Ozark Trail Tumbler Review: Does it Compare to Yeti?

Ozark Trail Tumbler

When Ozark Trail tumblers began to appear in Walmart stores, consumers noticed a stark resemblance to the popular Yeti tumblers. How do these measure up? Read our Ozark Trail Tumbler review.

Claims & Features

• High grade Stainless steel
• Good for hot or cold liquids
• Double-wall, vacuum sealed
• Lifetime warranty

Cost & Availability

You can find a variety of tumblers from the Ozark Trail Amazon storefront, or at local Walmarts in the camping section. The tumblers cost about $8 for the 20 ounce and $10 for the 30 ounce.

Ozark Trail Tumbler Review

Those well-versed in the world of stainless steel tumblers know a Yeti when they see it, as that popular brand is one of the biggest names in the industry. When Walmart began offering a nearly identical tumbler under the brand Ozark Trail, many consumers had to do a double take at the name – and the price.

On its own merits, Ozark Trail offers the standard features you’d expect from this type of product. You’ll find a vacuum insulated stainless steel design that keeps hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold.

In our tests of the 20 ounce version, we found that it performed on par with the Yeti with both hot and cold liquids. The tumbler doesn’t sweat, which allows you to hold the item more easily. In short, it performed exactly as we hoped. That could be why it was listed in the Top 5 of Amazon’s Movers & Shakers in its category in mid-August 2016.

Perhaps our only complaint about the Ozark Trail is something that also applies to the Yeti, which is that the lid is not spill-proof. This means you can’t just toss it in a backpack or briefcase. Fortunately, there are third party vendors who do offer spill-proof lids for Ozark Trail, Yeti, RTIC, and other brands.

Overall, we find Ozark Trail to be a compelling alternative to the Yeti, with no loss in performance from the less expensive knockoff.

Ozark Trail vs Yeti

Ozark Trail can certainly be described as a knockoff of Yeti, as the similarities are evident. A number of readers have suggested that they are so similar that they must be made in the same Chinese factory. We have no evidence of this, but we can see why some consumers may make this assumption.

When we compared the Ozark Trail 20 ounce tumbler with its Yeti counterpart, we found that they were nearly identical, right down to the weight. Their size, shape, lid, and overall appearance, are virtually identical, aside from brand markings.

Both products are made in China. Yeti comes with a 5-year warranty, while Ozark Trail has a lifetime warranty. Performance tests of the two products reveal that they perform similarly, with no real advantage of the brand over the knockoff. Price-wise is where this is an enormous divide, with the Yeti costing about $30 for the 20 ounce model while Ozark Trail is only about $8.

There are some interesting “Yeti vs Ozark Trail” comparison photos on this Facebook post.

You may be surprised to find out that Ozark Trail isn’t the only Yeti knockoff on the market. Take a look at the Zero Degree tumbler which even mentions Yeti in its product title!

Epic Conclusion

While some people balk at the idea of a knockoff product, consumers have largely welcomed the Ozark Trail as a viable alternative to the Yeti, at a fraction of the cost. Its performance is virtually identical to what some call the industry standard in stainless steel tumblers. Other than costing about one-fourth of the Yeti, we see no discernible difference between the two.

Have you tried an Ozark Trail Tumbler? Please give it a star rating and comment below.