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Nungeum

Outdoors head-to-head

Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 ozvsYETI Rambler 26 oz

8 years apart, and the averages land 8.2 and 8.0. Only Value moved much, 9.6 to 7.2.

Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz

Nalgene

8.0

No insulation, no pretence, and effectively unbreakable — the durability floor for everything else.

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

YETI Rambler 26 oz

YETI

8.2

Built like the coolers: over-engineered, dishwasher-safe, and heavier than it needs to be.

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, Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz ahead 9.6 to 7.2. They come closest on Durability, 9.6 to 9.0. Left of center is Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz, right is YETI Rambler 26 oz.

Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz versus YETI Rambler 26 oz — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 4 axes. Bars for Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz run left from the axis labels, bars for YETI Rambler 26 oz run right. Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz: Performance 6.4, Value 9.6, Durability 9.6, Design 6.4. YETI Rambler 26 oz: Performance 8.6, Value 7.2, Durability 9.0, Design 8.0.Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz (left)YETI Rambler 26 oz (right)PerformanceNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — Performance 6.4 out of 106.4YETI Rambler 26 oz — Performance 8.6 out of 108.6ValueNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — Value 9.6 out of 109.6YETI Rambler 26 oz — Value 7.2 out of 107.2DurabilityNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — Durability 9.6 out of 109.6YETI Rambler 26 oz — Durability 9.0 out of 109.0DesignNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — Design 6.4 out of 106.4YETI Rambler 26 oz — Design 8.0 out of 108.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz

Leads on Value and Durability.

  • Weight and cost matter more than temperature
  • Measuring water for cooking or for filter systems
  • Backcountry use where a dented vacuum bottle is a dead bottle

Take the YETI Rambler 26 oz

Leads on Performance and Design.

  • The bottle takes genuine abuse in a truck or a toolbox
  • Dishwasher cleaning rather than hand washing
  • Lid options that seal properly under pressure

What each one gets wrong

Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz

  • You want a cold drink to still be cold in four hours
  • Condensation on the outside will be a problem

YETI Rambler 26 oz

  • Carry weight matters — this is heavy empty
  • You want the widest lid aftermarket, which is elsewhere

Specs, side by side

SpecNalgene Wide Mouth 32 ozYETI Rambler 26 oz
MaterialSingle-wall Tritan (BPA-free revision)—
MarkingsVolume graduations on the side—
WeightUnder 180 grams—
Insulation—Double-wall vacuum
Cleaning—Dishwasher safe
Cap—Chug cap, magnetic variants available

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is the 2016 YETI Rambler 26 oz the safer pick over the 2008 Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz?
Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz takes Value and Durability; YETI Rambler 26 oz takes Performance and Design. Neither leads on more axes than the other, so it comes down to which of those you care about. The 8-year gap shows in the totals as 8.2 against 8.0.
What does the 2008 model still win?
On Value and Durability, yes. Those axes still go to the 2008 model. The 2016 one answers with Performance and Design.
Which of our lists do both of these appear in?
YETI Rambler 26 oz sits at #3 in "Water bottles leak at the lid, never at the wall", Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz at #4. They also share 1 other list on the site.