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This post may seem outside of the typical TickingTimeMom wheelhouse….but it was a suggestion from my husband. And I kinda dig him….so I did it.

I am frugal by nature. I don’t mind paying more for quality brands but they better darn well live up to the cost. A younger Emily used to simply purchase based on ticket price. With age and experience and bins of quickly disintegrating products comes the wisdom and acceptance that you truly get what you pay for.

Most of the time.

Matt and I have an agreement that before we make any “want” purchases, we will run it past the other. We both enjoy the process of investigating brands before making a purchase to make sure we get the biggest bang for our buck.

Matt received a Yeti Rambler Colster (think coozie) for Christmas and absolutely loves it. After a couple of months he decided the Yeti Rambler Tumbler was in order. After checking online, he wasn’t convinced $49.99 (with Amazon Prime) was a price he could justify for a cup. He began researching and noticed several lesser priced options for similar stainless steel tumblers. He found information online about the Ozark Trail Brand and attempted to buy one to make his own assessment. Apparently, lots of other people were hot on the same idea because the tumbler was removed from his checkout basket before he could hit the payment button. The $10 price tag clearly had the attention of many.

(This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.)

(The Yeti is priced around $50 while the Ozark Trail is around $24. Both prices listed are from Amazon Prime. The Ozark Trail is under $10 if you can find it in a Walmart store…..which is proving to be a challenge!)

After several weeks he was notified there were a few tumblers that had been shipped to our local store. He bought and used them immediately. He was impressed by how much they look like the Yeti Rambler he initially wanted. He decided a head to head study was in order so we borrowed the Yeti brand from a friend. Our comparison took place over 48 hours and the results surprised us!

So…..how do two non-scientists do a “scientific comparison” of two tumblers?! Having been in sales for nearly 20 years, I know the importance of an “apples to apples” comparison. We did our best but keep in mind we are NOT research scientists.

Upon non-scientific, two frazzled parent inspection, the tumblers look virtually identical. They are both stainless steel, same height and diameter and have nearly identical lids. We didn’t weight them (because we are NOT research scientists) but they felt roughly the same weight when held.

We placed the tumblers next to each other on the same surface so they would be at the same temperature and receive the same amount of all environmental variables, including but not limited to: kids screaming, doors slamming, dog barking, doorbell ringing, etc. We measured out 50 ice cubes into each tumbler, took pictures, immediately placed the lids and waited… and waited… and took pictures… and waited.

Tumbler to Tumbler. Yeti on the left. Ozark Trail on the right.

50 ice cubes measured into each tumbler.

We began our experiment around 9 PM at night. I figured we would assess at the 12 hour mark. There were such a little change at that point that we continued toward the 24 hour mark.

The 12 hour mark showed little difference.

The Ozark Trail brand looks slightly lower at 12 hour mark.

Bottom line, lengthy blog post aside, both tumblers met every criteria we had for a tumbler. They kept the water cold for nearly two days. Ice remnants were still visible at this end point, as well. If your goal is to keep a drink cold, you’ll find a winner in either product. The rubber meets the road when it comes to price. Yeti has clearly branded themselves as the pinnacle of cooler products for outdoorsmen everywhere. There are lyrics to a country song floating through my mind as I type……

So, if you have a thing for the brand, by all means buy it. You won’t be disappointed. However, if you care less about the four letters on the side of the tumbler and would prefer to keep a few more four letters (C-A-S-H) in your pocket, the Ozark Trail is a solid choice.

So, there you have it. An unscientific research study from two non-scientists……but two non-scientists who are enjoying some really cold beverages this summer!

E

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