Whether you’re trekking dusty trails, wrestling a fish from the lake, or sinking into a lawn chair with a cold one, a solid cooler’s your ride-or-die. YETI coolers? Sure, they’re legends—tough as nails and colder than your ex’s goodbye. But that price? Oof. Feels like frostbite on your wallet.
Here’s the good part. You don’t need to torch your savings to keep beers frosty and sandwiches crisp. We’ve rounded up 12 killer YETI alternatives—hard-sided tanks, soft-sided champs, and even backpack rigs for hands-free hauling.
Got ten bucks or two hundred? Weekend warrior or backyard BBQ boss? There’s a match for you. Time to fill that cooler, crack a drink, and let the good times chill.
Best Hard Cooler YETI Alternatives
BrüMate BrüTank 55-Quart Rolling Cooler
Sick of hauling a cooler that turns drinks into bathwater? Grab the BrüMate BrüTank 55-Quart Rolling Cooler.
Beach, tailgate, campsite—you roll up, pull the tap, and pour an ice-cold drink from the 2.8-gallon tank. No soggy cans. No label soup. Just cold, crisp refreshment.
Built tough with rotomolded walls and all-terrain wheels, it chews up sand, gravel, and bad decisions. Ice stays frozen for over a week—longer than your sunburn.
Need a seat? Foam bench top. Dry rack for snacks? Check. Built-in bottle opener? Of course. Holds 50 slim cans, 48 regulars, or 12 wine bottles—plus 40 pounds of ice.
Trash the clunker in your garage. BrüTank’s ready for whatever chaos you call a weekend.
Pelican™ Elite Cooler – 20 qt.
The Pelican™ Elite 20 QT Cooler gets the job done—minus the bank heist. Built tough, like the gear that guards military equipment in the wildest conditions, this beast keeps ice solid for two straight days. That’s 48 hours of crisp drinks and fresh snacks, whether you’re camping, fishing, or flipping burgers in the backyard.
Tall and mighty, this 20-quart workhorse holds 15 cans or four wine bottles—upright, no cramming. Perfect for those “just one more” kind of afternoons.
But it’s not just a frosty fortress. Pelican crams in features that make you nod with approval. Molded-in lock hasp? Check—keeps raccoons and sneaky buddies out. Built-in bottle opener? Always ready—because warm beer is a crime. Sturdy carry handle? Yep—hauling it feels like swinging a sledgehammer, minus the sore shoulder.
Crafted in the USA and backed by a lifetime guarantee, this cooler doesn’t flinch under pressure. Pelican built it to last—because nobody likes buying the same thing twice.
Skip the overpriced hype. Grab a Pelican. Cold drinks, no drama.
Orca Hard Sided Cooler – 48 Cans
Meet the Orca 48-Can Hard Sided Cooler—your frost guardian. This beast holds 40 quarts, plenty for weekend campfires, parking lot feasts, or casting lines on open water. Ice runs? Skip ’em. Thick insulation keeps drinks and grub chilled for up to 10 days—yeah, over a week of ice-cold bliss. Tough as nails, with a gasket-sealed lid, it shrugs off rough roads and remote trails.
Loading up? No sweat. Flex-grip handles stretch to fit your grip, solo or buddy-lift. Cargo net stashes snacks or gadgets. Drain spout dumps melted ice fast—no wrestling with slosh. Born and built in the USA, this cooler punches like a Yeti but won’t mug your wallet.
Coleman® Wheeled Cooler – 45 qt.
The Coleman® Wheeled Cooler – 45 qt hauls a mountain of cold drinks and snacks wherever life takes you. Thick foam walls trap the chill like a bear hugging its last fish. A telescoping handle snaps into place, with two sturdy wheels trailing behind like loyal pups.
Camping trips, tailgates, park picnics—this beast fits right in. It gulps down 70 cans like it’s training for a soda-drinking contest. Tall 2-liter bottles? They stand proud, no tipping over and leaking like that one time in Uncle Bob’s trunk.
When the ice melts, a built-in drain lets the slushy mess flow out fast—no awkward tilting or wrestling with half-melted cubes.
Best Soft Cooler YETI Alternatives
Urban Peak® Waterproof Hinge Cooler – 12 Can
The Urban Peak® 12-Can Waterproof Hinge Cooler punches above its weight, giving spendy names like Yeti a run for their money. It keeps drinks icy and snacks crisp without raiding your wallet. Built tough with matte 55C PVC mesh tarpaulin and a heat-sealed liner, it shrugs off spills and storms alike. Your lunch won’t drown, and your six-pack stays frosty.
Thick 10mm foam insulation does the heavy lifting—holding its own against those high-dollar coolers. Perfect for day trips, park hangs, or parking lot grilling sessions. You know, those times when your buddy “forgets” the ice, but yours hangs on like a champ.
Looks aren’t an afterthought, either. A sturdy zipper pops with color stitching. Front slash pocket? Handy for napkins or bottle caps. Side handles? Because nobody needs a wrestling match with their cooler.
Sure, it lacks Yeti’s billboard status. But feature for feature? Urban Peak stands tall. Daisy chains let you clip on gear like a pro. A stainless steel bottle opener stays strapped down with elastic—because nobody likes hunting for that thing when the burgers are flipping.
Need cold drinks without your bank account sweating? This cooler’s your huckleberry. Rugged, waterproof, good-looking, and built to work. Toss it in the trunk, load it up, and let the good times chill.
Koozie® Water-Resistant Olympus Kooler Tote – 36-Can
The Koozie® Water-Resistant Olympus Kooler Tote hits a sweet spot for folks who want chill drinks without draining their wallets like a Yeti cooler might. Sure, it won’t keep ice frozen for a week like those hefty rotomolded beasts, but the water-resistant tarpaulin shell and heat-sealed PEVA liner hold their own. Drinks stay cold plenty long for a beach run, a tailgate party, or that “just one night” camping trip that somehow always stretches into two.
Thirty liters of space—36 cans plus ice—means you’re packing more than just a couple of sodas. Toss in a few brews, maybe some questionable leftover pasta salad, and you’re set. Built-in bottle openers dangle ready, multiple carry handles give you options, and the front pocket eagerly swallows keys, napkins, or that weird snack nobody asked for but someone will eat.
If you’re not gearing up for an Arctic expedition, this tote just makes life easier. Lighter than those back-breaking premium coolers, it won’t leave you wheezing before you reach the picnic table. Stashing it in the trunk is a breeze—no cooler Tetris required. Rugged build, thoughtful extras, and a price tag that doesn’t trigger buyer’s remorse? Not a bad deal.
Backyard barbecue, lazy river float, or that park where frisbees always vanish into bushes—this cooler rolls with you. Cold drinks. Less stress. More fun.
Igloo® Seadrift™ Hard Lined Cooler – 24 Can
Hunting for a cooler that keeps drinks frosty without emptying your wallet? The Igloo® Seadrift™ Hard Lined Cooler steps up as a budget-friendly rival to spendy brands like Yeti. It holds 24 cans and packs MaxCold® insulation—25% more foam than the usual fare—keeping your stash chilled longer.
Cleanup’s a breeze, thanks to a leak-resistant, antimicrobial liner. Inside, a removable hard plastic liner stiffens the structure—like those fancy models but without the sticker shock. Access feels slick, too. Dual zippers open the main compartment, a top hatch gives quick grabs, and a front zippered pocket stashes extras.
Comfort isn’t an afterthought. Lugging a loaded cooler shouldn’t feel like hauling bricks. The adjustable shoulder strap, padded for mercy, spares your muscles. Materials lean eco-friendly—EPPE heat-sealed lining, PVC-free, and phthalate-free.
One small twist—you’ll get it unassembled. Sounds odd, but it means shipping’s more compact, and storage later might be simpler. Whether you’re tailgating, beach lounging, or camping under stars, the Igloo® Seadrift™ packs plenty of punch for less cash.
Eddie Bauer® Max Cool Cooler – 24 Can
The Eddie Bauer® Max Cool Cooler hits that sweet spot—solid performance without torching your wallet like a Yeti. Sure, it won’t keep ice for a week in the desert, but it holds its own. Thick, 1-inch closed-cell foam traps the chill. Leakproof PEVA lining keeps things tidy. Rugged 300D ripstop polyester shell with PVC coating shrugs off scuffs like a champ. This thing’s built to ride along—picnics, tailgates, quick camping jaunts.
Soft-sided means easier hauling. No wrestling a bulky box into your trunk. Sling the detachable shoulder strap over your shoulder or grab the webbing handles. There’s even a front slip pocket—handy for napkins or that rogue granola bar you swear you didn’t pack.
But wait—Max Cool’s not just a cold box. The “why didn’t everyone think of this” extras dial up the usefulness. Built-in bottle opener? Yes, please. Inside, a zippered PVC mesh pocket keeps small stuff from vanishing into the snack abyss. Bungee cord on top secures jackets or extra gear. Front and back daisy chains let you clip on whatever—keys, utensils, maybe a lucky charm if you believe in cooler voodoo.
All this from Eddie Bauer—a brand that’s been around long enough to know their zippers from their seams. And the kicker? Price tag won’t make your bank account weep. Yeti-level quality vibes, minus the “am I buying a cooler or a used car?” price shock.
Best Backpack Cooler YETI Alternatives
The Viking Collection® Voyage Backpack Cooler – 24 Can
The Viking Collection® Voyage Backpack Cooler punches above its weight against heavy hitters like Yeti. It’s not trying to win a frostbite contest—it’s built for folks who’d rather carry cold drinks than a cinder block.
Straps are padded, weight’s trimmed down, and the backpack style hugs your back instead of bruising your leg. Hikes, beach days, tailgates—any place where lugging a clunky box feels like hauling bricks—this cooler fits right in.
Holds 24 cans. More than enough to quench a crew’s thirst. Pockets? Plenty. Keys, snacks, sporks—stuff stays put instead of floating around like a junk drawer on ice. Even the material’s doing good work—RPET, recycled plastic—because nobody wants their fun leaving a trash trail.
Now, will it keep drinks glacier-cold for three days? Nope. But it’ll handle a long day in the sun without turning your cola into bathwater. Fair trade-off for not paying Yeti-level cash.
Price runs lighter, too. Built-in bottle opener saves the “anyone got a lighter?” routine. Reflective bits keep it visible when daylight dips. Daisy chain lets you clip on extras—because someone’s always bringing something awkward.
If portability and smart storage beat out marathon ice retention for you, the Viking Voyage Backpack Cooler’s a solid pick. Less cash, less hassle, more cold drinks on your back.
Hydro Flask® 20L Carry Out™ Soft Cooler Backpack
The Hydro Flask 20L Carry Out Soft Cooler Backpack takes a swing at the hefty, boxy coolers like Yeti—perfect when hauling ice bricks on your back isn’t the vibe. Yeti’s famous for holding ice like a vault, but this backpack plays a different game: freedom.
Padded, stashable straps let you roam trails, parks, or festival grounds with both hands free for whatever—high-fives, frisbees, or wrangling kids. The wide, clamshell-style lid flips open quick, giving you a clear shot at your snacks. Spills? Handled. The leakproof liner shrugs off messes like it’s done this before.
If you’re after cold drinks without the deadweight, this cooler makes a solid case for ditching the old-school box.
Sure, it won’t keep ice for a week like a Yeti fortress, but it’s not built for basecamp marathons. This one’s a sprinter—24 hours of chill for quick getaways. That’s plenty for tailgates, beach hangs, or chasing sunsets.
Tough, water-shedding fabric wraps it up, with a molded base that stays firm, not floppy. Side stretch pocket hugs a water bottle, while gear loops let you clip on extras—like a bottle opener for those “oops, forgot it again” moments.
Light, rugged, and easy to haul—this backpack cooler ditches bulk without skimping on the cool factor.
Koozie® Olympus Kooler Backpack – 36-Can
The Koozie® Olympus Kooler Backpack punches above its weight for folks eyeing a cooler without shelling out Yeti money. It holds 36 cans—enough for a small army of thirsty friends. Perfect for quick jaunts, park hangs, or tailgate marathons. The backpack straps hug your shoulders, even when it’s stuffed to the brim. No backaches, no grumbling—just cold drinks.
Price? A breath of relief. You’re not handing over a paycheck like with a Yeti. Yet it still holds its ground. Built tough with water-shedding fabric, it laughs off spills and surprise rain showers. Inside, a heat-sealed liner locks in cold for 30 hours—longer than some weekend plans last.
Bonus perks? Twin bottle openers stitched right in. No frantic pocket digging when the caps need cracking. Handy. Smart. Makes you the hero at any cookout.
Under Armour® Backpack Cooler
The Under Armour® Backpack Cooler hits different from those spendy Yeti coolers—especially if you’re all about easy hauling and staying organized. That LEVELED™ strap setup? Genius. It spreads the load across your shoulders, so lugging a full stash of drinks doesn’t feel like punishment. Hands-free is the move, whether you’re trekking up a trail, tailgating with the crew, or just wrangling kids and snacks at the park.
But this thing’s not just easy to carry—it’s clever, too. Flip the lid, and there’s a roomy pocket underneath. Side pocket? Hidden. Plus, there’s that Under Armour® Stash bag dangling off the front, ready to gobble up whatever odds and ends you toss its way. Side handles let you grab and go, and the vented back panel keeps you from marinating in your own sweat. Smart moves all around.
Sure, it won’t keep ice rock-solid for days like a YETI fortress, but that’s not the game here. This cooler plays to the hustle. Built tough with 600D polyester and LDPE, it handles rough rides. There’s a built-in bottle opener—because, of course—and Molle webbing for clipping on gear. That Stash bag? Lifesaver. Keeps your keys and granola bars from doing a disappearing act in the ice slush.
If you’re after cold drinks, easy carry, and a wallet that doesn’t cry, the Under Armour® Backpack Cooler stacks up strong. Less fuss, more function—the kind of sidekick that gets you through the day without drama.