We've run through many travel mugs, and not all of them are winners. These are a few we like, just not as much as the ones above.
Miir Flip Traveler for $28: The Miir has a tough powder coating with a flip-top lid that is absolutely leak-proof. I couldn’t get one drop of liquid to escape, no matter what I did to this tumbler. It’s narrow enough to fit any cup holder or backpack bottle holder, and it feels tough enough to survive years of abuse. Personally, I also find it quite aesthetically attractive, with its sharp lines and angular cap, compared to its competition. Miir has stated that some of its bottles use lead, and its website states: “MiiR drinkware is frequently tested at a 3rd party accredited lab by COE Resolution CM/RES(2013)9. When MiiR drinkware is tested, lead is not detected. The limit of detection is < 0.002 mg/kg (ppm).” Representatives at Miir declined to clarify if the Flip Traveler is one of its bottles that use lead.
Yeti Rambler Bottle With Chug Cap for $50: The star of this bottle is what Yeti calls the chug cap, a threaded spout that's between a wide-mouth opening and a more typical sipping hole in size. I enjoyed it quite a lot. When gulping water, it flowed more smoothly and quickly than a sipping hole, but it didn't spill over my face, as a wide-mouth opening can sometimes do when in a hurry. A cap with a plastic handle screws on over it to close up the bottle. The handle is wide and robust. I'd use a carabiner to clip it to a backpack often and never worried about it breaking (36 fluid ounces of water is heavy). If you're a frequent sipper like me, you'll appreciate that it only takes a half turn of the cap to expose the chug cap. Yeti cautions that the chug cap (which can be unscrewed and removed) is unsuitable for hot beverages. Just to make sure I didn't burn my mouth on that initial, exploratory sip of hot coffee, I'd take it off when drinking something hot, which negated some of the bottle's convenience. Like most Yeti bottles, the exterior coating was durable and didn't scratch or dent during testing. Yeti uses lead in its manufacturing.
Stanley IceFlow Tumbler for $30: Rather than a long straw, the IceFlow has a stubby, flip-open straw about an inch long that's built into the cap. It was easy to manipulate with my thumb to flip it out, which I appreciated when I was hot and sweaty after a workout and didn't want to fumble with a hard-to-use cap. Its small diameter meant that I couldn't gulp water, though, only sip a steady trickle. The carry handle was big enough to use while wearing puffy gloves this past winter, and it flips down and out of the way when you don't need it. Both are a very nice touch that outshine most other bottles' handles. Like Stanley's other bottles, its exterior coating is tough enough that I noticed no scratches or wear. Stanley uses lead in its manufacturing process.
Contigo Luxe Autoseal for $36: What makes the Contigo “automatic” is a button on the side of the lid that opens the sipping hole. There’s a lock to prevent the button from opening the hole, too. With or without the lock activated, the Contigo never leaked a single drop. Some buyers have complained that the metal lid gets too hot, but I filled up the Luxe Autoseal with scorching, molten coffee, and the lid barely even got lukewarm. Contigo is also among the manufacturers that uses a lead solder bead in its construction. When reached for comment, a company representative said, “The bead is covered and insulated by multiple layers—it never comes in contact with users or liquids in the bottle—and cannot be accessed unless the bottle is fully deconstructed. No traces of lead are found on or in the bottle that would be exposed to the consumer or the beverages in the bottle.”
KeepCup Thermal for $26: This is the answer to those who like the KeepCup LongPlay's ergonomic shape and paper-cup-imitating feel but long for a cup that can keep their coffee warmer for longer. The Thermal is, like most of the vessels in this guide, vacuum-insulated stainless steel that insulates against heat loss or, in the case of cold beverages, heat gain. It shares the Brew Cork's slightly dribbly lid, although it loses some of the novelty of the Brew Cork's glass.
REI Co-op Camp Mug for $23: There are getting to be an awful lot of insulated camp mugs in this basic style on the market, and REI's own is a perfectly fine option that doesn't particularly stand out. REI didn't attempt any gimmicks with its lid, which is a durable piece of thick plastic with an open hole for sipping and a smaller hole for airflow (so that sipping is smooth). You can't just toss it in a backpack or on the floor of your car without it leaking, but for a camp mug, that's fine. They're better suited for use in camp, a motorhome, or on a desk anyway, in my opinion. The exterior coating was tough enough to show no scratches, even after knocking it over a few times outside, and the REI graphics were tasteful and attractive, in my opinion.
Miir Camp Cup for $28: Miir's insulated coffee mug doesn't leak, it insulates hot and cold drinks just fine, and the coating is as tough as any Miir. But it's up against tough competition, and for the same money the Hydro Flask Mug is a bit nicer. The Miir lacks the Hydro Flask's stainless steel rim, and the transparent plastic lid feels a little cheap. The sliding opening on the lid felt like just an extra step to operate each time I wanted a sip.
Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler for $35: The rounded handle is comfortable to hold, which is important in an 18.4-ounce mug loaded with up to 32 fluid ounces of drink. Like most Hydro Flask products, it comes with the same bomb-proof powder coating (in optional soft, pastel colors) that resists scratches and chips very well, plus the addition of a straw poking through its lid. There's also a 40-fluid-ounce version for $40.
GSI Outdoors Glacier 15-Fluid-Ounce Camp Cup for $20: It's not too easy to find at retailers, and when you do, they tend to be available in just a few colors and go in and out of stock. This cup is awfully simple, particularly the incredibly basic lid, but it's more than a little endearing. There's a brushed stainless steel version and, my favorite, a "blue speckle" that imitates the classic enameled blue camp cups of past generations, although both of these colors are plain steel. Other colors come in a more durable-seeming pebbled coating.
Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug for $29: The stainless-steel interior is BPA-free and has a wide-mouth opening. The lid locks to avoid accidental spillage, and I once accidentally left hot tea in it for 18 hours and found it still hot when I opened it again. It’s also small enough to fit in my jacket pocket on chilly morning walks. It’s not my preferred mug for daily use, simply because the lid has three separate parts—a mouthpiece, a gasket, and a lid—that are deeply ridged and hard to clean.
Rambler Stackable Cup for $30: This insulated cup holds 16 fluid ounces, which is the capacity of a typical tall drinking glass. The best aspect of this is that you can stack several of them, so you can keep a bunch in your pantry without taking up much room. It comes with Yeti's durable powder coating, too, making them among the toughest options out there.
Hydro Flask Mug for $28: The Hydro Flask Mug merges a durable powder-coated, vacuum-insulated construction with the traditional, handle-sporting shape of a diner or camp mug. Hydro Flask does it better than most. The stainless steel rim makes it nicer to sip from than competitors' mugs, and it comes with Hydro Flask's usual drip-proof lid and bomber-tough powder coating that is nearly impossible to scratch. But it is more at home on a desk than at a campsite or in a car's cup holder, which it can't fit into.
GSI Outdoors MicroLite 500 Flip for $30: Under the button-activated, flip-up lid there's a contoured bowl that you drink from, as if somebody cut the top half off a plastic cup. It felt gimmicky and unnecessary. It didn't do anything that just drinking from an open bottle couldn't do, and it tended to collect stray water droplets after I was done drinking. The overly complex cap was harder to hand wash than most caps, although the dishwasher could clean the cap without issue. What saves the MicroLite 500 is the stainless steel rim, which felt nice to drink from when the cap was removed, plus the array of available colors in durable, non-scratch coatings. Minus the cap, the bottle was fairly nice, if not particularly a standout among the competition. There's a MicroLite 500 With Twist Lid for $30 that does away with the gimmicky cap and has a simpler lid, although the carry strap is narrow and not as robust as I'd have liked.
Owala FreeSip for $28: Product reviewer Medea Giordano loved the FreeSip (9/10, WIRED Recommends) for its dual drink spouts: one open hole, plus a built-in straw. If you've got mobility or pain issues that make tilting your head a hassle, this mug is a solid performer. It's easy to grip too, with its flattened sides, which can come in handy for those with reduced hand dexterity.
OtterBox Elevation for $30: At 8.5 inches tall, the Elevation 20 looks a lot bigger than it is. It has a copper lining that the company says helps better maintain your beverage’s perfect temperature, although I saw no noticeable difference in the Elevation's temperature-holding abilities. The clear press-on lid has a locking mechanism that you can switch it out for a straw lid or a French press lid if you’re in a hurry. It comes in a variety of stunning hues. OfferBox uses lead in its construction. When reached for comment, a company representative said, “ The seal is not open or accessible to the end user, and at no time, under intended use, could it come into contact with the end user. The OtterBox Elevation tumbler meets all applicable US regulatory requirements.”
Purist Mover for $48: Ever empty a stainless-steel bottle of one beverage and fill it up with a different one, only to notice that the taste of the first drink lingers? The Purist has applied a thin layer of glass over the interior of the Mover, which keeps this taste transfer from happening. You can down a mug full of coffee and then fill it with herbal tea without risking a coffee aftertaste. I didn’t experience leaks from the Element top, but a high number of customers have reported their Purist lids leaking over time. I’ll keep using the Purist and update this page with information on how it performs.
S'well Traveler Tumbler for $30: S’well boasts that its tumblers are triple-walled, but I'm not convinced that has much real-world benefit over a normal double-walled tumbler. It didn't keep beverages remarkably colder or hotter than its competitors, for example. What really sets the S’well apart are its designs. There are 12 finishes, from plain colors and bare stainless steel to elaborate patterns, such as blue marble and faux wood, and a slide-open lid so you don’t have to pop it off every time you want a swig of coffee.
Stanley Classic Vacuum Pint for $26: Stanley’s vacuum pint includes a press-on lid with a deeply pebbled exterior that’s reminiscent of classic flasks. Although it’s billed as a 16-ounce pint, Stanley has added a few extra ounces to accommodate foam (or splashing hot coffee), and the lid comes with a slide-in metal bottle opener if you like to go immediately from work to happy hour. Stanley uses lead in its manufacturing process.