Should I Buy a Yeti Cooler? Reasons You Should or Shouldn’t Buy a Yeti Cooler

Yeti coolers have taken the world by storm offering a cooler so much better (but also so much more expensive) than other coolers on the market. Given their price you might be asking yourself “Should I buy a Yeti cooler?”

Ultimately, you should buy a Yeti cooler if you can afford it and you want to buy a cooler that will last you a lifetime and that can keep ice for 5+ days. You shouldn’t buy a Yeti cooler if you are budget conscious or don’t need the features a Yeti has or won’t be using your cooler often.

In this article I’m going to provide you with some key reasons why you should buy a Yeti cooler as well as some reasons why you shouldn’t.

Yeti coolers aren’t for everyone. For some people they are an amazing investment and well worth their cost. They are a cooler you buy once and they last you a lifetime. For other people they won’t use it enough or need the features and so a Yeti is overkill, or maybe it is too expensive.

Ultimately it comes down to your personal preference and your situation, but this should help you to answer the question as to whether or not YOU should buy a Yeti cooler.

Reasons You Should Buy a Yeti Cooler

There are lots of reasons you should buy a Yeti cooler. Below I’ve listed a bunch of good reasons to invest your money in a Yeti cooler

You Want a Cooler That Will Keep Ice For 5+ Days

Yeti coolers have way more insulation than a regular cooler with 1.5-2 inches of insulation in the walls and 2-3 inches of insulation in the lid.

Yeti 6 Days Ice Retention

This means they can hold ice much longer. We are talking WAY longer!

A decent sized Yeti cooler can easily hold ice for 4-5+ days and a larger well pack and prechilled Yeti can even keep ice for more than 2 weeks, which is insane to think about.

These coolers work really well and they keep items cold really well.

I personal had a Yeti 45 when I was living in the van with my kids and even with constantly daily use and only having it half filled with ice my Yeti kept ice 3-4 days in hot summer temperatures.

You Want A Cooler That Will Last You a Lifetime

Yeti coolers are made from a roto-molded plastic, the same kind of plastic used to make Kayaks. The plastic is thick and tough and these coolers are almost unbreakable.

I’ve seen people do everything from throwing the cooler out of speeding vehicles, to smashing it on the floor as hard as they can, to even driving cars on it or throw it out of a plane.

These coolers are almost indestructible (though not bulletproof).

Yeti coolers are likely going to be the last cooler you ever buy because years into the future it’s going to be working just as well as the day you bought it.

I’ve owned my Yeti cooler for over 3 years now and apart from some scratches and scuff marks on the outside (a sign of good use) it’s still as good as the day I bought it.

I can easily see it lasting me another 3 years, probably even another 10+ years!

You Need a Bear Proof/Lockable Cooler

Yeti Cooler Bear Proof

Yeti coolers are certified bear proof, which means they have been tested against grizzly bears and grizzlies cannot get into them.

If you are camping, hunting or picnicking in bear country having a cooler that you can lock and keep safe from bears is going to deter bears from hanging around your campsite meaning they will move on faster making you safer.

The coolers are made bear proof by using 2 padlocks on the front corners of the cooler.

This also means Yeti coolers are lockable. So you can lock your coolers to ensure that other animals, or other humans, can’t get in and steal your goodies.

You Want to Own The Best Brand

Yeti Cooler Logo

There really isn’t any question about what the best cooler brand on the market is today.

Yeti is THE best cooler brand. They are the coolest and trendiest cooler brand, they have the best marketing of any cooler company out there and they are known and respected for making extremely high quality products.

Maybe all your friends have Yeti products and you want to own them to, or maybe you want to stand out and own a Yeti cooler as a status symbol to make all your friends jealous.

Regardless of why you want it no cooler brand is more well known and more respected that Yeti at the moment.

You Want The Premium Feel

It is super hard to show in videos or explain in articles like this one, but I have reviewed A LOT of coolers and there is just something about Yeti coolers that feels more premium.

The flawless finish of the plastic, the fact that there are no minor errors or mistakes, even the colors look and feel more premium than other coolers.

I own a white Yeti 45 and comparing it to the likes of Pelican and Engel (both white coolers) there was something much nicer about the Yeti than those products, and you can’t really put your finger on it.

If you don’t trust me trust Kelly, she’s the mother of my kids and an interior designer. She hates cheap and ugly things.

There is a reason the Yeti was out cooler of choice when we lived in a van. It’s because it was the most premium and the most beautiful of all the coolers.

The only coolers that kind of come close are maybe Orca Coolers as they have a very similar design or Orion Coolers are they are even more premium than Yeti (but more expensive).

You Like The Color

Yeti has the widest variety of color options available for their coolers so if you want color choice then Yeti are a good option.

You can go with something traditional and simple like the white or tan colors or stand out from the crowd and little bit and go with a limited edition color.

Yeti often releases seasonal colors that they sell for a limited time only and then stop selling once stock is exhausted. However, even though Yeti stop selling them a lot of these colors are still available on Amazon.

Click here to see the full list of Yeti colored coolers

You Value The Features

Yeti has some pretty cool and useful features such as tie down straps, non-slip rubber feat, freezer grade rubber gasket and pull down rubber latches to keep the lid firmly onto the body of the cooler.

These features don’t come in a regular budget cooler so if you value them then a Yeti might be a good option for you.

You Want To Choose The Perfect Size For You

Yeti has the largest size selection of any cooler company on the market. So whatever size cooler you need chances are Yeti has the size for you.

They have everything from the small and compact Yeti DayTrip Lunch Bag which fits a 6-pack up the the giant cooler – the Yeti 350.

It’s not whether or not they have the size you want that you need to think about, it’s how to choose the right size cooler because you have so many options available to you.

This article on the most popular Yeti cooler sizes may help you choose.

You Want a Cooler That is Tried and Tested

Yeti coolers have been around for more than a decade now and they sell almost a billion dollars worth of coolers, cups, bottles and other products every single year.

Hundreds of thousands of people have purchased Yeti products and thousands of people have taken the time to leave positive reviews about Yeti coolers.

They constantly get rated highly on places like Amazon, and yes there are some problems with Yeti coolers from time to time and some people leave one star but overall people rate these coolers very highly.

Yeti coolers come with a 5-year warranty and have been tried and tested by thousands of customers. People swear by their products and absolutely love them and I think you will too.

See all the Yeti Cooler Reviews on Amazon

You Want To Purchase Your Cooler Locally (or get free shipping)

Yeti's National Distribution

Yeti have one of the largest distribution networks of any cooler company out there.

They are sold locally in the US in thousands of specialty stores and they even have wide distribution internationally in places like the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia (where I am from).

There is a store that sells Yeti products just 5 minutes drive from my house and chances are there is one near you too.

Yeti also sell directly to customers through their website or through Amazon and offer free shipping on their coolers. So if there isn’t a store near you then you can buy from Amazon for the same cost.

See Yeti Coolers at Amazon

You Can Afford It

Yeti coolers aren’t cheap, in fact they are one of the most expensive coolers on the market. But if you can afford it then I personally think they are worth it.

For some people spending a few hundred dollars on a cooler isn’t going to break the bank.

If you’ve got more money than time and don’t want to spend the time researching coolers like Yeti but cheaper then just buy a Yeti cooler.

It’s a safe bet and you basically can’t go wrong with a Yeti cooler. So if you can afford one and you want one then by all means go for it.

See the latest price of Yeti coolers at Amazon

You Can Convince Your Partner

One of the benefits of buying a Yeti cooler over another expensive roto-molded cooler brand is that it’s likely your partner has heard of Yeti and thus it is easier to convince them to let you spend your hard earned money on it.

If they ask their friend about Yeti chances are they are going to hear positive things. Yeti is a well loved company that makes great products.

Kong Coolers are arguably just as good…but I bet your partner has never heard of them and thus convincing them to buy one will be tricky. The Yeti brand and reputation on the other hand may be exact thing you need to get them over the line.

Reasons You Shouldn’t Buy a Yeti Cooler

So there are a lot of good reasons why you should buy a Yeti cooler and if it makes sense for you to buy one by all means go ahead and grab one, you won’t be disappointed.

But on the flip side of that you might be better off not buying a Yeti cooler and instead buying something else.

Here are some reasons you shouldn’t buy a Yeti cooler. I've also done a full article on 10 reasons you should not buy a Yeti.

You Can’t Afford It

Yeti coolers start at around $200 and then get more expensive from there and for a lot of average people this is too much money to spend on a cooler.

Lots of people live pay check to pay check and being able to afford a premium Yeti cooler just might not be in the cards for you.

If that’s the case that’s totally fine and there are some great cheaper alternatives out there.

For under $50 you can get a Coleman Xtreme which can hold ice for 3-5 days or for around $100 you can get a Lifetime Cooler (which is made in the USA) or an Ozark Trail cooler (Walmart’s brand), both of which are very similar to Yeti.

You Would Like to Save Some Money

Maybe you want a cooler with similar features to Yeti but you want to save yourself some money.

Well the good news is there are lots of different brands out there which offer coolers of a similar quality to Yeti, but sell them at a much cheaper price.

Canyon Coolers are one of my favorite brands of coolers and many of their models will save you $100 or more compared to a similar sized Yeti. Canyon coolers also come with a Lifetime warranty whereas Yeti only offers a 5-year warranty.

You Don’t Need All The Features

Maybe you’re not camping in bear country and don’t need your cooler to be bear proof. Or maybe you’re only camping for a weekend and so having a cooler that can keep ice for an entire week is overkill for you.

If you don’t need all the features and the durability of a Yeti cooler then there are much cheaper options out there that still do a good job but will be lighter, more convenient and much cheaper.

The Coleman Xtreme doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that a Yeti cooler has but it can hold ice for 3-5 days and costs about $50 (plus it has cup holders). See the Coleman Xtreme cooler on Amazon.

You Want Something With More Features

A lot of competitors have come out offering coolers like Yeti but with more features.

Things like fishing rulers, double gaskets, better ice retention, wheels, bottle openers and even inbuilt speakers are some of the many different features now available in other brands.

If you want something that is like Yeti but has more features then maybe you shouldn’t buy a Yeti but should instead opt for something like the RovR cooler which comes with wheels, a bike attachment, bottle openers, internal and external storage bins and more.

You Already Have a Decent Cooler

If you already have a decent cooler that is serving you well and isn’t broken then it might not be worth you spending money on a brand new Yeti, you might be better off just using your existing cooler until it breaks or becomes so sun damaged you’re embarrassed by it.

You Want an American Made Cooler

Yeti coolers are not made in the USA but instead are manufactured overseas, primarily in the Philippines and China.

There are lots of great coolers made in the USA that are very similar to Yeti.

By purchasing a locally made cooler you’re helping to keep more jobs in the country and will likely get a better quality cooler than one manufactured overseas.

In saying that, despite Yeti coolers being made overseas they do have an extremely high quality standard. Other brands made overseas not so much, but Yeti is great quality despite where it’s made.

You Want a Cooler With a Lifetime Warranty

Yeti coolers come with a 5-year limited warranty that protects you against manufacturing defects.

But there are 11 cooler brands that offer a lifetime warranty on their coolers so you’re protected as long as you own the cooler.

With those coolers you really only need to buy 1 cooler and it’ll last you a lifetime.

You Want Something Lighter

Yeti coolers weight a lot because they use such thick plastic for the shell of the cooler and also have so much insulation, which also adds weight to the cooler.

This makes them harder to move around and harder to carry. A cheaper cooler with less insulation will be lighter and easier to carry.

You Need a 100% Leakproof Cooler

Yeti coolers are not 100% leak proof, waterproof or airtight. Water can get under the rubber gasket and leak out as you carry the cooler.

Also most Yeti coolers have a slight gap where the rubber gasket loops around and this is space enough for a little bit of water to come out.

If you want a completely leakproof cooler you want to look at something else.

You Want a Wheeled Cooler

While Yeti do sell the Tundra Haul that is the only wheeled cooler option they have and that might not be suitable for you.

There are so many other coolers out there with wheels that you may find something you like better.

Click here to see my list of the best coolers with wheels

So Should I Buy a Yeti Cooler?

Ultimately whether you should or shouldn’t buy a Yeti cooler comes down to you and your personally preferences as well as your budget.

If you can afford it, want to own the best and most well known brand and have your eye on a Yeti then you likely should buy a Yeti cooler.

To see the latest prices and full range of Yeti coolers simply click my Amazon affiliate link below:

Click here to see Yeti Coolers at Amazon

If you’re more budget conscious and aren’t as fussed about owning the best brand, or if you want a cooler with different features then you likely shouldn’t buy a Yeti cooler.

You’d likely be better off with a cooler that is similar to Yeti but cheaper. To see some of the best options out there simply click the link below:

Coolers similar to Yeti but cheaper