First of Its Kind: YETI Launches Vacuum-Insulated Cooler

Stainless steel, double-wall vacuum insulation sets YETI’s newest cooler apart as the first of its kind. And yes, it comes with a mind-bending price tag.

Chances are, you own a vacuum-insulated coffee mug. It’s pretty old technology, with two walls of stainless steel and a vacuum between them. Because a vacuum is a near-perfect insulator, it’s been the gold standard in keeping coffee hot for decades.

But due to the seriously expensive manufacturing required to make double-wall-insulated products, larger coolers never hit the scene … until now.

YETI V Series Cooler

Today, YETI announced the V Series cooler. Here’s the pitch from YETI:

Featuring a kitchen-grade stainless steel body, the YETI V Series is vacuum insulated, offering the best thermal insulation that science allows. Additional highlights include a single-center stainless steel loop latch, providing a durable and easy-to-use closure, as well as a leakproof, deep seal drain plug.

The YETI V Series will be available for purchase starting Thursday, December 5, 2019.

So, what does this really mean for potential consumers?

Vacuum Insulation: How It Works

A vacuum insulates by surrounding and isolating a hot or cold substance. Basically, the manufacturer sucks the air almost completely out of the space between the two walls of the vessel — in this case, a cooler.

Because a vacuum contains very few molecules, it can’t transfer heat by conduction because there are no molecules to bump into one another. Similarly, there is no air to move heat by convection.

Vacuum-insulated vessels like coffee mugs only lose heat or cold due to radiation, which is why your coffee stays hot for hours in a good-quality double-wall-insulated mug or thermos.

The V Series cooler uses vacuum-insulated panels on its sides and lid. Worth noting, we haven’t seen this cooler yet, so don’t know how it stacks up to other coolers in terms of performance.

YETI V Series Cooler: The Price

But even though the technology to make a double-wall-insulated cooler has been around since the Thermos, it’s never been applied to a full-size consumer cooler (that we can find evidence of, anyway). And the obvious reason for this is due to price.

So what’s it cost? The YETI V Series will cost a wallet-busting $800. For that price, you could buy a high-quality portable refrigerator. However, you have to plug that fridge into a portable battery, in a car or otherwise, so it won’t last for weeks on raft trips or similar adventures.

With its sky-high price tag, it’s likely that the YETI V Series cooler will fill a smaller niche than many of the brand’s offerings. But it’s an interesting statement from the brand that pushes the bar on cooler manufacturing. And that, indeed, is how YETI first made its name in coolers.