Cooler Throw Down: Does Ozark Trail Stack up with Yeti and Pelican?

However, the Everyday Tumbler has a straw lid only, so that could be a dealbreaker for folks who want a tumbler for both hot and cold beverages. Also, compared with our other picks, this model comes in a limited number of colors and sizes. If our top pick is unavailable, and you prefer drinking from a straw, we recommend the 20-ounce RTIC Everyday Tumbler. It kept iced drinks at a colder temperature for a longer period (nine hours) than any other model we tested. And its lid seals tightly enough to prevent it from leaking (unless you turn the tumbler upside down).

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Tumblers, insulated water bottles, and travel mugs are, of course, very similar—they all keep drinks cold or hot for long periods of time. Most insulated water bottles are leakproof (thanks to their screw-top lids, which require two hands to open), and they don’t have sipping ports. Travel mugs, typically intended for warm drinks, have sipping ports that seal securely to prevent leaks. Tumblers, geared more toward cold drinks, may also have lids with ozark trail chair built-in ports, but they don’t seal as securely as the ones on travel mugs. Tumblers often have a wider mouth, to accommodate ice cubes, and they may include a straw for sipping.

So it’s easy to use one-handed, while you’re driving or on the treadmill. The press-in lid creates a seal around the mouth of the tumbler, and that cut some of the leakage when we knocked over the cup, but of all our picks, it did leak the most when this happened. This tumbler comes in fewer colors and capacities than our other picks.

And the flip-top and straw lids both have removable rubber gaskets, which you can pop out to do a deeper cleaning. A tumbler can also replace disposable cups at fast-food restaurants or gas stations. Of all the tumblers we tested, the 24-ounce Simple Modern Classic Tumbler impressed us the most. This stainless steel, double-walled vessel was among the most leak-resistant tumblers we tried. It also kept our drinks as cold as—and, in some instances, colder than—tumblers bearing more-recognizable brand names. I also took into consideration how cold or hot to the touch each tumbler was when filled with liquid and tipped each one over to see if they would leak.

You can tell there is a serious seal established when you latch this shut. The Ozark Trail 45 Qt Rolling Thermocooler also comes with an internal tray, which the other two do not. The coolers in competition were the Ozark Trail 45QT Rolling Thermocooler, The Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler, and the Yeti Tundra Haul. I chose these coolers because they were the closest among the brands when it came to internal storage. You can put the Yeti tumbler anywhere in the dishwasher but the Yeti lid should always be on the top rack.

Pelican is a newer entry in to the world of rotomolded coolers and have taken their own spin on design and function. Overall the Pelican coolers have sharper edges and a bit more of an industrial feel than the competition. One of the first things to note about it’s design is that it has a larger drainage hole and a tethered drain cap, which is a nice feature. I have lost a couple of drain caps in my day which makes the cooler unusable until a replacement arrives. In a sheer stroke of luck for this test, we are having a very aggressive heatwave in Southeast Michigan with temperatures around the 90’s during the day and staying in the 70’s overnight. I’m using my North facing deck as the staging area which receives direct sunlight at almost all hours of the day.

We used the finalists as our everyday tumblers, taking them along with us on errands, on walks, and to the gym to see how they fared out in the world. Whichever stainless steel tumbler you choose, you will likely find you carry it with you often. When they were first released, the only option was stainless steel.

That’s fine for people who plan to use their tumblers just for cold drinks. In our testing, this model was the best at retaining heat, but if you’d like to enjoy the occasional cup of coffee or hot cocoa, you’ll have to buy a separate slider lid. The Ozark Trail 40-ounce double wall stainless steel tumbler will keep you hydrated all day long with less refill.