This is right up there with Yeti as one of the best soft sided coolers on the market and sells for about $100 less than the similar sized Yeti. Yeti soft sided coolers are much higher quality and perform better than Ozark Trail soft sided coolers. Yeti soft sided coolers are made from heavy duty 840D nylon that is TPU laminated and uses RF welding to seal it all together. Ozark Trail coolers have similar features to the Yeti Hopper Flip coolers with thick insulation, a waterproof zipper and shoulder strap. They don’t keep ice quite as long as the Yeti but still hold ice for about 2 days.
This can include things such as premature leaking, warping of the lid, and stitching coming undone. The asking prices for the various Ozark Trail Coolers will fluctuate quite a bit depending on which model you are going with. But seeing how Ozark Trail is in the business of making cost-effective products, all models should be affordable (particularly when compared to their industry competition). Also included in the 52 and 73-quart models is an internal wire basket. Oftentimes, this basket doesn’t come with the cooler and costs extra as an accessory. So we appreciate Ozark trail going ahead and throwing that in free of charge.
Ozark Trail on the other hand offers a similar, but not quite as good, version without the brand name and sells for a small fraction of the price. Manufactured from thick 18/8 stainless steel, this mug is also very rugged and capable of withstanding a lot of wear and tear. At BestReviews, we make choosing the best products easy with our in-depth research and testing.
For this reason, the handles feel rather insecure and more prone to wear and tear. There are, however, customers that say they are sturdier than they look. The Ozark also features four cup holders, which means it also doubles as a table. Furthermore, the latches are secure, so the risk of them popping off is very low; the food will remain insulated for as long as you leave it there. Considering that this product received a bear-resistant certificate from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, you know for sure that your food will stay safe as you’re camping.
For a completely customized wrap or pad, use our Custom Form here. If you are lucky and receive a model that has the quality issues discussed above ironed out, Ozark Trail Coolers are one of the best bargains in the industry right now. It is also worth mentioning that all of the metal components you will find are comprised of quality stainless steel. This helps to minimize the change of corrosion or breaking, even after many years of use. We ended up purchasing a YETI but let me tell you how we got there. We really tried to buy a cheaper cooler but the universe wanted us to buy a YETI.
Sometimes, a regular cooler such as the Ozark Trail might be sufficient for you. On the other hand, the Ozark Trail is also an outdoor equipment and lifestyle products manufacturer from Arkansas, USA. But most of the Ozark cooler models fall short in terms of quality. So, if anything is wrong with your cooler, you ozark trail cooler will be able to get free services from either of these brands within 5 years. On the other hand, there are a lot of third party accessories that you can buy for each of these brands. In our opinion, when it comes to the design, the choice between these two brands will depend on the personal preference of the user.
But for some people who are budget conscious or who won’t be using the cooler a huge amount the Ozark Trail might do the trick and save you hundreds. For me the quality just isn’t ozark trail cooler there so I wouldn’t invest in an Ozark Trail but would instead buy another brand like Yeti, RTIC or Engel. The only area where Ozark Trail is better than Yeti is in the price.
We will go into more detail about the specific features later in this review. The weather was in the high 90s during the test, the coolers were in full sun for most of the morning, and we opened them several times throughout the day. The ice melted in the Coleman in 24 hours and the YETI in ozark trail canopy 48 hours. What I found most fascinating about this test is that the water in the YETI stayed cold for three additional days after the ice melted. The water was cold enough that had the gallon jugs been milk, we would have been able to drink out of them for three days after the ice melted.
If you want to try your luck with quality and save some money then the Ozark will be fine, but otherwise a Yeti will likely last you much longer. Truthfully if it breaks it’s probably going to be cheaper for you to simply buy a brand new Ozark Trail cooler rather than to go through the trouble of getting it fixed. You might get lucky, save hundreds and your Ozark cooler will last you years. Or you might use it for 2 months and have something important like the zipper or shoulder strap break and then you’re stuck with a broken cooler.