7 Reasons Why Yeti Tumblers Are Made Out Of Stainless Steel

Why are Yeti Rambler Tumblers made out of stainless steel instead of something like plastic?

Yeti Tumblers are made from stainless steel because stainless steel is strong, durable, rust resistant and safe to drink out of. They are strong enough to hold a vacuum seal (which is what makes these tumblers so insulating) are easy to clean and can be copper plated to add to their insulating properties. If they were made out of glass or plastic they likely wouldn't work as well or last as long.

I've owned my Yeti Lowball tumbler for about three years now and it is still doing great. Yeti tumblers are really good quality tumblers but let's talk about why these are made out of stainless steel.

1. Stainless Steel Can Last a Lifetime

The first reason is that stainless steel can actually last a lifetime or an extremely long period of time.

As I said I've owned my tumbler for about three years now and while it has some discoloration on the inside (from the times when I haven't washed it properly) overall it has actually held up really well.

I've been camping with it, I've lived in a van with it, I've used it for years and it's still in great condition and is highly unlikely to break.

If you were to have something like glass then that can break. Plastic is not as strong as metal and can be brittle and can break if you drop it. Plastic can also crack over time.

But stainless steel can last a lifetime.

#2: It's Safe To Keep Beverages In

The second reason is that it's safe to keep beverages in. As you may be aware quite a few years ago there was problems with BPA in plastic and the issues that may cause with humans and more specifically with babies.

Stainless steel on the other hand is one of the safest products to drink out of.

In this article by Mighty Nest they state that: stainless steel is a safe option when it comes to use with food and beverage, as there are no chemicals that can migrate into your food from these products

There has been a lot of testing done on it and overall it's quite a safe product to drink out.

#3: They Are Really Easy To Clean

The third reason is that they're really easy to clean. You can put your Yeti tumbler in the dishwasher (yes they are dishwasher proof).

They're really simple to clean and they clean really well. Mine has a little bit of discoloration in the middle there but if I had some steel wool I could probably go ahead and fix that.

#4: They Are Durable and Reusable

The fourth reason is that they are durable and reusable.

We talked about how it can last a lifetime and I guess this is a similar idea. Yeti tumblers are just super strong and durable.

You can drop it, you can throw it around, you can use it over and over and over again.

Whereas something like plastic might wear overtime or might stain a lot faster, especially if you're having hot beverages in it, this is just going to be reusable and last for ages.

#5: Stainless Steel Is A Poor Conductor of Heat

The fifth thing is that stainless steel is actually a poor conductor of heat.

Yeti Tumblers are vacuum-sealed and can keep ice for extremely long periods of time with the larger ones able to keep ice for over 24 hours.

Stainless steel is actually a poor conductor of heat. So if you heat up the outside of this tumbler the heat is not going to move easily from the outside all the way around into the inside through the metal because stainless steel just doesn't conduct heat very well.

Mix that with a vacuum in there and it just helps keep it insulated and just gives it those insulating properties where it can keep beverages really cool for a long period of time or keep them hot.

#6: Stainless Steel Is Strong Enough To Hold a Vacuum Seal

There's a vacuum seal between the outer and inner wall of the tumbler which helps with the insulation and stainless steel is strong enough to actually hold that vacuum without breaking.

Plastic may not be strong enough. There's a lot of pressure that a vacuum creates and the plastic might dent or break from that pressure whereas stainless steel is a strong enough material to actually hold that vacuum.

It is the vacuum that allows the Yeti Tumblers to be so good at insulating and so good at keeping your beverages cold or hot because no heat can really move through a vacuum except radiation heat.

#7: You Can Copper Plate The Cup To Keep Out Radiation Heat

And I guess that's another reason for these tumblers to made out of stainless steel. The inside of the tumblers are copper plated and that helps keep out radiation which is a different type of heat.

I talked about this in how Yeti Tumblers actually work but the inside of this is actually copper plated to keep out radiation.

But it's difficult to copper plate plastic or to copper plate glass and so using stainless steel instead allows you to keep out multiple forms of heat.

#8: Stainless Steel Is Rust Resistant

The last reason is that stainless steel is rust resistant.

I've owned my tumbler for a number of years and it's not rusty. You can have liquid in it, you can leave liquid in it and it's not going to rust. Even leaving it out in the rain or putting it in the dishwasher is completely fine.

If it does get a little bit of exterior rust then a good clean with steel wool should bring it back to it's former glory.

There you have seven eight reasons why Yeti tumblers are made from stainless steel.

These are a great product, they are pricey as far as cups go but they are very good. I will link up to them down below so you can see the pricing on Amazon you can see the reviews and buy one yourself if you want.

Tumblers/Coolers Mentioned:

Yeti Tumblers (all sizes)

Yeti Low Ball 10oz

Yeti Tumbler 20oz

Yeti Tumbler 30oz

RTIC Tumblers

Yeti Coolers

Video Timestamps:

0:41 – #1: Stainless Steel Can Last A Lifetime
1:26 – #2: It's Safe To Keep Beverages In
1:55 – #3: They Are Really Easy To Clean
2:21 – #4: They Are Durable and Reusable
2:51 – #5: Stainless Steel Is A Poor Conductor of Heat
3:37 – #6: Stainless Steel Is Strong Enough To Hold a Vacuum Seal
4:20 – #7: You Can Copper Plate The Cup To Keep Out Radiation Heat
4:53 – #8: Stainless Steel Is Rust Resistant