Yeti Rambler Water Bottle Review

I try to enforce a strict no single-use plastic water bottles rule in my house.

Over the years, I’ve bought my share of inexpensive water bottles. Some of them were hard to clean, others smelled like plastic, and few kept our family’s drinks cold.

Someone gifted me a Yeti Rambler and the 20 oz Yeti Tumbler, both of which I used mainly for coffee or tea. It makes such a great gift that soon others followed suit and I had a large collection of both.

I am clearly a fan of Yeti products.

But my family (with the exception of me) notoriously lose water bottles. Was it worth spending this much on a Yeti water bottle?

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Yeti Rambler Bottle vs. Hydro Flask

My tween daughter already has a Hydro Flask which she bought on sale with her birthday money. While she takes good care of it, it has multiple dents along its surface. She’s accidentally dropped it or it has fallen out of her backpack pocket. It does do an excellent job of keeping her drinks cold. Now she wants a new one because hers looks so beat up.

Yeti Rambler Bottles

I got my first Yeti bottle for free, actually. I’m a huge Peloton fan and have referred friends and family to Peloton for years. Through their referral program, I was able to get my own Peloton-branded Hydro Flask and Yeti Tumbler and Rambler for free.

My son tried out my Yeti Rambler water bottle on the soccer fields this summer and then started bringing it to school. He too became a Yeti fan. But within a week, he lost it.

Is the Yeti Rambler Water Bottle Worth Buying?

For me, the answer is yes. My son loved the Yeti Rambler and so did I.

I bought it again, this time on Amazon. I am an Amazon Prime member and actually got it delivered same day. My son also preferred a straw lid to the traditional chug cap so I bought that too.

Yeti Rambler Size Options

I try to drink a lot of water throughout the day. I don’t mind refilling my bottle throughout the day rather than buying the largest size. However, the Yeti Rambler comes in various sizes: 12 oz (geared towards kids), 18 oz, 26 oz, and 36 oz.

I decided that the 18-ounce water bottle was the perfect size for me. It’s small enough to fit in my car’s (a Subaru) cup holder, on my Peloton, and fits in my son’s backpack side pocket.

While the 26-ounce Yeti Rambler obviously holds a lot more water, I thought that it might be awkward to carry around.

What We Like About the Yeti Rambler 18 oz Water Bottle

Design

For a stainless steel water bottle, the Yeti has a fairly simple design. It’s sleek and easy to carry, and most importantly the wide-mouth openings make it easy to drink. It’s also a lightweight bottle to carry around.

It comes in a range of different colors. Personally, my favorites are the black or white.

I’ve only bought those that have a DuraCoat finish. They seriously are indestructible.

Drop Test

I’ve dropped all my Yetis, the mugs, tumblers, and the Rambler. None of them show any sign of being dropped. No scratches, no dents, no imperfections at all.

Even the chug cap is shatter-resistant.

Double Insulation

Honestly, the double-wall vacuum insulation is one of the reasons Yeti has become one of the most popular water bottles on the market. It keeps cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot.

We have not used the Rambler for hot drinks. I don’t think I would enjoy drinking a hot beverage through the narrow mouth of the chug cap. I prefer to use my Yeti coffee Tumbler or low ball Rambler. Although Yeti does sell a Hotshot™ cap made specifically for hot drinks.

Even after a day at school, when I pour out my kids’ water from the Yeti, it’s as cold as ice water.

And, we don’t even add any actual ice cubes to the bottle. We just pour the water into the bottle from our Brita dispenser in the refrigerator.

No Sweat Design

The bottle also claims to have a no-sweat design. Even on a hot summer day on the soccer field, my son’s Yeti had zero condensation on the outside. Yeti water bottles are a great option for anyone participating in sports and other outdoor activities and who want a well-designed insulated bottle.

Lid

I love the carrying handle on the Yeti Rambler. You can attach it with a carabiner clip to a backpack.

Dishwasher Safe

I’ve bought bottle brushes to clean out my non-dishwasher-safe water bottles and they never feel truly sanitized. I love that I can through all my Yeti products and all their parts into the dishwasher. Even after hundreds of washes in the dishwasher, they look as good as the day I bought them. There’s no streaking, color fading, or any other wear and tear.

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Other Yeti Rambler Accessories

Yeti sells the following accessories for the Yeti Rambler water bottle including a range of bottle caps. It doesn’t matter which size Rambler you have, these fit all of them:

• Yeti Bottle Sling: with a carrying strap to easily bring your bottle everywhere
• Hot Shot Cap (mentioned above): with a quick twist, turn this cap to more easily sip your hot drink. Then twist it back again to close. It’s leakproof. They recommend using it with the 12 oz. or 18 oz. Rambler Yeti bottles.
• Bottle Straw Cap: Honestly, I don’t love drinking from straw caps. Also, I heard that it could cause wrinkles around the mouth. For me, the Chug Cap works just fine. But my son wanted it and I tried it. Although you are drinking from a straw, the drinking spout itself is wide and it felt fine. I didn’t think I was pursing my mouth at all actually.
  • When you buy the bottle straw cap, you get two straws with a measurement guide on the side of the packaging. You cut your straw down to the exact size to fit your bottle. You also use the included cap, which is the same-sized lid as the original one. All parts including the straws are dishwasher safe.

Drink More Water

Personally, I don’t drink enough water. I realize I need my water to be cold and stay cold throughout the day to enjoy it and make it a habit.

Besides the Yeti water bottles, I have had the most success with the Hidrate Spark smartwater bottle which sends a Bluetooth signal to your phone to update your hydration stats throughout the day.

Tip: If you don’t like plain water, try Nuun tablets. I add them to my water every day. I even have its delivery set up with Amazon’s Subscribe and Save.

Great Gift

Any of the Yeti products make great gifts. In fact, if you order it through Yeti, you can customize it or even add a logo. I’ve never done that but I have given them as presents regularly throughout the years. They’re also one of my go-to gifts, especially during Teacher Appreciation week. If you’re buying for an elementary school teacher, pair it with this book.

And, for a splurge item, my mom loves her Yeti cooler.

Final Thoughts

Is the Yeti water bottle worth it?

Yes, it’s one of the only water bottles that I would replace after losing. Even after using my Yeti products for years, they look as good as new.

Honestly, it’s my favorite insulated water bottle and it does what it says it will do, it keeps your drink cold (or hot). I find both the chug cap and straw cap easy to drink from, during workouts or on the go. If you’re looking for a reusable water bottle that checks all the boxes, look into the Yeti. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

And if you want to get the most bang for your buck, get the Rambler for your water and then buy the Hot Shot cap for hot drinks. No need to buy two Yeti bottles.

On a side note, this past week, my son has had the flu and luckily has stayed hydrated. The Yeti water bottle is the only one he’ll drink from and I’m really happy I got another one for him. Oh, and if you’re wondering about how I’ll make sure my son doesn’t lose his Yeti again. I bought him a set of Air Tags. He’s looped it around the cap.