Club Benefits
Summer is my favorite season for a multitude of reasons: longer days, warm weather, and, of course, summer trips. I love spending time outdoors, whether that be at the beach, in the park, or on camping trips. But the number one thing I hate about these summer adventures? Warm beer, soggy sandwiches, and melting ice cream.
But with one of the best coolers, these problems are merely a bad dream. I got the Yeti Roadie cooler box and the Yeti Hopper cooler bag last year, and my summertime adventures have completely changed. Now, I can drink ice-cold beer, fridge-temperature dips, and sturdy sandwiches all day long.
How to choose the cooler for you
When figuring out which cooler to buy, you need to think about three things: budget, size and function.
The most important part is budget. My top-recommended coolers are the Yeti Roadie, Yeti Tundra, and Yeti Hopper lines, but these start from $200 and can go up to a thousand dollars. If you're on a low budget, I'd recommend the Coleman Classic Cooler ($84 for 70 quarts).
If you want a cooler capable of staying ice-cold for longer, I'd recommend checking out the Engel Cooler Box ($239 for 60 quarts).
Of course, coolers get more expensive as they get bigger. A 20-quart cooler will be much cheaper than a 100-quart cooler.
For the best of the best, it's got to be the Yeti Roadie. A 60-quart Roadie will set you back $475.
Now, size. I have the 32-quart version, and it fits everything I need for a beach day trip. When I took the 32-quart Roadie camping for three days, it was a bit of a squeeze, so I'd recommend a bigger cooler if you are prepping food and drinks for more than a couple of people.
The Yeti Hopper M30 can hold 42 cans, but with ice packs, this is more like 20. When I took this cooler bag on a beach day trip, it comfortably held beer, water, and dips, sandwiches, chips, and fruit for two people. Again, though, if you're preparing food for more than two, I'd recommend a bigger cooler.
This is just my personal experience using the Yeti coolers. If you tend to pack less or more, you should size down or up, respectively.
If you're going camping with your family, I'd recommend getting at least a 60-quart cooler. Ice takes up much more space than you might think.
Finally, function. Cheaper coolers — like Coleman — tend to keep cold for shorter periods, while Yeti coolers tend to keep things chilled for longer. If you want a cooler to stay ice-cold for multiple days, I'd recommend the Yeti Tundra — but they're expensive.
Also consider portability. Will you be carrying the cooler through steep hiking trails to get to your campsite, or will you just roll it from your trunk to the BBQ? I would only ever get a cooler with wheels, but that's because I know I hate carrying heavy things.
If you're only going on day trips, I'd recommend either the Yeti Hopper tote bags ($350) or Flip bags ($250) or the Coleman Pro soft cooler (from $47).
Hopefully, now you can choose which cooler is right for you! I love my Yeti Roadie and Yeti Hopper — so those would be my top recommendations from someone who tests (and owns) coolers.
