 Are YETI Ramblers Overrated? Are YETI Rambler Bottles Overrated?(7 minute read time) There's no doubt that many people love YETI products, but their bottles cost a fortune. This has contributed to YETI's drinkware category grossing over $1 billion dollars in revenue in 2023). But why are so many people so passionate about YETI Ramblers, and are they actually overrated? Today let's take an honest look at YETI to see what's good, what's bad, if they're worth the steep price, and what are good alternatives. What's Next:
Amazon Associates Disclaimer: This post contains links to products. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission if you purchase after clicking a link. It doesn't cost you anything extra, and it really helps. Thank you! Video Review: Are YETI Rambler Bottles Worth It?We also cover this in a YouTube video if you'd prefer to watch the recap! What is a "YETI Rambler?" What isn't? All of these are technically "Ramblers" First things first, it's important to know what type of YETI Rambler you're talking about. Rambler is their branding for basically anything that holds a drink and is made of stainless steel. These include a standard bottle, tumbler, tumbler with a handle, stackable lowball, stackable cup, mug, colster (insulation sleeve for soda or beer cans), cockstail shaker, wine chiller, gallon jug, french press, and even a bucket. All of these products are included in YETI's Rambler series, but notably their newer plastic bottles are branded separately as their Yonder series. Focus of this Post - YETI Rambler Bottle To keep this post from running too long, I'm going to focus on their Rambler bottles with vertical walls because those are the closest to the other bottles I usually talk about on this channel. YETI Rambler Bottle SizesWhat's Good about YETI Rambler Bottles?Durability YETI's biggest differentiator is their durability. It feels like the bottles and lists are made with thicker materials compared to other brands like Hydro Flask, which makes them much more dent resistent and less prone to breaking. In this recent article on CNN, the writer compared YETI and Owala and mentioned how they did a 4' drop test and the YETI came out relatively unscathed. Now I did a similar drop test with a different bottle recently on my video about dents and insulation, but I don't have as much money as CNN so I haven't cut open a YETI or done a drop test with mine to confirm this yet so I'll refer to their drop tests as proof of YETI's durability.  YETI's durability Branding YETI's durability ties into another benefit, which is YETI's branding. They have one of the most powerful brands in the water bottle industry, and ever since their start with coolers, YETIs have been defined by high priced but durable products. These two factors are baked into their brand identity which extends to their water bottles as well. Many people think of YETIs as being more rugged and geared towards men compared to Stanley tumblers which tend to be associated with women, though these are certainly stereotypes. All I'm saying though is that both of them have passionate customers who will buy their products just for the logo, so they're not really as different as you might think. Even if your uncle Bob says he just got his YETI tumbler for the insulation, let's be honest, he got it for the branding too.  YETI's branding Color Options There are plenty of colors to choose from. As of today, there are 39 colors available with their 18 ounce size!  Color Options for YETI Rambler Bottle (18oz) Wide Mouth Opening and Lids It's helpful that the Rambler bottles have a wider mouth diameter than brands like Hydro Flask because this makes it easier to add ice. There are also 5 lids that fit any of their Rambler bottle sizes, so you have a good range of options. I like that their chug and straw lids have wide handles that fit 3 larger fingers like mine, which is why they market it as their TripleHaul lid. This is a lot better than some bottles like Owala that have a narrower handle design. I also did a deep-dive last year that goes over each one in more detail (minus the original standard twist-off lid, which seems to have been replaced by the Chug lid as the "standard" option. Here's a link to that post if you'd like to check it out.  YETI's lids Insulation (Sort Of) One of the most common benefits you'll hear YETI-lovers praising is the insulation. It's true that dual-wall vacuum insulation is better than a non-insulated bottle like their Yonder series. From what I've seen, any bottle with dual-wall vacuum insulation is going to be good enough for the average user for most days of regular use. However, it's worth noting that YETI did not have the best results in a few insulation tests I've done using hot water and measuring the drop over a 4 hours period. I even repeated the test a few times against Ozark Trail, Walmart's brand that sells for $12, and Ozark Trail beat YETI every time. It's not that much different and honestly either one is going to insulate water fine for most people over the course of a normal day, but anyone claiming that YETI has the best insulation because it has the highest price doesn't know what they're talking about.  Insulation Results from my Dual-vs-Triple Insulation Test (click image for link to that post) What's Good about YETI Rambler Bottles?So YETI clearly has a lot of good things going for it, and that's helped them build a passionate and devoted fan base. But like I always say, there's no perfect bottle for every person and every situation, and YETI is certainly not exempt. So let's look now at why you may not want to buy a YETI Rambler bottle. Cost The most obvious drawback is the cost. Unless you like to brag about how much money you can afford to spend, the steep purchase price with most YETI products is one of it's biggest negatives. In fact, if you were to purchase every single item and size in their Rambler line (including items like the bucket), you'd easily spend over $1000. Some of that is because they have a lot of products, but let's be honest, charging $150 for a bucket feels like price gouging because they know they have a strong brand and many people will swallow the high price just to complete their YETI collection.  YETI's cost Sub-Par Lids This is certainly an opinion that not everyone shares, but for me, the lid options are underwhelming.
What is the Best YETI Lid? I would go as far as saying the best YETI lid isn't made by YETI. This one called SmartKap is inspired by Takeya's awesome chug lid, which has a connected spout cap and a good handle. It's the one I've been using the most with my YETI because it's so much more functional and easy to use, and while it doesn't feel as hefty at the YETI lids, it's held up fine so far for me. Weight I mentioned before how a benefit is that these bottles are so durable, but the downside is that they're a lot heavier so they're not a good option if you're going on a hike or long walk where weight is more important. This also compounds the issue with some of their lids not having handles.  YETI's Magdock lid (no handle) Plastic Contact Under Lid Every year, more and more people are looking to avoid plastic contact with their water as much as possible. Most lids on the market today have plastic underneath, including all of YETI's lids. So if you're looking to avoid plastic contact with your water entirely, please note that YETI is not a good choice because all of their lids have plastic underneath. Check out this post to learn about other bottle options that avoid plastic contact with your water (stainless steel under the lid).  YETI's Chug lid (plastic underneath both lid pieces) Ridiculous Marketing and Branding at Times YETI is a branding titan, and they are experts at making sure every aspect of their image is curated to make them seem like the premium and most advanced bottles on the market to make them seem worth the high price. But in my opinion, this over-the-top branding can sometimes go too far. One example is YETI's Over-The-Nose Technology. It was basically their way of promoting how they made the bottle opening half an inch wider than bottles like Hydro Flasks. They even included this cheap-looking graphic to show it.  YETI's Marketing (Over-The-Nose Technology) That's all fine and good I guess, but then they stopped selling the only lid that actually required you to unscrew the top all the way off to drink from the bottle that way. So now is it Under-The-Nose Technology? I don't know, but what I do know is that YETI scrubbed references of that technology from their website and listings when they stopped selling that lid, though you can still find it referenced on YETI's EU site. Yes, this is a nit-picky thing to mention, but in my opinion, trying to push something like this as "technology" is more of an insult to their customers' intelligence. Summary: Who Should Buy a YETI Rambler Bottle?So how does this all balance out and should you buy a YETI Rambler, or are they overrated? Well honestly, it depends on your situation. Yes, they are the most durable bottles out there, so for people who work in industries like construction where your bottle could take a beating or if you're prone to denting bottles and want to stop having to buy new ones, it could be a good investment. And if you like the brand and can afford YETI's prices, by all means go for it. The bottle will last you forever if you take good care of it. But for most people, including anyone who works in an office or at home, getting a YETI is like getting a King Ranch to haul mulch once a year. Yes it looks great and you can show it off, but you probably don't really need it and paid way too much. My tendency is to look for the functionality you get compared to the price you pay, and I personally don't put a lot of value in branding. So with that perspective and from what I've personally seen, my opinion is that YETIs are overrated and you'll pay more but you'll get less. What are Good Alternatives to YETI?
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