Are Yeti and Ozark Trail Made by the Same Company?

Double-walled tumblers and bottles such as those from Yeti and Ozark are very popular because they keep your drink at its desired temperature for hours.

People often wonder if Yeti and Ozark are made by the same company because these tumblers are so similar. I wanted to find out once and for all are Yeti and Ozark made by the same company?

No, Yeti and Ozark Trail products are not made by the same company. Yeti has sued Walmart (who owns Ozark Trail) multiple times for copyright infringement and the products are made in different factories.

People think that they are made by the same company because they are similar in both looks and function. But they are actually made by 2 completely separate countries and in completely different manufacturing plants.

Continue reading to find out how these products are the same and how they differ.

Are Yeti and Ozark Trail Coolers Made By The Same Company?

Ozark Trail also make a cheaper imitation of Yeti’s coolers. Both in the hard sided models as well as the soft sided models.

Are the coolers made by the same company or are they made by different people?

No, Yeti and Ozark Trail coolers are not made by the same company. Yeti makes their own coolers in the Philippines and China while Ozark Trail coolers are made exclusively in China.

The coolers are extremely different in look, size, shape and quality. With Yeti coolers being of a much higher qaulity than Ozark Trail coolers.

Read my full Yeti vs Ozark Trail Hard Sided Cooler Comparison

Read my full Yeti vs Ozark Trail Soft Sided Cooler Comparison

Similarities Between Yeti and Ozark Tumblers

One of the reasons that people think these two tumblers are made by the same company is that they are very similar.

They look similar, and they both perform the same function. They keep drinks cold or hot for hours at a time.

Yeti and Ozark tumblers have the following features in common:

• They are both stainless steel
• They are both double walled vacuum insulated
• They are both rust-proof
• Neither sweats
• They have the same shape and style of lid
• They are both painted with
• They are both BPA-free
• They both keep drinks cold or hot for hours

Why Are Yeti and Ozark Trail So Similar?

While you might think these 2 products are so similar because they are made by the same company that’s not the real reason they are so similar.

The main reason Ozark Trail and Yeti tumblers are so similar is that Walmart (through Ozark Trail) clearly copied Yeti due to the success Yeti was having.

The technology using in the tumblers (vacuum insulation) is over 100 years old and off patent and there are an abundance of manufacturers in China able to produce these products at a very low cost.

They use commonly available materials (stainless steel) and are easy to make in bulk.

Differences Between Yeti and Ozark Tumblers

It’s no wonder why people think that they are made by the same company, as they are very similar products.

The question is, how do they differ?

There are only a few real differences, including the following:

• They are made by different manufacturers
• Yeti is significantly more expensive
• Yeti is labeled as dishwasher safe; Ozark is not
• The lids are different

When it comes to performance both cups tend to perform extremely similar with some people showing Yeti’s performing slightly better while other people showing Ozark Trail performing better.

Still the difference is extremely slight and the average person like you or me isn’t going to notice that our ice lasts 12.5 hours in the Yeti and only 11 hours in the Ozark Trail.

Good enough in this case is more than good enough and both brands work fine.

However, the build quality on Yeti does seem to be better than Ozark Trail (as well as almost any other brand).

Yeti tumblers are dishwasher safe whereas Ozark Trail tumblers are not dishwasher safe.

Also, having owned multiple brands of tumblers including Yeti, Ozark Trail, RTIC, Pelican, Engel, Hydro Flask etc I can say that Yeti tumblers and bottles do seem to be made tougher than everything else.

But is the extra durability worth 5-6x the cost? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

See the latest prices of Yeti tumblers at Yeti.com
(or compare to prices of Yeti tumblers at Amazon)

Why Are Yeti Tumblers More Expensive?

The price difference between these two brands is significant, which is why some people think that they are made by the same company. They assume that Ozark is a more affordable version of Yeti tumblers with fewer features.

Ozark tumblers are made by California Innovations for Walmart and they are less than $10. Yeti is made by Yeti and they are more than $30.

Yeti has a patent on their design, and they find that other companies produce similar products to compete with them. The fact is that they created a great product, but people want to buy a similar product for a lower price.

When you compare the two products head to head, they perform very similarly. This means that there is no downside to purchasing the more affordable Ozark brand.

See latest price of Ozark Trail Tumblers at Walmart.com
(or compare price to Amazon)

Yeti has won different lawsuits against companies that infringe on their copyright and trade dress by producing similar products. They reached a settlement with Walmart in 2016, but they filed a new lawsuit in 2018 when Walmart started selling the Ozark tumbler.

The lawsuit is based on the claim that the Ozark tumbler is “confusingly similar” to the Yeti tumbler. This shows the importance of having a patent when you create a product. Yeti also won a lawsuit against RTIC for their coolers and tumblers.

The main reasons why Yeti products are more expensive come down to technology and marketing.

Yeti has proven itself as a reliable brand and that trust comes at a higher price.