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While Yeti makes some of the best coolers, they can be very expensive. Because these coolers start at a few hundred dollars a pop and run as high as $1,000, many people seek Yeti cooler alternatives.
A Yeti cooler—whether it’s the petite Roadie or the massive Tundra—offers incredible ice retention to keep foods cold. It’s also practically indestructible with its high-quality one-piece construction. Fortunately, there are several options out there that offer similar quality, design, and performance without the premium price tag.
Read on to find the best Yeti cooler alternatives that may be a better fit for your budget.
1. Coleman Reunion 54-Quart Steel Belted Cooler
The Coleman Reunion 54-Quart Steel Belted Cooler is the runner-up pick in our best coolers guide. Considering a Yeti unit took first place, this is essentially our pick for the top Yeti cooler alternative. It lives up to its claims, keeping ice for 4 days and water cold for 5 days in our testing. This steel cooler is a sturdy unit, doubling as a seat when you need it. With its built-in bottle opener, you’ll always be able to open beverages when it’s nearby.
Get the Coleman Reunion cooler at Amazon for $239.99.
2. RTIC Ultra-Light 52-Quart Ice Chest
RTIC coolers pair an injected molded design with cooling technology and up to 3 inches of closed-cell insulation, allowing superior cooling capabilities. The coolers are surprisingly lightweight and double as a tabletop, step stool, or cutting board. Add a basket or removable divider (sold separately) to make this cooler even more practical.
Get the RTIC Ultra-Light cooler at Amazon for $209.99.
3. Igloo BMX 52-Quart Cooler with Cool Riser Technology
The Igloo BMX cooler is another top pick in our guide to the best coolers. Its insulated lid and thick foam are designed to keep ice frozen for up to 5 days in temperatures up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooler features a blow-molded shell with a reinforced base, which makes it durable while also being lightweight. Other highlights include the stainless steel hinges, threaded drain plug that can connect to a garden hose, and secure T-grip latches.
Get the Igloo BMX cooler at Amazon for $124.17.
4. Arctic Zone Titan Deep-Freeze Hardbody Cooler
If you’re searching for a Yeti cooler alternative for daily use, check out the Arctic Zone Titan Deep-Freeze Hardbody Cooler. Our top pick in our guide to the best small coolers, this small cooler bag features a special radiant heat barrier that deflects heat rather than absorbing it. This means the cooler stays cold for longer, with ice lasting as long as 2 days. It offers a unique zipperless lid that flips open for easy access. There’s also a padded shoulder strap that makes it comfortable to carry along for camping trips, cookouts, and other activities.
Get the Arctic Zone cooler at Amazon for $42.99.
5. Pelican 30-Quart Elite Cooler
The Pelican 30-Quart Elite Cooler features a rugged design with an overmolded carry handle that’s ready to take on all of your outdoor adventures. With 2 inches of polyurethane insulation and a 360-degree freezer-grade gasket, it will keep your items cold for extended periods. Other notable components include 3-inch locking latches, self-draining cup holders, nonskid rubber feet, and a stainless steel bottle opener.
Get the Pelican cooler at Amazon for $249.95.
6. EchoSmile Rotomolded Cooler
Retain ice for up to 5 days with the EchoSmile rotomolded cooler. It’s made of solid rotomolded construction (the same type of construction as a Yeti cooler), so it’s built to last. The cooler is available in three different sizes (30 quart, 35 quart, and 40 quart), and it offers a UV-resistant outside, two integrated cup holders, rubberized T-locks, a fish ruler, and two bottle openers.
Get the EchoSmile cooler at Amazon starting at $149.99.
7. Grizzly Cooler
The Grizzly cooler is another significantly less expensive alternative to a Yeti cooler that will still deliver. To keep foods and beverages cold for longer, the sides have been injected with up to 2 inches of Ecomate polyurethane foam. The rotationally molded LLDPE plastic design helps ensure all the walls are even in thickness for optimal cooling and durability. This cooler may be particularly appealing for those who like camping as it’s been certified as bear-resistant by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Plus, it’s available in 11 different colors.
Get the Grizzly cooler at Amazon for $179.99.
8. Igloo Marine Ultra Cooler
The Igloo Marine Ultra Cooler is available in several sizes (ranging between 30 and 100 quarts) and features UV inhibitors that work to prevent sun damage and keep items cool. The cooler features durable impact-resistant hinges, a stainless steel lid latch, and comfortable nonslip side handles. It’s much more affordable than a Yeti cooler, but it still keeps items frosty cold.
Get the Igloo Marine Ultra cooler at Amazon for $69.99.
9. IceMule Classic Collapsible Backpack Cooler
If you’re planning to travel, consider this IceMule backpack cooler. With a special air valve, interior insulation, fabric exterior, and welded seams, the cooler bag can keep food and drinks cold for longer than 24 hours. The ventilated sling strap allows you to easily carry it on your back, keeping your hands free. It’s also waterproof and buoyant, making it the ideal companion for kayaking, fishing, and beach trips, and is available in 13 different colors.
Get the IceMule backpack cooler at Amazon starting at $74.95.
10. Igloo 70-Quart Trailmate Rolling Cooler
If you need a larger cooler for your next adventure, consider the Igloo 70-Quart Trailmate Rolling Cooler. Our experts tested this cooler in our best wheeled cooler guide and loved its rugged design that’s perfect for the beach, park, and other outdoor settings. Oversize wheels help this cooler roll over challenging terrain, and a telescoping handle makes it easier to pull the load. Another feature that might appeal to adventurers is the built-in dry storage compartment, which is water-resistant, lockable, and sized to fit essentials such as phones and keys.
Get the Igloo Trailmate cooler at Amazon for $238.81.
11. Orca 40-Quart Hard Side Cooler
Similar to Yeti coolers, the Orca 40-Quart Hard Side Cooler is a rotomolded pick. It’s on the pricier side, but it boasts excellent chilling performance (with prechilling, it can keep contents cold for up to 10 days.) The lid gasket and T-handle help seal in the cold, and the lid design is also bear-proof, so it’s a good choice for long stints in the wilderness.
Get the Orca cooler at Cabela’s starting at $319.99.
12. Coleman 50-Quart Xtreme Wheeled Cooler
The Coleman 50-Quart Xtreme Wheeled Cooler is another one of our favorite coolers that we tested in our coolers guide. It’s a decent cooler at a bargain price. This unit is wheeled, with heavy-duty tires that make it easy to transport to the campsite or park. However, it didn’t quite live up to the advertised expectations in our testing and only kept loose ice solid for 1 or 2 days, rather than the advertised 5. However, it’s only a fraction of the price of a Yeti cooler, so we’d still recommend it for day trips and short overnight stays.
Get the Coleman Xtreme cooler at Amazon for $49.41.
13. DeWalt 10-Quart Lunch Box Cooler
With its rotomolded construction, the DeWalt 10-Quart Rotomolded Lunch Box Cooler will keep your meals cold all day at work. This boxy lunch cooler is durable and intended to stand up to rough treatment on busy jobsites. Suitable for long days at work, it has a roomy 10-quart capacity, a heavy-duty metal handle, two can holders molded into the lid, and even an integrated bottle opener for cracking open a cold one at the end of the day.
Get the DeWalt cooler at Amazon for $99.99.
14. RTIC Soft Cooler
The RTIC Soft Cooler is the best Yeti alternative pick for boat trips, hikes by the water, and kayaking adventures. Since it keeps contents cold for up to 2 days, it’s also suitable for overnighters. Along with being durable and fully waterproof, it floats, which means you won’t lose it if it drops in a body of water. It’s also completely leakproof, which makes it even more appealing and mess-free.
Get the RTIC soft cooler at Amazon starting at $94.99.
15. Tourit Cooler Backpack
When you want to be hands-free, a backpack cooler is the most convenient choice. The Tourit Cooler Backpack is very affordable and an excellent choice for keeping items cool for up to 16 hours on a day trip. To improve organization, this backpack has several pockets, which include a large main pocket for storing up to 30 cans, and an array of smaller pockets to hold small items you might need throughout the day.
Get the Tourit cooler backpack at Amazon for $36.99.
16. Igloo Playmate The Boss Cooler
If you’re looking for a rugged cooler for everyday use, the Igloo Playmate The Boss Cooler is a great choice. As one of the top picks in our small coolers guide, it’s a simple and compact hard cooler with a leakproof compartment. The cooler is made of a sturdy plastic material and has a molded-in handle that doesn’t run the risk of breaking. The tent-top, push-button lid swings open to either side for easy access.
Get the Igloo Playmate cooler at Amazon starting at $42.28.
17. RollR 60 Wheeled Cooler
The RollR 60 Wheeled Cooler has a price tag comparable to some Yeti coolers, but you might find its bevy of extra features more useful. This unit is a large-wheeled cooler, with inflated all-terrain tires (as opposed to the solid wheels of many coolers) for a smoother rolling experience. It also has an offset handle, meaning it won’t whack you on the heels as you’re walking. If you don’t want to walk with this cooler, attach it to a bike instead with a BikR Kit Attachment (sold separately). It doesn’t skimp on cooling performance, either, and can keep items cold for up to 10 days.
Get the RollR cooler at Rovr for $399.
18. BrüTank 55-Quart Rolling Cooler
The BrüTank 55-Quart Rolling Cooler is another rolling cooler that has a similar price point as some Yeti models, but with a few extra features to consider. It will keep things cool, with up to 7 days of ice retention, but the stand-out feature of this cooler is that it has a built-in drink tank with a tap. This means you can use it to hold 2.8 gallons of water, homemade drinks, or anything else that isn’t canned or bottled. It also comes in a variety of stylish colors.
Get the BrüTank cooler at Brümate for $399.99.
