- Paul Kahan
There are a lot of coolers on the market, but Bison Cooler Vs Yeti are two of the best ones. Each company has its pros and cons, so we’ll be comparing them in this blog post. But before we get into that, let’s look at the basics.
Coolers insulate your food and hold ice packs to keep it cold (or hot) for a long time. People who like to camp or go boating often use them because they can keep food fresh for hours or even days without power. What do you think? Which brand is best for you? Let’s find out below!
Lineup
Bison Hard-Sided Soft Coolers
Although the size options are limited, they offer enough variety to satisfy most people’s requirements. Bison has a range of hard-sided coolers in sizes 25, 50, 75, and 125 quarts. The design of all sizes is very similar, except the 125-quart model with three latches rather than two. In many cases, additional latches for cooler sizes were added.
Bison Soft-Sided Ice Coolers – Made In The USA
Bison soft-sided cooler has a smaller selection of soft-sided coolers. Bison soft-sided coolers are called “Bison SoftPak Cooler Bags.” There is a 12-can and a 24-can option. These coolers are approximately 18 and 32 liters, respectively in liters. Few product sizes are available, but we have seen the most desired sizes.
Not only do they work well, but they are also promoted as being the only soft-sided coolers made in the USA. What we love is their design. You can’t go wrong with the Engel HD30 if you want a soft-sided cooler that keeps as much ice as possible for as long as possible.
The Softpak is Bison’s soft-sided cooler offering. It’s compact, lightweight, and portable like many affordable coolers on the market. Even though the padding isn’t as strong as their roto-molded coolers, it does a great job of keeping things cool.
Bison Coolers Review
Their rotomolded coolers look great and are durable. The classic boxy shape is still there, with squared edges and an X in the middle. Rotomolded coolers don’t consist of multiple pieces glued together and have seams that could fail or leak.
This cooler is made in the USA from a single piece of heavy-duty plastic with 2″ thick insulation. It gives you amazing ice life. We’ll get to that in a moment.
This is cosmetic, and it’s not a problem. The cooler’s flat shape makes it easy to transport it with your stuff or store it away for winter. This is a great feature to have on the ice chests. While some cooler brands have lipids extending beyond the cooler’s body, we like the Bison cooler’s low profile.
You’ll notice a reduction in bounce when you transport this Bison ice chest. This is due to its four large rubber feet. Quality was a top priority. You also have the feet to help.
Available In A Variety Of Sizes
Bison has updated this article to reflect the new generation of their brute coolers. There are four sizes of Hard-sided Bison Coolers available.
They range from 20 quarts up to 125 quarts. With 21 cans of ice packs, the 20-quart Bison ice chest is ideal for road trips, day trips, and trips to beaches. Multi-use coolers in 50 quarts or 75-quart sizes can be used for camping, fishing, and family gatherings.
The 125-quart Bison ice chest, the giant cooler made in the USA, is essential for anglers, hunters, and anyone looking for maximum storage. This size cooler is often a backup fridge for extended power outages. Below are the dimensions of the coolers.
We recommend the Bison coolers 75 quart or 50 quarts as they are the most versatile sizes. The 75 quarts will fit in most SUVs, but the 50 will work well if your vehicle is too large. The Bison cooler is a good option if you plan to go on larger hunting and fishing trips.
Insulation and Ice Retention
Bison’s first-generation coolers had less insulation than their competitors. The standard for insulation is 2 inches, so they used it on the lid. The sides were 1/8 inch and 5/8 inches. They had lower ice retention than their competition.
Bison coolers are now 2 inches thicker. This gives them 7-day ice retention that is comparable to other brands. This cooler is more reliable than many others on the market. Many factors can impact ice life. However, you can expect more than 6 to 7 days in almost all scenarios.
Bison Coolers are unique in that they are available in various colors, so you can choose one that speaks to your heart. However, the lids for coolers with darker colors are still white. Coolers with darker colors can retain the same amount of ice as light coolers by reflecting heat from the hot summer sun. This keeps everything in your Bison cooler cool.
Portability
These coolers can almost all be carried by one person, despite being quite large. This can be done in two ways. You can grab onto the rails underneath the lid. These are strong and easy to hold in your hands.
The rope handles are another option. These items can become quite heavy if you have a lot of food. These cases are where the rope handles make it much easier to grasp.
The tube that holds the grip is all you need is a tube. Although it’s durable, we have seen better ergonomic grips. These rotomolded coolers can be pretty heavy, so these ropes must be comfortable and durable.
Bison coolers come with an optional wheel kit, the Bison Hauler. This allows you to transport food and beverages more efficiently from one place to another. The coolers can get very heavy with all the ice, drinks, and food you have brought along. We recommend the Hauler for the park, beach, and getting to the harbor.
High-Quality Features and Build Quality
A high-end cooler should have a few key characteristics, which Bison does. The large rubber lid gasket (like you would see on an ice chest freezer) keeps the cooler airtight and keeps odors away from wildlife.
Rotomolded coolers are equipped with rubber latches. These can be pulled/stretched to lock the cooler in place. These are very annoying to use. They close in a way that makes rubber brittle. Over time, the rubber degrades, and you often kick your knuckles.
Bison cooler latches can also be rubber, providing flexibility and heavy-duty durability. However, they are cantilevered, making them easier to open because of how pressure and force are distributed.
Bison also went beyond the ordinary with a couple of other premium coolers. A ruler is integrated into the lid if you love to fish. Once you have your catch, you will know if it is legal.
The drain was another improvement on the ice chest. If you want your ice retention to remain frozen, the liquid must be removed from the cooler. Ice melts quicker when it is in liquid. Bison installed two drains so you can drain them from either end if it is on an angle. They are also designed to drain quickly.
Accessory
The coolers had a few basic but well-designed features. There are also additional features that can be purchased as accessories. These Bison Cooler accessories can make your cooler more valuable and appealing. These are our top picks:
Bison Hauler
It is fantastic to keep food for a week on hand. However, having to transport it all by yourself? It’s not so easy. The hauler functions just like the red wagon you used as a child. It is made of the same rotomolded material as the cooler, so it is highly durable.
You can easily transport it on dirt, over rocks, and down any trail you can walk. If you are going up steep terrain, the deck of your cart won’t be able to lift it. There is no better way to transport food than this cart.
A bison cooler use as a shooting cooler for your wild game, a marine cooler for your big catch, or a camping cooler to keep your food and drinks. Still small enough for one person to carry, though it’s easier with a friend. It’s a great size for a multi-use, all-around ice chest.
Cooler Divider
Bison isn’t the only company to offer a divider. It’s also one of the most requested add-ons. It is very affordable and adds significant functionality to your cooler. It is water-tight when inserted due to how the walls have been molded.
This divider is much stronger because Bison is the only brand that offers dual drains. The ice retention will last longer if you keep meats and perishables dry. If you use one side of the ice retention for drinks, it’s best to keep it flooded. Ice will melt quicker, but it only pulls heat from your drink.
SteelCore Security Strap
This isn’t your average Coleman cooler. You don’t want it to get lost or damaged when you go fishing. It’s easy to see rotomolded coolers, and you don’t want anyone getting it. The security strap looks like a tie-down, but it is made of metal.
It looks just like any other nylon strap from a distance. It is made of stainless steel wire, which is very hard to cut with even the strongest tools. You can be sure that your cooler is secure and keyed.
Traction Lid Graphics
You can customize the appearance of your cooler. There are many graphics you can choose from. Some graphics are straightforward. Many camo designs include American flags, fish, and the Texas flag. Bison is constantly adding custom graphics. You can view them all here.
Toughness
Bison Cooler has both hard-sided and soft-sided types. And many of them have the same features we look for in a durable cooler.
Bison’s hard-sided coolers have a durable, roto-molded design. This is the standard for premium coolers in this industry. One-piece construction eliminates any weaknesses that may be found in multi-piece coolers.
The latch system is also imposing. Bison Coolers has a thick rubber part like some of its rivals, but instead of a T-latch, it uses a cantilever. This increases the contact area of the latches, which puts less strain on them. It also makes it easier to open and close the locks.
Bison also offers a 5-year warranty on all hard-sided coolers. This is one of the longest warranties in the business, which is a good sign that Bison stands behind its goods. Bison SoftPak cooler bag comes with a 2-year warranty. This is still a good deal for this type of cooler.
All Bison products are proudly manufactured in the USA. We have seen coolers imported from China that are of high-quality build quality. However, the premium quality coolers and fit of a USA-made product are always better.
SoftPaks aside, Bison also has some tricks up its sleeves.
Visual Appeal
We often have trouble with smaller cooler names because they only come in a few colors and can’t be changed much. This problem plagued bison in the past, but their Gen 2 models have made things much more manageable.
Five colors are available for hard-sided coolers. Besides that, four colors are available for soft-sided coolers.
The color options are not groundbreaking. But what sets Bison apart from the rest is its customizable options. Bison has made a special tool that lets the lids of their hard-sided coolers and soft-sided SoftPaks have custom graphics. They also allow custom embroidery on their Soft Cooler.
Bison Coolers lets people make a cooler that stands out from the rest by customizing it with its name or other creative parts.
However, customizations are not possible. You won’t customize the cooler with a custom color or a two-tone cooler that covers the entire lid and body. While many cooler wrap companies can assist you, we prefer to be able to do it in-house.
Price
Prices for Bison coolers vary by size, but they are usually in the high-end price range for coolers. The prices are comparable to those of other brands. They are in between names like RTIC and Engel on the lower end and Yeti and Orca on the higher end.
The prices of SoftPaks are more like those of Ao and Polar Bear coolers than those of Yeti and RTIC. This doesn’t surprise because Bison Soft Cooler Bags look, work, and have the same features as Yeti and RTIC.
Here are our thoughts:
The hard-sided coolers we feel are priced too high. We feel that premium coolers’ ice life and other coolers’ features are not exceptional. As such, we expect a premium sector price to be more “average” if it isn’t budget-friendly.
Bison could find some bright spots to justify their asking price. These products are made in America and come with a great warranty. This alone will drive more costs than coolers imported from China or India. We also see a better fit and finish; you don’t need to ship the product across oceans to complete warranty work. This is worth the extra price.
However, those who want the best performance at a low price will be disappointed. Many cooler brands offer better ice performance, more features, and a lower price.
Bison SoftPak cooler bags are cheaper than RTIC and Yeti soft-sided coolers. They also have a shorter ice life. We suspected that the ice life of Bison soft-sided cooler bags is similar to Polar Bear Coolers and AO coolers. Also, their asking prices are very comparable. We are happy with the prices for those.
Bison Coolers vs. Yeti Coolers: Overview
These days, it seems that nothing can be done without competition. As the saying goes, you never miss what you had until it’s gone. This is true when it comes to coolers as well.
Bison Cooler is a company that is always working hard to create new and improved things. They make changes to the design, features, insulation technology, guarantee program, and pricing options quite often.
Since they were first made, Bison coolers have gone through a lot of changes. Because of these changes, Bison coolers have become the best in their field.
Yeti is known for making high-quality products. That go above and beyond what customers expect product quality and guarantee coverage for a full year.
In many ways, these two companies are in competition with each other. But they also have the same goal: to give customers a good product that will last.
Even though Bison soft-sided coolers aren’t that old, they are becoming more popular, especially among people who like to go camping. They have improved factories so they can make new models with more space and better defense against leaks.
The patterns of both the Bison and the Yeti are amazing. The same high-quality workmanship goes into making all of the goods.
Yeti’s shape is more complex, while Bison’s is simple with enough curves to make it look good without being too much or too little.
Bison Coolers vs. Yeti Coolers: What Is The Difference?
These two soft coolers are different in some important ways. They look different, cost different prices, come in different sizes, and have different materials to keep things cold.
Design (Exterior)
The Yeti Cooler looks very cool because it has a fancy design on the outside that makes it look smooth and stylish. It’s not too bold or scary, but it still looks really nice. On the other hand, the Bison cooler uses fewer curves in its exterior design. It has a straightforward design with only enough curves to make it attractive.
Ice Retention
Yeti coolers have a higher rating, especially regarding ice retention. They can keep ice chest for many days, which Bison needs to work on and improve.
Durability
Yeti coolers are very strong because they are made with really tough plastic that is used in the military. This makes them less likely to get dents or scratches. Bison coolers are also tough because they have a special glass door latch and rubber bumpers that keep them safe from bumps and drops.
Features
Bison Cooler’s most prominent feature is its self-defrosting technology. This special thing is because of a tiny fan that moves air around. This helps keep the temperature of the soft cooler the same, even when it’s filled up with lots of things and needs more ice and food.
Ease of Use
Bison Cooler and Yeti Coolers have easy-to-clean interiors, but the latches differ between these coolers. The latch on Bison is made of rubber, making it much easier and simpler to use. The latches on Yeti, however, are metal. This could be a bonus or a drawback because some people like metal latches while others prefer rubber.
Price & Warranty
Bison coolers are newer than Yeti coolers, so they cost less. However, Bison can’t improve their products as quickly as Yeti because they can’t make as many. Bison coolers are a good choice if you want a strong cooler that is not too expensive but might not last as long.
Yeti coolers have two great soft cooler options: the Tundra Series and Roadie Series. These are high-quality coolers with special insulation. Yeti also offers a “Lifetime Warranty,” which Bison cannot offer.
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FAQs
What is the best cooler compared to Yeti?
This depends on your needs and preferences. To help you choose between the two coolers, you can read reviews about them before making a decision. People who have used both coolers can give you good advice about which one to buy. This way, you can make sure you spend your money wisely on the best cooler for you.
Are bison coolers bear-proof?
The exterior of Bison Coolers or any other heavy-duty soft coolers, for that matter, cannot be considered bear-proof. You need a bear-resistant food storage bag if you want your food to be protected from bears.
Who owns Bison coolers?
Tom and Dave Stogner, who were born in Virginia and Georgia in the United States, started Bison Cooler.
What is the best cooler?
It depends on your needs and preferences. Before making a choice, you can compare these two hard-sided coolers by reading reviews about each one. People who have used both types of heavy-duty soft coolers can help you make a better choice about which one to buy.
Conclusion
The Bison cooler is one of the best-selling soft coolers this year. It has many differences to make you have an excellent choice for your need.
Publican Anker always has a lot of choices for you. If you want to learn more about these two names and what they have to offer, please visit our website. We tell people to buy Yeti because it’s worth the price and lasts longer than others, no matter how much they cost.
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