YETI Rambler Review: Pros, Cons, and Verdict On YETI Rambler Mugs
Many people reading this YETI Rambler review may need no introduction to YETI. The YETI brand has gained huge popularity and recognition for their high performance, rugged but stylish drinkware. Whilst the products are designed with adventurous and active lifestyles in mind, their appeal has been far reaching, making them one of the most popular options for insulated coffee mugs on the market. In this article I review the current range of YETI Rambler mugs, including how they stood up to our travel mug tests, our team’s experiences and whether they are worthy of their cult following.
YETI Rambler Review Highlights
- None of the Rambler mugs are designed to be leak proof so these are not an option for throwing into your handbag or backpack.
- Great performance on insulation tests, kept drinks hot (>120 f) for 3-9 hours depending on size.
- The 10oz, 14oz and 24oz versions do not fit in car cupholders and are not meant for travel. If you want a YETI travel mug with a handle that is designed for hot drinks, the 20oz and 30oz are the options.
- Each of the mugs can be taken apart for thorough cleaning and are dishwasher proof.
- The larger mugs are quite heavy when full so may not work for you to carry around.
- Overall based on quality, performance and aesthetics I think the mugs are worth their premium price tag if you don’t need a mug that is 100% leak proof. If you need a leak proof YETI for hot drinks you can find out the options in our article on the best YETI for coffee.
Table of Contents
- YETI Coffee Mug Sizes
- What is a Magslider Lid?
- What is a Stronghold Lid?
- YETI 10 oz Mug Review
- YETI Rambler 14 oz Mug Review
- YETI Rambler 20 oz Travel Mug Review
- YETI Rambler 30 oz Travel Mug Review
- How Long Does A YETI Mug Keep Coffee Hot?
- Does YETI Rambler Keep Drinks Cold?
- Are YETI Mugs Leak Proof?
- How To Get A Discount on YETI Products
- YETI Rambler Warranty
- Other FAQs
- YETI Rambler Mug Full Specifications
YETI Coffee Mug Sizes
The current options if you are looking for a YETI mug with handle:
- 10oz stackable mug with magslider lid
- 14oz stackable mug with magslider lid
- 20oz travel mug with stronghold lid
- 24oz mug with magslider lid
- 30oz travel mug with stronghold lid
What is a Magslider Lid?
The Rambler Magslider Lid is an uninsulated plastic lid that comes with some of the YETI Rambler drinkware products to help avoid splashes and spills. The lid is not a screw fit, you press this lid onto the mug or pull it off when you want to remove it. There is a small tab on the rim of the lid to help with removing the lid. The lid has a rubber seal which helps to make it fit snugly onto the mug and prevent leaks. I talk about the leak resistance of the lid later in this article.
The lid has a black slider mechanism that you can easily slide opened and closed to access the drinking spout. The slider is attached to the lid with a magnet, so that it can be quickly removed from the lid for cleaning. One downside is that the magnetic slider can pop off if you drop the lid or the mug so I have had to search along the floor for the slider a few times. I tried a quick test of dropping the lid onto a rubber mat from around a 1ft height. The slider popped off the lid about 25% of the time when it had been in the open position and about 50% of the time when it had been in the closed position.
YETI do sell replacement or additional magsliders, either singly or in a magslider color pack of three if you want to match your slider to your mug color for example. If you really like your magslider lids then you may want to go ahead and get some spare magsliders so the magslider color pack might be a good purchase. I picked up the pack shown below as we have mugs and tumblers in these colors already.
You can also purchase magslider lids separate from the mug itself which is useful if it becomes worn or damaged. Since this type of lid is used on some of the mugs, tumblers and lowballs you may be able to use them interchangeably however be careful as there are 3 different sizes.
Magslider Lid Sizes
- Small fits the 10oz Wine Tumbler and 10oz Tumbler
- Medium fits the 10oz Lowball, 10oz Mug, 24oz Mug, 16oz Pint and 20oz Tumbler
- Large fits the 14oz Mug, 26oz Cup and 30oz Tumbler
What is a Stronghold Lid?
The Rambler Stronghold lid is made for travel mugs and fits the 20oz and 30oz travel mug. It is a thick but uninsulated plastic lid very similar to the magslider lid but is a screw on lid and its magnetic slider opening works a little differently. On this lid you have to press down on the slider before you can slide it open or closed. You quickly get used to this movement however it may be a little difficult for anyone with hand weakness. The lid has some grooves on the edge to help grip when screwing the lid on or off the mug.
The stronghold lid is designed to provide better leak resistance than the magslider lid. It is also designed to enable more thorough cleaning. The rubber seal on this lid is more easily removed and both parts of the magnetic slider mechanism are fully removable for cleaning.
I repeated the testing I had done with the magslider lid, dropping the lid onto a rubber mat. This time the slider very occasionally popped off when it had been in the closed position. The slider still came apart about 20% of the time when the slider had been in the open position.
YETI do not yet sell replacements or additional colors of the slider for the Stronghold lid. You can purchase complete Stronghold lids, there are separate sizes for the 20oz and 30oz travel mugs. This isn’t really ideal; one of the team did loose the top part of the slider on their travel mug and the only solution was to replace the entire lid. Check out our thoughts on the YETI warranty as well.
YETI 10 oz Mug Review
What We Like
What We Don't Like
- Size works well for smaller coffees at home as it will keep them warmer for longer than the larger 14oz mug.
- Expensive for a mug to use at home, but worth it if keeping your coffee hot for longer is important.
The YETI Rambler 10oz mug is intended to be used at home in place of a traditional ceramic or glass mug if you want to keep your coffee hotter for longer. This is really useful for example in the mornings when I’m busy serving breakfasts, packing kids lunches etc as it means I’m not left with a cup of cold coffee after 30 minutes. I find it just the right size for that first cup of coffee in the morning as well as for when I make a Latte or Cappuccino with my bean to cup machine as those are about 8oz. It obviously doesn’t provide the same beautiful presentation of a latte in a glass mug but sometimes it will be more important for me to keep the drink warm. The other downside to insulated mugs is that the mug itself will not become warm to touch, so you may miss that comfort. You can read more on how the 10oz Rambler mug performs vs ceramic and glass mugs in my review of the best coffee mugs for home.
The 10oz YETI Rambler comes with a magslider lid. Like all of the other Rambler mugs it is not leakproof but the lid works well to prevent splashes when you’re walking around with the mug. It keeps coffee hot for hours and if you usually drink coffees under 10oz then this will give the best performance. If for example you used the 14oz Rambler mug for a smaller coffee it will not keep it hot for as long as the 10oz.
Read below for lots more info on the Rambler mug range including details on performance and full spec of the mug.
YETI Rambler 14 oz Mug Review
What We Like
What We Don't Like
- Versatile with multiple uses.
- Good size for coffee at home if you don’t want to refill too often.
- Wide base makes this super stable.
- Only stackable without the lid.
YETI markets the Rambler 14oz as a versatile camp mug that you can reach to for serving your soup and ice cream as well as your hot or cold beverages. The bowl-like width lends itself well to these alternative uses and whether using this at home or on a trip there is something comforting about eating soup from a mug! My kids have also enjoyed eating breakfast cereal from this mug and its wide base means it is really sturdy and not easily knocked over. Its also a good option for taking hot food to the office though bear in mind it is not leakproof.
The width of Rambler 14oz mug means that its insulation performance isn’t as good as the other mugs in the range, but for a mug thats intended for use at home or camp it is more than adequate . See how it performed in the hot and cold drink tests with other YETI Rambler mugs. I’ve also compared it to other coffee mugs for home, where as expected it was much better at holding heat than ceramic or glass mugs.
The stackable feature of this mug could come in useful for households where you may have more than one mug, however we were disappointed that these are only stackable with the lid removed which creates other issues with storage and lids going missing.
The 14oz mug comes with a magslider lid. I’ve described the difference between the magslider and stronghold lids here but I really felt there was no big disadvantage with the magslider lid on this mug.
YETI Rambler 20 oz Travel Mug Review
What We Like
What We Don't Like
- Keeps drinks hot or cold for a long time.
- Size works well for most scenarios outside the home.
- Easy deep cleaning help prevents mould.
- Handle is a little small, not comfortable for larger hands.
- Slow flow through the lid opening.
The YETI 20oz mug is designed for use as a travel mug. Its narrow base should fit in most car cup holders and its handle, lid and drinking slot make it ideal for sipping when on the road. It performs really well at keeping coffee hot and is equally as good at keeping drinks cool. A few of the team commute to work and they have really liked this as an option to use in the car and then take along into the office to finish off drinking through the morning. They did find though that the handle feels a bit small for larger hands. My brother in law found himself holding the mug around the base without the handle, so he would have preferred a tumbler over this or the 30oz Rambler with larger handle.
The main weakness of this travel mug is not being leak proof. There are other travel mugs on the market that will perform as well but also provide 100% leak resistance. The YETI travel mug does win on cleaning, its stronghold lid can be fully disassembled for deep cleaning. A lot of other travel mugs have problematic cleaning which lead to mould developing in the lids.
The stronghold lid twists or screws onto the mug with a 90 degree turn and I found that you might have to try placing it a few times to get the drinking slot in the right position for you to drink comfortably. It does however work well for left and right handed users as you can position the drinking slot where needed. The drinking slot on the 20oz mug also seemed a little smaller than on the other mugs and this made the flow of coffee a bit slow for some of us.
Read below for lots more details including how long the 20oz Rambler mug kept coffee hot for.
YETI Rambler 30 oz Travel Mug Review
What We Like
What We Don't Like
- Large size and heat retention worked well when away from home all day.
- Quite heavy when full, difficult to carry around.
- Top heavy, more easily knocked over than others.
The 30oz Rambler mug is the largest coffee mug in the YETI range and one of the largest coffee mugs I have used. For alot of people this will be too large for coffee but it will work well if you drink coffee all through the day or are going on a long drive and don’t want to have to refill. If you prefer to have a handle then you might also choose this instead of a tumbler for your cold drinks. The size allows you to fit lots of ice with your drink if you like to drink it icy cold. As with the other Rambler mugs, the 30oz is really good and keeping drinks hot or cold for hours, which is especially important for this size where you will likely be drinking over a longer period of time.
The 30oz YETI mug does fit in most car cup holders due to its narrow tapered base. I did find though this narrow base makes the mug top heavy and it was more easily knocked over than other mugs which has led to a few spills. Do also think about weight as this mug weighs 3.5lbs when its full!
How Long Does A YETI Mug Keep Coffee Hot?
YETI coffee mugs kept coffee hot (>120°F) for up to 9 hours in our testing.
YETI don’t publish any specific insulation capabilities for their mugs, so I ran some tests to see how the mugs perform for keeping drinks hot or cold. There isn’t a single answer to the question though as there are many variables that affect the results and everyone may have different requirements. I’ve tried to capture some data for you to make an informed decision on whether the YETI Rambler mug is right for you.
I performed 3 different tests to confirm whether or not YETI mugs do keep coffee hot.
During each of these tests the mug was filled to capacity for the duration of the test. Insulated cups perform best when they are full, so you can view these as best case results. If the cup were less full, or as you drink from the cup, the performance would degrade a little.
At the start of each of these tests the temperature of the coffee was 180°F/82°C. The recommended brew temperature for coffee is around 200°F, resulting in typical poured temperature of around 180°F.
With the exception of the second test, the mugs had their lids on and slider closed for the duration of the tests (slider was quickly opened and closed for temperature testing only during the test).
The table below includes a summary of the testing, as you can see the results were pretty good and the mugs likely perform well enough for most people’s needs. The 14oz mug has a wider structure which results in heat being lost more quickly. The 30oz mug results are a little better than the 20oz and this is likely due to the larger volume of liquid rather than the mug actually performing any better.
| 10oz YETI Rambler Mug | 14oz YETI Rambler Mug | 20oz YETI Rambler Travel Mug | 30oz YETI Rambler Travel Mug | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration the mug kept coffee hot (>120°F) in an ambient room temperature of 72°F/22°C | 3 hours | 3 hours | 8 hours | 9 hours |
| Duration the mug kept coffee hot (>120°F) in an ambient room temperature of 72°F/22°C, with the slider open | 2hours | 3 hours | 7 hours | 9 hours |
| Duration the mug kept coffee hot (>120°F) in an ambient temperature of 39°F/4°C | 2 hours | 2 hours | 5 hours | 6 hours |
I’ve included some photographs below to give an understanding and visibility of how the tests were performed.
Does YETI Rambler Keep Drinks Cold?
YETI mugs kept drinks cold for up to 16 hours in my testing.
I performed 2 tests to see how well the mugs keep drinks cold.
Per the hot drink tests, during each of the tests the mug was filled to capacity for the duration of the test. Insulated cups perform best when they are full, so you can view these as best case results. If the cup were less full, or as you drink from the cup, the performance would degrade somewhat.
The mugs had their lids on and slider closed for the duration of the tests (slider was quickly opened and closed for temperature testing only during the test).
In the first test, we tested how long the mug could keep water cold at an ambient room temperature of 72°F/22°C. The water temperature at the start of the test was 61°F, this is thought to be an optimal temperature for hydration. We measured how long the water stayed below 72°F, which is at the top end of the scale for comfortable water drinking temperature.
The table below shows a summary of the results, with each mug performing well in this test.
| 10 oz YETI Rambler Mug | 14oz YETI Rambler Mug | 20oz YETI Rambler Travel Mug | 30oz YETI Rambler Travel Mug | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration the mug kept water cold (<72°F) in an ambient temperature of 72°F/22°C | 6 hours | 8 hours | 16 hours | > 16 hours |
In the second cold drink test I wanted to see how the mugs would perform at keeping drinks cold in hotter climates and used a temperature of 95°F/35°C. We started with the water a bit cooler for this test, at 51°F and tested the water temperature after 12 hours. As you see from the results below the outside temperature had a clear impact on the ability to keep the water cold when compared to the first tests.
| 10 oz YETI Rambler Mug | 14oz YETI Rambler Mug | 20oz YETI Rambler Travel Mug | 30oz YETI Rambler Travel Mug | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water temperature after 12 hours | 88.2°F/31°C | 89°F/31°C | 72°F/22°C | 68°F/20°C |
Are YETI Mugs Leak Proof?
YETI describe their Rambler Mugs with magslider lid as splash proof and Rambler Mugs with a stronghold lid as leak resistant but not leakproof. YETI recommend other products in their range if you want a 100% leakproof option.
I tested whether the mugs were spill proof and how leak resistant they were. I looked at whether the mug would spill when shaken upright, mimicking a car ride or walking with the mug. I also checked whether the mug would spill when knocked over as can happen from time to time.
| Test | |
|---|---|
| Gently shaken upright with slider closed | No leaks or splashes |
| Gently shaken upright with slider open | A small amount of liquid occasionally splashed out of the opening as expected. |
| Knocked over with slider closed | A small amount of liquid was spilled either as the mug fell over or as it was picked up again. |
| Knocked over with slider open | Liquid poured freely as expected |
| Shaken upside down with slider closed | Small amount of liquid leaked around the lid or slider |
I found no difference between the mugs I tested regardless of whether they had a magslider or stronghold lid. Each of the mugs leaked a little when tipped upside down or knocked over.
How To Get A Discount on YETI Products
- USA: YETI offers special pricing (typically 20% discount) to military, first responders, nurses and government employees on some products.
- USA: Buy back offer
- UK: 15% discount to all emergency service personnel including NHS, fire service as well as armed forces.
- Free shipping when you sign up to the YETI newsletter
- YETI have now replaced the original 14oz mug with a stackable version. The discontinued version is currently available at 20% discount on Amazon per the link below.
YETI Rambler Warranty
YETI offer a limited 5 year warranty on their Rambler products. The YETI mug warranty applies to products purchased directly from YETI or from one of their approved distributors and covers product defects. The warranty does not cover normal wear and term such as scratches, dents or punctures. This can be a little subjective however from what I’ve experienced and read claims under warranty have been overall positive.
Whilst our team have found YETI products to be high quality, they have encountered a few issues and made some successful claims under the warranty. In one instance a new 20oz mug didn’t seem to hold heat as expected and was replaced as defective. To claim against the warranty you have to complete an online form providing details of the issue and some photographs for review.
In our experience claims have been reviewed and approved within a couple of days. I have read reviews of claims being disputed and additional photographs being requested. It appears in most cases where there was a reasonable claim it was approved though sometimes only after escalation.
There have also been some YETI product recalls over the years but at present there aren’t any active recalls for Rambler products.
Other FAQs.
What are YETI Mugs Made Of?
The body of the Rambler mugs are made from 18/8 stainless steel. 18/8 refers to the percentage of chromium and nickel in the steel. This is one of the most common food grade stainless steels; no chemicals can leak from the material into your drink. 18/8 stainless steel is strong and rust resistant.
The lids of the Rambler mugs are made from BPA free plastics. YETI state that all of the products and accessories are BPA free so this means that the lid itself, the slider and the rubber gasket/seal are all BPA free. Inside of the lid sliders there are also metal magnets.
How are YETI Mugs Insulated?
YETI mugs use a very common double wall vacuum insulation technology. In simple terms there are two layers of steel with a vacuum sealed cavity between. This construction protects the liquid from the outside temperature helping to keep your drinks hot or cold.
Are YETI Mugs Dishwasher Safe?
YETI Rambler Mugs are suitable for the dishwasher. So far in our ongoing use we haven’t encountered any issues with washing our mugs in the dishwasher. We have been following YETI’s instructions to place the body on the rack, and lid in the top away from heat (at least when the mums are loading the dishwasher).
Are YETI Mugs Microwave Safe?
Since the YETI Rambler mugs are made of stainless steel they are not microwave safe. As with other metals it would create a fire hazard if you were to heat a YETI mug in the microwave. You will need to heat your liquid in a microwave proof container before decanting to your YETI mug.
How Long Does a YETI Last?
Unsurprisingly this is not an easy answer as it will come down to how often you use it and how careful you are with it. We have quite a few YETI products across the team and we’ve found them to be very good quality. Some have developed a few scratches and dents and slight peeling on the paint coating however those issues are much fewer than with some other brands. I’ve read alot of reviews of the Rambler mugs to find out if we have just been lucky but the consensus seems to be mostly positive.
I think the most easily damaged part of the Rambler Mugs is the plastic lid. I tried a few drop tests with some brand new mugs. I dropped the mugs from around 4ft onto my concrete driveway. With one of the mugs, on the first drop the lid suffered some scuffing which I have also seen on our other YETIs which we’ve had for a few years. I included a photograph below, hopefully you can see the scuffing at the front of the picture on the lid rim.
None of the mug bodies picked up any damage during those specific drops. I think there will always be an element of good or bad luck on how something like this hits the surface.
When Does YETI Release New Colors?
YETI usually release some limited edition colors every season like the cosmic lilac color I pictured the 10oz mug in. As well as seasonal colors they sometimes release additional limited editions to mark events and occasionally change the permanent color lineup.
How To Clean A YETI Mug
As mentioned above YETI mugs are dishwasher safe, so I usually either give a quick hand wash or go ahead and put through a dishwasher cycle. I do like to deep clean all of my cups every so often to prevent any potential mould or dirt buildup. With YETI mugs, the deep clean focuses around the lid.
With the magslider lid, the slider and rubber gasket can be removed. With the stronghold lid, the magnetic holder below the slider can also be removed which allows for a slightly more thorough clean. Once taken apart I use a toothbrush with soap and hot water to gently scrub the pieces before drying and replacing. Its important to make sure the pieces are dry before reassembling otherwise you might encourage mould to grow.
YETI provide these instructions for disassembly and reassembly of the stronghold lid.
How To Remove Coffee Stains From YETI Mug
The easiest option is to add a couple of spoons of bicarb or baking soda (barkeepers friend also works well) to the cup with a few drops of water to form a paste. Then scrub around the inside of the cup with the paste and a scratch free scrubber before rinsing with hot water and soap. This will leave your mug looking like new!
YETI Rambler Mug Full Specifications
| YETI Rambler 10oz mug with magslider lid | YETI Rambler 14 oz mug with magslider lid | YETI Rambler 20 oz travel mug with stronghold lid | YETI Rambler 30 oz travel mug with stronghold lid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| YETI Standard Price | $25 | $30 | $38 | $42 |
| Actual Capacity | 11.3oz/320ml | 14.8oz/420ml | 21.9oz/620ml | 31.4oz/890ml |
| Cup Weight (When Filled to Capacity Inc lid) | 24.5oz/695g | 30.9oz/876g | 41.3oz/1169g | 55.4oz/1570g |
| Cup Weight ( Empty Inc lid) | 13.2oz/375g | 16.1oz/456g | 19.4oz/549g | 24oz/680g |
| Height (Inc lid) | 4"/10cm | 4”/10cm | 7 ½”/19cm | 8 ¼”/21cm |
| Height (without lid) | 3 ¾”/9.5cm | 3 ¾”/9.5cm | 7”/18cm | 8”/20.5cm |
| Handle Length | 2 ¼”/5.5cm | 2 ¼”/5.5cm | 2 ¼”/5.5cm | 2 ½”/6.5cm |
| Base Width | 3 ¼”/8.25cm | 4"/10cm | 2 ¾”/7cm | 4 ¾”/12cm |
| Width Including Handle | 4.6"/11.5cm | 5"/13cm | 4 ¾”/12cm | 5"/13cm |
| Fits in a standard 3” cupholder? | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Lid Opening | Sliding | Sliding | Sliding | Sliding |
| Leakproof | No | No | No | No |
| Spill proof (When closed) | Yes when shook upright, No when knocked over | Yes when shook upright, No when knocked over | Yes when shook upright, No when knocked over | Yes when shook upright, No when knocked over |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | No | No | No | No |
| Mug Materials | 18/8 stainless steel | 18/8 stainless steel | 18/8 stainless steel | 18/8 stainless steel |
| Lid Materials | BPA free plastic | BPA free plastic | BPA free plastic | BPA free plastic |
| Manufactured In | China | China | China | China |