I'm looking for a decent cooler, but a YETI is out of the question and especially my budget.

From those who actually have a good lower priced alternative please chime in.

The Ozark stuff at Wally World is decent.
Ozark cooler

Lifetime

+1 on the Ozark Trail coolers at WalMart. They're pretty decent.

RTIC works for me

How long you going to be away for?

Less than a week I get by just fine with regular old Igloos and a steel Coleman. I'm one of those that uses a small cooler for the daily stuff, then closes the big ice chest and leaves it covered with an old sleeping bag or such, in the shade. Frozen milk jugs of our water (old desert dweller trick as you likely know) for block ice in it. If I know it's gonna be really hot I'll stop on the way to where I'm going for a bit of dry ice.

Most I think I've gone for was 9 days. And I figure if the two legged camp robbers get my ice chest I'm not out the cost of a "Yeti" type.

I own yeti, lifetime, and RTIC. The lifetime was the cheapest and works just as well as the others.

Magellan from Academy is good, the Walmart brand is solid also.

Was a guy on here a couple of years ago that was selling what looked like an unbranded yeti cooler. they were a great cooler, tough and well insulated.
Seems like he was out of Georgia, maybe?

Been on my mind. I'd buy from him again

Go to Youtube and seach for 'cooler comparison'. A bunch of tests have been done comparing Yeti to some much cheaper coolers. The Yeti doesn't always win. There are some much cheaper ones that will hold ice just as long or longer.

Two more votes for Lifetime and Ozark Trail (Walmart) brands. I have both. The Lifetime is really good at keeping stuff cold, but it's a heavy thing. It's for car to cabin carry once use.

Seller was david442 from Mississippi. He was on the classifieds withing the last couple of months.
Don't know if he still has coolers.

I bought two from him and they are top notch, I'd buy more if I could from him. David442 is his handle he was active within the last couple months.

Cold Bastard

https://daily.slickdeals.net/outdoors/cheap-knock-off-yeti-cooler-alternatives/

Link doesn't work

RTIC rotomolded are fine, but stay away from their soft sided ones.

Also, buddy's K2 and orca have not been great.

This is where I am. I like the ability to open the cooler from either side.

Lots of Chinese stuff out there. The bottom of my WalMart Ozark buckled. Lifetime was made in the USA last time I looked. Their price and performance are very good.

Fixed

https://www.waterbottle.tech/where-are-rtic-coolers-and-tumblers-made-usa-or-china/

Easy pass on the RTIC.

My wife got me a discounted one from where she works. It is a brand called nIce. I can’t tell a difference from my yeti on how long it holds ice, but at 1/2 the cost. Been on 2 vacations to the Mojave and holding up fine.

A regular old cooler and "The Trick" will get you pretty far down the road without spending Yeti knockoff money.

The Trick

Fill ice chest the night before leaving.

Before leaving, dump water and top ice chest off with fresh ice from the freezer.

Make sure any steaks you wanna eat that night aren't frozen when you get to camp.

So are yeti, lifetime, and many others listed here.

Lifetime Products are made here in Utah. I buy at their outlet stores which have "seconds" at about 2/3 to 1/2 price. I have yet to see what the defect is on any of their products sold that way.

This^^^^

Have been using a bunch of different brands for a long time. Rotomolded Lifetime from Walmart is by far the best deal.

RTIC and Orca are the only brands that have failed.

^^This is how I've done it for decades, before any Yeti and other Status-signalling high dollar gear became a must-have. A reflective tarp, shade, and air movement will keep frozen gal. jugs of water frozen for a long time in those very big Coleman coolers that are cheap. Now they get used to ice my fish, which are too big to fit in regular coolers (ha ha). Two-legged camp robbers will grab a Yeti out of your boat while you go for margaritas at days end.

plus 2 both of mine hold ice just as long as my buddy's yeti

I got lucky. My best buddy works at a sporting goods store in SC and I got three Yetis for dealer cost. A 45, 65 and a 105. That 105 is about perfect for a number of things. Dealer cost was 50% off.

My elk cooler, for taking home my boned out meat, is a Grizzly 165. Much less than Yeti and it’ll keep my elk meat frozen for four days with no problems. I fill it to the top with ice, three day trip home. Leave closed until I get to GA. Open it up the next day and the ice has dropped between a quarter and a half inch in those four days. Good enough for me.

I use a lifetime and it has been decent. I see Igloo has a good looking one. 1 1/2" thick walls. Should work as well.

When did Lifetime start making their coolers in China?

I've got two rtics that are pretty good.

I got the Lifetime 55qt cooler. It was between that and the Walmart 52qt one, and I would rather buy from a neighbor. It looks like it's well made, and I like to buy umercan.

I appreciate all the replies and good answers.

L2S

I got an 52 quart Igloo Overland a couple years ago. Nice because it has wheels and a nice pull handle. It also has carry handlles, but it gets heavy. It is 16 pounds empty. Made in Katy Texas I think.

Good call. They keep things cool for longer than I'd ever need them to and they aren't nearly as heavy as other premium coolers. They also get the "bear proof" rating.

12 volt fridge?

Take a look at 'Lifetime'

Built right here in Utah

Walmark offers them.........free shipping on $35+ orders

Or the Ozark Trail.....also at Walmark

I have the Lifetime 55........sorta heavy.....but was $106 delivered

https://www.lifetime.com/lifetime-90949g-55-quart-high-performance-cooler

So, those Lifetime coolers are made here in the good ol' US of A still.

Because some of their products no longer are.

I used to get their folding tables, because of the USA thing............last ones I looked at were made in China.


So it might pay to look carefully at some of their products.

Yes. It's lighter too. Pelican is not much cheaper, but holds cold much better than Yeti.

It’s not only about ice holding ability. I’ve never had a regular old style cooler last more than a couple of years, the hinges, latches, and handles tear up. My two RTICs have been going for years with no problems. They’re banged up but 100% functional. They’ve been a lot cheaper than replacing the others every two years. The ice holding is really the least of my concerns.

I have one of those I use with a solar panel and battery at the cabin...works great. It has a freezer side, too.

That's the one I ordered. It's $172.00 delivered to NV now. F J B !!

shows $129 + tax from Walmark shipped

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lifetime-55-Quart-High-Performance-Cooler-90949/490384164?athbdg=L1600

Direct from Lifetime is more

https://www.lifetime.com/lifetime-90949g-55-quart-high-performance-cooler

I've owned both Yeti and RTIc and for my money they are equal and RTIC is half the money.

I also have a Lifetime that I purchased at the outdoor expo. They were selling blemished coolers for cheap. Got a 65 for $119. It works pretty well

Yep.
I never need ice in a cooler for a long time.
Cheap Igloo/Coleman coolers out class a Yeti by a mile for us.
Lighter, cheaper, more size efficient.


Love the Yeti coffee mug.
Mine was free, vendor sway from the wife's trade show travels.
I'd immediately replace it if lost.

I tink this one is the one i purchased as well
Holds the cold for a long time
I am happy with it.

How do you plan to use it? The vast majority of people don't need a cooler like Yeti, RTIC etc. If you are using it for beer and sodas and whatever where you will be opening it frequently it's no better than a Coleman. And they are heavy as hell.

70 Quart Coleman Extreme for about $70.00. Keeps ice for days and has hauled elk to PA from NM 3 years in a row.

Not sure why everyone thinks you need a Roto molded $200.00 dollar name brand cooler to keep drinks cold for an afternoon...

For $119 I might even be able to go for one.

The steel Coleman I have cost $70 or so a long time ago.

$200 now on the Amazon site

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Steel-Belted-54-Quart-Tailgating-Activities/dp/B07VLBS4DX

they were blemished so they were selling them cheap. They sold out before I left. Probably should have bought two…

Mine will often be used on 3-6 day hunts in the middle of NV, so a good quality cooler is important. It won't be a beer chest for a day hunt by any stretch. Many of the places we go to take long hours of driving dirt roads and 4X4 roads. I don't need a Bubba Beer Bin. I need something that'll keep perishables.

I've got blemishes.

My truck has blemishes.

I think everything I own by this time of life has blemishes.



It would fit right in and hardly be noticeable.

That’s why I bought it. Matches everything else I own…

I have a Canyon Cooler for my raft. We used them in the heat of summer 17+ days on the Grand Canyon and by the last day still had ice. Now we weren't keeping drinks cold in them, but produce, meat and dairy. Produce and dairy coolers were filled about 2/3s with solid ice, frozen in a walk-in. A fitted piece of mylar bubble pack was placed over the ice. Food was placed on top of the bubble pack and another piece was placed over the food, under the lid. Meat was frozen in layers in the ice with one layer of bubble pack. First night's meat on top and work your way down to the last day.

Wet towels are kept on the coolers.

For our normal rivers I just put solid block ice and frozen food in the bottom of the cooler. Then do the same thing with the mylar and towels. Cold drinks in the cooler after chilling them in a drag bag in the river. Can have ice (and cold beer) for 7 days on a hot river.

FWIW...

Only read the title of the thread. If you are looking for an alternative to the Yeti fry pan at $400 but Out of Stock, it is the same as the Butter Pat Joan skillet apart from the name on the helper tab. You save $55 to boot.

I have a lot of old Lodge and some very old with no names from around the 1850s.

I do like cast iron pans!

They could hide in my stuff just fine.

For the price of some of these coolers you could buy a freezer and a generator.

I have two lifetime coolers I got at walmart. They keep ice better/longer than my yeti. side x side comparison on a 5 day trip at deer camp.

For us, a medium size one of these has been just as good as the same type YETI, but cost significantly less.

The chug bottles are awesome. This time of year I go through 2 or 3(or more) per day. Chill them in the fridge overnight and they're gtg all day long. I can drink semi-warm water out of stainless steel but hate warm plastic bottles.

And of course I have a couple coffee cups as well.


Just reloaded the fleet. When you're out all day these are the absolute chizzle.

I bought a Lifetime. Junk, spent the money for an ORCA wish I had the money I wasted before buying the Orca.

Pro-staff cab coolers the last couple days....lol

Just a PSA, for military guys, both Yeti and Orca give a 20% Military discount when buying direct.

Hint: Ice & water can't go below 32 until all the water is frozen. Once it's completely frozen, it can go down to any temp. Bagged ice from store ice machines likely won't be below 15 or 20. If you have a freezer at 0, leaving your ice in it overnight will take it to 0 and it will last a lot longer. If you freeze your own ice, let it freeze solid (32) then let it sit in there at least overnight to get colder.

You need to be added onto pro-staff ASAP.

Now I know why steak is $15/lb.

Haha, yeah right.


Should be $20!

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Insu...ay+cooler&qid=1686797829&sr=8-12

Made in USA

I have Yeti and Orca.

Great coolers but not worth the money. I used gift cards to purchase mine so I was not out of pocket for them.

They are tough as hell but heavy when full. Someone mentioned that if you are in and out of them on a frequent basis they are no better than a regular cooler.

I agree. Ice retention is not much better in this case.

Buying at thrift shops, who cares?

Fully agree on both counts. Wife bought their soft suded coolers. The seam glue went bad. Filled entire thing with water that never dried out. Mildew city.

As others said, Lifetime coolers are made in USA. Some of their stuff isn’t. And they’re not just a Walmart brand.

Yeti is Chinese as well as RTIC. “Proudly designed in USA”

I just bought a wheeler Magellan from Academy. Verdict still out in it.

All the cheap coolers end up with broken lids/latches/handles. So like somebody above said, there’s a lot more to a cooler than ice retention.

For the price of a summer's worth of ice plus one of these things you could buy an ICECO fridge. You got wheels? You got juice. Plug it in and stay gone. I leave our camper fridge on all the time sitting idle a week at a time. Ice chests are so last century. Bud Lite gotta be cold, Homie! Wake up; climb down outa them trees...Ape age is over!

How was the Lifetime junk? They have a 5 year warranty. Did you use it?

Rtic

China.

Tag

We have five of the bottles in the house, had six last week but some clown backed his trailer over it...excellent items.

I use a smaller rotomolded knock off cooler
in the boat and it’s great for that, gets used a step and people sit on it all the time, great application

Other than that I really prefer the lighter Coleman extremes for most of my uses. I’ve got three, two were purchased in 2004 and I’m still using them. They are not rugged and indestructible like a rotomolded cooler. But I swear my buddies yetis empty seem as heavy as my Coleman’s full of ice and food/meat. Pre-chill, they hold ice a long time, cheaper, lighter, and take up less space.

I have yeti and RTIC. Both work about the same. I think RIC may be slightly heavier. I have a few soft-side and they are good for travelling in the car, but ice retention is not an option. I bought a few CATERGATOR coolers for my employees from THE RESTURANT STORE.COM. 20 Qt are less than $90 and 45 Qt are $125. They have been on camping rips, back of trucks and in tractor cabs and held up very well. For the price difference, this is probably the way I will be going on my next cooler

In the high end cooler market, Bison Coolers deserve mention. Made in the USA and they offer a military/first responder discount. I owned their largest model and used it as a seat in my last boat. My experience with them was very good. Some roto coolers have SUBSTANTIALLY larger exterior dimensions than interior, due to molded in handles and such. Bison is middle of the pack in this regard. That was key for me in my decision.

Here's mine. Pipe insulation and duct tape.

What isn't, including the computers we are using?

“Inexpensive YETI alternative?”

Refrigerator?

+1 on the Lifetime recommendation. Mine is USA-made. Really well built. Great clasps on the lid. Certified as bear-resistant (but exact bear size was unspecified )

https://www.lifetime.com/lifetime-91000-lifetime-115-quart-high-performance-cooler

Jeff Foxworthy would be proud!

Red Green was the inspiration.

There are a number of USA made cost competitive premium coolers. Several have been mentioned in this thread. RTIC is not a good company. They knew their glue and zipper on their soft coolers was absolute crap, they continued to sell them knowing full well that they'd barely make it past the warranty before they started failing. In the previously posted link to a cooler competition, RTIC didn't fare as well as some of the cheaper coolers. Bad company, sub-standard performance and made in China. The question is why would anyone buy one?

I believe Lifetime coolers are made here in Utah

Provo/Salt Lake ?

https://www.lifetime.com/coolers

Yep, you can spend twice as much on a lesser cooler that is made in china.

I agree but also do hate to see so much incursion by that country into both of our economies. My dad told me 45yrs ago that china will be a huge threat in the world down the road.

Tag

I'm not going to read this entire thread. So if this has already been said, sorry.

I can buy four Igloo coolers for the price of one Yeti cooler and the Yeti won't last any longer or do a better job.

And they’ll still be in your truck bed when you get back from where ever.

If the ladies don’t find ya handsome, they should at least find ya handy!

Where is their outlet store located? I may have to check it out.

I used to use the Coleman extremes but could never get much more than a couple of years out of them before the hinge or handle would break. They were around $50 and after 4-5 of them I said Fook it and bought an Rtic when they first came out and you had a 3 month wait. It was a 65qt. I soon bought another 65, a 45 and a couple of 20’s. They are all still in operation without a single failure. I also have 2 yeti coolers, a mammoth, orca and a lifetime. All have done well and see constant use. My brother has the Pelican elites and my next will probably be one of those.

I’m stealing that, except I’m going to call it “Not Yeti”

The pelican coolers are the best for me, hauling meat 2K miles across the country. But they are not a cheap alternative, that's for sure.

Here is a link. We have 5 or 6 for personal use and business and have given away 15-20 to customers.Just bought a pallet of them.

Retail Stores

I have 2 Lifetime 55's that I got from Wally world about 5-6 years ago. $99 bucks each. I like them well enough, but I do not think they are roto molded. Or at least the plastic is different.The plastic is much more pliable.

The top is not rigid like the roto molded coolers are. It will sag a little with weight. A little heavy, but serve the purpose.

As for RTIC soft sided coolers. My oldest got one for Christmas 2-3 years back. The zipper broke a few months ago. Called them up to see what they would or wouldn't do. Sent me a new cooler free of charge.
Sample of 1.


Clyde

Getting ready for a raft trip. Stealing this.

I know this doesn't apply to the OP's question but if your looking for a Yeti quality (or better) cooler that is made in America, check out Bison Coolers.

I got the white 25 qt. and 50 qt. coolers for my 25th Anniversary at my old job. I wouldn't pay $600.00 for 2 coolers but free was just the right price! - grin


https://www.bisoncoolers.com/collections/hard-coolers


https://www.bisoncoolers.com/blogs/news/what-we-mean-when-we-say-bison-coolers-are-made-in-america

So simple but so effective. I'm stealing it too.

Might be cheaper at WM.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lifetime-115-Quart-High-Performance-Cooler-91108/484797545

Free from the Cat dealer, so what if it's a Yedi?

Been on many a two week moose hunt climbing out of the boat with the motor meter saying 80 some odd hours, always took the cooler that was on its last legs . Took food out of chest freezer and put stuff in one of those marine 150 coolers. Dropped in the trip cooler ,let it freeze then filled with items for the trip...placing the last meal in 1st and topping with the first night's dinner ... lasts the entire trip ! The cooler gets its handles an hinges pulled ...and into the fire for that nice heat and light 🔥

It's not because the ranchers are get'n rich.

I had a 120 quart Igloo from Walmart that I used for my fishing/spearfishing need for over 15 years, paid about $50 for it. I'd fill it with ice and often fish and use it all day in the hot Florida sun, at the end of the day, I'd clean the fish and dump the remaining ice in the yard, it lasted all day and was large enough for the occasional big fish. I finally retired it to the dump and bought another of the same for $75, hard to beat at this price and easy enough to handle. I mainly use coolers these days for hunting game meat for the ride home and the Igloo does just fine. I do like coolers like the RTIC but they are heavy and take up more room. I guess it really matters how long you need to keep the ice solid. I've got a SuperHandy from Amazon and it's been a really good cooler.

That works too. I put a foam bottom in mine. It sees duty by the BBQ mostly.

I have Yeti and Rtic. Cant tell any difference in them. Coleman extreme isn't even close for keeping ice frozen. I take vacation every year for deer season 3 weeks. I fill my Yeti 110 before season and take ice out as we use it top it off when we go to town. The bags of ice on the bottom will still be 1/2 frozen after 3 weeks if not used. With any coleman I had it was all melted after 5 days. I have had the Yeti 8 years and done this with it every year. It is heavy and the number one target of theives but it works. I think they are overpriced but lots of good gear is. From the way it has held up so far I suspect it will last the rest of my life.