My understanding from the 'industry insiders' that I know is that the high end coolers ( yeti etc.) have as their main calling card durability. Yes they do keep stuff colder longer, but the thing is if you are young and never want to buy another cooler, they are the way to go.....if you don't mind lugging them around with their thick walls , and they hold less because of it. But conventional coolers and the new 'extreme' models last me about 15 years, so they'll do!
