Yeti Hopper 20 Review
Are you looking for a good YETI Hopper 20 review? If so, it’s probably because you’re wondering if this legendary brand’s soft coolers are as good as their hard coolers.
Of course, YETI has a reputation for building extremely tough products that stay cold for days at a time. But does the YETI Hopper 20 live up to that reputation?
Before you spend your hard-earned money on one of these coolers, you owe it to yourself to see what it can do. Is it really one of the best soft coolers on the market? And how does it compare to the competition?
Those are some of the things you need to know in a YETI Hopper 20 review.
YETI Hopper Two 30 Portable Cooler, Field Tan / Blaze Orange
- The YETI Hopper Two 30 is the…
- The updated design of the…
- A tapered body makes extended…
- Features a waterproof DryHide…
- HydroLok Zipper (a design…
YETI was originally founded in 2006 with the simple goal of making the best coolers on the market. Since that time, they’ve become one of the world’s most popular cooler brands.
In fact, their products are often the gold standard that other coolers are compared to. In a sense, they’ve become the measuring stick for the entire cooler industry.
The YETI Hopper 20 is one of their best known soft cooler products. It’s capable of holding approximately 18 drinks and 20 pounds of ice at a time
At this point, the quality of their hard coolers is undeniable. But can one of their soft coolers perform just as well? Let’s find out.
Your Complete YETI Hopper 20 Review
Obviously, there’s much more to learn in a YETI Hopper 20 review. Now let’s take a closer look at what this cooler has to offer.
What are its main features?
The YETI Hopper 20 has a few features that help it stand out from the competition.
One of its more interesting features is its HydroLok Zipper. This design was inspired by HazMat suits. It promises to be completely leakproof, and it seals in the cold as well.
This cooler also has a hitch point grid that allows you to add any number of attachments to it. This could include a bottle opener or a gear case for storing your dry items.
Additionally, it has six D-rings that lets you easily attach it to your truck. Finally, the YETI Hopper 20 has a very comfortable shoulder strap that makes carrying it a breeze.
How well does it retain ice?
Naturally, this will be the million-dollar question in any YETI Hopper 20 review. Features are nice, but we want to know how long it actually stays cold.
Overall, this cooler’s ice retention is fairly decent. This cooler has an inch of insulation, and the bottom uses an inch and a half of EVA foam.
Much of its performance will depend on how you pack it. Pre-chilling your items and keeping the ice to content ratio 2:1 will help you get the most out of it. Some reviewers even recommend keeping it in a fridge on the day before a trip.
That being said, you can’t expect a soft cooler to retain ice as long as a hard cooler. Unfortunately, that just isn’t possible. Nonetheless, many reviewers report that it was able to stay cold for at least 48 hours at a time.
Is it durable?
The YETI Hopper 20 is absolutely as durable as you’d expect a YETI to be. In other words, it’s almost indestructible.
This cooler is made of YETI’s signature dry hide material. White water rafts use essentially the same material in their products!
Furthermore, their seams are RF-welded seams. This means the seams are welded together using radiofrequency waves. As a result, the seams are almost impossible to rip.
All of this creates a cooler that can survive almost anything. Every YETI Hopper 20 review we researched agrees that this is the cooler for you if you need something that can take a beating.
What do customers think?
So far, we’ve discussed how professional reviewers feel about this cooler. Now let’s see how the actual customers feel.
Generally speaking, many customers were perfectly happy with this product. They found it highly durable and very easy to carry. For the most part, they felt that it was exactly what they needed for their weekend trips.
Unfortunately, quite a few people complained that it doesn’t retain ice as long as it should. Realistically speaking, you will find these kinds of complaints in almost any cooler review. However, this was a very common problem that many customers had.
Also, the zipper works a little too well. Some people simply had trouble opening it. This tends to be a frequent complaint in any YETI Hopper 20 review.
How We Reviewed
For these reviews, we used professional reviews and the products’ official websites as our main sources of information. Our opinions were mainly informed by a combination of product research, professional reviews, and customer reviews gathered from various websites.
Furthermore, we chose to focus on a few key areas when reviewing these coolers. These include the main features, durability, and ice retention.
How Does It Compare to Other Soft Coolers?
Any good YETI Hopper 20 review should take a look at the competition as well. YETI may be a great brand, but they’re not the only name in town. Let’s see what other soft coolers have to offer.
Bison 24 Can SoftPak Cooler Bag
BISON COOLERS 24 Can Insulated Ice Chest Bag for Beer, Soda,…
- PREMIUM COOLING: Keeps ice…
- HEAVY DUTY DURABILITY:…
- 30 DAY TRIAL & 2-YEAR…
- THE PERFECT SIZE: Holds 24…
- MADE IN THE USA: We take…
First, we have the Bison 24 Can Sofpak Cooler Bag. This product claims to be the only soft cooler that’s made in the United States. As implied by the name, it holds 24 cans and about ten pounds of ice.
Like the YETI Hopper 20, it features MOLLE webbing that allows you to add accessories. Its 1000 denier vinyl is tear-resistant up to 375 pounds. Moreover, it has twice the amount of insulation as most soft coolers.
Other features include a removable shoulder strap and a side pocket for dry items.
Professional reviewers state that this cooler is about as tough as they come. And while Bison’s zipper isn’t optimized for ice retention quite as well as YETI’s, it still stays cold for a very long time.
Customers loved this cooler for the same reasons. However, they felt the side pocket is more flat and narrow than it should be. Also, this cooler can get pretty heavy, and the shoulder strap isn’t very comfortable.
Bison doesn’t retain ice as long as YETI does. But for most people, it will get the job done just fine.
Pros
Cons
OtterBox Trooper LT30
OtterBox Trooper Cooler 30 Quart – Alpine Ascent…
- Heavy-duty base covers bottom…
- Large mouth opening makes for…
- Durable TPU coated nylon…
- Duraflex hardware including…
- Dimensions: 21.00” L x…
The OtterBox Trooper LT30 is another good alternative. This cooler this unique because you can carry it either on your shoulder or as a backpack. It has a 30-quart capacity and a food-grade liner.
It also features its own bottle opener. It’s completely leakproof, and it has an accessory mounting system. Additionally, it has waterproof exterior pockets and premium grade thermal insulation.
Its nylon exterior is UV, puncture, and chemical resistant. It’s also rated IP-65 to protect against rapids and waves.
Reviewers loved how tough and rugged this cooler is, and it’s very ergonomic as well. It also retains ice for a very long time. Meanwhile, customers loved being able to carry it as a backpack.
That said, some people didn’t like the opening on top. They said it was flimsy and can be difficult to close.
The OtterBox Trooper LT30 is a very competitive product to the YETI Hopper 20.
Like the YETI Hopper 20, OtterBox is tough and can retain ice for days at a time. Being able to carry it as a backpack is also a neat feature that might appeal to some people. Which one you choose will largely come down to personal preference.
Pros
Cons
YETI Hopper 20 Pros and Cons
It should be pretty easy to see from this YETI Hopper 20 review that this cooler has some good things going for it. It has some interesting features that make it very convenient to take with you when you go on a big trip. It’s easy to add attachments to it, and the zipper is good at preventing leaks.
Under the right circumstances, this cooler can easily retain ice for at least an entire weekend. And of course, it’s just as tough as you’d expect a YETI to be.
On the downside, the zipper can be a double-edged sword. It’s tough for children to open, but it can be tough for adults as well. And while its ice retention is decent by soft cooler standards, many people felt it should’ve stayed cold much longer.
Pros
Cons
Is This the Cooler You Need?
You should have a pretty good idea of whether this cooler is right for you now that you’ve read this YETI Hopper 20 review. Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a trade-off with this particular cooler.
On one hand, you get a tough as nails cooler that you can take with you wherever you want to go. On the other, you’re making an investment on something that won’t retain ice as long as a hard cooler.
When considering this cooler, you really have to think about your needs. Do you need a cooler that’s portable, or do you need something that will stay cold for days at a time? Answering this question will help you decide if this is the cooler you need.
What about you? Have you ever used any of YETI’s products? Let us know in the comments!
Paul Grove has been passionate about hunting for as long as he can remember. He recalls hunting squirrels with his dad’s trusty Winchester Model 63 as early as age 9. As he grew older, his hunting interests, tactics, and gear have refined. He was also fortunate enough to be born in Wisconsin, thus having unhindered access to some of the nation’s best whitetail deer hunting spots. When he’s not chasing deer or other large to massive game on public lands, he is field-testing various fishing gear in a never-ending quest to find that perfect fishing setup. Is his passion for hunting and fishing innate or acquired? Paul believes that it is more about passing down a family tradition.
