If you're going to be investing hundreds of dollars into an expensive Yeti cooler then it's often worth spending a little bit more for a lock for your Yeti cooler to make sure it doesn't get stolen.
Yeti cooler theft is actually a pretty common occurrence. People have had them stolen from the back of their truck, inside their locked car and even inside garages.
Yeti don't offer a warranty that covers your cooler getting stolen so it's up to you to get a good lock for your Yeti cooler and make sure it's secure.
I've owned my Yeti for 5 years and (touch wood) it still hasn't been stolen. If you want to make sure your Yeti cooler is secure then here are the best locks for a Yeti cooler.
The best lock for a Yeti cooler is the Kryptonite New York hardened steel chain (or similar) + Maccann & Essin locking bracket. It's bolt cutter resistant and versatile enough to lock your cooler almost anywhere.
What Your Yeti Lock Needs To Prevent Against
When looking to secure your Yeti and ensure it doesn't get stolen you need to first think like a thief and try to work out what methods they might use to steal your Yeti.
Grab It and Run
The first and easiest way to steal a Yeti cooler is to grab an unsecured cooler from the back of a truck, unlocked car or campsite and just run away with it.
Ideally you would do this when the cooler was left unattended, but you might also do it when people are around if you think you can be fast enough to get away.
Having your Yeti cooler secured with a lock and chain/cable will stop someone just grabbing it and running.
Cutting Cable With Bolt Cutters
One of the most popular tools in a thief's arsenal is the bolt cutter. These allow them to quickly cut through thinner metal cables and run off with your cooler.
There are actually a lot of stories from people who locked their Yeti's using either the locking cable Yeti sells or some other brand and someone came, cut the cable and stole their cooler.
So if you're serious about protecting your Yeti from being stolen you'll want to consider a lock that is resistant to bolt cutters.
For this you'll either want a metal bar that is too thick and wide to be cut by bolt cutters or you'll want a chain of hardened steel.
Sledge Hammer, Angle Grinder etc
Other tools people might use are sledge hammers to smash your lock open, angle grinders to cut your bar, cable or chains as well as other methods to break locks.
No lock is 100% secure but getting something that is resistant to these methods of breaking a lock is recommended.
Lock Picking
Much less likely, but still possible, is the ability for a thief to pick the lock on your cooler.
If you've ever watched The Lock Picking Lawyer then you'll know basically any lock can be picked with the right skills and tools. But chances are most cooler thieves aren't also going to be master lock picks.
Investing in a good lock that isn't easily picked with common tools will give you more security.
Bears/Humans Getting Into Your Cooler
If you're looking to secure the contents INSIDE your cooler (not the cooler itself) then you need completely different locks.
For this you'll need either 1-2 padlocks on the front corners of your Yeti cooler.
These locks will NOT stop the cooler itself being stolen, they will just stop people opening your cooler.
The 10 Best Locks For a Yeti Cooler
I've done a lot of research looking into exactly what you need in order to securely lock your Yeti cooler and stop it from being stolen.
Below are my recommendations for what I would personally use based on my research and budget.
They are lots of other brands out there that offer similar solutions so with a bit more research yourself you might find a better or more affordable option.
However, if you're interested in grabbing one of these locks then I'll leave affiliate links to Amazon or Yeti.com so you can easily check prices and purchase them to secure your Yeti.
1. Krptonite New York + Maccaann & Essin Locking Bracket
The best Yeti cooler lock combination I could come up with that would make it as secure as possible, but also extremely versatile, was the Kryptonite New York 1210 with U-Lock combined with the Maccann and Essin locking bracket.
The Kryptonite New York 1210 is made from a 12mm thick hardened magnesium steel chain that is strong enough and thick enough to be bolt cutter resistant.
It then has a 14mm max steel performance shackle with a double deadbolt for locking power and a high security disc-style cylinder that has anti-drill and anti-pull technology.
Basically this chain and lock can't be broken or opened with any common tools. Only an extremely specialist lock pick or someone with an angle grinder and a decent amount of time could get through this.
It's some the highest security you're going to get on a lock and chain.
I recommend pairing this with the Maccann & Essin locking bracket because this bracket is specifically designed to have a large hole to fit thicker and more secure locks.
The bracket itself is made from thick stainless steel, which is rust resistant, and the hole is a 7/10 inch hole (17.8mm) which can fit the thicker locks. It's a much large hole than the Yeti locking bracket.
The Maccann and Essin also happens to be one of the most affordable Yeti cooler locking brackets on the market.
I chose this as my #1 lock for Yeti coolers as it's super secure but also it's versatile. You can use this lock to secure your Yeti to the back of your truck, to the inside of your car, or even around a tree or lamp post.
So you can lock it in the back of your truck when at work or driving around and when you're camping you can secure it to sometime like a tree around your campsite and leave your cooler unattended without worrying about it getting stolen easily.
For ultimate security and versatility this is a great option.
See the latest price of the Maccann & Essin Locking Bracket at Amazon
See the latest price of the Kryptonite New York 1210 at Amazon
2. DENY Cooler Lock
The Deny Yeti cooler lock offers a solution that is just as secure (if not more secure) than the Kryptonite combination mentioned above.
It uses a unique and patented locking mechanism that bolts directly into the bed of your truck, or wherever you choose to store your Yeti.
It locks your Yeti down with a thick steel rod that clicks into the durable locking base.
It's unable to be cut through with bolt cutters and is resistant to sledge hammers too.
If your Yeti is going to be continually in the same spot (eg. back of your truck) the this is going to be the best lock for your Yeti cooler. It'll allow you to leave it unattended without stress.
The major downside is that you have to install the locking base in one location and once installed it's extremely difficult to remove without specialty tools. So you can't use the same lock in multiple locations.
But it's a great and extremely secure lock for your Yeti cooler.
See the latest price of the DENY Cooler Lock at Amazon
3. Yeti Locking Cable + Bracket
Yeti sell an affordable locking cable and bracket on their website which won't set you back as much as the 2 more secure options mentioned above.
The set comes with a locking bracket that slides into your Yeti as well as a 6 foot locking cable which seems to be a Master Lock Python with Yeti's logo on it.
This is a good lightweight option and easy to use. The downside of this setup is that the cable is very easy to cut through with bolt cutters so your Yeti may be stolen.
Check out this story from Deny's website:
“My brother buddy Kyle had his Yeti stolen from the bed of his truck while locked with Yeti’s cable lock. We reported to local police but never saw his beloved Yeti again”
If your Yeti has a low risk of being stolen then this is a good affordable option that will stop people just picking up your Yeti and running away with it.
See the latest price of the Yeti Cable Lock and Bracket at Yeti.com
(or compare to price of Yeti Cable Lock and Bracket at Amazon)
4. Master Lock Python Cable + Schmidt-Riffer Locking Bracket
If you want to save yourself some money then instead of buying the Yeti Cable and locking bracket mentioned above you can get the cheaper Schmidt-Riffer locking bracket and the Master Lock Python Cable.
I'm pretty sure the Master Lock Python Cable is actually the exact same cable Yeti sells anyway and they have different thicknesses so you could get a thicker and more secure one or a thinner and more lightweight one. It's a great Yeti lock alternative.
Combined you'll save about $10 or so with this non-branded option vs buying directly from Yeti.
See the latest price of Schmidt-Riffer Locking Bracket
See the latest price of the MasterLock Python Lock at Amazon
5. Lumintrail 12mm Heavy Duty Cable
The Lumintrail 12mm Heavy Duty Cable is thicker and more robust than the cable Yet sells. This makes it harder to cut through and steal your cooler.
It's still possible to cut this with bolt cutters but it will take more time and higher quality bolt cutters. You'll also need to pair this with a lock as well as a locking bracket to secure it to your Yeti cooler.
See the latest price of the Lumintrail 12mm Cable at Amazon
6. Noa Store Locking Bracket With Bottle Opener
One of the downsides of a Yeti cooler is that they don't come with any form of bottle opener and buying a Yeti bottle opener can be expensive.
If you're going to be buying a locking bracket anyway why not spend just that little bit more and get a locking bracket with a built in bottle opener.
The Noa Store locking bracket with bottle opener is made from 1.25 inch low carbon rust resistant steel and it has a 9/16 inch (around 14mm) hole to fit those larger locks.
See the latest price of Noa Store Locking Bracket at Amazon
7. Yeti Bear Proof Locks
If you're looking to lock the inside of your coolers to stop bear, animals or even humans getting inside and stealing your food, drinks or game then you'll want to get some locks to lock the front corners of your Yeti.
Yeti sells a set of Master Locks which are 2.5 inches long and designed to fit perfectly to lock your cooler and make it certified bear proof.
See the latest price of Yeti Bear Proof Locks at Yeti.com
(or compare to price of Yeti Bear Proof Locks at Amazon)
8. Desicu Combination Lock For Bear Proofing
If you want to bear proof your cooler or lock the lid to secure your contents inside, but you don't want to deal with the hassle of having extra keys then the Desicu locks are a 4-digit combination lock that fits the Yeti coolers.
They also have a 2.5 inch shackle so will fit your Yeti cooler and lock it down tight. They are also a more affordable option than the Yeti locks mentioned above.
See the latest price of the Disecu Combination Lock at Amazon
9. DENY Cooler Lid Lock
If you want to best of the best lid lock for your Yeti then the Deny Cooler Lid Lock is hands down the strongest and most secure option.
It's secure from bears yes but also impossible to cut with bolt cutters so no humans can get in to steal your stuff.
However, these are extremely expensive and for most people overkill for the job.
See the latest price of the DENY Lid Lock at Amazon
10. Bolt and Nut
If you just want to lock down your cooler lid to protect it from bear or animals or if you want to secure it for a flight or for travel then a simple 2 inch nut and bolt can be a great cheap option.
It obviously won't be locked so humans can unscrew it and get into your cooler, but it'll secure the lid from bears and stop your lid popping open in transit. There are also no keys required.
Get a set of 2-inch bolts and nuts at Amazon
