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Outdoors head-to-head

Igloo BMX 52vsYETI Tundra 45

Age hasn't cost the 2006 YETI Tundra 45 the lead: it averages 8.4 against 8.0 for the 2018 Igloo BMX 52, and takes Performance 9.2 to 7.8.

Igloo BMX 52

Igloo

8.0

Blow-molded but reinforced, and it lands squarely between disposable and rotomolded.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

YETI Tundra 45

YETI

8.4

The benchmark everything else in the category is measured against, priced accordingly.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Value, Igloo BMX 52 ahead 8.6 to 6.4. They come closest on Design, 8.6 to 7.6. Left of center is Igloo BMX 52, right is YETI Tundra 45.

Igloo BMX 52 versus YETI Tundra 45 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 4 axes. Bars for Igloo BMX 52 run left from the axis labels, bars for YETI Tundra 45 run right. Igloo BMX 52: Performance 7.8, Value 8.6, Durability 8.0, Design 7.6. YETI Tundra 45: Performance 9.2, Value 6.4, Durability 9.4, Design 8.6.Igloo BMX 52 (left)YETI Tundra 45 (right)PerformanceIgloo BMX 52 — Performance 7.8 out of 107.8YETI Tundra 45 — Performance 9.2 out of 109.2ValueIgloo BMX 52 — Value 8.6 out of 108.6YETI Tundra 45 — Value 6.4 out of 106.4DurabilityIgloo BMX 52 — Durability 8.0 out of 108.0YETI Tundra 45 — Durability 9.4 out of 109.4DesignIgloo BMX 52 — Design 7.6 out of 107.6YETI Tundra 45 — Design 8.6 out of 108.6Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Igloo BMX 52

Leads on Value.

  • You want more than a supermarket cooler without rotomolded pricing
  • Weight matters — this is far lighter than rotomolded boxes
  • Tailgates and campsites rather than expeditions

Take the YETI Tundra 45

Leads on Performance, Durability and Design.

  • Multi-day trips where ice retention is a safety margin, not a convenience
  • Bear country, where certification is the requirement
  • You want the thing to outlive the vehicle carrying it

What each one gets wrong

Igloo BMX 52

  • Multi-day ice retention is the whole requirement
  • You need bear certification

YETI Tundra 45

  • Weight matters — empty, this is already heavy
  • Weekend use with a shop nearby, where the retention margin is wasted

Specs, side by side

SpecIgloo BMX 52YETI Tundra 45
ConstructionBlow-molded, stainless steel kick platesRotomolded, PermaFrost insulation
Capacity52 quart45 quart class
HandlesRubberized, fold-down—
Certification—IGBC certified with two padlocks (sold separately)

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

The Igloo BMX 52 is 12 years newer. Why does it score lower?
Because the axes didn't move the way the release dates suggest. The 2006 model takes Performance, Durability and Design, widest on Performance at 9.2 to 7.8. Value is where the 2018 model answers, and whether that is enough is the whole question.
What did the 2018 model improve?
Value. Value runs 8.6 to 6.4. That is not enough to move the average, which stays 8.4 to 8.0.
Which one ranks higher in "Rotomolded or not, the latches go before the shell"?
YETI Tundra 45 sits at #2 in "Rotomolded or not, the latches go before the shell", Igloo BMX 52 at #4.