Yeti’s New Party Essential Might Put Its Iconic Hard Coolers Out of a Job

Somewhere between a bar cart and a cooler, Yeti might’ve found a new sweet spot.

Close-up of a blue YETI cooler with a clear lid and silver metal handle against a blue background.

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By Ben Bowers

Published May 5, 2026

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Updated May 5, 2026

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For a brand that built its reputation on overbuilt coolers, Yeti has quietly developed a second specialty: making surprisingly compelling cases for the humble bucket.

What started as a rugged reinterpretation of a hardware-store staple has evolved into a full ecosystem of gear that leans just as hard into utility as it does into lifestyle. Its latest release might be the most socially calibrated version yet.

One beautiful bucket

Blue YETI cooler filled with ice and nine black wine bottles on a table with glasses and crackers nearby. — In terms of capacity, the tub is rated for roughly 20 cans or 12 bottles, which is somewhere between the Roadie 15 and 24’s capacities.

The new Rambler Beverage Tub takes that familiar shape and reframes it for hosting, not hauling. And in doing so, it lands squarely between Yeti’s existing drinkware and its oversized party coolers—arguably making both feel a little less essential.

On paper, this is simple: a wide, open container designed to chill drinks. In practice, it’s a more considered take on something most people settle for at the last minute.

Yeti has spent years iterating on the format. The LoadOut 5-Gallon Bucket leaned into durability and modularity. At the same time, accessories like the LoadOut Swivel Seat made it clear the brand was willing to treat a bucket like a platform, not just a container.

Blue YETI cooler with clear lid holding bottles and cans, carried by a person near a beach table. — Compared to the brand’s famous coolers, the new beverage tub is less about job sites and tailgates, more about patios and dinner parties.

This new beverage tub shifts the context entirely. It’s less about job sites and tailgates, more about patios and dinner parties. The proportions are wider and lower than a traditional bucket, making it easier to display bottles rather than bury them. And per the Rambler naming, the finish aligns more with Yeti’s famed stainless steel drinkware line than with its hard coolers, which matters if you’re placing it next to actual furniture rather than a truck bed.

Two blue YETI beverage containers with clear hexagonal-patterned lids, labeled 2-gallon bucket and 4-gallon tub. — Unlike the existing 2-gallon beverage bucket, the 4-gallon tub features two side handles with rubber grips for easier carrying, a wider opening, and a raised lid.

It also fills a gap that’s been oddly open in Yeti’s lineup. The Rambler ice bucket skews compact, better suited for mixing drinks than serving a crowd, while the Tank cooler sits at the opposite extreme—large, plastic-heavy, and often excessive unless you’re hosting at scale. This new tub lands squarely between those two poles, offering enough capacity for a full party without overwhelming the space. That middle ground is the point.

As the early community reactions succinctly point out, it’s not a radical invention, but it’s a more usable one.

Availability and pricing

Beige YETI cooler bucket filled with ice, beer bottles, and soda cans held by a person in a dark shirt. — Unfortunately, like most Yeti gear, it’s not cheap. At $300, the new beverage tub costs as much, if not more, than some of Yeti’s smaller hard coolers, which hold roughly the same amount and keep things cooler for longer.

The beverage tub is available now from Yeti for $300. That number lands it in a slightly awkward but telling position within the brand’s lineup. It’s not dramatically cheaper than Yeti’s hard coolers, and in some cases, it’s not cheaper at all.

In terms of capacity, the tub is rated for roughly 20 cans or 12 bottles. That puts it surprisingly close to the real-world use case of a smaller hard cooler like the Roadie 24, which fits around 33 cans when accounting for ice, or the even more compact Roadie 15, which is rated around 22 cans.

The difference is that those coolers are designed for insulation efficiency first, while the tub trades some of that sealed performance for open, party-friendly access.

Set of navy blue YETI insulated drinkware and coolers including two coolers, two tumblers, a shaker, a pitcher, and a scoop. — As part of the Rambler family, the new beverage tub continues the long march towards Yeti, addressing the home entertainment and party-hosting markets.

Where it gets more interesting is the price comparison. At $300, the tub comes in about $50 more than the Roadie 24 and just $50 less than the Tundra 45, the brand’s most recognizable hard cooler, which can hold up to 54 cans.

In other words, you’re paying nearly cooler-level money for something that holds fewer drinks and keeps them cold for less time.

That’s the trade-off, and also the point. This isn’t meant to replace a hard cooler on paper. But in practice, for anyone hosting at home or setting up a more considered outdoor space, it might be the one that actually gets used more often.

Blue YETI cooler bucket with metal handles and a clear plastic lid.

Yeti Rambler Beverage Tub with Raised Lid

About the Author: Ben Bowers is the Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer of Gear Patrol. Throughout his tenure in media, Ben has written and reported on everything from consumer tech to whiskey, watches, cars, camping, and personal style. These days, he gets to write less than he’d like to.

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