World's First No Fuss-No Ice Cooler! Better Than a Yeti

The Oyster Cooler is the Worl'ds first actually efficient cooler! Why, because it's entirely made of aluminum using vacuum double wall technology, requires no cubed ice, and beats the most popular camping coolers in ice longevity tests. In this episode of Playing with Sticks we will be putting the Oyster Cooler head to head with popular roto molded cooler's like the yeti cooler to help you understand why this is the best cooler for your camping needs. If you are looking for a cooler that is lighter, 3x's smaller, and eliminates those pesky ice runs...you've come to the right place!

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[davep]

When Yeti began to get popular it was and still is for many nothing more than a status symbol. The way most people I know used it the thing was nothing more than an ice tub at parties where people were scooping out ice for drinks anyway so what purpose did a well insulated cooler serve? None. Yeti's and those like it are durable and to a great extent, if you do your part, they do what they claim. But simply holding ice isn't the only thing that matters. As you mention these rotomolded coolers take up a lot of space for their capacity and the spec sheet dimensions don't tell the whole story. And when use as typical campers, fishermen and hunters actually use their coolers they don't really hold ice much more than a day (if that) longer than far more spacious and less expensive options. We found for a four day hunt taking a 150 quart Igloo marine simply for ice storage and several 30 quart regular igloo coolers was the best solution. Everyone has a truck so space isn't an issue. The big cooler stuffed full and only opened when the smaller coolers need filling (holding ice) keeps ice plenty long for four days and the smaller coolers chill faster. And all of them together don't cost as much as one 75 quart Yeti and we would have needed at least four of them! The rotomolded coolers are tough and are more thermally efficient but at a cost of both space efficiency and money. If your use case doesn't justify them they aren't worth it. I can see one lasting twice as long as the Igloo set up we use but then a single Yeti 160 is four times as much as the Igloo 152. If I throw in four Yeti 35's at $275 a pop plus the $750 for the Yeti 160 we're at $1850 versus roughly $225 for our one large cooler and four individual coolers I guess that Yeti better last eight times as long! We're not image conscious so we don't care about brand names which means there's no real justification for a rotomolded cooler. Of course, price and lack of options is the issue with the Oyster. At $500 a pop for the bundle and only one size I think we'll stick with our current set up. For the cost of enough capacity from the Yeti or the Oyster I could buy a nice 12v fridge and upgrade the electrical system to handle it.

[BirdPhish]

I want one. Just imagine how efficient a DC fridge could be using this tech....!

[louisperich]

You had me sold until the $495 pricetag came up. Not seeing the value at that price point. I bought a 30 qt chinese car fridge (HCALORY) on Amazon Prime Day. $140. Has an LCD display. Can be a fridge or a freezer. Runs on AC, 12V DC, and solar. I’ve been running it nonstop for the past 21 days to assess reliability, and so far it holds temperature quite well. I can run this off the AC outlet in the bed of my truck, or via my VTOMAN power station. So while I see the advantages of the Oyster, that company would have to reduce its list price by half for me to become interested. Great video. The Oyster was well represented!

[michaelprince]

Over ice. Got a 12v fridge. No coolers ever again.

[MarkRVillano]

As long as I have a cell phone signal, I think that for $500 I'll just pass on the cooler and call Uber Eats from the campsite.

[PlayingwithSticks]

I’m in the process of driving home from a teardrop trailer rally. When I get home tonight, I’ll try to respond to your comments before heading to bed. You guys are awesome, thank you for all the great comments!

[DeadlyPlatypus]

11:50 Correct. The reason the Oyster air temp readings are lower is because the FOOD is acting as a heat-sink. In the traditional cooler, the food and air are closer to the same temperature (each is nearer the mean temp). In the Oyster, the objects are cooled, but the air isn't as much (each is further from the mean temp).

It's conductive vs convective cooling.

[nqgmhfi]

I’m a cooler and grill guy. I have a Yeti 45 and the older I get the less I pack it around. It’s pretty heavy filled for an old man. This looks like a great solution to hernias, and throwing backs out.
You like Teardrops and I’m into overlanding. This is a perfect size for day trips and long weekends in the FJ.

[jennstuart]

That's a beauty! It would be a great companion to a 12v cooler. I put it on my 'maybe someday' list.
Thanks for doing the research.

[Penny-mkfv]

I’ve had this cooler for 6mo using it daily, I ended up buying a refrigerator too, but still use it to keep drinks cold to save on refrigerator space. I use the orange strap because it lays flat, where as the metal handle limits what you can put directly next to it. I think it’s an interesting company, they’re not done innovating I know, so I’m glad to support these guys.

[swaggercat]

Went to check the price of the oyster cooler. Still recovering from the heart attack. lol

[violentdawg]

$500!? wow! I just had a Yeti (I have ALWAYS said they're over rated) given to me as a gift for my kayak. It's the Yeti Roadie 15 ($200), I put 9 beers standing up and two Gatorlytes. Topped off with one bag of 7lb ice (all that would fit). Spent 9hrs yesterday kayaking around the lake to fully test it. Drank a few beers, caught a couple sunfish and tossed them in cooler for catfish bait. When we got off the lake at 7pm I had over half my ice and my sunfish were frozen! I have to say, I'm now a fan FOR kayaking, not camping. With that said, I have also seen first hand the soft coolers like the YETI Hopper Flip 8 (prices between $200-$250 for some reason) isn't worth the material it's made out of... So take the Roadie that has some weight to it (not much more than the hopper believe it or not) that holds 10 drinks and one 7lb bag of ice for $200 vs the Oyster at $500, holds 31 cans and comes with the ice packs. That's not bad at all if you have the funds for it. Also looks like it's not much bigger than the Roadie and would fit the kayak!

[clintwedel]

I love my Oyster cooler! I've been a big proponent of double-walled vacuum insulation and have been waiting for this cooler for 20 years! I bought it without the cold packs, so I don't know what I'm missing, but have plenty of cold packs to prechill before adding a bunch of cans. Only drawback is it is too short to hold a wine bottle upright.

[DerekFrampton]

THANK YOU. I'm sold! It's And I might be repeating myself... GREAT to have a man/family that knows their stuff as they LIVE IT. AGAIN thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience! Blessings!

[mad-meh]

I have it and its really convenient for day to day runs to the store where i have to do other things after the store. Ive used it for last minute outings. Great little thing.

[sierramantrvlnus]

Oh my goodness! First off, great video. Very impressive cooler. My daughter still does the weekend camping and has a regular old Coleman cooler. So after seeing the video I thought I'd go ahead and see how much it was maybe upgrade her. But I don't think so. It is right up there with some of the more expensive coolers on the market . But I do like the cold packs. Those are always the better way to go.
Much love to you and your family and hope everyone is doing well.

[BeatTJ]

That oyster cooler looks a lot like an old military surplus cooler I have. It’s a much different shape so it’s pretty much only good for beverages, but it keeps things cold for days with minimal to no ice.

[jeffmatthews]

I am genuinely glad you did the work. It’s worth keeping an eye on to see if competition by the same tech drives the prices down. But, for the price of the cooler I can double my solar, power my sub $300 fridge, and still use my old Yeti to move ice every two days when I pass a small store or gas station.
Cool idea, pun intended.

[freeshrugs]

I was just saying i wish my cheap cooler kept ice as long as my stainless steel double-walled drink cup does. And that's with just a coffee-sipping type lid. Great video, as usual.

[PolarB]

I'm still using my old Playmate, Igloo and Coleman coolers which work just as great as they did 30 and 40 years ago. Forget all these high priced coolers and manufacturers who have needlessly driven up the prices for greed and profits. It's totally ridiculous that a cooler is costing anywhere from $300 to $600 dollars. That's highway robbery not technology.