RTIC Coolers can only be purchased from their website, which is why they say their price point is much lower than YETI. I made this purchase nine weeks prior to our vacation and the cooler is scheduled to arrive only days before we leave. That’s a little closer than I’d like but we need a better cooler.
The smaller Yeti Hopper Flip coolers are each equipped with a strong carry handle on the lid of the cooler for easy carrying and also for something to grab onto when opening the zipper. Both coolers have leak proof zippers that are 100% watertight. Both of these coolers are packed with features and the Ozark trail has very similar features to the Yeti. So if you want quality then you need to go with the Yeti, it is one of the most durable coolers out there – alongside the Engel HD30 – whereas the Ozark Trail is questionable quality. ozark trail coolers on the other hand are another story, they definitely aren’t known for their quality. 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.
Ozark Trail’s lineup of soft coolers tries to adhere to their “affordability first” approach. This includes simple lunch boxes and tiers up to premium totes and cooler backpacks. Specifically, you will find 6-can, 12-can, 24-can, 36-can, 42-can, totes, and cooler backpacks. As for prices, the lower-end models are easily into the budget price tier while the premium creeps up to intermediate. Depending on which model you go with, you should see between 2 days and 5 days of ice life. That is still plenty impressive and should meet most people’s needs.
All Ozark Trail hard-sided coolers feature anti-skid feet on the bottom. It’s important to have an effective way to remove any water that’s left behind in the cooler when ice melts. Larger Ozark Trail coolers all feature an oversized drain on the side or bottom that makes getting rid of melted ice easy. The drain stopper is even attached to the cooler by a chain, so you don’t have to worry about losing it and dealing with leaks. Well, evidently, the Ozark Trail Vs Yeti is an impossible solve, right? However, while ten times more expensive, the Yeti option is still superior when it comes to basic features like carry handles, finishing touches and overall premium-ness.
So you can expect them to allow for much longer ice retention. I half expected these Ozark Trail soft coolers to struggle to keep ice over a day. While they don’t perform as well as leading brands of soft sided coolers they still performed relatively well and kept ice good enough to suit most people’s needs. In this Ozark Trail soft coolers review we’ll look in detail at these soft sided coolers, the features and performance as well as do a deep dive into the build quality of these coolers.