Trying to get suggestions on the best one out there outside the yeti hopper. Is the hopper by far the best? Are there others you guys would recommended? Thanks

I've talked to a lot of people who swear the Hopper will be the only Yeti cooler they will buy.

Biggest complaint about Yeti hard coolers is they're heavy and your actual cooler space isn't as big as it seems. Hopper fixes both of those problems.

I own one soft sided cooler given to us and I'm not even sure what brand it is, so I don't know of any other good brands out there.

Polar Bear Coolers are the best I have found. My GameGuard started leaking recently and they have small zippers. I've had the GG for about three years. Ive had a Polar Bear for about two years and think they're better quality than the Game Guard. Nice big zippers and holds ice well for a soft cooler.

I have several Polar Bear coolers, they are high quality. Not on yeti hopper level but close, and quite a bit cheaper.

Polar Bear Coolers

I originally ordered the Polar Bear online via Amazon and it never shipped due to prolonged back order at the time.


I instead bought the Hopper.

Other than some of the tumblers its my only Yeti as I don't fish offshore and require only that my hard sided coolers keep ice for a day or so and still be light enought to easily move around...so not a fanboy or hat wearer brah type.

I got the Hopper because I needed the ability to hold ice for a day or so in a soft sided cooler that I could beat up and wouldn't leak be it at the pool, the truck/van, or if I'm ambling to a BBQ.

Its pricey for sure but it fits the bill and after 6 months of use is still basically good as new.

+1 for polar bear. Doesn't leak and keeps ice all day in the sun (purchased 24 can size for kayak fishing a couple years ago)

I'm pretty happy with my Yeti Hopper. Use it often around the property, just through some ice & beer in and toss it in the mule and putt around all day. Works well at tailgates too, I just wouldn't recommend trying to tailgate hop with it. That SoB gets heavy too.

Thanks for the info guys!

Yeti is almost certainly the best but if you don't want to spent $300 I've been very pleased with the Igloo Marine Ultra 36 can soft cooler.

I picked one up for like $30 on sale as an impulse purchase at HEB and have been extremely pleased. I've used it quite a bit on fishing trips and otherwise and it holds ice remarkably well plus is pretty durable. I won't remotely claim it's a rugged as the Yeti Hopper but if you just need something occasionally and don't want to drop $300 I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of it.

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I have several Polar Bear coolers, they are high quality. Not on yeti hopper level but close, and quite a bit cheaper.

Polar Bear Coolers

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Polar Bear 24 Can is perfect. Sitting on the beach in Destin drinking out of it all week.

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These guys did a pretty extensive test of soft side coolers including the yeti and found the AO Coolers, followed by Polar Bear to be the best.
The Best Soft Side Cooler
I bought the AO Cooler after reading and have been very happy.
The Yeti costs $250 more than the AO and Yeti has terrible customer service.
I got my AO at West Marine, but home depot and Academy carry as well.

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZPRF7E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I have the AO. Absolutely top notch and well made.

For the person who says Yeti has horrible customer service...you should provide an example if you make a claim like that. Helps everyone out.

For me, the only time I needed customer service, they were fantastic. The bottom of one of their stainless steel mugs came off. Called them and they sent a replacement immediately. Didn't want the broken one back. Great customer service on my part with Yeti.

Got one of the newer Polar Bear H2O last year. It's better that the nylon ones and they are good.

They sometimes do BOGO around Christmas.

+1 for polar bear.

Have a regular 12pk and a polar bear 24pk. No issues at all, and works as well as a standard hard sided cooler.

Buddy has a 12pk and a backpack, he likes his as well.

I've seen three different ones buddies have brought on my boat. All three held ice all day so no issues there.

AO 24 - Packs up tight. Well built but not as nice as the yeti.

Yeti hipper - Very well built. Awesome zipper.

Engel - Nicer than the AO but just shy of the yeti. Back pack straps are a huge plus if you want to be mobile.

Polar Bear here as well. Can't beat them for the money.

I was all set to order a Polar Bear, but happened to stop at a Bucees and bought one of their cooler bags. It was the basic size I wanted and I think around $30. It's been awesome. Doesn't leak at all and keeps stuff cold for a very long time.

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For the person who says Yeti has horrible customer service...you should provide an example if you make a claim like that.

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I had the same issue you had except it took about five phone calls, a dozen emails, and about 3 months to resolve

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For the person who says Yeti has horrible customer service...you should provide an example if you make a claim like that. Helps everyone out.

For me, the only time I needed customer service, they were fantastic. The bottom of one of their stainless steel mugs came off. Called them and they sent a replacement immediately. Didn't want the broken one back. Great customer service on my part with Yeti.

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+1

I've had two experiences with Yeti customer service and both have been phenomenal (and both have been handled by Americans answering the phones in America.....). One time I called with a question that the lady didn't know the answer to, so she put me through to the R&D head. I thought it was a pretty cool way of handling things.

As far as the coolers go, I have a hopper and its great. Well built, and I expect it to last longer than I do. They are sturdy as hell and hold ice better than my previous Game Guard soft sided coolers. Speaking of those, I've had two and both times, Ive ripped the zipper clean off, and I have seen buddies of mine do the same. The insulation on those is s***, and they aren't very well made. Plus, they sweat like hell and if you leave it in the back of your trunk, back seat, etc. then expect to have a huge wet spot.

AO. Does a great job at a reasonable price.

I love my Hopper. tough as hell and water proof. I've kept ice in mine for three days and still dumped out a lot at the end.

Polar bear best soft cooler I have owned. Did well on family trip with no spills and holds ice 24+hours. Great customer service and will buy the H2O next.

I took a Waterproof H2O Polar Bear 48 to the British Virgin Islands. It served as my checked luggage and was our main ice storage for our boat. It performed as well as the YETI Hopper my buddy brought and was much cheaper. My main motivation for a soft cooler was the weight. I have a 35 quart Ice Hole that weighs 30 lbs empty. The soft coolers weigh around 6 lbs empty.

Plus a bazillion for Polar Bear. Also, if you join their email list, they often have two for one sales. Came in handy last Christmas.

I have a 48 can Polar Bear H20. It is a solid cooler - doesn't leak - good construction. Keeps ice cold for a couple of days with minimal opening. about 200.

20% off entire Polar Bear line.

Coupon code: SPRINGBREAK

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Plus a bazillion for Polar Bear. Also, if you join their email list, they often have two for one sales. Came in handy last Christmas.

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That's what I did to get a 12 and 24. The 12 is a perfect car cooler.

Anyone try one of the RTIC soft side coolers?

For all the Polar Bear fans the AO is just as good at 1/2 the price.

Just got a yeti hopper 30 in the new desert color. Looks pretty sweet. I'm anxious to try it out. It's my first yeti cooler.

....and for those who care I got it as a gift