How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Yeti Cooler? (Explained)

Shipping a Yeti cooler as a gift to someone else across the country or just to let you take your favorite cooler with you on a fishing or hunting trip can be a little bit spendy. The size and the weight of the cooler, as well as the contents, will affect the cost to ship the cooler. 

In general, an average-size Yeti cooler like the Tundra 45, which is 25” X 16” X 16” and weighs 23 pounds when empty, will cost you between $42 to $48 to ship via FedEx’s two-day shipping rates. Yet if you take that same cooler and load it with perishable food, up to 49-pounds, and send it via overnight priority service the cost can jump up to a staggering $112.

The costs can be compounded if you are using dry ice as your primary refrigerant, as it’s technically considered to be a hazardous material, and some freight carriers will charge you more. You also should note that most carriers consider perishable foods to be shipped at your risk. 

How Do I Ship a Cooler?

 Shipping a cooler typically requires packing it in a corrugated cardboard box that the carrier can stack, sort, label, and track. The carrier will then charge you based on both the size of the box as well as the weight. 

If you’re shipping an empty cooler to your destination, and it’s empty, you can expect to pay less than if you were shipping a cooler that’s fully loaded with perishable items.

The carrier you choose and the regulations of the destination also apply. The United States Postal Service for example notes that “Mailable perishable matter may be sent at the mailer’s own risk when it is packaged as required and when it can be delivered within appropriate and reasonable time limits to prevent deterioration.”

Whereas other carriers like FedEx will only ship perishables in a cooler overnight if the final gross weight is under 150 pounds. Otherwise, you have to ship the cooler by Freight.

Regardless of carrier, you also have to note the presence of dry ice. As it is considered a hazardous material.

Of all the major carriers FedEx tends to be the most amenable when it comes to shipping coolers. They recommend using the following steps to ship a cooler with perishable goods packed inside. 

Step One: Freeze your items before packaging, as well as pre-chill the cooler.

Step Two: For food items, carefully line the inside of the cooler with some type of watertight plastic liner. For liquid items you should also line the container with absorbent materials.

Step Three: Tightly pack your item inside the cooler. Be sure to allow sufficient space for any ice packs or dry ice. For dry ice fold the package closed without completely sealing it.

Step Four: Fill any remaining empty space with some type of firm packing materials, like packing peanuts or crumpled paper. This will prevent the contents from shifting inside during transport. 

Step Five: Secure the lid on the container.

Step Six: Package the insulated container in a corrugated box and secure the flaps using the “H-Taping” method on top and bottom. 

Step Seven: Be sure to clearly mark your package as “Perishable.” Then attach your shipping label on top of the box.

Note, that since dry ice is considered to be a hazardous material, you must fill out all the required paperwork and labeling requirements. 

Can You Ship a YETI?

You can ship a YETI cooler, but the contents and how they are packed will matter greatly based on the carrier and any hazardous restrictions that apply.

If you’re shipping an empty cooler, for a fishing trip, or as a gift for someone, then shipping a Yeti is no different than shipping any other package.

If you want to pack perishables in the cooler, and you also want to pack dry ice as the primary refrigerant, then you need to make sure you are compliant with all the carrier’s requirements.

How Much Does a YETI Weigh?

One of the most popular coolers in their lineup, the Yeti 45 weighs just 23 pounds when empty. At the top end of their line, the Yeti Tundra 350 is their heaviest cooler weighing in at a whopping 89 pounds when empty. 

How Long Does It Take for YETI to Ship a Cooler?

Yeti themselves state that For non-customized products please allow 1 to 5 business days for your order to be processed. Most shipments will take an additional 1 to 7 business days.

Unless you live very close to Yeti’s distribution center, chances are good that the 2-day estimate is unrealistic. The average in the continental United States is roughly 5 to 7 business days.

Final Thoughts

You can ship a Yeti cooler so long as you follow some key rules. Shipping an empty cooler without any perishable food or dry ice just requires packing it in a standard cardboard shipping box and sending it like any other package. 

When you add perishables and a potentially hazardous material like dry ice, you have to pack wisely and label it correctly. This includes making sure that the contents are frozen, packed tight and the cooler is lined against leaks. 

For a cooler in a box with perishable food items, you should label it as “Perishable” on the exterior. Then ship it either overnight or via a 2-day priority shipping carrier like FedEx. 

If you use dry ice instead of cold packs, then you need to make sure the package the dry ice is wrapped in is folded and not sealed to prevent carbon dioxide buildup. Then make sure to fill out all the required hazardous material paperwork. 

If you’re ordering a cooler from Yeti to be shipped to you or as a gift to someone else, the average delay time is roughly 7 business days. Though the speed of their distribution center and the distance the package needs to travel means it could take as much as 12 business days to arrive.