Is it possible to get an insulated travel mug that doesn’t leak, is easy to use, easy to clean and will last forever?
I think the Yeti Rambler 532 with the HotShot cap easily takes that crown and here’s why.
Pros
- Leakproof
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Lower flow from lid
This review is part of the recent Best Camp Mug test. See the other reviews:
- Klean Kanteen TKWide Coffee Tumbler
- Miir Tomo Insulated Bottle
- Stanley Classic Travel Mug French Press
- BrüMate Pour Over Mug
- Snowpeak Kanpai Mug
- Corkcicle Commuter Cup
What is the Yeti Rambler 532?
The Yeti Rambler Rambler 532 is an 18 oz (532 ml) vacuum-insulated bottle with a few options for lids. In this review with we tested the 360º HotShot™ Cap which is meant for sealing in hot beverages.
The mug is made from 18/8 stainless steel and has bare steel at the top and bottom. The bare steel at the top and bottom keeps the dings and scratches on the metal and prevents the edges of the paint from peeling. Yeti paint and build quality has been very high quality on cups and cooler’s I’ve had from them in the past.
The lid is the 360º HotShot™ Cap which is great for sipping hot things. It’s leakproof when it’s locked. With a half turn of the large tab in the middle of the lid, it’s open for sipping anywhere around the side. Slightly more of a turn and it locks open. Continue turning and the whole centre part of the lid comes up for easy cleaning or faster flow.
A Chug cap that is just a regular lid and a Straw cap with fold out straw are also available.
Size and Shape
The Rambler 532 is about 3″ wide and 9″ tall (7.6 x 22.6 cm), an average size for a travel mug. The lid is about 1.5 inches of that height.
It weighs about 1.1 pounds or .5 kg. The sides are vertical with a slightly textured finish. The bottom is bare steel as is the top around the mouth.
Pouring and Drinking
With a half turn of the inside of the lid, the Rambler is open for drinking. The HotShot lid is comfortable to drink from, doesn’t get in the way and prevents any splashing liquid if you’re on the move. The sides of the lid are nice and rounded.
I did find the flow out of the lid a little on the low side. If I wanted a big gulp from it, I had to wait a bit to get it all. Most of the time, especially with hot drinks, I only want a sip anyways so it works well. With one full turn, the inside of the lid pops out and provides plenty of flow, being wide open at that point.
Is It Leakproof?
Definitely. The HotShot Cap on the Rambler has not leaked at all if the lid is closed tight, in bags, cars or backpacks.
Hot test
With all the mugs in our recent camp mug roundup, we ran a 12 hour hot test. Those that were over 120 degrees Fahrenheit by 12 hours kept going for another 12.
Each mug was filled with boiling water around 200F and closed. I checked the temperature every 1-2 hours with an Accuchef thermometer. Each cup/bottle was open for about 20 seconds when I was measuring the temperature. Temperature outside the bottles was warm room temperature.
| Miir Tomo | Snowpeak Kanpai (Hot lid) | Klean Kanteen TKWide Coffee | Yeti Rambler with Hotshot Cap | Snowpeak Kanpai (Sip lid) | Stanley Classic Travel Mug French Press | Brumate Pour Over Mug | Corkcicle Commuter Cup | |
| 7:45am | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| 10am | 189.1 | 185.4 | 177.6 | 179.1 | 167.2 | 161.8 | 160.0 | 149.2 |
| 12pm | 179.2 | 173.8 | 162.1 | 164.8 | 148.3 | 144.0 | 138.9 | 127.6 |
| 1pm | 175.5 | 168.8 | 157.6 | 158.4 | 142.3 | 136.2 | 132.6 | 122.2 |
| 3pm | 167.2 | 158.4 | 146.5 | 148.1 | 130.6 | 125.2 | 120.0 | 111.0 |
| 5:30pm | 159.1 | 148.1 | 136.6 | 136.9 | 120.9 | 114.6 | 110.1 | 102.9 |
| 7:45pm (12 hours) | 152.1 | 139.6 | 129 | 128.8 | 113.7 | 107.4 | 103.8 | 97.5 |
| 7:45am (24 hours) | 127.4 | 111.2 | 104.5 | 102.0 |
Yeti doesn’t advertise how long the Rambler keeps things hot or cold. In my testing above, the Rambler got down to a still-drinkable 120 degrees shortly after 12 hours. If you haven’t drank you coffee after 12 hours, I’m not sure you will!
Cleaning
The HotShot lid is one of my favourite lids ever to drink from but it’s also the easiest to clean.
With a full turn, the centre part of the lid comes out and then it’s just a matter of washing the inside (a solid cap) and the outside (a tube with threads inside). All the parts are dishwasher safe.
Durability
I’ve encountered no issues with the Rambler yet after regular user at home, to the office and out on a few trips. If it’s anywhere as good as other Yeti products I own, it’s going to last a long time.
Who is Yeti?
Yeti was founded in 2006 with one mission: to make a cooler that could be use every single day. That meant 2 things, it would be such a good product, you’d want to use it every day. It also would be so durable, you could use it every single day without it breaking. Yeti coolers, tumblers and chairs are so bombproof that you can actually use them every single day for years and they just keep on going.
Conclusion
I can’t say enough good things about this simple vacuum-insulated bottle. The HotShot lid is nice to drink from, easy to use, easy to clean and leakproof, it’s hard to go wrong.
With a high quality build to the bottle and a simple cap, it’s had absolutely no issues in testing and I’m sure will last a long time. All this for a price that doesn’t break the bank either.
Verdict: Highly Recommended
Usual price: $30 USD ($40 CAD)
