HOUSTON – Yeti is to coolers what Mercedes is to cars: A luxury brand many consumers swear by. People pay more, because they believe Yeti products keep drinks colder longer.
Consumer expert Amy Davis from KSAT 12's sister station, KPRC-TV in Houston, put the brand to the test.
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Davis purchased the Yeti Rambler Tumbler for $29.99, an Igloo insulated tumbler for $14.99, an Ozark Trail tumbler made by Walmart for $7.74 and a Bubba Cup for $6.99.
She filled them each with ice and water and made sure they all were a freezing 32.1 degrees.
On a scorcher of a day, Davis left them on the curb outside the TV station and checked on them throughout the day.
At two hours, most of the ice had melted inside all four cups, but the water temperature was still cool.
Five hours after she filled them, Davis started to separate the working cups from the slackers.
The water inside the Igloo tumbler was 90.3 degrees. It was 77.3 degrees in the Bubba Cup. The water was still in the 60s in both the Yeti and the Ozark Trail tumblers eight hours after they were filled.
Finally, 21 hours later, the water in the Yeti was 71 degrees, while the water in the Ozark Trail cup was 68 degrees. Shoppers could almost buy four Ozark Trail tumblers for the price of one Yeti tumbler.
But here's the rub. The secret may be out, because Walmart was out of the 20-ounce tumblers at the time this story was published.
The 30-ounce Ozark Trail tumblers are available at some stores. Be sure to check stock online before you head to the store.