Yeti Tundra 65 Review

The Tundra is one of several coolers in our review certified for use in grizzly bear country by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. It's intensely sturdy and even features a textured lid that makes it more comfortable to sit on when you're hot and sticky, as well as a more friction-friendly stepladder in a pinch. It also features tie-downs, lock points, and anti-slip feet.

Insulation

Though Yeti has long been acclaimed as one of the best cooler companies out there, the Tundra didn't hold up to the hype when considering its insulation performance. However, it didn't do poorly either. It held temperatures below 40 degrees F for 115 hours — about five days. Additionally, it held temps below 50 degrees for 5.3 days, which is the ideal beer drinking temperature. Though this is below average when compared to the rest of the lineup, it's still more than enough to get you through the weekend. Unlike many of the other visually similar models, the Tundra is low and long without being too wide for one person to comfortably carry and large enough to keep everything you want without being so big that it loses cold air through a large surface area.

Yeti no longer makes specific claims of ice retention, as they admit that this number will vary greatly depending on what you do to prep your Tundra and what you decide to put in it. Considering we did not pre-cool these models to prep them during testing and made no effort to baby them with frozen contents, the roughly five days this cooler kept its contents at USDA-approved temperatures is even more impressive.

Moving and Lifting

As a fairly large cooler without wheels, portability is not this cooler's strong suit. At nearly 32 pounds when empty, we strongly recommend enlisting help to move this fully-loaded cooler. A couple of other coolers we tested are lighter, though, for the Tundra's durability and size, it's not even close to the heaviest we tested.

The Tundra has a low profile and isn't too wide, which helps prevent it from hitting your legs when carrying it solo. To help you and your partner co-carry this cooler, the Tundra comes with rope handles equipped with special grips. These grips feel rigid like plastic while having that almost sticky, friction-like feel of rubber. Along with longitudinal grooves and adjustable placement, the Tundra's handles make carrying this full cooler less of a pain than it could be. All in all, it's a pretty decent system.

Packable Space

The Tundra's measured 56-liter capacity has enough packable space for a couple of days of camping with the family. It comes with a dry-item basket that we find incredibly handy, and it can be easily removed and left behind when you don't need it.

The Tundra has an internal height of 10.5 inches, which doesn't allow an average-sized 2-liter soda or bottle of wine to stand upright inside.

Ease of Use

Though it may take a few bouts of practice, the Tundra can be quickly opened with one hand when your other hand is full of things to stuff inside. It's also a simple, easy shape to facilitate loading and unloading. The lid stays open when you need it, yet closes easily with just the suggestion of a push. And unlike every other cooler we tested, it stays open without actually overextending the angle of the hinge - an important feature when your cooler is backed up against the railing on the patio or the side of the boat. It, like many others we tested, has two sets of handles: one set is hidden as indents under the lid, while the other set is an easily grabbed rope with moveable grips in the middle. This dual-handle design makes it easy for one or two people to carry the Tundra without adding extra bulk to the overall shape of the cooler.

The Tundra includes a handy but simple dry storage basket.   Credit: Maggie Nichols

We greatly enjoy the usability of these simple rubber T-grips.   Credit: Maggie Nichols

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We also purchased the Yeti bear locks along with our cooler to give those a spin. These locks are made by Master Lock to specifications laid out by Yeti (this makes them a very specific shape that's compatible with the Tundra cooler). The locks are a bit heavy, of course, but work quite seamlessly. Once locked in place, they don't move, making it a bit challenging to fit the key in from the bottom without looking.

The non-slip feet help keep it from being bumped off the edge of the deck or scootched overboard. Tie-down points on either end can be used to secure it in the back of your pick-up truck for long hauls on 4 x 4 roads — and you can still open the cooler while it's tied down. You can also easily remove the rope handles if you're semi-permanently installing it and reverse the T-grips to slim down the cooler's profile. The one feature we wish the Tundra had is a leash for the drain plug, but alas. At the time of writing, Yeti backs their Tundra with a 5-year warranty, which is a helpful safety net, just in case. You can also purchase a bunch of different accessories to customize your cooler.

Should You Buy the Yeti Tundra 65?

The Tundra is not a cheap cooler. It will set you back several hundred dollars. However, for the seriously impressive performance, sheer usability, and simplicity this cooler brings to the table, we think it's well worth the investment. If you can't quite bring yourself to spend that much, you might consider a few of the less expensive models we tested.

What Other Coolers Should You Consider?

Coolers come in all shapes and sizes. If you're set on the Yeti brand but want something smaller, take a peek at the Yeti Roadie 24. This personal-sized cooler has a small footprint but keeps the same functionality as the Tundra. The RTIC Ultralight 52 is a great budget-friendly option with a large capacity. See our cooler review for more comparison.