Hard-sided coolers are the largest Ozark Trail coolers and the most durable, so you’ll pay more for a hard-sided model. They also keep ice long and, in my opinion, are the best designed soft sided coolers out there (with the exception maybe of the Pelican soft sided cooler). You may be familiar with brands like Yeti, RTIC, Engel and Pelican which are all big names in the cooler space. Each of these companies make their own soft sided coolers and the Ozark Trail is Walmart’s attempt to compete with these and sell their own brand.
Moreover, this Yeti cooler comes with a couple of extra features that make it even more useful and convenient. One of these features I particularly liked is the presence of LipGrip handles – carrying ozark trail cooler this thing around is as easy as it gets. I also liked the model’s T-Rex lid latches, as these keep the Yeti cooler completely sealed at all times and ensure that the lid doesn’t pop off.
Coolers are one of the most vital outdoor equipment to have on hand for the summer, providing a solution to warm beers and melted cheese. They’re a great reasonably-priced cooler option and work well. This can cooler even has a bottle opener in the bottom for your friends drinking from a bottle. One of the best selling points (pun intended) of Ozark Trail Coolers is their great asking price. You will find that nearly every model is extremely affordable. This is a big reason why this company has been so popular over the past few years and it makes it easier to overlook any issues that we may have with them.
Both brand of coolers comes with a detachable shoulder strap so you can carry the cooler without your hands. Ozark Trail on the other hand are Walmart’s white label brand and the internet is littered with reviews of poor quality of their products. In terms of build quality, this is a BPA-free mug made out of high-grade 18/8 stainless steel, so you won’t really have to worry about its durability. Unfortunately, it is available in a single color – burnished stainless steel – but hey, it’s four times cheaper than the Yeti Rambler 14 oz mug.
Also, the stainless steel hardware and orange accents on the latches and handles look very sharp. We hope that in the future, Ozark Trail decides to expand on the color choices and perhaps have some customization options as well. Ozark Trail, despite their best intentions, doesn’t quite live up to the level of ice retention and toughness of a Yeti. While they do have many of the same features, there are more notable quality issues with Ozark Trail models.
However, the build quality and durability is not comparable to Yeti and s come with no warranty. Smaller Ozark Trail soft-sided coolers have padded shoulder straps for comfortable carrying. Larger models often have wheels on the bottom and a telescoping handle, so you can easily pull the cooler to transport it.
Consequently, unless you really need those extra couple hours of ice retention, you will be just as satisfied with an Ozark Trail as you would with a Yeti Tundra. Consequently, you do not have to worry about water spilling outside once the ice has melted nor water getting inside on a rainy day. Indeed, hard shell Ozark Trail coolers are highly resourceful in the sense that they are equipped with everything you’ll need on your little adventure.
The handles have a similar design as the ones on YETI Tundras – the only difference being that this item doesn’t feature the same sturdy military-grade rope. It’s thinner – like the kind you would normally see on a backpack. Opposite of this end, we have the Ozark Trail coolers, the brand that every budget savvy person goes for. There are many camping cooler brands that are mainly aiming to compete with YETI’s market dominance. After running a few Ozark Trail Vs Yeti tests with multiple but equal variables, it has become evident that Yeti Tundra is highly overpriced. Do not jump to conclusions, neither Yeti is a bad brand nor Ozark Trail is an equal but they are impressive tight in terms of performance.
Whether or not these fit and finish issues haunt you almost seems like luck of the draw. To achieve these asking prices, some shortcuts in manufacturing and quality were necessary. An example of the color choices for the popular 24-can soft cooler is shown in the image below. And to maximize how much squeeze the gasket produces, having strong latches that provide a lot of clamping force is necessary. You will find the popular “T-latch” design on ozark trail coolers.