The Best Affordable Yeti Alternatives
Attention outdoor lovers! Here are some excellent Yeti alternatives at affordable prices for all of your future outings.
If your upcoming plans include camping, hiking, or even some backyard BBQs, you may find yourself in need of a high-quality but affordable cooler. Yeti absolutely checks all the boxes where quality is concerned, but it isn't what we'd consider affordable. If you're looking for a durable and cheaper Yeti alternative, we've got the list for you.
Why are Yeti coolers so expensive?
In all honesty, Yeti is a great quality cooler, but you're mostly paying for the brand name and the status of owning one. That being said, there are several reasons we don't think it's an absolute waste of money to splurge on a Yeti.
Their hard coolers are rotomolded and made from polyethylene making them extremely durable and hard to break, no matter how rough you treat them. They also have strong hinges and latches and are Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) approved for keeping out bears. The insulation system can keep ice for up to seven days and, let's be honest, they look pretty rugged and cool, too.
With all this in mind, it is important to note that several Yeti alternatives are also rotomolded and durable, IGBC approved, and look pretty slick. It's a matter of preference and if you prefer to splurge on a Yeti, go for it! If you'd rather save your money and buy one of these high-quality Yeti alternatives, we support you 100%.
Do Yeti coolers go on sale?
They do! But even Yeti deals are still out of budget for a lot of us. Moosejaw is a retailer that sometimes offers 20% off Yeti, which is one of the best sales we see on the brand throughout the year.
To ensure you're getting a deal, we recommend looking for at least 20% off the original price, but you can often find 25%-30% off at select retailers.
The Best Yeti Cooler Alternatives at Affordable Prices
Here are our picks for the best Yeti alternatives at budget-friendly prices. We tried to only include brands that offer similar quality at lower prices. There are some other alternatives out there, like Pelican Coolers and Siberian Coolers, but their prices are right up there with Yeti. The following list is based on the value of the cooler for the price.
RTIC
Arguably, the most well-known Yeti alternative, RTIC has been selling high-quality coolers for a much more affordable price point since 2015. Customers love that they are slightly bigger than their YETI counterparts and they are said to keep ice longer.
We like the RTIC 45 QT Hard Cooler as an alternative to the Yeti Tundra 45. They are similar in size and capacity, but the RTIC's $219 price point is easier to swallow than the $325 Yeti.
ORCA
ORCA hard-sided coolers are similarly priced to Yeti coolers when comparing capacity and price, but they are made in the USA. So while they're slightly more expensive than some other brands or Yeti, it is due to keeping production here in the states. ORCA also offers a lifetime warranty on its coolers when purchased from their website or their store on Amazon.
We like the ORCA 58-Quart Cooler as the best bang-for-your-buck ORCA cooler when compared to a comparable Yeti. The ORCA is $370 and offers 7-day ice retention, 11 color options, 36-can capacity, and it weighs 36 lbs.
Grizzly
Grizzly Coolers are extremely similar to Yeti when it comes to construction as well as price. They offer eight hard-side cooler sizes and they are all comparable to Yeti. Much like Orca, they are similar in price to YETI, but they also have a lifetime warranty and are made in the USA.
We like the Grizzly 20 for $220. While the capacity is slightly lower than the Yeti Roadie 24, it's $30 less and customers have said it keeps ice longer than the Yeti Roadie.
Hydro Flask
For soft-sided coolers, Hydro Flask is a great alternative to Yeti with a more affordable price tag. Hydro Flask is well known for its vacuum insulated water bottles, but they also offer a variety of insulated coolers as well.
The 20 L Escape Soft Cooler Pack is still a splurge at the sale price of $130, but looking at the comparable Yeti M20 Backpack for $325, you're still getting a solid deal on a very well-rated, quality soft-side cooler. We also love the 12 L Carry Out Soft Cooler for just $70!
Shop All Cooler Deals
Coleman
Shout out to all my backyard BBQers who don't need a fancy cooler and just want something to keep the beer cold this summer. If you're not focused on keeping food safe and just need a hard-working cooler for a single day's event, Coleman is such a good combination of quality and price.
We recommend the Coleman Xtreme 70-Quart, at just $60, if you're looking for a large capacity cooler with a small price tag in comparison to Yeti. While you are going to see some differences in construction and durability if you're a heavy camper, you'll be surprised at the insulation and ability to keep ice for up to 5 days.
IGLOO
If all you think of when you think of IGLOO coolers are your parent's classic Playmate coolers in red or blue, then you'll be surprised to see everything this brand has to offer. IGLOO offers a large collection of coolers based on the capacity, durability, and function you need.
We like the ECOCOOL Trailmate 70-quart Cooler. At $340, it's a lower price point than the Yeti Tundra Haul ($400) which has a 55-quart capacity and fewer of the handy accessories that the IGLOO Trailmate boasts.
TOURIT
For soft-side coolers, TOURIT is a fan favorite at a very affordable price. They are durable, well-made, and lightweight and still a fraction of the price of Yeti soft coolers. The coolers are constructed with leakproof materials, offer comfortable padding, and keep ice for up to 3 days.
We like the TOURIT 30-Can Cooler Backpack, and so do over 16,000 Amazon customers. At just $37, it's a great deal on an insulated soft-side cooler. While this $37 cooler may not stand up to Yeti's performance for long-term camping or hiking, TOURIT does offer a 36-Can Insulated Cooler Backpack for $179.99 with more bells and whistles, making it $145 less than the comparable Yeti M20 Backpack.
How To Get Deals on Yeti
If you've got your heart set on the Yeti brand, we absolutely don't blame you. But we do hope we can help stop you from paying full price. Here are some trusted retailers that offer deals and sales on Yeti coolers.
- Moosejaw often offers 20% to 25% off Yeti
- Amazon-owned Woot offers rare sales on Yeti
- Backcountry.com offers 20% off full-priced items and Yeti is not excluded
