Why Are YETI Coolers SO Popular? 

The stupid thing with vacuums is that companies used to make them quieter, but people didn't think they worked. So vacuum companies started making them louder, because consumers thought more noise meant better suction and cleaning. Psychology...

We have an old metal Coleman cooler. Light aluminum works like a charm. Pro tip is to freeze empty milk jugs full of water before the trip. As they thaw they keep the cooler cold and once they’re half thawed it’s ice cold drinking water. Plus no water sloshing around all your food.

Along the lines of Yeti and Arc’teryx, can you make a video on Canada Goose? Been interesting seeing their products go from extreme weather parkas to cashmere sweaters and $150 ball caps

i think yetti has branded itself well in the outdoors community, but through advertising they landed in the family home that enjoys the beach with wealthy families, and they are just sturdier/stronger then other coolers that break often. one yetti i have we found floating 10 miles offshore with water bottles on the inside, still works great

I’ve owned a small yeti cooler since 2017, I won it in a raffle. My family is an outdoorsy family and it’s actually pretty great. It’s hella sturdy, and I don’t feel a need to purchase another one.

Yeti solved a problem people didn't know they had. And that was how do you keep ice cold for 5 days. Usually not very beneficial considering ice is everywhere and cheap. However during a power outage situation (which sounds like the US is gonna be hit with a lot of this summer) keeping ice for multiple day is critical for saving your food

Do I need a bear proof container? No. Am I still going to add a Yeti cooler to my wedding registry to see if someone will buy it for us? Yes.

You Betcha nailed it in his video by joking about each product being a gift. In my area Yeti products feel like the default gift when you don’t know what to get someone. Friend’s birthday? $30-$80 can get them some nice drinkware. Don’t know what to buy dad? Chip in with your siblings and get him the last cooler he’ll ever need. No one will turn anything Yeti down so a ton get given as gifts. If you don’t know what to get someone, giving them something from a premium brand anyone can find a use for is less risky than getting something gimmicky.

If you live where it's really hot, the Yeti is super hard to open. The pressure difference is actually pretty difficult to overcome without wedging something in there to pry it open. Pelican coolers fixed that issue with better clamps. Even Cabellas have a pressure release button

One of the things I picked up from living in a food desert was to put my cooler in the trunk. Toss the groceries in and worry not how bad the traffic is on the way back. Costco? No problem. Cooler gets used way more often that way. Don't even think about ice, but it is also an option.

Living on a ranch, surrounded by cowboys and married to a roper, the section about not knowing about cowboys made me LOL because people always think we are kidding when we travel abroad.

8:00 i was mostly asleep and woke up right as Levi was saying "Daddy?" in my ear repeatedly

I think of it more like the last cooler you are likely to buy. Sometimes it is better to buy once and cry once. If you are the kind of person who has broken a cooler before I bet you would love one.

Kong is another great made in America cooler. I was looking to invest in a cooler for camping and went with Kong because they're made in America, have solid handles which make it a lot easier to carry when full, and the lid latches are (in my opinion) significantly easier to operate. The only stickers on it are from the places we camp or visit while camping. We've had it for about 2 years now and I'm still a huge fan.

When I was a co-op (intern) at AMD in Austin, we were given knock-off Yeti mugs. I still use mine. (I'm a full time employee now.) But I always found it kind of hilarious given we were literally right down the same road as Yeti's headquarters.

I have the old yeti roadie-- bought it 3 years ago. It's been great. I also have a few of their cups and a couple water bottles-- love them as they actually keep drinks cold or soup hot for a long time.

We actually don't use coolers anymore. We got a mini-fridge (seriously) and a long-term battery for long road trips. No ice, no mess, and it uses very little electricity! (And a lot cheaper than 2k 🤣)

Ok but the easy bake oven comparison explains it so quickly so nicely :D

What’s wrong with wanting to have the best? I bought a large hard cooler and it’s incredible for road trips to pack meal prep so you don’t have to be a slave to trash food on the road. Completely worth the money I spent on it. I’ll never need to buy another cooler again.

Outline online named the yeti camp chair 'best for sitting out the apocalypse' which more or less transfers to all of their products, and it was a funny way of saying they're super overbuilt and durable....but for a hefty price tag. Yeti is great (and through chats with their sustainability head are really starting the process to make MOVES), but as you said, we don't all need one :)

Another interesting brand in this space is Zojirushi, they make a wide variety of vacuum flasks, including very neat sets for workplace lunches (they are Japanese after all), and electric cooking machines, such as hot water dispensers, bread makers, and rice cookers, which are far faster and more energy efficient than using natural gas for cooking even when using 110V mains (see the recent Technology Connections video), and, obviously, they can use renewable energy to cook food with zero emissions.

I have had a Yeti for 6 years here in Texas. It has been through 2 hurricanes and a tornado and has survived all of them. It still holds ice for days. It's worth it.

I go camping often and I absolutely love my yeti tundra cooler. If packed properly, you can usually go an entire weekend without having to worry about food going bad or ice melting

The Yeti image kinda reminds me of the Filson brand, different being Filson is much older and sells clothing mostly. Besides that very similar, built to last, expensive as a result, marketed as being for rugged outdoorsman, lots of collaborations with fishermen, wilderness guides, etc, and actual bought a fair bit by people who just wanna flex Filson would probably actually make a good video

Another good reason and non-traditional use for Yeti or other similar coolers is the reason I have one: Hurricane season in Florida. When a storm is looming and we know we'll be without power for a few days or weeks, it's nice to know you can keep important things like breast milk and food on ice for nearly a week at a time without any power. I bought my Yeti the day before Irma hit Miami, and while I was lucky and didn't lose power, my family was able to use it for the 2 weeks they were without power.

I own 4 yeti coolers, I couldn’t tell you how many cups, wine glasses, and own 2 bags, a backpack etc. We are yeti fans, I fish offshore in Florida, spend weeks in the mountains in Colorado hunting elk. Those coolers hold my meat cold and fresh. 2200 mile drive or 80 mile boat ride in 95 degree heat they do a great job.

Lifetime coolers are made in the us and sold at Walmart for a little over a hundred...works great and similar to yeti .

Wow that was some crazy timing on explaining rotomolding. I was literally, and I mean that in the actual dictionary definition not the for emphasis meaning, typing "cooler" into costco's search as I started this video. The first result was a "rotomolded cooler" to which I asked myself "wtf is that" and you instantly answered that question.

I need the video explaining the phenomenon of the stanley thermos. At least here in Argentina it became fashionable 3 or 4 years ago and the very high price at which they sell it is incredible

Yeah man, I'm a city letter carrier (mailman with the uniform you all know) and my $40 Igloo cooler lasts all day in my truck which always gets about 30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. You can never go wrong with the mid to high end models of the cheap brands.

Thank you for the content!

Great overview! Thank you.

I have a Pelican and it works very good. All 15 years of it🙌🏾

I’ve been thinking about getting a high-end cooler for a while, but it has more to do with disaster preparedness. I live in Texas, we can’t really rely on our electrical grid here. In 2021 during Snowpocalypse, or some people called it Snow-vid, I was able to maintain the freshness of my perishable food by just putting it outside on the balcony. This summer there was a possibility of the grid going down again, and I wasn’t going to have that luxury of a cold balcony. Also I am very interested in other companies that make similarly rugged and efficient coolers and more affordable price.

Yeti coolers have been shown time and time again to hold less ice and for less time than the competition (orca, rtic, Engel) etc yet people keep buying them even though they are more expensive than these high quality alternatives. Buying for the brand name only sadly

You know future proof always making great videos

I have a Yeti thermal mug. The beverage is still hot even 6 hours later.

I don’t need a cooler😇 I received 2 Yeti tumblers from the 2020 Christmas and I love them! Easy to clean and keep drinks cold/warm

I won a Yeti in a raffle and I work in construction and so far it's been a great cooler. I can put it under the sun all day and it's still cool inside at the end of the day.

Amazing conclusion to the video, keep up the amazing videos!!!

We just passed Father’s Day, & I saw so many tweets about fathers getting asked what they wanted for their special day. For those that can afford it & would use it, a comparable cooler seems like a sensible gift that has longevity & generational transference opportunities. It could make sense as a business expense for transporting perishable items. I’ve had a basic 30 gallon unit for over 20 years that rarely gets used without car ownership. Would I accept one as a gift, sure. But I’d do better with an efficient freezer🙂

I’m the type of shopper who does research, compares, and reads reviews but even I wanted yeti. I’ve always wanted so I got one, sometimes you have to indulge with a brand you’ve always wanted.

I have a cabelas branded cooler thats roughly the same as cabelas. I love using it for hunting and a few times it's saved me when powers gone out. I slap in ice and save my freezer.

I like their travel coffee mugs. I've had 1 for 7 years and another smaller one for 3 years

I have a lifetime cooler that has been through it the past 2-3 years. Still looks brand new 👍

I love the Psychology with all of this. How most have no idea/clue why they buy or do what they do. YETI been on that list of brands. Perception and emotional connection you have can out weigh a lot.

I'll say this. I own a singlesoft yeti cooler backpack. I live in Florida and it has been sitting in direct light in the bed of my truck for the last 4 days. May I mention I've owned it for 3 years and do it regularly. It is beefy and outlasts neglect. Which is what I needed. But yes, cheeper options exist and they do the same thing... But honestly I don't think the would out last my negligence

I bought a yeti because I can and I had a situation where I needed to keep stuff cold for a few days, I don't care at all if I overpaid a bit they are nice!

A Yeti or similar level of quality cooler is almost a must for Texans. Hosting a party? Drinks in the Yeti. Hunting? Food and drinks in the Yeti, game in the Yeti on the way home. Fishing? Keeps the fish fresh all day and keeps your drinks cold so you don’t overheat in the 115° sun. It’s a buy once cry once purchase that’s almost a must for Texans at least.

It's the last cooler I'll ever need to buy and that's the value in the brand, as long as it doesn't walk away one day.

It's not the zippers. That's what gets the soft sided ones. Someone makes a replacement slider piece now so hopefully that will save me.

Yetis are worth it if you use them a lot. My roadie 24 is a cooler/seat/prep station. When l go fishing, plus l got it half off on craigslist!

I own a lifetime cooler and I love it. Just as good as a YETI and made in the USA too but, a fraction of the price of a Yeti.

watched this video after getting back from a camping trip that took 3 bags of ice over 5 days and really had me wondering if it might be worth biting the bullet on one of these "premium" coolers for the bulk of perishable items we trekked.

So here’s the thing…these days I appreciate more and more the companies who make quality products that are almost heirloom quality. That being said, I don’t need everything to be of that quality and a lot of things are good enough for MY specific lifestyle and requirements. I would never pay this much for a cooler but that’s because I now have a spinal injury and don’t get to do much adventuring these days…but we do own a Yeti cooler…. 🤔…my wife just won it at a wedding raffle about a week ago 😂 🎉. So I guess we will be “testing it out” this weekend. We do own the Yeti Tumblers I think they are called and I use that every single day along with my Nalgene bottle…never leave home without it! I laughed at the Yeti sticker part of the video and have similar thoughts about branded stickers to show off but hey if that someone’s thing and it makes them happy, who am I to say anything about it. Appreciate the videos and info you provide 🇨🇦

Quality & outstanding customer service is a winning combo. Yeti crushes it in both.

I have an orca cooler that I was gifted and gotta say, it’s worlds better than anything I had before. I rarely need ice for as long as it can keep it for but even shorter trips it keeps everything from getting as soggy and gross as the coolers I used to have. Do I absolutely need it? No, was it a great gift, absolutely.

*Drinks out of Yeti tumbler while watching this* My husband has a cooler that still works well. We aren't purchasing a yeti cooler until we need it.

I won a yeti cooler from an Instagram contest run by a boho wall decal brand (so strange…). It’s pretty great, but I would never have spent $300+ on it

Yeah I went for RTIC coolers and tumblers. Same performance and almost half the price.

Curious if Levi is going to host from the back of his Prius

Levi, could you do a video about the new Dove body wash reusable containers? I have seen a lot of ads for this new product.

Yeti is big in the military community due to how well they work

Oh gawd, ice boxes as a status symbol... please kmn...

Gr8 video as always

A cheap coleman cooler. A can of spray foam. Two rubber draw latches. Some cheap freezer door seals to line the rim. Bout $40 in materials and it should be pretty good, right?

It’s like buying an expensive pen, just so you don’t lose it.

No clue what brand it was but the cooler I acquired in Iraq in 04 was insane. I would load it up with drinks and ice and head out on a convoy and the ice would still be there 4 five days later. In the bed of a truck. In the sun. In (again) Iraq.

Im sticking with my Yoo-Hoo promo igloo cooler lol

A friend of mine gave his son a $495 Yeti Cooler for his high school graduation gift. The kid was thrilled. What kid wants a $500 Cooler for a graduation gift 🎁? Craziness???

Hey Levi, I found a Canadian brand that is somewhat affordable and build pretty well called Chilly Moose

I considered getting a Yeti for my cross-Canada trip (there are just some things I can't get in BC) but am heavily leaning towards getting a Pelican instead, mainly because the "buckles" seem to be better and not so flimsy compared to the Yeti's.

Yeti really is the Arc’teryx of coolers. Yes it’s expensive, no you probably don’t need it but take care of it and a freshly washed 7 year old cooler looks and works like you bought it yesterday. It’s pretty common to see 2,3,4 old crappy coolers in someone’s garage.

Don’t even need a Yeti cooler when Cabelas makes a clone without the brand name tax.

The thing about these overkill outdoor brands that go fashion viral is that their target demographic changes dramatically. Not only do these new buyers dont need indestructible coolers or jackets, they are much more likely to throw them out or buy a new one in a year because ultimatly theyre not buying for the quality theyre buying for hype

in the beginning I thought you were going to throw us off and say pelican

In the words of a friend “this game isn’t for those that want, it’s for the ones that are able to”

8:03 was too perfect, meme culture speaks more than words can say - I'm referring to you as Eco Daddy from now on

I’d love it if there was a place where you could specifically find alternatives to hyped, admittedly good but insanely pricey products that are just as good or even just almost as good but more affordable for the everyday person 👀

I bought one last month. Tundra Haul. Brand new out-of-the-box with a warped lid that wouldn’t seal. Going through the replacement process. Seems too common for a $450 cooler. (34 times the price of my other cooler)

I kinda scoffed at the Yeti cooler until I actually used one. They are legitimately amazing.

I now wonder if Yeti coolers are comparable in price, toughness, and popularity to Pelican cases. They have a similar target audience.

I thought this upload would already be from the road. How many do you have in the bank? Or in other words: when can we expect the first Future Proof video from your new home aka the Prius? ;)

I use Bison coolers. Made in USA

When I first discovered Yeti, and their prices, I just assumed they were expensive just for the sake of being expensive.

Can you do a video on the Hoka explosion!? I'm seeing those shoes everywhere all of a sudden.

🤷🏼‍♂️😂 I LOVE yeti! Shits expensive but the BEST quality stuff. The rambler lids on the bottles…. I Work outside and rough with my gear and clumsy. I dropped it full of water on concrete and barely a scratch on it while others I’ve had would snap apart just by using them.

I' m not worried about bears where I go camping but bear proof coolers double as racoon proof coolers which I have had issues with

Yeti makes a sturdy product but as far as their coolers and ramblers go there are others that offer better ice retention times

Now I know where The Skoda Yeti got her name.

yall need to talk about the iconic swiss army knife from victorinox

A bullet proof cooler that will last presumably longer than my lifetime. Seems more sustainable than buying and most likely replacing a Coleman later on. Call me a sucker but makes sense to me. Buy once cry once.

I will say that Yeti waterbottles are the best waterbottles ever. Hikes, camping, or getting hit straight on by a car because it was on the left side of your backpack while biking while being hit by a car, it really is indestructible, and keeps everything either warm or cold, sometimes even to a detriment because after a day your coffee is still too hot to drink if you forgot to open the lid.

I have quite a few yeti hard coolers and a few other brands Like ozark trail and lifetime. Honestly you don't need to spend yeti money to get yeti results as far as hard coolers. Now when we are speaking if soft coolers particularly the yeti m30 it is absolutely the best soft cooler on the market. I have other soft cooler brands as well and nothing comes close to the m30. Ice in the m30 will last almost as long as ice in a hard cooler.

My one concern with quality products from a business perspective is that each customer only buys it once ideally. So often it’s hard to get the funds you need to compete with shitty brands. I think an appropriate similar to the nespresso but not shitty will be the go to moving forward. Subscriptions and stuff like that can be a good thing if it supports ethical quality brands.

3:59 pretty sure it's not water tight, it will leak if tipped over.

Engel was founded in 1997 and at the time was making roto molded coolers. Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t think yeti was the first.

How many of those Yeti coolers hold American swill like Coors Light? You should take on the beer industry next.

You say “process” funny

I bought a Yeti cooler as a financial choice. Since you need ice every 4-5 days instead of 1-2 days, it rapidly makes sense to spend 250$ more on a good cooler.