Comprehensive Analysis of the Yeti Roadie 24

The Roadie is a rotomolded personal-sized cooler with dual handles and an internal height of slightly more than 13 inches that can comfortably fit the majority of 2L sodas and wine bottles. It has upgraded tie-downs, single-hand latches, and non-slip feet.

Efficiency Evaluation

On a hot beach day, the Yeti Roadie 24 is a great size for keeping two people cool.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Insulation

The Yeti Roadie 24 does a good job of insulating for a small cooler with a lot of surface area. The Roadie performed admirably in our demanding hot room insulation testing, lasting 2 Temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit for eight days This 68-hour performance may not seem impressive compared to larger models with higher surface area to volume ratios, but the Roadie outperforms the competition among similarly sized personal coolers. It kept temperatures below 50 degrees for a further few hours, ensuring chilled beverage temperatures for three days. According to Yeti, the Roadie 20 cooler is "30% thermally superior" to this one. The Roadie 24 is only about 20% more effective at insulating than the Roadie 20 (which we previously tested), which is still no small accomplishment, according to our test results.

The Roadie 24 is ruggedly built like the rest of the Yeti cooler line, with thick walls filled with insulation and an interlocking hinge. It has a rubber gasket in the shape of a freezer to seal the contents, but the model we tested was not airtight, easily leaking both air and water at the shoddily taped gasket seam. This seems to be true of many people's Roadie 24 units after reading other online testimonials about it. A fully airtight cooler should logically be expected to perform even better in terms of insulation, but alas, the Roadie isn't entirely airtight.

The 13" tall interior of the rotomolded Roadie 24 fits most wine and 2L soda bottles upright, and a rubber seal helps keep the interior cool.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Results from our insulation testing are compared, demonstrating how different small models with capacities under 35 quarts perform.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Durability

The Roadie 24 is beefy, sturdy, and solidly built, living up to what we've come to expect from the Yeti hard cooler lines. It is made to be sat on and exudes durability in almost every detail; for added comfort, you can even buy a seat cushion for the top. A new latch design reduces the effort needed to move it without compromising how tough the plastic is or how resilient the rubber appears to be. Wide, heavy webbing with a sturdy plastic handle attached by rotating plastic attachments with tie-down slots on the outside make up the new over-the-top handle. The cooler's rotomolded body features two additional handles, and the Roadie 24 has the same sturdy integrated hinge as their other hard-sided models. The Roadie 24 never broke or even gave us the impression that it might no matter how hard we pulled, pressed, or jumped on it. The durability of this cooler appeared to be unaffected by extended periods spent in the direct sunlight.

Regarding this mighty little cooler's durability, we have very few grievances. We feel compelled to address these two small issues because they are important. First, unlike its predecessor and the majority of other Yeti hard coolers, the Roadie 24 has not been certified as grizzly bear-resistant by the IGBC (Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee). We don't believe it is a significant downgrade to this model, but this personal-sized box is much less likely to be our top pick for a weekend camping trip in grizzly bear country. Second, as we already mentioned, the rubber gasket's seal isn't perfect because the tape holding its two ends together is a little sloppy. We also read a few similar complaints made by other users online. When tilted on the side with the taped seam, the cooler is not airtight due to the shoddy tape job, and water can easily drip out of the box.

As you can see, our model's lid has a rough tape seal along the left side that makes it less airtight and leakproof than the rest of the Roadie 24's construction.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Effortless Use

The primary selling point of the Yeti Roadie 24 are the upgraded latches. The two-handed, highly-muscular solid rubber T-grip latches are no longer in use. New, two-part latches on the Roadie 24 combine a plastic clasp with a rubbery arm that tightly closes the lid. They are easy to use, requiring only one hand for opening and closing in two simple steps. The stiff top handle has also been replaced by a webbing version with a movable plastic grip, which is much more comfortable to use when hooked over your forearm than the previous metal handle was from Yeti. The Roadie 24's lid stays open for simple loading and unloading, just like its predecessor. Now measuring just over 13 inches inside, its interior is taller than it is wide, providing enough room for a typical bottle of celebratory champagne or a 2L soda. Despite having an appearance of being small due to its narrow shape, the Roadie 24 measures a full 24L inside, as opposed to the 20L of its predecessor.

The Roadie 24 is generally easy to load and unload, has a respectable capacity, and is easy to operate. But it's not flawless. Although its narrow shape makes it more difficult to easily locate small items that have moved to the bottom of the cooler, we still like its tall internal height for carrying those large bottles. The dark blue color we tested only makes matters worse, but Yeti also makes this model in lighter shades, which we highly recommend. Although the Roadie 24's webbing handle makes carrying it more comfortable, it is too short and frequently catches on the lid, making it difficult to open the cooler more than a few inches. This shortened strap, while in fact a better length for ease of carrying, nearly always requires the additional step of pushing it back over the corners of the lid in order to be able to open it. It also doesn't fall out of the way easily when set down. Although not a deal-breaker, it can be a little annoying. It also doesn't have a drain, but given its small size of 24L, this isn't much of a problem because you can simply tip it over when you're done using it.

The Roadie 24 is simple to open thanks to dual-step, one-hand latches. Under each side of the lid, there is an indented second set of handles for two-handed carrying.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Portability

The Roadie 24 manages to be both bigger and lighter than the Roadie 20 before it, tipping the scales at just under 13 pounds. Although carrying this box with its contents is still not a simple matter over long distances, its weight is about average compared to other models with this capacity that we tested. Although carrying this rigid box draped across your forearms is still painful due to the sharp corners, the webbing top handle makes it slightly less so. Additionally useful, the Roadie 24 can be easily picked up and moved with two hands thanks to the indented handles that are strategically placed on the bottom of either side of the lid. Despite not being something you'll enjoy carrying for long distances (unlike some soft coolers), the Roadie is positively blissful to move around with when compared to so many other enormous models we tested.

The plastic grip on the webbing handle is easily movable to be wherever you want it to be. We're not sure, though, when you would want it. In contrast to the soft and grippy handles of so many other models, this hard tube is uncomfortable. When carrying this tall cooler at your side, you risk spraining your ankles and occasionally even scraping the ground, as some of our shorter testers discovered, which defeats the purpose of the wide webbing. However, since the plastic grip can be easily removed if you prefer and can be slid out of the way when not in use, we decided not to penalize the Roadie 24 for this.

The Roadie 24's top handle is more comfortable when looped over your forearm, but it is still ungainly when held at your side and frequently interferes with opening this small cooler.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Features

The Roadie 24 is straightforward in appearance and design, staying true to the Yeti hard cooler form, with some thoughtful features added. Additionally, the swinging joints on either side that attach the top handle have built-in slots that serve as attachment points for tie-downs. The Roadie 24's anti-slip feet assist in preventing sliding Additionally, at the time of writing, Yeti offers a five-year manufacturer's warranty on this item to help protect your investment in the event that any flaws in the manufacturing process or the materials used to construct this cooler should arise.

Yeti also provides a number of add-ons to the Roadie 24 that, though they are more expensive, can enhance your user experience. These include a tie-down kit, ice packs, a dry bin, and even a seat cushion.

When necessary, slotted handle attachment points also serve as tie-down points.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Value

The Roadie 24 is not a cheap purchase, but is it worthwhile? The Roadie 24 is worthwhile if you frequently use a cooler, demand extreme toughness from your gear, and are prepared to spend money on serious excellence. As its name suggests, it's a great option for 1-2 person road trips, beach days, and even some overnight camping trips thanks to its practical size, shape, and thoughtful features. However, the Roadie 24 may be overkill for your needs if you only occasionally use a cooler and need something to keep things cool a few times per year.

Conclusion

The Yeti Roadie 24 is our top recommendation if you're looking for the best personal-sized cooler on the market. It's seriously tough, simple to use, easy to carry, and the perfect size for one or two people enjoying the beach or going on a road trip. Anyone who never leaves home without a cooler full of treats should make the investment, as it is by far our favorite among coolers of its size.

The Yeti Roadie 24 lives up to its name as a fantastic traveling companion.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks