Yeti may be best known for its nearly indestructible coolers and drinkware, but it’s now throwing its hat into the performance apparel ring.
The brand, which was founded by Roy and Ryan Seiders in 2006, has released a capsule of men’s and women’s layering and outerwear pieces. The collection features a hooded hybrid down jacket, a hooded rain jacket, fleece full-zip and merino full-zip and quarter-zip styles for both men and women. Prices range from $180 for the fleece full-zip to $400 for the hooded hybrid down jacket.
“Yeti’s evolution is grounded in a simple belief held by our founders when they built the first Yeti cooler in Driftwood, Texas — if something doesn’t work, fix it. And if it doesn’t exist, build it,” said Trent Bush, vice president of apparel. “As with the creation of the Tundra hard cooler, Yeti innovation continues to be driven by a refusal to accept that durability, performance and design have to be trade-offs. That open-mindedness and a relentless determination to make the best product available has propelled the business for 20 years.”
He added that as Yeti moved beyond coolers to hunting and fishing products, “we began noticing people started using our products in cases and places we never would have guessed.” That led the company to expand its reach into other categories.
The Tensleep down jacket.
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“Over the last 20 years, we’ve expanded into drinkware, soft coolers, bags, gear cases, tabletop products, cookware and broader outdoor living gear, including blankets and chairs,” Bush said. The brand’s “apparel journey” began with Yeti-branded hats being included as gifts inside hard coolers, Bush said. The success of that product led the company to begin creating apparel.
“It’s something our communities and fans have requested for years, and we see strong consumer demand for Yeti-branded apparel today. Products like hats, Ts, hoodies and sun shirts have already shown success and we know people want more ways to wear the brand.”
The success also opened the door to performance apparel. “We believe there is room to bring Yeti’s approach to quality, durability and field-tested product design into a large, fragmented category that is ready for innovation,” Bush said. “Over the last several years we’ve thoughtfully assembled an exceptional team with deep expertise in apparel design, materials and product development. As we continue to build our capabilities, we’re excited about the opportunity to bring a distinctly Yeti perspective to performance apparel and showcase the talent we’ve brought together.”
A look from Yeti’s performance apparel collection.
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In the launch collection, the Tensleep hooded hybrid down jacket features ExpeDry down that maintains warmth in damp conditions while Lavalan wool offers moisture management and resists odor. It has a cinchable hood and hem, interior stash pockets and a water-repellent finish.
The Tilloo rain jacket is a three-layer waterproof shell with a water-repellent finish and microporous membrane. The packable piece has adjustable cuffs, a cinchable hem and bonded-brim hood.
The Sansaba full-zip fleece is made from PrimaLoft Bio fleece that manages moisture and releases heat. It has gusseted arms and elastic cuffs and hem.
And the Hueco full-zip is made from merino wool, engineered to stretch and recover as a heavyweight piece, while the Caprock quarter-zip offers the same features in a midweight layer waffle-knit construction.
Nuyarn Technologies partnered with Yeti on the merino wool pieces. The performance yarn and fabric company said its proprietary spinning technology delivers nine times greater durability, 35 percent more thermal retention and triple the drying speed with a 30 percent reduction in materials.
The Caprock quarter-zip.
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“We are proud to integrate our advanced technology into this debut collection and have further styles in development,” said Andy Wynne, chief executive officer of Nuyarn.
Bush said Yeti plans to launch additional styles and colors next year in the performance collection.
“We’re applying the same principles that have guided every category we’ve entered: durability, thoughtful design, rigorous testing and a deep understanding of how our products perform in the field. Rather than simply putting our logo on apparel, we’re focused on building technical products that reflect the standards people expect from Yeti.”
Bush said the company sees “meaningful expansion potential in apparel” going forward. “It’s a large global category, and we believe there’s an incredible opportunity to lead by approaching it the Yeti way.”
The initial collection is available through Yeti’s stores as well as on its website and in select retailers.
