Here's What We Think of the New YETI Hopper M30

The Yeti M30 is a sizable messenger-style cooler with a single handle on the back for convenient grabbing, two handles over the top (like a tote), and a shoulder strap. Instead of the outdated zipper, it has a watertight magnetic strip closure system.

Efficiency Evaluation

The most recent Hopper model from Yeti

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Insulating power

The M30, with its distinctive closed-cell foam, kept temperatures at or below 40°F for an impressive 78 hours of our torture testing, demonstrating that it is among the best in the industry.

Large models' performance in our insulation testing (over 20L)

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

This cooler has two over-the-top straps that clip the whole thing shut and pull the top in tighter to add just a little extra insulation and protection against spilling if tipped in addition to thick, watertight magnetic strips sealing the top. And because the magnetic strips automatically close themselves, you never have to worry about inadvertently leaving the cooler open again, unlike other Yeti coolers' tough zippers that require a lot of strength to open and close.

The old zipper is gone, and your supplies are now sealed inside with this watertight magnetic strip.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Effortless Use

When trying to load this cooler by yourself, the ability of the magnetic strips to "auto-seal" the cooler when not in use does become a bit of a hindrance. It chomps hungrily on your hand, wrist, or whatever you're trying to put in or take out of the cooler because it wants to seal SO BADLY. You'll almost certainly need three hands, something to wedge this cooler open, or a sturdy object to push the cooler up against in order to hold it open while you load it up with all your weekend treats. It does expand more than its predecessor, but only if you can hold it in that position because it won't stay in place on its own. In order to fill it with the necessary bag of ice to keep everything cold, we found ourselves struggling in the grocery store parking lot, holding one side against a lower leg and the other side on a hubcap. When attempting to dump a large bag of ice into this cooler, some of the more PG words that are said include "frustrating" and "annoying."

This cooler can hold a lot of food, but loading it up by yourself is very difficult because of the new magnetic closure, which is constantly trying to eat whatever extremities enter it.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

The two excessive buckles that secure this cooler provide extra security, but we are perplexed as to why they are not adjustable. The straps simply can't extend over the top of the cooler when it is completely stuffed with ice-cold treats. The straps are also a little loose once the ice has melted a bit and you've depleted your rations. Additionally, this bag lacks any additional pockets for dry storage, unlike the majority of Yeti coolers (but not the majority of competitors' coolers). Although Yeti's HitchPoint system enables you to purchase and attach any additional pockets or accessories you desire, we believe a cooler should initially come with a little bit more. However, our testers feel that the devil is in the details, especially with this cooler, despite the fact that we believe the initial design elements for a truly great and convenient cooler are present.

Although not adjustable, we wish that these garish straps were

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Portability

The M30 is not going to be an impressively portable option because it is one of the biggest coolers in this review. Even before you stuff it full of food containers, gallons of liquid, and tons of ice, it weighs just over 7 lbs. It's not terrible, but it's also not amazing for its method of transport (messenger bag). Wide and comfortable shoulder strap padding makes carrying it much more pleasant. It can also be carried like a tote for an immediate grab out of the car or onto a picnic table thanks to two tall over-the-top handles. Additionally, there is a handle on the backside near the top that serves as a quick grab, especially when the cooler is empty. However, we aren't huge fans of how the shoulder strap attaches. When you quickly grab the strap, it forms an erratic arrangement because it is clipped onto each end below the corner. Sometimes it is placed where you want it for carrying, but more often than not, it is oddly placed and must be pushed in one direction or another over one or two corners to achieve the greatest comfort when carrying. Although it's not a deal-breaker and we value the versatility of being able to carry it on either side or even cross-body, it requires an additional step and occasionally can be a little inconvenient.

The protruding top corners of this cooler make it simple for the shoulder strap to catch. Although it's not a deal-breaker, it is somewhat inconvenient for an already large cooler.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Durability

This extremely durable bag is made of 840D double-sided thermoplastic urethane. This cooler practically oozes durability thanks to its waterproof construction, thick, reinforced connection points, and welded seams. It has impressive puncture resistance and high abrasion resistance. It is made to last a long time and doesn't have the zipper issues or maintenance issues of earlier models. Our only real criticism of the M30's construction is that the interior of ours continues to smell strongly of ammonia. That strong odor accumulates because you can only store it closed, even just overnight. - and prompts us to wonder why it appears to be emitting this smell and whether it will have an impact on the food we store there. The other Yeti coolers we tested don't have this problem, but we discovered a number of reports of comparable offensive smells in other online user reviews.

This Yeti product is made to last for years to come, as we've come to expect from their products.

Maggie Brandenburg, with thanks

Value

Although Yeti is not known for being a cheap brand, their products are consistently made to be functional and long-lasting. If you like the look of this large tote bag and don't mind the zipper, it might be worth the price. However, we believe that this cooler is less than ideal for a single person due to some usability issues, and that there are better options available. Perhaps future improvements to this model will convince us otherwise; we would certainly love to see that.

Conclusion

In the most recent iteration of Yeti's largest Hopper soft cooler, a magnetic strip has replaced the bulky zipper. Although the switch's concept is a good one, it makes it extremely challenging for one person to load and unload this enormous bag without assistance. There are other coolers that we like more generally, so if you already own the older model, we don't believe this one is worth the upgrade.

The magnetic closure system on this cooler, which was previously a zipper, has caused us to feel conflicted about it.

Authorized by: Maggie Brandenburg