Best YETI For Coffee, How to Choose Between The 21 Options!
For me, the best YETI for coffee is an 18oz Rambler Bottle with a hotshot lid. We do however all have different preferences, lifestyles and coffee drinking habits, so there may be a better option for you.
The range of YETI drinkware products has grown and it can be a bit tricky to choose the right one especially if you are new to the brand or to this kind of drinkware. Across the range, there are lots of different types and sizes, creating 21 options suitable for hot drinks (more when you consider compatible lid combinations). For coffee, our team prefer either the mugs or bottles. In this article I’ll explain why and provide information so that you can choose your own best YETI for coffee.
How To Choose The Best YETI For Coffee
The choices seem endless and I couldn’t find a visual summary of the differences between the products so I’ve summarised in the table below the product options for a YETI for hot drinks. This should help you to see at a glance which YETI might be best for you.
All of the products are constructed of double wall stainless steel and are all dishwasher safe, but they otherwise have some different features. Each product is available in a range of colors.
| Sizes (oz) | Designed For Hot Drinks | Leakproof | Handled | Fits Standard 3" Cupholder | Stackable | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rambler Bottle |
 | 12, 18, 26, 36, 46, 64 | Only with hotshot and cup cap options | Yes | x | Only 12oz and 18oz | x |
| Rambler Cup |
 | 4, 8, 26 | Yes with MagSlider lid (No with straw lid option) | x | x | Yes | Yes |
| Rambler Mug |
 | 6, 10, 14, 24, 25, 35 | Yes with MagSlider lid (No with straw lid option) | x | Yes | x | 6oz, 10oz and 14oz only |
| Rambler Travel Mug |
 | 20, 30 | Yes | x | Yes | Yes | x |
| Rambler Tumbler |
 | 10, 20, 30 | Yes | x | x | Yes | x |
| Rambler Lowball |
 | 10 | Yes | x | x | x | Yes |
Per the table columns, there are a few things to consider when deciding which is the best YETI for coffee:
- Size & capacity: You need to assess your typical coffee consumption. You will want to get the size that best matches your usage. You may also want to consider buying multiple sizes to suit different scenarios e.g. driving vs hiking. This type of stainless steel drinkware can be heavy so you won’t want to buy a 30oz mug to use for 12oz coffees.
- Is it leakproof: If you want to take your coffee on the move, this will be important, especially if you want to pack your drink into a backpack or handbag.
- Handled or handle-less: Decide whether you prefer a traditional mug with a handle, like the Yeti Rambler Mug, or a sleeker design without a handle, such as the Rambler Tumbler. The handle can provide a more comfortable grip, especially for larger sizes. A handle might also be preferable if you have any hand weakness.
- Does it fit in a standard 3″ cupholder: Some of the products will not fit a cupholder so aren’t suitable if you want to enjoy your coffee on the commute or a road trip.
- Is it stackable: If storage is limited and you need to have multiple products in the household, the stackable options may be a good choice.
Aesthetics: Personal style matters. The wide range allows you to choose the product that aligns with your taste and preferences.
- Insulation performance: Evaluate how long you need your coffee to stay hot. YETI’s double-wall vacuum insulation is renowned for its ability to maintain temperature, ensuring your coffee stays hot for an extended period. The insulation performance across the range does vary alot. Our article on the best thermal insulated coffee mug goes into a lot of detail on this topic including how we test insulation performance and results for lots of different products and brands. Size (larger volumes of coffee will inherently stay hotter for longer) and the type of lid are key factors.
Most Versatile YETI For Hot Drinks
At the start of this article I mentioned that my top pick is an 18oz Rambler bottle with a hotshot lid. It comes out on top for a few reasons, and we’ve awarded it 4th place in our top travel mugs for 2024.
- Super insulation: I’ve included some results below on how it out performs the mugs. You’ll see that particularly with a hotshot lid the bottle can keep coffee hot for around 10 hours. It’s also does an excellent job of keeping water cold.
- Leakproof: It is the only YETI for hot drinks that is leakproof, so I know I can put it in my bag when I need to.
- Fits in standard cupholders: The 18oz size also fits in most car cupholders so I also have the option to use it whilst I’m on the school run or out and about during the week.
- Choice of lids: There are 5 different lid options for a Rambler bottle, which make it a really versatile product. We have all of the details in our article which looks at how they compare and perform.
I would only consider options other than the bottles if you prefer a handle or you need something larger than 18oz that can still fit in a car cupholder.
The table below shows how the 18oz bottle performs at keeping drinks hot (I’ve also included a couple of the mugs for comparison). The bottle with a hotshot lid or cup cap comes out on top, keeping drinks hot for up to 10 hours.
| 18oz Rambler Bottle with Chug Cap | 18oz Rambler Bottle with Hotshot Cap | 18oz Rambler Bottle with Cup Cap | 20oz Rambler Travel Mug with Stronghold Lid | 14oz Rambler Mug with Magslider Lid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | |
| Room Temperature Environment (72°F) - Test Started With Water @ 180°F/82°C, and measured how many hours it stayed > 120°F/49°C | 7 hours | 10 hours | 10 hours | 8 hours | 3 hours |
| Colder Environment (39°F) - Test Started With Water @ 180°F/82°C, and measured how many hours it stayed > 120°F/49°C | 5 hours | 8 hours | 8 hours | 5 hours | 2 hours |
Best YETI For Coffee If You Prefer A Handle
Rambler mugs are the best YETI for coffee if you need or prefer a handle. We have previously published a very detailed review of the YETI Rambler mugs so I won’t repeat all of the information here.
The main downside of the mugs is that they are not leakproof. Their lids do prevent splashes and large spills but they aren’t fully leakproof, so not suitable for throwing into your bag.
The travel mugs are an option for travelling in the car when you know that the mug is likely to be upright. The non-travel version of the mugs are intended for use at home or to bring camping. They can be a nice option for drinking at your desk where you have a smaller coffee that you will drink more quickly. The mugs review explains the 2 different lid types on the mugs, insulation test results and pros and cons of each of the mugs.
If I had to choose one it would be the 20oz travel mug, as I could use it both at home and whilst traveling. It’s 20oz capacity is large enough for most people and it is more compact and lighter than the 30oz.
Best YETI For Coffee If You Need a Large Handle-less Cup
If you don’t care about the car cupholder, I would stick to the bottles. With 26 and 36oz options which can be used with the hotshot lid they are a viable option for sipping coffees. I’d caution though that the larger bottles are chunky and heavy. They can also be used with a cup cap which transforms the bottle into a thermos which may be a good option if you do want to carry a large volume of coffee. You can expect the insulation performance to be even better than the 18oz. When full, the 26oz bottle keeps drinks hot for up to 14 hours in our testing when paired with the hotshot lid.
If you do need a larger cup which can fit in a cup holder, and you don’t need it to be fully leakproof then I would choose the 26oz stackable cup. It comes with a straw cap lid which is for cold drinks only but you can purchase a magslider lid separately so that you can also use the cup for sipping your coffee. Insulation performance of the 26oz tumbler isn’t as good as the bottle of the same size due to the shape and lid differences but with the magslider lid it does keep coffee hot for up to 9 hours in our testing which is still more than enough for most people.
Best YETI For Coffee To Stay At Home
Whilst any of the products will be suitable for drinking your coffee at home, if I had to invest in one it would be the 14oz Rambler mug. Described as a camp style mug it doubles up as a bowl with a handle. It gets lots of use in our home from eating ice cream through to soups, chillis and noodles. At 14oz it holds enough coffee for me without having to refill too quickly. It isn’t a top performer from an insulation perspective as shown earlier in this review, but it will keep your coffee hot for a couple of hours which should be more than enough whilst at home.