Drinkware is still YETI’s largest category, at $1.09 billion of sales in 2025, but it is no longer where the growth is. In the second quarter of 2026, YETI’s Coolers & Equipment sales rose 16% while drinkware grew 2%, and Dometic, the Swedish company that bought Igloo, reported organic growth in its mobile cooling business driven by US retailers.
The shift comes with rising costs. Dometic says resin, the main raw material in its cooling segment, has become significantly more expensive, and it is raising prices to compensate. Here is what the sales data shows and how to choose between a soft and a hard cooler in 2026.
Trend Signal
64/100 Steady momentum
- Emerging
- Rising
- Mainstream
- Peaking
- Cooling
Cooler and bag sales outgrowing drinkware at the biggest brands
YETI said Coolers and Equipment sales rose 16% in Q2 2026, led by bags and soft coolers, while drinkware grew 2%; Dometic reported 5% organic growth in mobile cooling, driven by US retailers.
Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored
By the numbers
- +16%YETI Coolers & Equipment sales, Q2 2026 versus Q2 2025, to $232.4MYETI
- +2%YETI Drinkware sales, Q2 2026 versus Q2 2025, to $241.4MYETI
- +5%Organic growth in Dometic Mobile Cooling Solutions, Q2 2026, driven by US retailersDometic
- ~1.2MIgloo 90-quart rolling coolers recalled over fingertip injuries, total as of May 2025CPSC
The growth moved from cups to coolers
YETI’s 2025 results show the turn. Full-year drinkware sales slipped 1% to $1,085.8 million, with the US held back by a promotional market, cautious wholesale buying and inventory constraints, while Coolers & Equipment grew 7% to $748.5 million on strong sales of bags, soft coolers and cargo.
The gap widened in 2026. In the second quarter, Coolers & Equipment sales rose 16% to $232.4 million, driven by bags, soft coolers, cases and storage, and outdoor living, while drinkware rose 2% to $241.4 million. US sales grew 6% to $391.0 million, which YETI credited mainly to Coolers & Equipment, with strong demand through wholesale, its Amazon Marketplace business and its own stores.
| Period | Coolers & Equipment | Drinkware |
|---|---|---|
| Full year 2025 | $748.5M (+7%) | $1,085.8M (-1%) |
| Fourth quarter 2025 | $192.3M (+7%) | $380.0M (+6%) |
| Second quarter 2026 | $232.4M (+16%) | $241.4M (+2%) |
By our arithmetic, YETI’s Coolers & Equipment sales came within $9 million of its drinkware sales in the second quarter of 2026.
The mass market is growing too, but costs are up
Dometic, whose filings describe ACON as the seller of Igloo, reported second-quarter 2026 net sales in its Mobile Cooling Solutions segment of SEK 1,907 million, up 1%, with 5% organic growth driven by sales to US retailers, according to its July 14, 2026 report. The segment made up 32% of Dometic’s second-quarter sales.
Profitability went the other way. The segment’s EBITA margin before one-off items fell to 11.5% from 13.1%, which Dometic blamed mainly on higher costs for resin, the segment’s main raw material. Its results presentation described resin prices as significantly higher, with a time lag before compensating price increases take effect, and the CEO said Dometic is offsetting cost inflation through price adjustments.
Tariff refunds went to the brands, not to shelf prices
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court held in Learning Resources v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. YETI said in its second-quarter release that it had concluded recovery of IEEPA tariffs was probable and booked a $45.6 million net benefit, and Dometic said tariff refunds offset a large part of its tariff costs in the quarter.
Neither company signaled lower prices. YETI’s outlook assumes US tariff rates return to approximately 20% in the second half of 2026, and it had already put through selective price increases in the second quarter of 2025. We read that, together with Dometic’s resin-driven increases, as a floor under cooler prices for the rest of 2026 rather than the start of a discount cycle.
Soft or hard: matching the cooler to the trip
We read the sales mix as a sign of how many people use coolers now: beach days, picnics, work sites and short drives, where a light bag that carries on a shoulder matters more than multi-day ice. Hard coolers still make sense for long weekends, fishing and camping trips where the cooler sits in the sun and gets opened often, and rotomolded models trade extra weight for thicker walls.
Premium soft coolers are not cheap. When YETI recalled about 1.9 million Hopper M30 soft coolers, Hopper M20 backpack coolers and SideKick Dry gear cases in March 2023 over magnet closures that could detach, the CPSC listed their prices at $300 to $350 for the M30 and $325 for the M20 backpack. No ingestions or injuries were reported, and owners were offered a free replacement or a gift-card refund.
Rolling hard coolers carry their own risk. Igloo’s recall of 90-quart Flip & Tow rolling coolers, first announced in February 2025, grew to nearly 1.2 million units in May 2025 after 78 more reports of fingertip injuries, 26 of them amputations, fractures or lacerations. The May expansion added models 34692, 34785 and 34790, made before January 2024, which sold for $80 to $140 at Costco, Target, Academy, Dick’s and online, and Igloo offers a free replacement handle.
Buy now or wait
If you need a cooler for the months ahead, prices look more likely to rise than fall: Dometic is still pushing increases through to cover resin, and YETI’s plan assumes tariffs around 20%. Buying a current model at today’s price is reasonable, and if most of your trips are day trips, a soft cooler covers them.
If you already own a rolling cooler or a magnetic-closure soft cooler from the recall years, check the model number against the CPSC notices before the next trip. A free replacement handle or cooler costs less than any upgrade.
What to watch next
- YETI’s third-quarter 2026 results, and whether Coolers & Equipment keeps outgrowing drinkware
- Dometic’s next quarterly report on resin costs and how much of its price increases have landed in Mobile Cooling Solutions
- US tariff rates in the second half of 2026 against YETI’s assumption of about 20%
Where to start
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Cooler types compared by the trips they suit
| Product type | Good fit for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Leakproof soft cooler tote | Fits day trips and beach days | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Backpack soft cooler | Fits walks to a picnic spot | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Rotomolded hard cooler | Fits multi-day camping | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
Product types that fit the trend described above, not tested models. Check the exact listing before you buy. How we pick them.
Leakproof soft cooler tote
Where to look: Amazon
The category driving growth at the big brands. Match capacity to the cans and containers you actually carry and check that the zipper is described as leakproof.
- Light to carry with one hand
- Folds or squashes for storage
- Less ice time than thick hard walls
- Zippers need care to stay sealed
Backpack soft cooler
Where to look: Amazon
Good for carrying lunch and drinks any distance from the car. Check padded straps and a back panel that stays dry.
- Hands free on trails and beaches
- Spreads weight across both shoulders
- Smaller than totes of similar price
- Hard to pack tall bottles
Rotomolded hard cooler
Where to look: Amazon
Still the pick for long weekends and fishing trips. If you want wheels, check the tow handle design and the recall list before buying used.
- Thick walls for longer ice
- Doubles as a seat or table
- Heavy even when empty
- Prices exposed to resin costs
More: Travel and Adventure trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.
Sources
- YETI Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results — YETI Holdings
- YETI Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results — YETI Holdings
- Quarterly Report Q2 2026 — Dometic Group
- Q2 2026 results presentation — Dometic Group
- Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, No. 24-1287 — Supreme Court of the United States
- Igloo Expands Recall of 90 Qt. Rolling Coolers — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- YETI Recalls 1.9 Million Soft Coolers and Gear Cases Due to Magnet Ingestion Hazard — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Questions readers ask
Are soft coolers worth it?
For day trips, beach days and short drives, yes: they are lighter and easier to carry, and they are the category driving YETI’s growth, with Coolers & Equipment sales up 16% in the second quarter of 2026. For multi-day ice, a hard cooler is still the better fit.
Why are cooler prices going up in 2026?
Dometic reported significantly higher resin prices in its cooling segment in the second quarter of 2026 and said price increases to offset them take time to land. YETI’s outlook also assumes US tariff rates return to about 20% in the second half of 2026.
Which Igloo coolers were recalled?
Igloo 90-quart Flip & Tow rolling coolers, because the tow handle can pinch fingertips. The recall first announced in February 2025 was expanded in May 2025 to add models 34692, 34785 and 34790 made before January 2024; it totals nearly 1.2 million units, and owners can get a free replacement handle. Check the CPSC notices for the full model list.
Did tariff refunds lower cooler prices?
Not so far. YETI booked a $45.6 million net benefit from IEEPA tariff refunds in the second quarter of 2026 after the Supreme Court ruling, but neither YETI nor Dometic announced price cuts, and Dometic is raising prices to cover resin.
