Which YETI Lid is the Best? (Updated for 2023)

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Which YETI Lid is the Best?

Rambler water bottles are one of YETI’s most popular and profitable product lines, due in no small part to how useful and versatile they are.  YETI has designed six lid styles that are compatible with any wide-mouth Rambler bottle.

To be clear, the lids we’re talking about only fit YETI Rambler water bottles.  We’re not talking about YETI’s tumblers, mugs, or new Yonder plastic bottles.

So the next logical question is, which YETI lid is the best?

Our goal with this post is to give you all the information you need to answer the more important question: which YETI lid is the best for you?

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Which YETI Lid is the Best? (Video Review)

If you'd rather watch a video about this topic, then check out our YouTube video!
Or keep reading our full post below.

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The Contenders

YETI has designed six (6) lids as of today: Standard, Chug, Straw, Hot Shot, Magdock, and Bottle Cup Cap.

The Six YETI Lid Options

YETI's Ramber Water Bottles

Click this link to see YETI's Water Bottle category on Amazon.

See Bottle Options

YETI's Lid Options

Click this link to see YETI's lid options on Amazon (under Drinkware Accessories).

See Lid Options

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YETI's Standard Lid

YETI's Standard Lid - Benefits and Drawbacks

See Listing for the Standard Lid

​First is the one that started it all, YETI’s Standard Lid.  This was the lid that came out when this water bottle series was initially released, and it’s still the one that comes with most YETI Ramblers bottles today.

​We love the carrying handle.  The rigid design is wide enough to fit three fingers, making it very comfortable and easy to hold.

The simple, no-frills design is very easy to use, and it’s also easy to clean.
This is the best option for anyone who has limited finger strength because the handle is easy to hold, and it lets you get a good amount of leverage to open the cap.

It’s also the most lightweight YETI cap at only 2.9 ounces.

There are a few main drawbacks.  First, the lid is completely separate from the bottle, so it’s pretty easy to misplace or drop the lid, causing it to get dirty.  It’s not like a Takeya, which has a connected spout cap.

Second relates to YETI’s Over-The-Nose technology, which in non-marketing terms just means they made the mouth opening about 1/2” wider than competitors like Hydro Flask.  Because the opening is so wide, it’s notoriously easy to splash water in your face, especially if you’re in the middle of an activity like driving.  And if you have ice in your bottle, all we can say is good luck.

So while we love the simplicity of the standard cap and how easy it is to use, it’s definitely the base design for a reason since it does not offer many benefits or uses compared to other lids.

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YETI's Chug Cap

YETI's Chug Lid - Benefits and Drawbacks

See Listing for the Chug Lid

YETI’s Chug Cap is probably the most common replacement lid that people choose to use, and for good reason.  It consists of two parts that we’ll call the base and the spout cap.

The most important and obvious benefit is how lid solves the glaring problem with the Standard Lid by making it much easier to take drinks of water without splashing water all over your face.

The handle is the same great design as the Standard Lid and is very comfortable and easy to hold.

Some drawbacks are that the spout cap comes completely off and is easy to misplace or drop.

At 6.5 ounces, this is the 2nd heaviest YETI lid.

There are more parts compared to the Standard Lid, so there is also  more to clean, including an extra set of threads.
This is not as good of an option as the Standard Lid for people with limited gripping strength, mainly because the base is more difficult to get on-and-off.

Our previous video discussed a common problem we see in reviews about the chug cap, specifically that the threads can strip fairly easily.  If you want to use a chug cap, we recommend watching that video to help minimize this potential problem.
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While it may seem like we brought up a lot of drawbacks, the YETI Chug Cap is by no means a bad lid.  It’s a solid improvement over the Standard Lid in many ways, and it’s our favorite lid for drinking regular water from YETI Ramblers that are 26 ounces or larger.

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YETI's Straw Cap

YETI's Straw Lid - Benefits and Drawbacks

See Listing for the Straw Lid

The next cap we’re reviewing is YETI’s Straw Lid.
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Like with most straw lids, it’s very easy to take sips of water, and there’s no chance of splashing water in your face provided that you keep the bottle upright.

The previous two caps require two hands to unscrew the lid while holding the bottle, but you can take one-handed sips with the Straw Lid.  This makes it a great option for when you’re on the road.

The handle is the same comfortable, three-finger style as the Standard and Chug Lids.  The only difference is that the handle is angled to the side some so you don’t hit your forehead when taking a drink, but we wouldn’t count this as a problem.

In our opinion, this is the best option if you’re planning to use ice or add flavorings like fruit to your bottle.  You’ll keep everything out of your face, and the small straw opening is unlikely to plug up unless you have really small bits of ice or fruit.

If you’d like to flavor your water, consider using our FlavorFuze Straw infuser.  We designed it for Hydro Flasks initially, but it also fits great on YETI’s Straw Lids.

Most of the drawbacks are similar to what you’d find with any straw lid.  The straw grazes the bottom of the bottle, and you’ll need to remove the entire lid if you want to drink 100% of the water.

Also, they’re harder to clean than the previous lids.  Make sure you have a straw cleaner, and even if you’re cleaning the straw regularly, it’s a good idea to replace the whole straw every once and awhile.

In conclusion, this is a good straw lid that can help make your life a little easier.  We like this lid the most for hiking because it’s fairly lightweight compared to the other lids and prevents spills.  We also like using this lid when we want to add ice or flavorings.  In some ways YETI’s Straw Lid feels a little basic when compared to competitors like Hydro Flask and Klean Kanteen who have made innovations that make them easier to clean or use less plastic.  But basic isn’t necessarily bad, and this is certainly still a good lid.

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Hot Shot Lid

YETI's Hot Shot Lid - Benefits and Drawbacks

See Listing for the Hot Shot Lid

Next is YETI’s Hot Shot Lid, which is their sip-style.  It’s intended to be used with smaller bottles for coffee and tea.
It does a good job of limiting how much of your drink comes out at once, which is good when drinking something hot like coffee.
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One cool feature is that you can take a sip from any side of the bottle, which is different than what you find with many competing sip lids that force you to line up your mouth with the opening.  In this way, the Hot Shot is a very good option for drinking coffee while driving because you don’t have to worry about lining up your mouth with the bottle opening.

And YETI’s Hot Shot has fewer parts compared to some competitors like Hydro Flask’s Flex Sip.  This makes it easier to clean and less likely to misplace or drop a piece.

It’s a fairly lightweight option at only 4.7 ounces, though this is technically the 4th heaviest YETI lid.

One obvious drawback is that the lid does not have the carrying handle that’s incorporated into the previous lids.  We know the Hot Shot is intended to be used with smaller bottles that are easier to carrying in general, but having a handle always helps.

But the biggest drawback that some people will find with the Hot Shot lid is that it’s more difficult to use, even compared to some other sip-style lids we’ve tested.  The rim around the top is great to drink from, but it doesn’t give you much room to get your fingers against the opening mechanism.  People with limited finger strength or arthritis will most likely have issues using the Hot Shot lid.

This especially applies to cleaning the lid.  To separate the two pieces, you have to twist even harder counterclockwise until you hear two clicks, and then the middle piece comes out.

To sum it up, this lid is a good option to use with YETI’s 12 or 18 ounce Ramblers when you want to sip on your coffee on the way to or at work, and we really like how you can sip from any angle.  But other than that, this lid is just not as easy to use as some other sip-style lids that we’ve tested.  And definitely don’t get this cap if you have limited hand strength.

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YETI's Magdock Lid

YETI's Magdock Lid - Benefits and Drawbacks

See Listing for the Magdock Lid

Next is the Magdock lid.  This is the lid we have been most excited to get our hands on because it seemed like an improved version of the Chug Cap, and we were not disappointed.

The spout is the same size as the Chug Cap, meaning you can get a good amount of water when you need it while also preventing spills.

The spout cap is textured for better grip, and it adds to the feel of a premium product.

But the most obvious improvement is incorporated into the name.  The spout cap has a built-in magnet that allows it to securely connect to another magnet in the base, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love magnets?  This makes it much easier to prevent accidentally dropping your spout cap, which was one of the main drawbacks with the Chug Cap.

One other cool feature that we hadn’t seen before is that the o-ring that seals the connection between the spout cap and the base is much easier to remove than with most seals we find in other bottles and caps.  It even has a little built-in little handle that lets you pull it out very easily, and this makes cleaning your bottle much simpler.

At 4.6 ounces, this is the 3rd lightest YETI option.

The most glaring drawback is a biggie.  The Magdock Lid doesn’t have a built-in handle.  If you have smaller hands, then gripping YETI Ramblers that are 26 ounces and larger can be a challenge and not having a handle on the lid is a clear drawback.

But other than that, there’s not much we don’t like about the Magdock cap.
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In conclusion, we really did like this lid.  This is our favorite lid hydrating while at work or hanging around the house because it’s easier to keep the spout cap nearby and clean.  It improves on most of the drawbacks with the Chug Lid, it’s easier to clean than the Straw Lid, and it’s easier to open and close than the Hot Shot Lid.  But the fact that it doesn’t have a handle is a major drawback for larger bottles, especially for people with smaller hands.  Consider getting a carrying pouch for your bottle, which then solves the problem of not having a handle.

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YETI's Bottle Cup Cap

YETI's Bottle Cup Cap - Benefits and Drawbacks

See Listing for the Bottle Cup Cap

The last lid option that we’re reviewing has the most focused purpose.  The Bottle Cup Cap essentially turns your YETI Rambler into a Stanley Classic Thermos.  There are three pieces, the base, the spout cap, and the cup.  Just unscrew the spout cap a little, and then you can pour your drink into the detachable cup.

The cap looks amazing.  The stainless-steel cup has a heft and feel to it that definitely feels premium. 

We haven’t officially tested this yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this cap has the best insulation properties compared to other YETI lids.

Because the insulation is probably so good, this is a great option if you’re sitting in the stands watching a sporting event on a chilly day, sitting around the firepit, or relaxing at a campsite.

But there are some key drawbacks to consider.  First off, the lid is huge and bulky.  At 12.7 ounces, it’s almost twice as heavy as the next heaviest cap.

In addition, this cap doesn’t have a handle to help manage all that extra weight and bulk.

And with a price tag of $30 today, it’s also the most expensive lid option by far.  As of today, you can actually spend $5 less and get a 34-ounce Stanley Classic Thermos that serves the same purpose and has a handle built into the bottle.
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Overall, while this is a really cool add-on for very specific scenarios, we think the Bottle Cup Cap is too situational and expensive for most people except the most die-hard YETI fans and collectors.

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Summary

To bring it all together, here is our summary for each lid, including recommended best-uses.

The Standard Lid is a decent lid in general, particularly for hiking, but we think there are better options for most situations.

The Chug Lid has some good improvements over the Standard Lid and is our recommended option to use when you’re actively participating in a sporting event.  It’s a little heavier, so it’s not as good for longer walks or hikes.

The Straw Lid is our recommended option for hiking or when you want to add ice or flavorings to your bottle.

The Hot Shot Lid is ideally used to drink coffee with smaller Ramblers, but it’s not a good option if you have limited hand strength or if you want to drink from a larger bottle.

The Magdock lid is our favorite all-around lid for every-day hydration, especially when pairing it with a carrying pouch so not having a handle isn’t as big of an issue.

And the Bottle Cup Cap is a good option when you’re lounging game-side or around the fire and want to sip at a warm drink, but other than that it’s not very practical.

Regardless of which cap you get, consider getting a cup holder adapter for your YETI Rambler to keep it securely by your side when you’re on the road.  We just came out with our new-and-improved BottlePro Max adapter that fits all YETI Ramblers.

And that’s it!  We hope this post has helped you decide which lid or lids you should get.  Keep BottlePro in mind for accessories for your large bottles.

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Buying a YETI Rambler?  Keep us in mind!

Check out our Amazon store for fun and helpful accessories, like fruit infusers, cup holder adapters, and carrying slings.

See BottlePro's Store