Phil Sampson has been out and about for Motor Boat & Yachting testing a range of boat coolers. Here he takes a close look at the Yeti Hopper Flip
Available in three size formats designated ‘8’, ‘12’ and ‘18’, the Yeti Hopper Flip cool bag is perhaps best described as Small/Medium/Large but perfectly Formed, depending upon which variant you opt for.
As the largest in the range, this test model – the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 – is capable of carrying 20 cans of beer based on a 2:1 ice-to-can ratio by volume.
When it comes to look, touch and feel, the Yeti Hopper Flip tops the beauty parade of all the best boat coolers we tested – it’s a real looker that’s unquestionably built to last. What’s more, it’s a bag of many colours with hues ranging from a four-strong core set – Charcoal, Olive, Black or Navy – to a wacky collection of eight limited edition colours with names like King Crab, Firefly Yellow and Camp Green.
It’s no overstatement to say the quality of the Yeti Hopper Flip hits you before you even touch it – it’s so obviously a premium product that this is a grab bag that grabs you.
The box’s swish dryhide shell is complemented by its colour-contrasted lid and carry strap. It’s other fitments – a top-mounted carry handle, grab handles on either side and a ‘hitchpoint grid’, on which you can hook accessories like Yeti’s Zinger bottle opener, are also colour-coordinated.
One feature worthy of its own paragraph is the zip. No normal zipper this, but a super-tough Hydrolok zipper which Yeti claim is 100% leakproof.
My eye was first drawn to the zip by the label attached to it. It says ‘Pull Hard’. And, boy, do they mean hard – you might just need to enlist the support of world champion arm wrestling legend Devon Larratt to open up your Hopper first time out! But unlike Devon we found it did ease up after a while, and to keep it functioning smoothly Yeti have considerately included a tube of lube as part of the package.
In terms of functionality, the Yeti Hopper Flip 18’s insulation qualities stand up well to the competition; 24 hours after removing our ice packs the interior was still 1.4°C degrees below ambient, not bad for a bag with side walls of around just 30mm thickness.
All in all, this is a product that’s going to turn heads and perform well wherever you take it – a great passive cool bag choice.
Read our full reviews of all the Best coolers for boaters.
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Pros
- sturdy but compliant to fit into places other solid cool boxes can’t, really strong zip, useful handles and carrying strap
Cons
- have you seen the price tag? we found that the liner stained easily with a spilled sauce
