Intro/Specs/Craftsmanship

YETI is well-known for their premium coolers, but their current product lineup now extends well-beyond just products for keeping your ice cold. From the new family of duffel bags to a multi-purpose bucket, each year there's always new, cool stuff for the outdoors person. Being the product review junkies we are, there were a few items at this year's ICAST show that really caught my eye for later review. Let's have a look at one of these cool new products—the Rambler 14-ounce stainless steel mug!

Material: 18/8 Stainless Steel

Dimensions: 3 3/4" tall; 5" wide (including handle)

Weight: 13 ounces

Capacity: 14 fluid ounces

Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Colors: 6

Price: $24.99

YETI's new Rambler Mug is crafted from puncture and rust-resistant 18/8 stainless steel with double-wall vacuum insulation. Both in terms of weight and overall feel, you can certainly tell this is a robust piece. The body is rigid, the welded connection of the TripleGrip handle to the mug is rock-solid, and the brushed stainless finish of our piece was flawlessly-smooth and blemish-free.

On top of the mug, there's a rugged clear-plastic lid which sports the familiar YETI logo. Along with a small slit in the lid for drinking, it features a small outer flange for ease of removal along with a double gasket around the circumference for an excellent seal when installed onto the mug. Like the stainless portions of the Rambler Mug, no quality issues were found with this piece.

Testing

Starting where we just left off, the lid works great for sipping any beverage and the opening is large enough for an average straw to pass through. If you'd rather drink without the lid intact, the built-in flange allows for simple removal when more beastly chugs are in order. While the lid seats into the mug relatively firmly (a good thing), removing it doesn't require a lot of effort.

The welded handle is a good size and features rounded-off edges. It fits my hand well and I had a bit of wiggle room leftover so I didn't feel pinched. With that said, it's hard to say what the comfort level would be for those with much thicker digits, but I think the additional space I still had when holding the mug should accommodate most hand sizes just fine. Without an enormous handle, the mug is also slightly easier to pack away if needed.

Outside of some rainy weather I was in, YETI's "No Sweat" design keeps the outside of the mug dry no matter what is inside. Ever put a mug or glass down on a table only to find a wet ring underneath when you pick it back up? None of that here. Whether a table surface is wet or dry, the mug also stays put quite well with no abnormal sliding or slipping about.

I conducted a couple of quick tests both indoors at 76F-degree room temperature. I first filled the mug with cold tap water and a handful of ice cubes. With the standard lid intact, the ice was gone within 40 minutes but the water was still cold on my final check around 3 hours later. On the opposite end of the temperature-testing spectrum, I also boiled some water and poured it into the mug. Again, with the lid intact, it was still quite hot on my final check 2 1/2 hours later. In addition, regardless of what was inside, the outside temperature of the mug remained totally comfortable to hold.

The Rambler Mug is built pretty tough, but it's not immune to scratches. Using the tip of some needle-nose pliers, I found the surface of the mug scratched without too much effort, so it's probably a good idea to keep it away from contacting such items if you want to keep yours in tip-top cosmetic condition.

The new 30-ounce MagSlider Lid also works well with the Rambler Mug. It's very similar to the standard lid that's included, however this one features a magnetic opening/closing slider. While the slider is not 100% leak-proof when closed, it does do a great job of keeping the liquid at bay while driving, walking, etc. It opens/closes very smoothly and easily, and can even be removed for better cleaning (the lid is dishwasher safe). The optional MagSlider Lid runs $9.99.

Conclusion

Coffee. Soup. Ice Cream. Oatmeal. The YETI Rambler Mug can hold various goodies hot, cold, and in-between. The mug's rugged construction and sheer usefulness make it perfect for camping, fishing, or just chillin' at home. Shall we call this a "high-performance mug?" Yep, it's going to cost more than an ordinary mug, but this is no ordinary mug. Give one a shot and I think you'll find it surprisingly handy and fun-to-use!

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