10 Best Yeti Lock Alternatives: Stop Your Cooler Getting Stolen

One of the downsides of owning an expensive cooler like Yeti is that people like to steal them.

I for one don’t want to have my expensive cooler stolen and I also don’t want to have to stress about whether or not my cooler is going to get knocked off. Who wants to constantly guard their cooler? Not me!

Yeti sells a lock bracket and cable and while this is decent it can easily be cut with bolt cutters. So I wanted to take a look at some of the best Yeti lock alternatives so your cooler can be completely safe.

The most secure Yeti lock alternative is the DENY Lock that securely mounts to your truck bed or any surface. The Maccann & Essin is the best and most affordable locking bracket alternative and the Desicu Combination Lock is a great option to lock and bear proof your cooler without keys.

The 3 Types of Yeti Lock Options

When looking for alternatives to the Yeti lock so you can secure your cooler there are actually a few different things you need to consider.

Depending on what you’re looking for you’ll want to consider the following three types of Yeti locks:

1. The Locking Bracket

This is the bracket that slides in the side of your cooler that you can attach your lock and chain to so you can easily secure your cooler.

Jump to the best Yeti Locking Bracket alternatives

2. The Locking Chain/Cable

This is usually the biggest point of weakness. You’ll want to choose a chain that is secure enough to avoid wannabe thieves from stealing your cooler.

Jump to the best Yeti Locking Chain alternatives

3. Bear Proof Locks

These locks go on the front corners of your Yeti cooler. They don’t stop the cooler getting stolen but they stop bears (and humans) getting into your cooler and stealing the stuff inside.

Jump to the best Yeti Bear Proof Lock alternatives

Why Get a Yeti Lock Alternative?

Yeti sells a locking bracket and a locking cable which is fairly well priced. So why should you consider a Yeti lock alternative?

One reason is to save a little bit of money.

While Yeti tends to charge and arm and a leg on most of their products the Yeti lock is actually one product that seems to be fairly reasonably priced. However, can save a little bit of money by going with an alternative.

The bracket itself sells for around $13 and the cheapest alternative was only around $9 so it won’t save you much.

The bracket and cable lock combined sells for about $35, making the cable lock itself worth around $22. Similar cable locks sell for around $12-$15 so you can save around $10 there.

See the latest price of the Yeti Cable Lock and Bracket at Yeti.com
(or compare to price of Yeti Cable Lock and Bracket at Amazon)

But the main reason you get a Yeti lock alternative is the fact that the Yeti locking cable is easily cut with bolt cutters.

It’s really more a theft deterrent than it is a completely theft proof lock.

It’ll stop a regular passer by simply grabbing your Yeti out of the back of your truck, car, van, boat or wherever you’re storing it.

But anyone with a set of bolt cutters will be able to cut through your cable super quickly and will be off with your cooler.

There are countless stories on Yeti’s website, Deny’s website as well as on the web about people who had their Yeti locked up with a Yeti lock and it still got stolen.

Here’s one directly from Yeti’s website:

Left my cooler in the truck over night locked up with this product. The cable was cut clean in half and my Yeti was stolen.

And here’s one from Deny’s website:

“My brother buddy Kyle had his Yeti stolen from the bed of his truck while locked with Yeti’s cable lock. We reported to local police but never saw his beloved Yeti again”

So if you want to make sure your Yeti cooler is almost completely theft proof you’re going to want to be a better locking alternative.

THE BEST YETI LOCK ALTERNATIVE: DENY Lock

When it comes to the easiest and most secure ways to lock down your Yeti cooler (or any other cooler for that matter) the DENY Lock is hands down the #1 choice.

It uses a unique and patented locking mechanism that bolts directly into the bed of your truck, deck or your boat or wherever you’re trying to secure your cooler. The bolt uses a break-away security nut that isn’t easy to undo.

It’s then got a thick steel rod (called the “StiffArm”) that passes through the Yeti AnchorPoint and continues down until it clicks into the “IronFist” base lock.

Because this is a thick steel metal bar (not a thin chain) it is unable to be cut through with bolt cutters. It’s also resistant to sledge hammers.

So any of the normal tools thieves would use won’t work on this device making your cooler as safe and secure as it could possibly be.

Really the thief is going to need some high-quality lock picking skills into order to get into this lock and steal your cooler. Something a common cooler thief is unlikely to have.

The major downside of the DENY lock is the price. At $150 for a single set it’s going to cost nearly as much as the cooler itself.

Still for a cooler you’re going to be using for years and years and the peace of mind it gives you it’s 100% worth it if you’ve got the money. Getting a Yeti stolen will cost you a lot more than $150 to replace it.

You also need to buy the right size for your cooler. But they have sets that fit up to 60 brands of cooler including all the major brands like Yeti, RTIC, Orca, Ozark Trail, RovR as well as a popular new cooler which is the cooler that holds ice the longest – Kong Coolers.

There are also adapters for boat decks (or other surfaces) where there is no underneath access as well as an adapter if you prefer to use a chain or cable.

NOTE: At the time of writing I found the DENY lock was much cheaper on Amazon. So check the affiliate link below and you might be able to save yourself some money.

See the latest price of the DENY Cooler Lock at Amazon

Yeti Locking Bracket Alternatives

Yeti sells a locking bracket which slides through the AnchorPoint slit in the side of your cooler allowing you to attach a lock and chain/cable to lock down your Yeti so it can’t get stolen.

It’s basically an L shaped thick piece of metal with a hole in it. By itself it doesn’t lock your Yeti but it allows you to lock it easily.

Yeti’s is actually decently priced and unlike some of the other brands it’s made from stainless steel so even if the paint scratches off it won’t rust.

See the latest price of the Yeti Locking Bracket at Yeti.com
(or compare to price of the Yeti Locking Bracket at Amazon)

1. Maccann & Essin Cooler Locking Bracket – CHEAPEST AND BEST

The Maccann & Essin cooler locking bracket not only happens to be one of the cheapest locking bracket options but it’s also one of the best.

It’s made from thick stainless steel so it isn’t easily broken or cut and it is rust resistant.

It also has a large 7/10 inch (17.8mm) hole which is one of the largest holes out there. What this means is that you can fit thicker locks through it and fit the super thick bolt cutter proof locks.

This locking bracket combined with the Kryptonite New York 1210 is a good cheaper alternative to the Deny lock mentioned above.

See the latest price of the Maccann & Essin Locking Bracket at Amazon

2. Schmidt-Riffer Stainless Steel Cooler Bracket

I found this Yeti Locking Bracket alternative through a YouTube video where someone talked about them as a cheaper alternative to Yeti.

They talked about how great the customer service was and how lovely the metal working company that makes these were which made me feel happy to recommend them.

They are cheaper than Yeti but also made out of stainless steel so they won’t rust.

They have an oversized diamond shape hole which is gives you more wiggle room when putting on your lock. It’s about 17/32″ (slightly larger than a 1/2″ hole) or around 13mm.

See the latest price of Schmidt-Riffer Locking Bracket

3. Noa Store Locking Bracket With Bottle Opener

The Noa Store locking bracket is a little bit more expensive than the Yeti locking bracket but it comes with a built in bottle opener and large hole to fit extra strong locks.

The built in bottle opener is a genius idea and a Yeti wall mount bottle opener will set you back around $20 anyway so this you get a bottle opener and locking bracket all in one.

It’s made from thick 1.25 inch ultra low carbon steel that won’t rust and it has a 9/16 inch (around 14mm) hole to fit those larger locks.

See the latest price of Noa Store Locking Bracket at Amazon

4. Home Made Lock

If you don’t want to spend the $7-$20 on a locking bracket for a Yeti then it is possible to make your own locking bracket for under $1-$2.

Simply take a metal joist angle (or glue 2 together for extra thickness and strength) and bend it a little at the bottle so you can more easily fit your lock in.

Use a drill to drill a hole in the bottle, slide it in your Yeti and you’re good to go.

Below is a video showing you exactly how to make a home made Yeti lock.

Yeti Locking Cable Alternatives

The Yeti Locking Cable is honestly more of a theft deterrent than it is a super secure way to lock your Yeti cooler.

It’s strong enough that someone can’t just come up and grab your cooler and run off with it. So it stops people stealing your cooler super easily.

However, the cable is super thin and easily cut with a pair of bolt cutters. There’s quite a few stories of people who had their Yeti locked up with the Yeti Locking Cable and someone simply cut it and stole their cooler.

It’s only 5/16 inch (8mm) thick which is quite thin and easy to cut through with some simple tools.

Still if you’re not too worried about people with bolt cutters it can be a good option.

See the latest price of the Yeti Locking Cable + Bracket at Yeti.com
(or compare to the latest price of the Yeti Locking Cable + Bracket at Amazon)

1. Master Lock Python Adjustable Locking Cable

It looks like the Yeti cable lock is simply as MasterLock with Yeti’s logo on it.

So to save yourself some money you can buy a MasterLock from Amazon or your local hardware store.

It will do basically the exact same job as the Yeti Cable Lock but you’ll save yourself some money.

See the latest price of the MasterLock Python Lock at Amazon

2. Kryptonite New York Chain + Lock – BOLT CUTTER PROOF

If you’re looking for something to lock your Yeti down that is bolt cutter proof the the Kryptonite New York 1210 12mm hardened steel chain + 14 mm disc lock is going to be a strong option.

It’s rated a 9-10 in security, which is on of Kryptonite’s highest security levels.

The chain is made from hardened manganese steel and is 12mm thick so regular bolt cutters just aren’t going to be able to get through this.

The lock is made from 14mm max-performance steel which has anti-drill and anti-pull protection.

It’s still expensive but it’s a bit more affordable and a bit more versatile than the Deny Lock.

The Deny lock you can only use for your cooler and it has to be preinstalled and can’t be moved around. That’s great if you’re keeping your cooler in the back of your truck, but if you’re moving it around and want to lock it down that won’t work.

This lock you can use for your cooler and move it with you wherever your cooler goes. You can also use it for your bikes or other gear if you’re not using your cooler, so you can get more use out of it.

Make sure you pair it with the Maccann & Essin cooler locking bracket as this is the only bracket with a large enough hole for this lock.

See the latest price of the Kryptonite New York 1210 at Amazon

3. Lumintrail 12mm Heavy Duty Cable

The Lumintrail 12mm heavy duty cable is thicker than the Yeti Python cable and harder to cut through.

It can still be cut with bolt cutters but not as quickly or easily as the Yeti cable. You’ll also need to pair this with a lock in order to secure it to your Yeti.

See the latest price of the Lumintrail 12mm Cable at Amazon

Yeti Bear Lock Alternatives

A Yeti cooler is not bear proof by itself. It’s only certified bear proof when you lock the two front corners of the cooler are locked with padlocks.

Yeti bear locks are Master locks designed to fit the Yeti cooler perfectly and sell for around $17 on Yeti’s website. At the time of writing they were more expensive on Amazon but prices change so it’s worth checking.

These are actually fairly well priced. If you’re looking for alternatives outside this list you want to make sure the shackle length is 2.5 inches (64mm).

See the latest price of Yeti Bear Proof Locks at Yeti.com
(or compare to price of Yeti Bear Proof Locks at Amazon)

1. Disecu Combination Lock 2-Pack

One of the downside of the Yeti Bear Proof locks is that you have to carry keys with you. Lose the keys and you can’t get into your cooler.

If you want to avoid using keys altogether then the Disecu locks are a 4-digit combination lock.

They have an extra long 2.5 inch shackle which fits through a Yeti cooler and they are outdoor waterproof and rust resistant.

They are also more affordable than the Yeti locks and come in a pack of 2.

See the latest price of the Disecu Combination Lock at Amazon

2. DENY Lid Lock

If you’re looking for the ULTIMATE lid lock, I am talking the best money can buy, then DENY have created a Lid Lock that makes your cooler insanely secure.

Secure from bears yes but also super secure from anyone wanting to get into your cooler. You can’t use bolt cutters on this bad boy and it fits really flush with the side of the cooler.

The downside of this is the price. These are PRICEY! Plus you only get one, so if you want to lock both corners you’ll be investing a fair amount of money.

Still if you’ve got the budget and want the best you can’t go past these.

See the latest price of the DENY Lid Lock at Amazon

Cheap Alternative: Bolt and Nut

If you’re trying to lock down your cooler lid so bears can’t get in, or maybe secure the lid for a flight then a cheap and similar solution is a 2 inch bolt and nut.

It’s a good simple way to secure the lid and no keys required.

Get a set of 2-inch bolts and nuts at Amazon