Which is Better? RTIC vs Yeti Coolers
Table of Contents
When looking at higher end coolers there are a lot of different cooler manufacturers to choose from. Yeti is the most popular manufacturer currently so this guide is designed to show you the similarities and differences of RTIC vs Yeti coolers. It will show you what to look for when buying a high-end cooler and explain if the extra cost of Yeti coolers is warranted.
RTIC
RTIC is a company based out of Cypress Texas that was founded by two twin brothers. RTIC sells a multitude of products such as coolers, tumblers, water bottles, and koozies. Their motto is “overbuilt, not overpriced” and with the price differences between RTIC vs Yeti coolers, I would say that that statement is correct.
RTIC coolers are going to be priced considerably cheaper than a comparable Yeti cooler while offering comparable products. Comparing the RTIC 65 vs the Yeti Tundra 65 the RTIC 65 is priced about 100 bucks less than the Yeti 65 while also offering more internal cooling capacity.
Yeti
Yeti is a company founded in 2006 also in Texas also by two brothers (not twins this time) and is one of the largest sellers of premium coolers in the United States. Besides coolers, Yeti also makes tumblers, dry bags, and water bottles.
Because of Yeti’s popularity, they are able to sell their products at a premium price compared to other similarly made coolers and people will still buy them.
This guide is designed to compare both RTIC and Yeti cooler manufacturers to see which make the better hard shell cooler and if Yeti coolers are worth paying the extra money for them.
RTIC 65 vs YETI 65 Challenge
This video comparing the two coolers shows the difference in the size of the two coolers side by side and also shows the ice retention capabilities of both coolers in an ice retention test. The man stops the test at 71 hours so almost three days and at the end of the test he measures both coolers remaining ice in a cup.
The Yeti 65 had about a handful of ice left at the end of the 71-hour test. The RTIC 65 had over 3 cups of ice left in it. The RTIC had three to four times of ice left in it after his test. He thinks that this partially comes down to the RTIC 65 being a physically bigger cooler than the Yeti.
Capacity
This brings me on to my next point in comparing RTIC vs Yeti coolers the model number next to the cooler means the actual quart size on an RTIC cooler. So if you have an RTIC 65 it will be able to hold 65 quarts worth of water. With Yeti coolers that model number is not an actual representation of how many quarts that cooler can hold.
The Yeti 65 can hold 52 quarts of water. So while that model number is the same on both coolers the RTIC cooler will actually be a bit larger in capacity in comparison with the same model number Yeti cooler. This will also mean that the RTIC cooler will be physically larger when comparing it to the same model number Yeti cooler.
Construction
When comparing RTIC and Yeti coolers construction both use rotomolded plastic to produce their hard shell cooler lines. Rotomolding is a process that starts by putting plastic powder into a hollow mold, the mold is then continuously rotated while heated so that the powder can disperse evenly throughout the mold.
Once cooled the plastic inside the mold would then shrink to give you the final product. Because of this construction technique, the rotomolded plastic is very tough and durable which is what you want your cooler to be so it’s an optimal material to be used for cooler construction.
Insulation
RTIC and Yeti coolers both boast that they have 2 to 3 inches of insulation on their hardshell cooler lines. This means that they should both have plenty of insulation to help keep your cooler contents cold and help retain ice for as long as possible.
Ice retention
RTIC claims that their RTIC 65 can hold ice for up to 10 days, Yeti says that their coolers should be able to hold ice for 5 days but don’t list that on their website when looking at the Yeti Tundra 65. Yeti actually doesn’t make any claim as to how long the Tundra 65 can hold ice on their website.
Commercial grade gaskets
Yeti and RTIC coolers both feature commercial grade gaskets on both hard shell models. The gaskets from both manufacturers are designed to provide a tight seal between the cooler lid and the base of the cooler to help keep the inside of the cooler as cool as possible.
T-Latches
Both the RTIC 65 and Yeti Tundra 65 coolers come with T latches to help keep the cooler lid securely attached to the base of the cooler. In the video below this guys compares the RTIC vs Yeti T-latches and says that while they are both designed the same the Yeti T-latches are of higher quality.
He says in the video that the Yeti T-latches will stay in place when you unhinge them from the base of the cooler while the RTIC T-latches are flimsy once you’ve removed them from the base of the cooler. Because of this, the RTIC cooler latches will fall between the rim of the cooler and the lid when you try to close the lid. This is a minor inconvenience when comparing the total costs of the coolers though.
Handles
Both RTIC and Yeti coolers come with heavy-duty rope handles to help you to be able to transport the coolers easily. Rope handles would not really be preferred from a durability standpoint but they should last the life of the cooler. Some other rotomolded cooler manufacturers such as Pelican mold their handles directly into the design of the cooler for even more durability.
Non-slip feet
RTIC and Yeti coolers also both come with non-slip feet designed to help keep the cooler from sliding around in your truck bed or in your boat or kayak. This will be an essential feature if you don’t want your cooler sliding around all the time when you are trying to transport it.
Tie down slots
Another feature of both RTIC and Yeti coolers are tie-down slots. Tie down slots are there for extra prevention of your cooler sliding around as you can use a rope or cable to anchor your cooler to your truck bed or boat. This makes sure that your cooler won’t slide around as it will be tied down to an anchor point to help ensure that.
Cooler lock
If you want to make sure that you cooler is secure if you aren’t always going to be around to watch it both the RTIC and Yeti coolers featured have cooler lock holes molded into their design. This allows you to use a cable or just a regular padlock to lock the lid to the base of the cooler to keep it from being opened while you are gone. You could also use the cooler lock point to use a cable to anchor it to something else at your campsite with a padlock to make sure that someone doesn’t come up and try to take your expensive cooler.
Bear Rating
Both RTIC and Yeti coolers are designed to be able to hold up to a lot of abuse but the Yeti cooler is the only cooler with a bear rating. The bear rating designation means that Yeti tested their cooler against a bear to see if the bear could open up a sealed Yeti cooler. In their test, the bear was not able to open up the cooler so therefore Yeti then got their bear rating designation.
This would be useful if you are planning on camping in bear country and want to make sure that your cooler contents are going to be secure from bears.
Either RTIC hasn’t taken a test like this or their cooler didn’t stand up to that test as they don’t have that same bear rating on their hard shell cooler line. RTIC says on their website that their RTIC 65 is bear resistant.
Cooler sizes
RTIC 20
The RTIC 20 cooler is designed to hold up to 24 cans or 22 quarts of liquid. The RTIC 20 is going to be a great personal cooler to bring along to friends, play golf, on a kayak or canoe or campsite. Because of the smaller size, it’s more portable than the other coolers on this list, anyone should be able to carry the cooler by themselves. The RTIC 20 features a stainless steel handle instead of rope handles like the larger RTIC models.
RTIC 45
The RTIC 45 cooler is designed to hold 36 cans or 45 quarts of liquid. The RTIC 45 is mid-sized so it would be suitable for 1-2 people for a weekend trip. It’s typically going to be used on boating, tailgating, or beach trips. This cooler can still be carried by one person but is starting to get on the heavier side weighing in at 25 pounds without anything in it. Fully loaded expect this cooler to get to at least 45 pounds.
RTIC 65
The RTIC 65 cooler is designed to hold 64 cans or 65 quarts of liquid. The RTIC 65 is RTICs best selling large cooler and is typically used for extended camping trips, offshore fishing, and big game hunting. At 36.5 pounds it’s starting to get to the point where one person may not be enough to carry the cooler especially fully loaded but RTIC says it’s possible. The length of the cooler is only 30 inches so that shouldn’t be too long to be carried by one person, just don’t expect a little kid to be able to carry it.
RTIC 110
The RTIC 110 cooler is designed to hold 110 cans or 110 quarts of fluid. The RTIC 110 is one of RTIC’s larger coolers so it’s going to be suited for long camping trips, hunting big game, and long boat trips. The RTIC 110 weighs 48.5 pounds without anything in it so it’s going to weigh quite a bit once you start adding cans and ice inside. This one would probably need to be carried by at least two people if it’s fully loaded so keep that in mind.
RTIC vs Yeti Coolers – In conclusion
When reviewing RTIC vs Yeti coolers in a side by side comparison there isn’t much difference between the two in terms of features or ice retention capabilities and in some tests the RTIC actually out performs the Yeti. The RTIC is going to be a bit larger than the comparable Yeti cooler as well.
In my opinion, I would take the RTIC cooler over the Yeti cooler just because they are quite a bit cheaper than a comparable Yeti cooler. If two coolers essentially do the same thing why wouldn’t you pick the cheaper one? That’s just my opinion though so do with it what you want. Hopefully, this guide at least informed you more about the similarities and differences of RTIC coolers and Yeti coolers.
Have you wondered why Yeti coolers are so expensive? If so I’ve written an article explaining why Yeti coolers cost so much and what makes them so expensive.
