With every summer one is faced with the quandary… How am I going to keep my drinks cool and my food fresh in the great outdoors? The fact is, most of us usually go for the cheapy model and suffer for it. Leakage happens, the cooler breaks… Maybe it’s time to invest in something nice that REALLY does the job of keeping it’s cool. To that effect we are going to compare two high end brands of cooler. Welcome to Grizzly vs.Yeti and may the best cooler win!
Grizzly Ice Chest vs. Yeti
So, maybe you have heard of or previously owned one of the brands. Probably Yeti, if so, as they are one of the industry leaders. Are Grizzly coolers as good as Yeti? The models that we have selected are a little different in their utilities but as they are both nice we thought that you might enjoy the contrast and the collection of features. Let’s start with the two 40 quart models which we selected for your enjoyment and compare their features:
The features
Grizzly 40 Quart 
- 100% American Made
- Actual 40 quart capacity – holds 66 12 oz cans
- Rotomolded construction with eco safe materials
- Rope handled molded in
- Bearclaw latch system
- Dry food tray
- Weight 24 pounds
Yeti 40 Quart portable field cooler
- 36 12 oz can capacity
- Drytide shell resists harshest conditions
- Hydrolock zipper(hazmat suit design) completely prevents leakage
- Closed cell rubber foam insulation
- Weight 6.1 pounds
As you can see, these are a little bit different in style and purpose. The Yeti is more portable and quite different in design, with the Grizzly firmly in the field of utility. So how do they rate against each other?
Grizzly and Yeti 40 quart features comparison
Now that we’ve mentioned some of the best bits of both, let’s go into how they compare in various capacities. We’ll discuss how long they keep your drinks and food cool, build information, and more. Let’s get started!
Cooling Time
The Grizzly is the winner here but in all fairness, it does have 4 times the weight of Yeti’s model (which intended to be more portable) . You’ll get about 5-7 days out of the Grizzly and up to 3 days with the Yeti. Not a bad trade for portability on the Yeti side although it should be noted that the Grizzly is performing at a level of cooler models at almost twice it’s cost. With that kind of efficiency you can see why we really have to back the Grizzly here.
Build 
As we are comparing a Yeti Hopper field cooler against the Grizzly 40 quart we actually have a lot of variance in build. The Grizzly is sporting it’s rotoform sturdy-box build, more the traditional cooler, whereas the Yeti is a rather large over-the-shoulder variety cooler. Yeti has its patented ‘Drytide’ shell which is actually fairly resistant to the elements. For overall style mixed with durability we’d give this to the Yeti, however, for durability in general we like the Grizzly, hands down. It’s a solid cooler.
Drainage
Draining the Hopper involves barely opening the hydrozip and pouring it upside down. Not the classic mode that you get with the Grizzly of a drain-plug drainage system. While we realize this is a sacrifice for portability, we think draining the Grizzly is a bit easier so we are giving this win to the Grizzly.
Handles
The Grizzly features nylon rope with rubberized grips, whereas the Yeti model features a shoulder strap or small straps for a hand-held carry. Both are quite durable but we like the Grizzly on this one. Yeti cooler loses this point vs. Grizzly.
Accessories
While you can accessorize your Grizzly(and we do like the dry goods tray that it comes with), the Yeti features a ‘hitchpoint grid’ that allows you to customize your Hopper quite nicely. Adding a bottle opener, a carbiner, or more… Essentially all that is required is to acquire the add-on and it attaches right one. It’s a little gimmicky but we like it, points for the Yeti.
Guarantee
Grizzly attaches a limited lifetime warranty that is actually quite nice, as it addresses potential defects with important portions such as the gasket or seal. By comparison, Yeti offers a 5 year warranty that covers all portions of the product. This is largely a judgment call, but with the good word feedback that we have had on Yeti’s customer service we are going to call this one for the Yeti. While the other guarantee is for a lifetime it’s also quite nice to have a half-decade no-hassle warranty.
Price Range
Always an important category. So, how are these competitors priced? Yeti’s Hopper will run you around $350+ while the Grizzly is around $300. Considering the durability of both these are good deals depending on your purpose. We’re including links for the two of these items on Amazon so that you may compare prices there as well. If you see one of these models at half the price(and sometimes you very well might) you should really consider the investment.
Yeti cooler vs. Grizzly: The verdict
If you are looking for an ice chest for camping trips, hunting, or fishing, you are probably going to want to go with the Grizzly. It is rugged, has a longer cooling capacity(around a week vs. 3 days), and a much higher storage capacity. That said, if you want something for a little more nomadic camping that you can carry around more easily, the Yeti offers an option that can serve for a few nomadic days keeping your food fresh and your cokes(or beers) cold. Both of these products has excellent warranties and quality builds so ultimately while the Grizzly is our favorite, you would likely be quite happy owning either model for many years to come. We hope that you have enjoyed this review and we wish you happy camping with friends and family!
