer than the Yeti, but still not the longest.
15:09 🥇 The Blue Ice Vault cooler is the clear winner, retaining ice the longest in the test.
Do you do this with AI?
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!
Just add insulation to the outside of any cooler for a noticeable improvement. Pay special attention to the lower half and the bottom. That's where most of the losses are.
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.
NOT paying $350 for a cooler. The secret which is NOT a secret is to buy a thick walled cooler.....at least 2" from top to bottom side walled. Some trick you by being thick at the top but NOT the bottom half. $100 cooler from Walmart keeps ice and drinks cold for 3 days at least....I only need 2 days !
Thanks for the tip. Which one? I’m interested
Great job, great review.
Thank you kindly!
I really like this video and how you attempted to test the different coolers. Thank you! Just some suggestions as it left me kind of feeling like it can be improved. I would suggest that you leave all the coolers shut for the duration of the test and use the bluetooth temp reader and use that reading for the test results chart. I know you are making a UA-cam video and want to let people see how it "looks" inside the cooler, but maybe do both tests (always closed (real test) vs "this test" where you aren't consistent on how long you keep the lids open while trying to catch a good video for UA-cam) and show those results instead.
But each cooler was opened about same time and thats what people using it would do, so not opening is not realistic
Thanks for the feedback! Rest assured that what you see in the video is only a small portion of what was done (the test did last over a week) and that each cooler was treated as evenly as possible. I like to open them daily as well as you would when camping, but a test like you mention could be interesting too. Cheers.
@@freedomisfromtruth So the key to your test "failure" is your own response to me, when you said "each cooler was opened about the same time". Just make it fair and not open them at all. We know that they will be opened in real world testing, so let that be a user variable, instead of a cooler efficiency variable. Aren't you testing the efficiency of the cooling of each cooler? Let's test that so people have real data to make an informative decision and remove the user variables. Just do a follow up if you can, that's all i'm asking. I just don't trust the results with this method. Also, as a possible second follow up, take all the coolers off the fence and put them in the center of the yard for full sunlight to show the real effectiveness of the cooler.
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.
First off, you did the Coleman dirty... You left it open the longest explaining the scoring... Also(an more importantly) you kept closing the branches of the fern tree next to it under the lid, which didn't give it a correct seal. 🤦
I was getting on here to say the same thing
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.
Yeti coolers are great..there just to expensive..your buying a name
I have two 32 at RTIC coolers. I bought them because of the cool accessories that it had. A basket and a cold divider. Works out for trips to the fishing pier I can keep bait on one side and drinks on the other without them co-mingling. Also, came in handy during Hurricane Beryl... No way I'm paying that much money for a cooler. You'd be better off buying a generator and a mini fridge for that price
I bought a 12 V icemaker cooler, it makes its own ice and runs off truck battery 😮 just kidding. Hadn’t been invented yet.
There's an idea!
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!
I will never buy a Yeti Product due to their anti Second Amendment stance.
Same.
I have an RTIC and a Bison.
First world countries have universal healthcare, common sense gun laws, and accept the results of their elections. They also fight climate change and Covid. Just sayin!
Lol
Wow I didn't know that till now you made a great point ☝️
I'm glad to see I'm not alone. And Yeti is one of many on that list for their lack of true American Values. I wish more people gave a crap about who they help profit..
Awesome review. Helped me make up my mind on what I want now.
Awesome! Thank you!
My 40 dollar igloo with wheels works just fine for a day on the boat.
Seriously, most people don’t need ice to last longer than a day. Anyone that’s buying a $300 color to go tailgating is insane