If you have found your way to this review, we can guess that you’re in the market for a seriously high-quality soft shell cooler, and that your cooling needs are nothing to laugh about.
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If that’s true, you should continue reading our YETI Hopper 18 review, as we’re about to give you the lowdown on what makes this soft-shell monster and cooler to be reckoned with.
For starters, it is meant to keep things cold.
Winter is coming people...
It’s also the largest cooler in the Hopper Flip lineup, making it perfect for people who still want the last tier of portability, though also need a little bit more room to fit their variety of brews in for the weekend.
Regardless of what you need, this cooler is certainly an investment like no other, and that can scare many people away.
We’re here to tell you why that investment is a smart one, so hopefully you don’t fall into a deep pit of buyer’s remorse after you get one for yourself.
The Review
Specifications
Pro's
Con's
Why is the Price So High?
If you put YETI coolers up against other coolers on the market, you realize that you’re not only paying for the brand, but instead for something that is far more reliable in terms of durability and performance. There are many alternatives on the market now, especially with the growing popularity of RTIC soft-shell coolers, though even those don’t come anywhere close to the quality of YETI brand coolers. Like we mentioned before, they are an investment, but an investment that is long-term.
You get what you pay for, and what you’re paying for with the Hopper Flip 18 is a durable, puncture, mildew, and UV-proof dry hide shell, cold cell insulation that is far superior to other coolers, and a vast variety of accessories that you can modify and outfit your cooler with. If you pay more now, you can rest easy knowing that you will likely never have to buy another cooler again.
For those who truly can't justify spending this amount on a cooler, we have a whole list of other great beach coolers if you view our page finbin.net/best-beach-coolers.
Insulation Performance
When it comes to the plethora of soft-shell coolers on the market, there’s nothing that quite matches up to the insulation performance of the YETI Hopper Flip 18. Not only has the team at YETI been testing and modifying their products for much longer than other brands, their coolers have also been third-party tested side-by-side with other brands, and have taken the cake in terms of insulation every time. This is due to their unique cold cell insulation that is part of the thick walls. It can hold cold for multiple days at a time, even when the sun is beating down. Pair this with the HydroLok zipper that keeps the elements out and the cold air in, and you have a cooler that is truly, well, cool. From keeping cool beers inside from the market to your home, to packing a few sandwiches for a weekend-long outing in the desert, its versatility in insulation performance is unparalleled.
Who is the YETI Hopper Flip 18 Perfect For?
With the little lunchbox design, many think of the Hopper Flip 18 as something you would just pack your lunch in when you go to work. While that is definitely true, and there’s no reason why you can’t pack your lunch in it for a day at the office, this cooler is meant for so much more. If you’re just looking for a lunchbox for the office, we would maybe recommend going for something that isn’t as pricey. This cooler is truly meant for longer weekend outings or full days in the wilderness. It’s great for hitting the beach, kayaking on the lake for the day, taking a short backpacking trip through the mountains, or riding your bike along the coastline. It’s an outdoors kind of cooler. With the many built-on accessories and insane cooling properties, it would be wasted on singular use as a generic lunchbox.
Frequently Asked Questions
YETI Hopper Flip 18 vs. Hopper Flip 12
The first thing you’ll likely notice when you put these two soft-shell coolers side by side is the difference in size. The Hopper 12 is in the middle of YETI’s lineup of soft-shell coolers, and is definitely not suited for longer adventures or expeditions as much as the Flip 18 is. The Hopper Flip 18 is something that cannot only store your beers, but also your lunch for that day and the next. The Hopper Flip 18 is able to store up to 20 cans of beer while the Hopper Flip 12 can only hold 13. The HitchPoint Grid on the Hopper 18 is also a bit larger, and gives you 4 attachment areas with each nylon strip rather than 3. This means that you have more room to attach accessories like the dry packs or bottle openers, making your YETI experience a bit more versatile.
YETI Hopper Flip 18 vs. Roadie
Right away, the biggest difference that you’ll see between the Hopper Flip 18 and the Roadie 20 and Roadie line of coolers is that the Roadie is a hard-shell cooler. The ice retention in YETI’s hard shell coolers are far superior to that of their soft, actually almost longer than a week. This is because, unlike the Hopper lineup, the Roadie lineup has thick fat wall designs, pressure-injected permafrost insulation, and the single-piece rotomolded construction that, in conjunction with one another, help to retain ice better than any other cooler on the market. It’s a bold statement, though true.
The Roadie is also a lot more durable than the Hopper and completely bear-resistant, perfect for those who find themselves camping in bear territory often without the use of bear boxes. That all being said, when it comes to portability, the Hopper coolers win by far. They are much lighter and far easier to carry with the additions of the padded shoulder straps. Only you want better ice retention and supreme durability would we recommend going with a Roadie cooler instead.
Does the YETI Hopper Flip 18 come with a warranty?
The Hopper Flip 18 comes with the same warranty as all of YETI’s soft-shell coolers. The warranty is a three-year limited warranty that comes with a few conditions. Essentially, if you find that there is some defect or manufacturer error within the first three years after your initial purchase, you can contact YETI and turn in your cooler for a brand new one. Again, there are a few extra conditions to this warranty, and because it’s a lot to write about in this article, we recommend checking out their website for more information.
Is the Hopper Flip 18 easy to travel with?
While it is the biggest in the lineup of Hopper Flip coolers, it’s still very easy to travel with and far more transport-friendly than YETI’s line of hard coolers. You have the padded shoulder strap that makes it easy to toss over your shoulder and get going with. There are also two small handles located on each side that you can use to attach to your bike, kayak, motorcycle, golf cart, etc. Lastly, you have the lunchbox-style handle that is on the top. Basically, you have tons of options when it comes to transporting your YETI Hopper Flip 18, and even with the larger design, it’s still lightweight.
Overall Rating
If your main goal is to get a cooler that can face the wilderness with you, you don’t have to look any further than the Hopper Flip 18. Not only is the ice retention on this thing far superior to other soft-shell coolers on the market, The Hopper Flip 18 is also incredibly durable and portable. There are many other soft-shell coolers out there that you could definitely get, though nothing quite matches up to those that YETI Brand offers.
Overall, we have to give the YETI Hopper Flip 18 an A+, and others agree. It is certainly an investment that you will have to consider, though an investment that will last you for years to come.
Yeti Hopper Flip 18
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Price - 7.5/107.5/10
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Insulation - 10/1010/10
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Durability - 10/1010/10
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Looks - 10/1010/10
