Best Slim Can Koozie- YETI or BrüMate
Let the Battle Begin
One of the most popular consumer trends in 2022 was the slim can drink game. From BAI to White Claw, Truly and La Croix- the slim can was the bees knees. So with all these great drinks in a slim can, how the heck are we supposed to keep them cold?
Enter the Slim Can Koozie, Colster, Hopsulator- whatever you call it in 2023. The slim can keeper-colder game took off with 2 major brands going can-to-can in one of the coldest battles of the year: who’s slim can Koozie reigns supreme?
Our crew tested 2 top brands: YETI and BruMate to see what Koozie took home the coldest of all awards.
INITIAL IMPRESSION
First we ordered one YETI Slim Can Colster and one BrüMate Slim Insulated Hopsulator to test/try out. We nabbed the Navy Blue YETI and the OD Green BruMate for the review.
BrüMate Hopsulator Slim:
The BrüMate Hopsulator Slim is a triple-insulated, stainless steel can-cooler designed for 12oz slim cans. Their BevGuard™ is designed to keep things cold with zero condensation while Push-Lock™ Technology makes inserting and removing the can a breeze. The Specs:
HEIGHT: 6 1/8 inches
CIRCUMFERENCE: 9 inches
DIAMETER: 2.86 inch
Price: $24.99
The feel of this BrüMate is like a Matte finish paint. The added texture is smooth but adds a element of “grip” to the Hopsulator. The bottom of the Hopsulator has a rubber-like element to it so when setting down on the counter it sort of “grips” and stays in place. Not like a suction cup, rather a rubber tire. The easy slide on and slide out design makes for an easy load up and go functionality. The top twists off if needed- but we found that to be non-essential unless you needed to wash it.
YETI Colster:
The new 12 oz. slim design from YETI is a Double-wall vacuum insulated Koozie with No Sweat™ tech to keep your hands dry, and the updated Load-and-Lock™ Gasket only requires an easy quarter-turn to secure your drink in place. The Specs:
HEIGHT: 6 1/8 inches
CIRCUMFERENCE: 9 inches
DIAMETER: 2.34 inch
Price: $29.98
The feel of the YETI Colster is smooth like the rest of their product line. If you’ve tried any of their products, the feel is smooth and almost like a “metal” can sort of feel to it. The bottom of the Colster does not have the same rubbery grip but does have the durability feel to it like the YETI line is known for. The inserting of the can is different in the sense that you have to first unscrew the top, slide the can in, then fasten the top back on. It takes no added time and comes on and off within seconds. The YETI is dishwasher safe unlike the BrüMate.
Initial duuude Impression: Both are comparable in initial features and design
TESTING THEM OUT
Now the fun part- loading them up and testing them out! Our crew loaded up each Koozie with a 32 degree chilled slim can (we won’t tell you what we drank because that’s our business). We then did what any review crew does- we just lived our lives and tried it out. Nothing fancy. Just the usual run of the mill day drinking, evening drinking, night drinking followed by next day drinking. We tested it in rooms at a comfortable 72 degrees and went on walks in 85 degree weather. We used it like any other human does and then rated each on the following:
Temperature Maintained
Feel/Weight in Hand
Functionality
…as a added element: the Grab Factor (which one we go for when choosing one when sitting side by side in the cabinet).
THE OUTCOME
Temperature Maintained
They both did about the same in terms of keeping the drinks cold. Both hovered around the same temperature after the cans were left in the Koozie for over an hour. No noticeable difference there!
The Edge: Tie
Feel/Weight in Hand
In our hands the weight of each Koozie (empty) felt noticeably different. The BrüMate Hopsulator felt lighter both with and without a can in it. The feel of the Matte finish also felt more stable in our hands when carrying it around and pulling the can in and out. The grip was slightly better in our hand when thinking of holding it out on a boat, or carrying throughout the yard. The feel of the YETI was a bit heavier yet felt durable in that if we dropped it, the can would be fine and the YETI would live for another day.
The Edge: BrüMate by a hair
Functionality
The functionality of both Koozies are about the same. Easy to use, both keep the drink cold, and both are designed with minimal look and feel. While the YETI is a bit slimmer, the BrüMate is a bit lighter overall.
The Edge: BrüMate
Grab Factor:
This honestly is hard to choose. So we went with the easy way out: it depends on what you’re doing with it. If you were heading out to the lake on a boat, we’d suggest the BrüMate- the rubber bottom grip and matte finish is better for holding in the elements. The YETI would be our choice for something at the house, hanging around the yard and chillin’ in the hot tub.
The Edge: Close Tie
The Winner is: BOTH!
For various reasons and preference in brands, we’d say you be hard pressed to really find any major difference. Yes, YETI can be a few dollars more, but they can charge you with a name like theirs. BrüMate is an easy competitor in the space and offers just as much swag factor to your drink chilling needs. Either way you go, both are a hit!
