Yeti Rambler 20-oz. Tumbler Review

Vacuum insulated and stainless steel cups and bottles are everywhere today. I am a bit skeptical of the belief that brand names and higher prices are better than low priced knockoff brands. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I made this review of Yeti Rambler 20 oz Tumbler.

There are definite differences between the brand name tumbler I reviewed and the off-brand name tumbler I compared it to. But were these differences important enough to matter? Read on to find out!

I’ve been using a Yeti 20-oz. tumbler daily since 2016; more than three years now. I have a myriad of insulated stainless steel bottles, growlers, mugs, and cups.

I have around twenty (I might have a problem) double-walled, vacuum-insulated, and stainless steel containers. Everything from 8-oz. mugs to 64-oz. growlers.

Today I’ll focus on the Yeti Rambler 20-oz. Tumbler. Yeti is known for its durable and high-quality products. The design concept is simple. A Yeti product keeps drinks cold (or hot) for a long time.

In addition to the Yeti 20-oz. Tumbler, among my myriad of stainless steel drinkware, I also have a Pure Drinkware 22-oz. tumbler.

Why do I have two 20-ish oz. tumblers? Well, I had a Yeti, and then I wanted another, so I bought the Pure budget brand. I wasn’t thrilled with the budget brand so I bought another Yeti. So, I really have three tumblers. The Yeti and Pure are somewhat similar.

How Does the Yeti Compare to a Lower-Priced Version?

Both are double-walled, vacuum-insulated, and stainless steel-constructed. Both are made in China if Double-walled, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel tumblerthat’s important to you. Yeti is designed in Austin, Texas and is a US company. Pure Drinkware was created by a US Marines veteran.

The Yeti and its lid are both dishwasher-safe. Yes, that’s right! They’re perfectly sealed and dishwasher safe. PURE’s manufacturer advises to handwash only.

The heartier construction of the Yeti makes it more durable than other tumblers. It also makes it able to survive drops onto hardwood floors or concrete patios. I know because mine has tumbled onto the floor on more than one occasion, and there are no signs of any damage or sign that it was dropped.

The Pure didn’t fare so well. It now has a sizable dent at the base from being dropped. I am not particularly careful and don’t know how many times it was dropped. But being rarely used, it couldn’t have been many times. It might be because Pure is made out of lighter weight steel, it is more susceptible to dents.

Construction

The Pure is similar to the Yeti, but a bit taller and noticeably lighter. Both have plastic lids that insert partly into the tumbler. To the casual eye, they look almost the same, although “YETI” is embossed on the side of its tumbler. “PURE” is imprinted on the bottom of its tumbler.

Both brands are made out of the same grade stainless steel, though they each use different ways to describe its quality. Yeti lists 18/8 stainless steel, which is the chromium and nickel percentages.

Pure lists its steel as 304. Simply put, they are pretty much the same composition. However, 304 stainless may contain slightly more chromium or nickel percentages. As they are both almost made out of the same grade of stainless steel, both are very corrosion-resistant and durable.

Many websites incorrectly reference stainless grade as “gauge.” The grade is the quality in terms of corrosion resistance and durability.

Gauge is the thickness of the stainless steel. Thicker gauge is heavier and more durable.

Both Pure and Yeti are likely are 16 gauge (based on the weight), but I’m not sure. You may also see references to kitchen-grade, which is somewhat true, as a majority of stainless steel kitchen equipment is using 304 grade. However, there is not actually a “kitchen-grade” gauge.

Gauge or thickness varies with the quality where higher quality is a heavier gauge (e.g. 18 gauge) and is more expensive. For example, my stainless steel sink is 304 grade and 18 gauge.

The Yeti 20-oz. Tumbler tips the scales in its favor with a hefty 13 ounces, with the Pure 22-oz. tumbler weighing in at 10 ounces. Not a big difference, but analyzing these weights more precisely may result in slightly different numbers.

Lids

Both brands of tumblers come with plastic lids. Yeti has three lid options for the Rambler Tumbler: the MagSlider, Straw Hole, and Standard. I have both the MagSlider and Standard styles, though I typically use the insulated MagSlider for its splash-free convenience.

The Pure tumbler at the time of my review, had just a basic lid with a drinking hole. Newer lid options for Pure tumblers were released after I purchased mine, however.

My favorite Yeti accessory is the MagSlider. Other tumblers may have a standard lid with an opening for drinking and a tiny hole at the top for airflow.

The Yeti’s MagSlider lid has a built-in magnet that allows easy opening and closing. It simply pops off for easy cleaning and will “click” back in place when set back on the lid. No worrying about gunk growing inside.

The MagSlider lid also keeps your favorite drink from splashing out (when closed, of course). Standard lids can splash out of the lid hole. Careful! The MagSlider is not leakproof, so take care not to tip it over.

The quality and durability of the Yeti lids are superior to the standard Pure lid. Pure has a concave lid that is thinner than the Yeti and does not fit as deeply into the tumbler as the Yeti lid does.

The Pure lid developed a crack from the sipping hole through the breather hole all the way to the edge of the lid. The crack is most likely from the concave and thinner design.

Accessories

The Yeti has two accessories in addition to the lid options. Pure does not have any accessories. The Yeti has a cup holder that clips onto its coolers and a slide on the handle for a little more convenience.

Comparisons

So how do both of the tumblers perform? I devised a few simple and around the house experiments to see how the two brands differentiate at keeping cold things cold and hot things hot.

Ice Water Test #1

I filled the tumblers with equal parts of ice and cold water. This test was performed on my kitchen counter at room temperature (around 72 °F) in the open air without lids. The duration of the test was 75 minutes.

During this time, I evaluated the water temperature at various intervals and made notes on how long the ice remained in the tumblers.

After 60 minutes I evaluated both tumblers. I discovered that both brands kept the water cold for the entire test. At the end of the test, about the same amount of ice remained in both tumblers as well.

Ice Water Test #2

For this test, I used a Thermapen MK4 to measure the temperature of each tumbler. The MK4 is a high precision and fast thermometer, giving me reliable readings in a couple of seconds. I filled each tumbler with equal parts ice and tap water.

Adding the tap water to the ice melted about half of it. Both tumblers were, again, set on the kitchen counter and sat undisturbed (save for the temperature reading).

For all measurements, the temperature probe was below the ice in the tumbler. If this thermometer is in contact with ice for just one second, it will read the temperature of the ice rather than the water temperature below the ice. Inserting the probe quickly into the tumblers below the ice level ensures accurate readings of the water temperature.

I sampled several temperature readings at various points throughout the 75-minute room temperature test.

  • The starting temperature of both tumblers was 42 °F.
  • At 45 minutes both tumblers measured 37 °F.
  • At 60 minutes the Yeti tumbler measured 37 °F; the Pure tumbler measured 38 °F.
  • At 60 minutes both tumblers still had ice.
  • At 75 minutes the Yeti tumbler measured 37 °F; the PURE tumbler measured 39 °F
  • At 75 minutes ice was still present.

Another draw. There was only a minor temperature variation between the two, and there was still ice in both tumblers after 75 minutes.

Ice Water Test #3

For this test, I filled each tumbler with the same water and ice ratio as the first test. I put both tumblers in direct sun on a black surface, and then tested the temperature of the black counter. It was, shockingly, 113 °F!

As with the previous test, I performed the same procedure with the MK4 to sample the temperature readings at regular intervals. This time, I tested the counter and tumbler surface temperature, as well as the ice water inside each tumbler.

Note: it is normal for the temperature to drop as ice melts.

The table for all final measurements is at the bottom of this article, but the chart below illustrates the rise in water temperature over three hours.

Note: After 180 minutes, the outside surface of the Yeti was 105 °F, which was too hot to hold with my hands for very long or even take a sip. The inside water temperature was still a cool 54 °F.

Shortly after the three-hour mark, the Pure tumbler’s temperature rose to 78 °F, while the Yeti was still at a cool 54 °F. That concluded the test.

The backyard test demonstrates how the thermal design and slightly heavier construction of the Yeti keep water colder, even while sitting in the hot sun. The Yeti still had ice after an hour while the Pure did not. The Yeti continued to retain ice in the water for 30 more minutes in harsh conditions.

Hot Tap Water Test

For the last test, I compared the Yeti and Pure tumblers using hot tap water. I put the lids on each tumbler this time to retain heat.

Both tumblers were “seasoned” for 10 minutes before filling with hot tap water for the test. Seasoning is a process where you fill the container with hot water first to get the metal hot, then dump it out and fill with the test sample, avoiding heat loss.

Once the tumblers were seasoned, I filled both with 20-oz. of hot tap water. Both tumblers started at 119 °F.

After 15 minutes, the Yeti measured 118 °F, and the Pure tumbler measured 117 °F.

After 30 minutes, the Yeti measured 117 °F, and the Pure measured 116 °F.

As you can see, the differences were not very noticeable, and again, a draw. They both kept hot tap water hot, with only a small drop in temperature after 30 minutes. You can expect these performances from either brand.

Conclusion

Both the Yeti and the relative budget brand performed well in all tests, though the Yeti had the edge in the backyard test. In harsh conditions (a summer day in my backyard, for example), the Yeti maintained ice longer and had superior cold temperatures.

The Pure couldn’t keep ice as long as the Yeti, and the Pure tumbler’s temperature rose quickly afterward. I don’t recommend leaving any stainless container in the direct sun on a 130 °F counter for three hours.

Overall, I love my Yeti. It’s more durable, dishwasher safe, and keeps my drink cool for a long time. The Yeti 20-oz. Tumbler has proven itself durable and is true to its design. I use it every day and will continue to do so.

Outside Temperature Readings

Elapsed Time (minutes)

Yeti Temp. (°F)

Pure Temp. (°F)

Surface Temp. (°F)

Ambient Temp. (°F)

Yeti Ice

Pure Ice

0

46

46

113

86

Yes

Yes

30

39

40

120

87

Yes

Yes

60

39

40

130

88

Yes

No

90

42

49

134

92

Yes

No

120

45

54

138

92

No

No

180

51

63

138

92

No

No

190

54

78

138

92

No

No

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