Two of the elite brands of coolers. How do they compare? Let’s go into features first and then we are going to compare such items as durability, price, and of course, ability to keep your items cold! Welcome to Peiican coolers vs. Yeti!
Features: Pelican 50 quart
- Ice retention: 2 inches of polyeurethene with a freezer grade gasket.
- Overmolded carry handle
- 3 inch locking latches
- anti-shear hinge
- Non-skid rubber feet
- 4 self draining cup holders
- Guarantee – Limited lifetime warranty
Features: Yeti Tundra 50 quart
- Rotomolded – virtually indestructable
- Permafrost insulation
- No water on the outside
- Non-slip feet
- Military grade polyester rope handles
- Neverfail hinge
- T-rex indestructable latches
- 5 year warranty
Pelican coolers vs. Yeti coolers
So, now that we have listed the features, lets go into a few comparisons to help you decide a little more about what you might want in a cooler. Both are excellent coolers and a lot is going to depend on your specific requirements and on your budget. Here is some comparison data on features to help you decide.
Cooling time
We have a tie here The ‘indestructible’ Yeti cooler will likely keep your drinks cold for about a week, whereas the Pelican coolers are likely going to keep everything cold for about the same amount of time, closer in the range of 5-6 days.Depending on how long your trip is, this could be a deal breaker, but we should report that a number of reviews of the Pelicans have argued that they have a LONGER cooling period than the Yeti’s, sometimes hitting an 8 day period with 10 pounds of ice being used. So, if cooling is around the same, let’s check some other categories to try and determine longevity of these coolers.
Build
The Yeti is definitely the winder in this category. With it’s rotomolding (a technique where plastic is molded and then polyeurethene foam is pressure-injected to ensure thickness), the Yeti is definitely hard to damage. The Yeti also features a better seal and gasket overall(which is sometimes a complaint with the Pelicans although we had no issues with this model). While Pelican offers the 2 inches of polyeurethene injection as well the Yeti definitely seems the more solid of the two. Yeti latches and Pelican latches are both durable although we like Yeti’s T-Rex latches for more durability by comparison.
Drainage
Yeti is the winner in this category. Pelican drainage is achieved with a screw in cap, whereas Yeti utilizes an O-ring, such as you might find sealing important parts in a vehicle engine, along with a fully removable valve. This kind of attention to detail and quality is definitely one of the Yeti pluses that one must factor in for this sort of investment.
“For the price difference it might be a better fit for your budget”
Handles
The Pelican offers ABS molded plastic handles that are durable and will do the trick. The Yeti, by comparison, offers military grade nylon and polyester with rubber grip handles. Both are pretty solid and we’d have to call this category a tie for the competing coolers.
Accessories
The Yeti comes with a nifty little basket that you can put inside the cooler to keep your sandwiches fresh and avoid them getting soggy. Pelican, unfortunately does not include a similar accessory free with their product. Parts and Accessories in general are easier to get for the Yeti as well, although in the age of information that is not so much of a problem as that may have been once. If you go with Pelican you should be able to get a number of accessories with no issues. That said, this category is going to the Yeti.
Guarantee
Pelican is the winner in this category. They offer a limited lifetime warranty on your cooler, whereas Yeti offers a 5 year warranty on theirs. This is a bit of a disappointment considering the wide price gap between the two models(which we will go into later). A warranty is definitely something to consider in an investment like this. You could just bring any cooler out fishing or camping but if you are going to get a nice one then you expect it to last! Now, that said, it should be noted that Yeti’s warranty covers EVERYTHING while Pelican’s is a limited coverage scenario. We don’t anticipate a lot of replacement visits and so a lifetime guarantee stretches a long way, but there is something to be said for Yeti’s all-inclusive coverage. You’ll have to be the ultimate judge on that. You can check online how much Pelican cooler replacement latches and the general Pelican cooler warrant as well for details..
Price range
Pelican is definitely the winner here. A yeti Tundra 50 quart cooler will set you back $500+, whereas a Pelican is a much more modest value at under $300. This was why we were a little surprised at the warranty differences. That said, a cooler at these qualities levels is an investment. For hunters and fishermen, it can mean keeping meat fresh for a week, for instance. Many avid nature lovers are willing to go that extra mile to keep from breaking the magic by having to go back into town when they could be deep in the woods or on the lakes and rivers that they love.
The verdict
The Yeti is definitely the better cooler when it comes to overall statistics. The build is durable, it keeps your drinks and food cold for a week or a little more, and a 5 year all-inclusive warranty gives you some time to see that it is durable. The Pelican is not bad, however, and for the price difference it might be a better fit for your budget. It, too, will keep your food and drinks cold for a long period of time and with the lifetime warranty it may be an easier decision to make. Ultimately, this is going to be your decision, and we hope wholeheartedly that we have helped. Happy hunting and fishing!
