Dave's Take: Yeti's Hopper M30 Cooler

[GolfSpy Dave]

A New Cooler For A Spring-like November

Now some of you may think that it’s a bit out of season for a cooler review, but being that NorCal is for some reason still in the 80’s, beverage chilling is still a thing. Sorry if you are currently snowed in until March. Just think, with all of that snow, you don’t have to deal with the traffic that I do. So many people driving to play golf, have picnics, shopping for groceries without jackets, and suffering through other outdoor activities that snow protects you from enduring. Hopefully you are feeling safe and snug under snow’s blanket.

Since it’s that time of year, some of you may be also interested in the holiday present potential of a Yeti cooler, either as a give or a get. Having a bit more information when one makes purchasing decisions is what I’m all about. You’re welcome.

Yeti, Me, and the M30

Is it wrong that I love that I made the title of this section rhyme? Sure, it’s a bit of a garble-mouth rhyme, but rhyming me and thirtyis next level grammaticism. Yes, I too just learned the word grammaticism.

Anyway, I believe that the new Yeti Hopper M30 is the sixth Yeti Hopper cooler that I have run through the review paces. I still view the Hopper 8 as the best one to take to the course, and the Hopper Two 40 kept ice icy for three days last summer while camping near Tahoe. To a unit, I have been impressed with the Yeti designs, and the Yeti improvements on designs when the next generation arrives.

For example, the transition from the Hopper to the Hopper Two represented a huge improvement in functionality by moving the zipper from the top to the side. Sure, the tapered top made resting a beer on it impossible, but loading and unloading the newer version resulted in significantly less arm hair loss.

And that is the true onus for the review today, Yeti has once again rewritten the Hopper design, and so now’s the time to see if their improvement streak continues.

The M is for MAGNETS!

Water, fire, air and dirt
F**king magnets, how do they work?

-ICP

That’s right, the secret to the future is not plastics, it’s MAGNETS, and yes, I did need to go full Insane Clown Posse shout out in my Yeti review. All in all I think that their music holds up pretty well...

Anyway, the big thing that Yeti has done this time, and the reason for the M in M30, is that the zipper has been replaced with magnets. You read that right. The zipper is gone, and now the cooler holds in the cold with magnets.

Now you perhaps can taste my curiosity. Magnets? Providing the same seal as the airtight zipper? I just couldn’t comprehend that this was even possible, and I figured that a few of you might be curious as well, and so that’s why we are all here today.

So yes, the zipper is gone, and magnets now seal the cooler. OK so not just magnets. You will also see that the new design involves folding over the top, and then clipping it down in two places. Even with this, I just couldn’t fathom that this closure will work like the zipper. Let’s find out how it did, after a quick commercial break!

Introducing the Yeti Rambler 24oz Mug!

So maybe you are not in the market for a new cooler this winter, but I bet that you still have beverage needs. Keeping the hots hot, and the colds cold is an all-year-long battle. We need our drinks to be thermally correct!

Don’t start countering my proposal with some garbage about already having an insulated tumbler either. You know that there have been times when your 30oz. tumbler is too big, and the 20oz. just can’t quite hold both of those beers. Enter the Yeti Rambler 24oz. mug.

This online exclusive mug will keep both of those beers, or a full bomber, nice and cold. Truth be told, I’ve been on a Keto diet since early October and beers have not as of yet hit this purple pup. Yes, we are talking Yeti and Keto. That’s why I’ve been voted Most Basic Golfspy for five years running.

The mug has a great shape, lots of color options, and a capacity to fit gin and soda water for days. I am assuming that it will get cold here at some point, and the mug will turn into a coffee mug that actually holds the correct amount of coffee (and Jameson).

Smaller hands may not find the shape as comfortable, but the attached handle makes up for that. The mug is also not as cup holder friendly as the Rambler 20oz tumbler, but this is a mug built for pleasure, not commuting.

Order them online at Yeti.com for only $29.99.

And now back to the Hopper M30.

You Were Saying Something About Magnets.

Yes, MAGNETS! Ever curious, I set out to test the seal on the Hopper M30. Could magnets really seal up the cooler to Yeti-level of tightness. I tested the seal in three different environments:

Environment #1: Wife’s Disco-Themed 50^thBirthday Party

A few weeks back, we converted our backyard into a disco for my wife’s birthday. Maybe you don’t need to know that, but I want you to see that the M30 had some real time testing, involving both sober and increasingly not sober testers.

My plan was to stuff a bunch of different beverages inside of the M30 and see what party guests thought when they retrieved libations. Here are some of the observations:

It Holds A Lot

Though not as capacity crazy as the Hopper Two 40, the M30 will hold enough beverages for an evening, maybe a few evenings. Look at how it devours two wine bottles above.

The Magnets Are Strong

One pretty consistent comment was how surprised people were at how tightly the magnets held together. Getting a beverage was a two-handed operation, and I needed to wedge open the M30 to fill it effectively. That’s the nature about a tight seal though; it’s tight. Still way easier to operate, and way fewer scrapes than the zippered design.

It’s Easy To Clean

I wish that I had taken a post-party photo of the M30. It was a mess. It had so much red wine spilled on it that I thought I was watching a remake of Carrie (gross). Little water on a rag and all of that wiped right off. I did notice that our tap water left some spots on it when I hosed it off later, but I’ve not yet hit them with vinegar to see if they come off too.

Environment #2: Post-Party Patio

While one could argue that the second environment is just an extension of the first, you know that your house before and after parties just isn’t the same. We had an extra 20lb bag of ice in the freezer left over from the party, so I thought I’d see how the M30 kept it cold.

After two days on the patio, there was still ice inside. After one day, there was a bunch of ice still frozen. I don’t know how long the ice would have lasted though as my wife cleaned the ice out of the cooler for me. So thoughtful.

Environment #3: Watering the Lawn

What I really wanted to test with the M30 was its ability to stay sealed. I don’t want to fill this cooler up with ice, and then have a lake in my car when it tips over. It’s time to test those magnets.

So I filled the M30 up with water, clipped it closed, and tried to get it to leak. I tipped it, gently squeezed it, let it sit on its side for a while, and all of the water stayed inside. The magnets, fold, and clip plan worked.

After I removed the clips though, inverting the bag while holding it by the shoulder strap did result in water release. Squishing without the top clipped definitely let the water out. These magnets are strong, but not that strong.

Bottom line, the magnetic seal is pretty amazing, but you’ll want to clip them clips.

M30 Magnetism

I’ve got to give props to Yeti. I was very skeptical about the new magnetic closure system, but the Hopper M30 seals up like a champ, or maybe like what I expect a Yeti to seal up like.

It holds a ton, has Yeti’s characteristic durability, and Yeti’s ability to keep cold stuff cold for a long time.

Does this represent the end of Yeti innovation? Probably not. I’m sure that they have people working right now on improving the design, or maybe applying the design to other coolers. I’ll be really impressed if they can develop a magnetic enclosure for the Hopper 8. Get to it Yeti!

Bonus Tip: Drying out the M30

I use a large, hard plastic solo cup to hold the M30 open so it can dry completely. You are welcome.

Dave's Takes: Your Guide to 19^thHole Gear

My goal for usual goal for the 19^thHole product reviews is to find the ultimate products for us to take to the golf course. I'm looking for things that help our beers stay cold, and our cigars stay delicious while we stroll through nature whacking the white ball.

[cksurfdude]

Sure it's easy to say, "Yeti makes great stuff!", but Dave you really explain just why very well. And humorously. And.. thanks for that link to their new 24oz Rambler .. my wife loves purple so I just ordered one with her name on it (you can order them customized).

[GolfSpy Dave]

2 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Sure it's easy to say, "Yeti makes great stuff!", but Dave you really explain just why very well. And humorously. And.. thanks for that link to their new 24oz Rambler .. my wife loves purple so I just ordered one with her name on it (you can order them customized).

The customization is definitely cool. Got to do that too. Maybe for my Jack and Coke brother for Christmas.

[daviddvm]

Another great review Dave !

[ghorch]

great presentation I will conclude this fits easily into the sweater basket

[GolfSpy Dave]

UPDATE: Bought two custom mugs for my brothers for Christmas yesterday. About $80 shipped with both sides customized.

Order soon though bc it takes some time to get the designs done. Mine should arrive 12/2

[Kor.A.Door]

While I do think that Yeti products are excellent for what they do, I just cannot get past the price. I’m not saying I can get the same thing, but there are options for coolers out there that Are similar and can be found at a fraction of the cost 

[silver & black]

On 1/14/2020 at 1:20 PM, Kor.A.Door said:

While I do think that Yeti products are excellent for what they do, I just cannot get past the price. I’m not saying I can get the same thing, but there are options for coolers out there that Are similar and can be found at a fraction of the cost 

I hear ya. My buddy spent some serious cash on a soft side Yeti cooler that will hold 30 cans easily.  He hates it. It won't hold ice for more than 6 hours  before it's just ice water. I'll stick to my 12 can soft cooler for $15.00 that keeps ice for at least 6 hours.