The beach. If you haven’t been to the beach I highly recommend a trip.
I know that sometimes those of us living in the more landlocked parts of the country can find making it to a coast or sandy lake difficult, but there is something so perfect about laying on the warm sand on a sunny say with the sound of the waves scrubbing your brain free of concerns and cortisol. Really, it’s a must-do on your bucket list, and once you get onto the sand on the perfect day once, you’ll want it every day.
I live in the Midwest now, but I spent 20+ years on the east coast where beaches were plentiful. When you live out there it is inevitable that you will eventually build a beach closet, the place in your house where you store all the stuff needed for the perfect day at the beach. Towels, a Bluetooth speaker (if it’s a smaller beach, don’t be that person who blasts tunes at a busy beach), flip flops, sunscreen, a good hat and, of course, the cooler.
A cooler full of snacks and drinks is integral to a beach day. Trust me, even if you’re not running around and splashing in the ocean, enough time under the sun will eventually get you thirsty enough to fight someone for a drink. The ideal cooler is different for everyone, but for me, I need something that will not just keep things cold, but I need my snacks dry, my drinks frosty and the sand outside of the cooler. It also doesn’t hurt to have something that looks good. I know, I know, I’m vain, but once you see all the other cool accessories people roll up with, it’s just fun to compete. My cooler is the Yeti Tundra and it checks all the boxes.
The Yeti Tundra, The Coolest Cooler on the Beach
First off, let’s get brand appeal out of the way. Yeti is a name brand with a lot of recognition and they are known for making good, durable good-looking products. The cooler is just that, and it has that Yeti brand appeal.
It comes in a bunch of really nice colors including Red-White-Navy, Seafoam, Desert Bloom (a very nice purple/pink), White-Blue, Ridgeline (a sort of two tone tan), Venom (the brightest most eye-watering green you’ll ever lay eyes on), Dark Forest Green, Violet and some standards like, black, white, navy, red and tan. That’s a crazy color selection! The Yeti logo is printed on a nice bold plate on the side and pressed into the underside of the lid, and there are two black latches that hold the lid shut that really tie the design together. All in all, it’s a very handsome looking cooler and will stand out nicely.
Quality. Plain and Simple.
The Yeti Tundra is a well made cooler. I don’t just mean it’s made of nice plastic, I mean it’s sturdy, long lasting, well sealed and excellently insulated. The rubber seal around the inner lip of the cooler is strong and boy does it keep the elements out and the cold in. According to the product label, there is 3 inches of pressure-injects polyurethane insulation keeping the cold in. I can take this thing to the beach in summer half full of ice and by the end of the day, if I’ve kept it closed regularly, everything left over is still ice cold by the time I’m at home draining the cooler. And speaking of drainage, the vortex drain at the bottom is super easy to use and does a great job of getting all the water out.
If you’re taking the cooler on a boat, there are big tie-downs on the sides of the cooler, and non-slip caps on the bottom to keep it from sliding around. I’m not a boat guy so I can’t really speak to that function but the more features the better, I say!
Options, Options, Options!
The Tundra comes in 12 sizes… 12!! Some of the bigger ones might as well be portable bath tubs because the 350 is literally big enough to lay down in and close the lid. I chose the 35 because I’m not installing this in the back of a truck, nor do I have 20 people with me when I go to the beach and it’s the perfect size for the basics. If you’ve got a long walk from parking to sand, I’d recommend getting the “haul,” which is basically a slightly deeper 45 with wheels and a long handle. Makes it easier to lug around when it’s full.
The smaller sizes are pretty easy to lug around and they all have large rope handles on the sides that make it easy for two people to pitch in carrying, one on each side. Then there are the accessories, which are super useful!
I’ll start with the ones I have. The divider is a little plastic wall that fits into a groove built into the inside of the Tundra. It cleanly separates items in the cooler and does an admirable job of keeping ice-melt from crossing the boundary. It’s great for when you want some items super ice cold, and some just cool, or if you have items you just don’t want getting as wet as others. Then there’s the cooler basket. When you absolutely don’t want something getting wet, the basket sits in a little lip on the inside of the cooler and gives you a small elevated place to put dry goods. Be careful when buying these, they come in sizes specifically designed to fit in the various different cooler sizes so if you’re not paying attention you might grab the wrong size for your cooler. These are really useful accessories and easily the one I use the most. Then there is the cushion that fits over the top of the cooler. They made something that makes your cooler more comfy to sit on, how neat is that?! They call it the “hard cooler seat cushion.”
There are other bits and pieces, like a set of food containers, an “ice block” freezable block that won’t melt water into your stuff, and replacement parts. There is also, for some reason, a massive rubber bull head you can mount to your cooler, so that’s, um, neat? Still, the accessories for this cooler seem to go on and on, and that’s always handy!
TL;DR For the Skimmers
Here are the specs and options for those of you who don’t want to read!
- Price: $295.00 (yeah, I know, that’s a lot for a cooler)
- Capacity: ~35 quarts (nominal class)
- Can capacity: ~20 cans (with recommended 2:1 ice ratio)
- Ice capacity: ~29 lbs of ice
- Best use: day trips, short overnights, 1–3 people
- Construction: Rotomolded polyethylene (one-piece shell)
- Insulation: Up to ~3 inches PermaFrost™ insulation
- Gasket: Freezer-grade ColdLock™ gasket
- Latch system: Heavy-duty rubber T-Rex latches
- Portability: Designed for one-person carry
- Handles: DoubleHaul™ rope handles with grips
- Feet: Non-slip BearFoot™ feet
- Tie-down slots: AnchorPoint™ system for securing
- Drain: Leakproof drain plug
- Multi-day ice retention (typically 2–5 days depending on use)
- Bear-resistant when properly secured
- Works with ice or dry ice
Is it Worth It?
So sure, there’s a lot of cool stuff this cooler can come with, and it’s a nice product, but is it worth $295.00? This one comes down to the “buy it for life” reasoning for me. If you think you’ll be using a cooler a whole lot, it is absolutely worth the money. It’s going to last you for years and years, and can really take a beating. The YETI Tundra Cooler has so much appeal, so yeah, it’s worth it. But if you don’t use coolers often, this is likely too much cooler for you. If you think you’ll use it, I give the Yeti Tundra cooler a strong recommendation.
About the Author:
Ever since a young George was disappointed with a toy that did match up to the advertising, he became a tireless advocate for consumers. He’ll review anything that folks have to spend their hard-earned dollars on. George is grateful that he gets to use his skills as a writer and an artist to help connect with consumers and help them make the best decisions possible.
This article is for informational purposes only and reflects the author’s independent opinion. Readers should verify details directly with the manufacturer or retailer before making a purchase decision.
