The Yeti DayTrip Lunch Box is the hard-sided sibling of the DayTrip Lunch Bag.
Not only is this lunch box highly effective at keeping your food and drinks hot or cold, but it can also handle being carried in a backpack, trunk of your car, or in your hand as you adventure in the wild.
In this article, we take a closer look at the Yeti DayTrip Lunch Box to see if it lives up to all the hype.
Yeti DayTrip Lunch Box Review
Yeti is known for over-engineering their products in order to make them perform better than any others out there, and the DayTrip Lunch Box is no exception.
It is very much at home in most outdoor environments and is tough enough to take a bit of a beating thanks to its solid frame.
The exterior of the DayTrip Lunch Box is also water-resistant so you can even use it to carry your lunch out on the water with you if you are out on a kayak fishing trip.
Before going into more detail about how cool this lunch box is, it needs to be mentioned that it is a pretty pricey lunch tote, coming in at $79.99 – but, if you have the budget for it, then this is a great choice if you want to keep your lunch cold or your tacos hot.
While it may look fairly similar to a normal square lunch box, like all Yeti products, it has lots of features that make this stand out compared to other lunch boxes and lunch bags.
- Food-safe internal material so you can put fruit and other foods straight into your DayTrip without having to wrap it in plastic – always a good thing!
- The water-resistant exterior is strong and tough so can’t be compressed preventing any of your snacks or your drink from being ruined or damaged
- Closed-cell rubber foam gives superior temperature holding power
Top Features of the Yeti DayTrip Lunch Box
Yeti Daytrip Lunch Box vs Daytrip Lunch Bag
Yeti has given two products the name of DayTrip – the DayTrip Lunch Bag and the DayTrip Lunch Box.
Both of these products are great for keeping your lunch fresh and have very impressive cold-holding power.
Although the DayTrip Lunch Bag can hold a few more snacks than the lunch box, it is soft-sided so doesn’t offer as much protection to your lunch. That being said, it is highly convenient as it can fold down flat and compactly for easy storage.
The DayTrip Lunch Box is more rigid so prevents its contents from getting squashed on your travels. It may not fold up like the lunch bag but it is still small enough to not take up too much room in a larger bag (or you can quite comfortably carry it in your hand).
Both versions of the Yeti DayTrip keep things cold for a long time and, thanks to their strong insulating properties, they both have very good levels of ice retention.
Ice retention ability
Holding ice all day is certainly possible with the DayTrip meaning your drinks and snacks will stay cold until you are ready for them.
The walls of the lunch box are filled with coldcell flex insulation which keeps cold air in, meaning ice stays frozen inside for a long time.
Like the DayTrip Lunch Bag, the DayTrip Lunch Box uses a thermosnap closure that incorporates magnets along with a zipper to make sure everything stays ice cold for as long as possible.
If you are looking for a great lunchbox that has similar ice retention levels to larger hard coolers – you will be a huge fan of the DayTrip Lunch Box.
Durability
As this lunch box has been designed to make sure it can not be compressed, it is a very tough and durable lunch box that is perfect for day trips out in the wild.
It may not be a big lunch box but it can certainly handle the rigors of outdoor life comfortably.
If you want the mobility that lunch bags bring but with a more rigid frame to protect your food and drink – this lunch box fits the bill perfectly.
Size and storage capacity – what you can store in it
As previously mentioned, this is not a big lunch box. However, like all Yeti products, it has been designed for a purpose and it fulfills that purpose very well.
Yeti says that the DayTrip Lunch Box has been designed to fit a sandwich, a couple of sides (such as fruit, chips, or cheese), a canned drink, and an ice substitute such as 1 lb. Yeti Ice pack. It can also hold food storage containers for salads, rice bowls, etc.
The exterior of the DayTrip Lunch Box measures in at 10 1/2″ × 8 1/2″ × 4 1/2″ while the interior space is 9 3/4″ × 7 3/4″ × 2 1/2″ so, while not being huge, it makes for a decent size snack pack that keeps your food safe and cold.
Compatability with Yeti Ice
The 1 lb Yeti Ice pack is the perfect size for your DayTrip Lunch Box.
While regular ice could be used, it is worth noting that the liner of the lunch box is leak-proof but the zipper is not which could be problematic and cause messy clean-ups as your ice packs melt.
Yeti Ice does not cause any of this mess as it is an enclosed product meaning any liquid is secured inside its casing thus preventing any leaks in the first place.
Using a Yeti Ice pack inside your DayTrip Lunch Box will offer maximum performance from both products meaning your food will stay cold for much longer.
Warranty
Just like the DayTrip Lunch Bag, the DayTrip Lunch Box comes with a three-year warranty.
Considering it is quite a pricey lunch box, this gives you confidence that, if something does go wrong, Yeti will quickly rectify any manufacturing issues for you.
Yeti products are made to last but it is still reassuring that they offer a decent warranty period just in case.
Alternatives to the Yeti DayTrip Lunch Box
Hydro Flask Insulated Lunch Box
The Hydro Flask Insulated Lunch Box is very similar to the DayTrip Lunch Box in appearance and features.
Besides from the much lower price tag, the Hydro Flask Lunch Box is also available in 2 sizes including a larger size which can be handy if you want to carry an extra ice pack or some additional supplies with you on your adventures.
Stanley Classic Lunch Box
Made from stainless steel – the Stanley Classic Lunch Box is probably one of the toughest lunch boxes you can find.
It is heavier and a bit more cumbersome when comparing it to the DayTrip but it certainly rivals it on toughness and durability.
While it offers more space than the DayTrip, the lack of insulation in the Stanley Classic could be the deciding factor when choosing between the two.
Stanley Heritage Cooler
Similar in price to the DayTrip, the Stanley Heritage Cooler is bigger, heavier, and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Made from stainless steel with double-wall foam insulation, this extremely tough lunch box can carry up to nine cans of your favorite beer and keep them ice cold for you to enjoy on your adventures.
Final Thoughts on the Yeti DayTrip Lunch Box
The Yeti DayTrip Lunch Box is awesome and performs extremely well.
It is no secret it is pricey but the old saying of “you get what you pay for” rings true with this one.
This lunch box will last a long time and will continually and consistently keep everything inside cold and fresh for as long as you need it to.
