Yeti Versus Smart Coolers

Have you heard the joke about the blonde??

A blonde woman walks into a store and is immediately curious about a shiny object on sale. She asks the shop assistant, 'What is that?' The assistant responds, 'It's a thermos.' The blonde then asks, 'What does it do?' 'It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.' So the blonde buys one. The next day she brings the thermos to work with her. Her boss, also a blonde, asks, 'What is the shiny object?' 'It's a thermos.' 'What does it do?' 'It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.' Her boss then asks, 'What do you have in there?' The blonde replies, 'Two cups of coffee and a Popsicle.' source

Super cheesy, I know. I remember hearing it as a kid and I've never fogotten it.
Obviously, you can't put hot and cold items in a thermos together and expect them to maintain their temperature. But what if I told you that I have a cup that can keep ice in it for 24 hours?

I do!

Last year my parents gave me a Yeti 30 oz Rambler Tumbler for my birthday. I was stoked! I am an ice lover. I always fill my cups up with ice. They had recently gone on a trip to humid Georgia to visit my Aunt who raved about hers. They purchased some for themselves and were instantly in love. My Dad left his Iced tea in his Yeti in the rental car during the summer for over 6 hours. It still had ice in it when he came back from their excursion!!! Absolutely amazing!

That's why I jumped at the opportunity to review the Smart Coolers 30 oz Tumbler. Could it possibly be as good as my Yeti? Could a cheaper version actually be a nice gift?

You see, I tried buying my husband a Yeti for Christmas. I couldn't though. They were all on backorder or sold out... EVERYWHERE. I was devastated. I wanted to give him the perfect gift, but I didn't trust any other brands. Could anything truly compare with the original?

Yes!

I found one that does. It is made from the same kitchen-grade 18/8 Stainless Steel. This means that you won't taste the metal. It holds the same thirty ounces. Both of them feature Vacuum-Insulation. Neither one of them will sweat, so it's okay to forget the coaster. Both of them come with a clear lid that has a permanent opening for drinking.

Do they really perform the same?

As far as I can tell, Yes! I performed two different tests - one for maintaining ice, and the other for maintaining heat. For the ice test I simply filled them both up to maximum capacity with ice. I placed their lids on and then placed them somewhere where they would both receive the same constant external temperatures. Then I waited. I checked on them at 14 hours and again at 24 hours. These were my results:

*Remember - I did not place any liquids in with the ice. Adding liquids will make your ice melt faster. It's kind of like placing hot coffee and a popsicle in a thermos. However, the ice will maintain much better than your average cup.

I keep my house at 68 degrees during the colder months, so it is fairly reasonable for the ice to last as long as it did. You cannot expect these same results during the summer. I am really curious to see if the Smart Cooler works just as well in the extreme heat of summer like the Yeti did. I'll let you know in July.

Next, I did the heat challenge. I boiled some water on the stove and then I poured it into both containers. I placed the lids on and took an initial reading to make sure we had the same starting temperature. I then placed them in the same location I used for the cold test. Every hour for ten hours I would measure the temperature in my log. Here are my results:

The Smart Cooler actually stayed really close to the Yeti. The temperature differences were only miniscule. It was always within 2 - 4 degrees Farenheit. The Yeti was always slightly warmer, but barely. Not enough that I think it would matter too much when drinking your beverage.

The Smart Cooler is $32.99 and the Yeti retails for $39.99. That is a 7 dollar difference! That is only for Prime Members however. I don't know what the shipping rates for the Smart Coolers are for non-Prime members. If it's more than seven dollars then buy from Yeti because they offer free shipping.
UPDATE: Come to find out, the free shipping only applies to their large coolers, not the tumblers. During checkout you will also be charged sales tax and shipping. For me, that made it an extra $6.73 for the Yeti. Hope that helps!

The Smart Cooler stands just barely taller than the Yeti, but not by much. The base of the Smart Cooler is also slightly larger than the Yeti. I am not sure if that will prevent it from fitting in your cup holder or not. Both of these products fit in the cup holders in my Camry.

Overall, I am really impressed. I did not expect the Smart Cooler to perform as well as the Yeti. Yet, it did! The more affordable option can actually work just as well as the name-brand tumbler. If you want your coffee to still be warm at the end of an 8-hour shift or you don't want your ice to water down your soda then you should definitely invest in a good tumbler. I also love to use mine for smoothies and shakes! It keeps them cold and nice and thick. I would recommend both of these tumblers to my friends and family. You get to choose which option is better for you!

You can find the Smart Cooler Travel Tumbler HERE.

You can find the Yeti Rambler Tumbler HERE.

Go ahead and compare them for yourself.

I received the Smart Cooler Travel Tumbler at a discounted price for testing and reviewing purposes. These are my personal opinions and experiences. Thanks for reading!