Travel Mug With Roll Ball to Close
The All-time Travel Mugs
We've been using, cleaning and trying to destroy travel mugs over three years of testing. The Thermos – Sipp is the best travel mug for maximum heat retention and easy make clean-upwards. Information technology also proved nearly invulnerable to the driblet tests nosotros put it through. If yous're looking for easy sipping without the risk of spills, the Contigo – Auto-Seal Transit is also a groovy pick, though information technology's not very piece of cake to make clean.
Our Height Choices
Best Heat Memory
Thermos
Sipp
For I-Hand Sipping
Contigo
Transit
Our Favorite, Discontinued
CamelBak
Forge
Due westeastward've been using, cleaning and trying to destroy travel mugs over three years of testing. The Thermos – Sipp is the all-time travel mug for maximum heat retention and like shooting fish in a barrel clean-up. It as well proved nearly invulnerable to the drop tests we put information technology through. If yous're looking for easy sipping without the risk of spills, the Contigo – Auto-Seal Transit is also a great pick, though it's not very easy to clean.
Tabular array of Contents
- The xiii travel mugs we tested
- Best rut retentiveness: Thermos – Sipp
- Best spill prevention: Contigo – Transit
- Other products nosotros tested
- How we selected
- How we tested
- Features to look for
- The bottom line
The 13 travel mugs nosotros tested
| Product | Price | Mouth Width (inches) | Usability Rating | Keurig Compatible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ane. CamelBak - Forge (discontinued) | (discontinued) | 2.six | 5/5 | Yeah - 12 oz version |
| 2. Thermos - Sipp | $$ | 1.6 | 4.five/5 | No |
| three. Zojirushi - SM-SA48 | $$$ | ane.5 | 3.5/5 | Aye - 12 oz version |
| iv. Klean Kanteen - Broad | $$$ | 2.two | 2/five | Yes - 12 oz version |
| 5. Contigo - Autoseal Transit | $$ | ii.6 | 4.5/five | Yeah |
| 6. Contigo - Autoseal W Loop | $ | 2.6 | five/five | Yes - 12 oz version |
| seven. Zojirushi - SM-YAE48 | $$$ | ii.8 | four/v | Aye |
| 8. Stanley - Classic | $$ | 2.6 | 4/5 | Yeah - 12 oz version |
| 9. Thermos - Stainless King | $$ | 3.0 | 2/5 | Yep |
| x. Timolino - Icon | $$ | ii.8 | 3.5/five | Aye |
| 11. OXO Practiced Grips - SSDWTM | $$ | 2.8 | 3/v | No |
| 12. Bubba - Hero Elite | $$ | 2.4 | three.v/v | No |
| 13. Ello - Mesa (ceramic) | $ | 2.vi | 4/5 | Yes |
Best rut retentiveness: Thermos – Sipp
2 of the mugs we tested kept estrus inside so well, they really made it difficult to test what we considered "normal" use because we had to dump extra common cold one-half-and-half or ice cubes in and so that we could drink from them without suffering burns. Brand no fault, this virtually-magical feat is surely appreciated by those who want to drink a hot loving cup of home-brewed java 8 hours later they pour information technology.
We've picked the The Thermos – Sipp (sometimes called Directly Drink) canteen every bit our favorite for that kind of utilise since information technology was slightly easier for us to make clean and it didn't rattle effectually in our cupholders as much every bit the skinny Zojirushi – SM-SA48 did. Bloomberg called this "the best mug for heat freaks" and nosotros concur with that assessment: this mug stayed xv°F hotter than lesser mugs even when we were pouring the estrus away in our 165-minute "sipping examination."
Also Cracking: Thermos - Sipp
This mug needs to be opened and airtight for every sip if you lot want to prevent spills, only it will go on your beverage almost too hot.
The Thermos performed flawlessly in our leak exam, sealing its lid tight and locking with a back-upward mechanism. It doesn't seal itself every time y'all prepare it downwards, the manner our elevation pick does, so you have to either close the superlative every time you sip or invite spills — but if yous do knock it over with the lid open, it won't spill as much equally most of the other mugs nosotros tested.
The Thermos – Sipp started developing a crack in the eight-foot autumn. While that'south not nearly every bit durable as the CamelBak – Forge, the Thermos is much tougher than the other best-insulating mug, the Zojirushi – SM-SA48 (which probably won't close anymore if you drop information technology onto concrete). The Thermos is also entirely dishwasher-safe and easy to manus-launder and has a handy loop on the back of the hat that makes it easy to carry around.
Annotation: This is one of the more confusingly named products we researched — it's sometimes called things like "Sipp Stainless Insulated Beverage Bottle" and is nigh identical to the "Commuter Bottle." Whatever the name, we liked it.
Key takeaways:
- If you need your potable to stay hot for an unabridged day and you don't want to fill up a behemothic thermos, the Thermos – Sipp is a fantastic mini-thermos y'all can potable from with one hand.
- Not equally durable as our top pick, but seals upward like a vault and will take a drop from desk height without any problems.
- Dishwasher condom, simply too easy to paw launder
Best spill prevention: Contigo – Transit
Contigo is now one of the nearly prolific brands in the travel mug market, and the Motorcar-Seal Transit is the best model in their line.
Automobile-sealing mugs like the transit are perfect for utilize at your desk, around fussy librarians or while driving. It's basically impossible to spill anything from this mug while y'all're drinking from it, and the spout prevents drips from gathering the way they will in flip-meridian designs.
Contigo mugs represent what really has go the baseline for travel mug functionality: To crush Contigo at their own game, a mug must exist piece of cake to drink from with one hand while still preventing spills, must exist easier to clean, stay hot for longer, and take more abuse. The at present-discontinued Camelbak – Forge was the only model that was amend overall (withal losing in heat retention), while the Thermos – Sipp has much better heat retentivity but doesn't finish spills.
The Transit survived our x-human foot drib exam with only a superficial crack in the easily removed spout cover. That encompass is an interesting perk; a quick turn covers up the drinking spout to keep dirt out. It'southward a nice perk that doesn't get in the way when you don't demand it.
Safe Sipping: Contigo - Transit
A smashing mug from a trusted brand that'south highly durable and spill resistant. A bully choice if you lot don't heed sacrificing heat performance and if you're OK with mitt-washing.
The Auto-Seal mechanism is unmatched at stopping knock-down spills, but the Transit gave up a teaspoon worth of liquid in our 30-minute tumble examination. That's a skilful result, just not as good equally the bank-vault seal on the Thermos – Sipp. If you want to stash a mug in your handbag this is not a bad pick, simply we wouldn't take it on an all-twenty-four hours trip with a full load of coffee inside a haversack.
In our temperature examination, the Transit only lost 34°F of heat in the starting time hr, while the base-model Contigo – W Loop lost 40, and then the minimal price difference is far less meaning than the performance gap. That'south still a major departure from the Thermos and Zojirushi mugs, which lost less than one-half as much rut in the same time. The Transit's result is in line with other skilful wide-mouth mugs that you lot can fit a sponge into, but it's non amazing.
One failing of Contigo'south pattern is the seal mechanism: it'south a hurting to clean. If you have a dishwasher or only potable clear tea, you'll probably never have a problem with this, but you lot'll withal want to double-check that nothing gets stuck in the springs and levers within this lid. The Transit'due south lid is the but function you lot should put in the dishwasher, simply the body isn't difficult to manus wash.
On the whole, this is a bully mug with a long heritage of good design. The cost is correct at well-nigh $15, and if you ever need to drink your coffee in a place where spills would be a disaster this is an fantabulous choice.
Central takeaways:
- The Contigo – Auto-Seal Transit is easy to use for i-hand-sipping without leaving yous vulnerable to spills.
- If y'all're looking for an affordable mug that won't break speedily, the Transit is very skillful on both counts.
- Clean-up is the simply weakness in this design: The springs that seal the spout are immersed in your beverage, and can't be removed for washing.
- For secure carry in a bag, the Transit was better than most, but it did leak a teaspoon worth after one-half an hr in a spin-cycle.
Other products we tested
Burnout
From a startup company founded by rocket scientists, the Burnout temperature regulating travel mug is one of the few new products that'due south trying something different. Nosotros bought this mug for our 2019 update.
Burnout pulls the heat out of your drink in the first minute later yous cascade. This keen trick is achieved with a layer of wax that'southward inside the mug's stainless steel walls. In one case the wax melts, it'll help continue all of that estrus inside the vacuum-insulated chamber, fifty-fifty as yous drink your favorite hot drinkable abroad.
The problem with the heat-sucking textile inside the Burnout is that it's as well skilful at its task. If the mug starts at effectually room temperature, hot java (at merely below an ideal brewing temperature of 190-200°F) will absurd to 140 in 15 minutes. If you like warm coffee instead of hot java, that's probably ideal.
Y'all tin can go a bump in heat if you lot have the time to boil some extra water and dump that in the Burnout for a few minutes before you add your potable. (Pre-heating with 110°F tap water does basically nothing.) Boiling extra water isn't such an inconvenience for pour-over, french press, and tea drinkers, but it's a big hassle if you lot're relying on a coffeemaker like our favorite Keurig.
Sadly, pre-heating with boiling water likewise cancels out the safety goal of this mug, since the temperature is withal at a scalding 172 after thirty minutes and takes two hours to hit our preferred 155. Yes, y'all can pre-heat for a shorter fourth dimension and add milk to fine-melody the temperature, but you tin practice the same with our peak oestrus-retention pick, the Thermos – Sipp, by calculation an ice cube when you pour your coffee.
Even if a hot-ish 135°F sounds perfect to y'all, the biggest problem with the Burnout is the chapeau. This design uses an internal stopper that seals a sippy-loving cup spout (very much like the Contigo Autoseal designs) but with a sliding, locking toggle switch instead of a push-to-drink system. This ways you don't become automated sealing when yous terminate drinking, just it's withal difficult to clean out all of the springs and levers on the inside. It tin besides spit out drips when you close it.
Worse nonetheless, even when the stopper is in the airtight position, information technology leaks. It'll keep dribbles from coming out if y'all plow it upside down, but as soon as y'all drib it on the floor or milk shake it effectually it'll let drips out. The slider switch is fairly easy to use, just information technology'due south also vulnerable to getting bumped open inside a handbag; this mug did poorly in our tumble test.
Finally, at that place's the price. If y'all've been waiting and waiting for a travel mug that would requite four-hour warmth without burning your tongue, maybe $100 doesn't sound like a lot. Compared to our other mugs, though, that'south a pretty crazy toll.
We love the idea of this mug, but the concept just hasn't been executed well plenty to justify this price tag. If it were dishwasher safe and had a bomb-proof seal like the Thermos, possibly the price tag and fiddly work required to plan a perfect pre-oestrus routine would be worth it.
Zojirushi – SM-SA48 and YAE48
The Zojirushi – SM-SA48 has received and so many accolades from reviewers, it's hard to imagine a review that excludes it. This mug is the state of the art in vacuum insulation functioning from a company with a long history of designing great food and potable containers. That said, the atomic SA48 was and so narrow and alpine that it rattled effectually in our cupholders (and was hardest to clean within, even with a bottle castor).
We likewise included the SA48's sibling, the YAE48, which is specifically marketed as a "Travel Mug" and seems designed to address concerns about cup holder size and the height restriction imposed by single-cup coffee machines. The wide mouth means that the YAE48 is easier to become a kitchen sponge into when cleaning, but information technology sacrifices insulation and leak-proof performance with that giant hat (which actually unscrewed from the body during our spin-cycle bag-leak test).
Neither mug is especially durable; the SA48's lid shattered on a desk-height drop and the YAE48 wouldn't stay closed after an eight-human foot drop split it across the lock. The warranty on these mugs is also limited to insulation functioning for 5 years, which is disappointing when the lids and locks have this many intricate parts.
Contigo – Machine-Seal W Loop
This is the third version of the Motorcar-Seal Westward Loop pattern, now easier to clean than old models, and with a lock button. Sadly, the lock doesn't preclude leaks and it's still immersing springs in your drinkable.
The Due west Loop is a expert mug, but the Transit is more durable and holds heat meliorate. The only merchandise-off is that the Transit sacrifices dishwasher compatibility because of the silicone grip. The West Loop's insulation is guaranteed to be safe in the dishwasher, simply if you purchase a painted model you can count on flaking and peeling of the finish later a few months of cleaning it that way.
Klean Kanteen – xvi oz. Wide-Oral cavity
We included the winner from our insulated water bottle review, the Klean Kanteen, but in a 16 oz. size to match the other mugs and with the manufacturer's leak-proof "café cap." (We did non include the Hydro Flask in our line-upwardly; in our water-bottle examination the 32 oz Hydro Flask didn't insulate likewise as a 20 oz Klean Kanteen, and while the flip-cap chapeau on the Hydro Flask is easier to apply with i hand, information technology has all of the bug of the other drip-flip lids we tested).
The Klean Kanteen is yet a drink container we like, only it's not easy to open and shut with 1 hand (and in fact took a fair bit of effort to open with two hands), and it has more parts to disassemble for cleaning than whatsoever of the other mugs.
Thermos – Stainless King Travel Mug
Thermos is the oldest and best-known name in insulated drinkable containers in the western world ("thermos" became such a prevalent word that US courts ruled it was legal to use as a generic term for insulated bottles in 1963). We tested the Thermos – Stainless Male monarch Travel Mug along with our runner-up, the Thermos – Sipp.
The King is available with a handle, which may appeal to those who go on a mug in the cold and selection it up with blank hands, only we institute that a trigger-action mug like our top selection was even better since nosotros could deport information technology and take drinks from it fifty-fifty with gloves on. The twist-action closure on the Stainless Male monarch wasn't really designed to open and close with ane paw, and requires disassembly if you want to put information technology in the dishwasher.
Stanley – Archetype
Nosotros've included this cocky-sealing mug, the Stanley – Classic, which only comes in their retro-lunchbox-manner "hammertone" finish, equally the only painted mug guaranteed dishwasher safe; the paint does seem thick and durable, and we haven't seen reports of it chipping or peeling the style the Contigo paint does. The functionality is generally proficient, only information technology wasn't even as leak-proof equally the Contigo mugs were. The spring on the trigger button of this mug was as well much, much stronger than the other cocky-sealing designs, which was a big turn-off for some testers (and didn't keep information technology from leaking at all). The design as well had more parts to proceed rail of than the other self-sealing mechanisms.
Bubba – Hero Elite
The Bubba was included because information technology has the highest cost to consumer rating ratio of whatever of the mugs we found, and the ceramic liner is a unique characteristic. While on the whole, this mug seems a decent value, that liner didn't prove to be an asset in any fashion nosotros could find, and the way the lid collects drips, and spreads them around is only abrasive. The fact that the plastic ring which attaches the lid to the body but popped off in our eight-foot drop test makes us wonder how long it would take for grime and water to start collecting at that articulation (even in normal use).
Timolino – Icon
The Timolino – Icon won top marks from Cook'south Illustrated, and it performed well in our cleaning and drib tests, just the drip-flip lid is a serious annoyance that was also noted by Amazon reviewers. While it didn't intermission, this mug did leak around the seal every time we looked at it funny, and then we wouldn't put it anywhere near a calculator bag.
OXO Good Grips- SSDWTM
Bloomberg institute this OXO mug quite hard to destroy. Dropping it three times from ceiling height earlier giving up. We like its durability, but the push-button hat is the simply i we tested that isn't dishwasher condom, and it traps a good quantity of fluid in the spout even after it's closed, which makes it messy to potable from.
The discontinued champion: CamelBak – Forge
(Editor's notation: The Camelbak – Forge was discontinued in 2018, and we're sad to say that information technology hasn't been replaced with an equivalent design. Our original review is preserved hither for posterity.)
The CamelBak – Forge is equally smart as it is tough. The mechanism for opening and sealing the spout whenever you pull the "trigger" is elementary and effective, and the Forge practically turns itself within out for you lot when you need to clean information technology. (Even replacing the o-ring for the seal would be trivial.)
The Forge keeps your drinkable hot for a very long time; not every bit long as some of the mugs we tested, only well within the expected functioning of a vacuum-insulated travel mug with a broad-mouth opening. Mugs with narrower openings (like our runner-up selection below) volition keep the heat for longer, simply that makes them harder to make clean and fill.
In our leak examination, the Forge did leave evidence that it had let out a single driblet when we checked at 10 minutes into the one-half-hour spin-cycle examination; no further leaks were found at the stop of the exam, and the corporeality lost didn't register on our electronic kitchen calibration.
The Forge doesn't have a way to lock out its trigger the way Contigo's latest designs do, but CamelBak has shaped a loop at the dorsum of the hat that totally protects the trigger from basically annihilation other than your finger. It's possible that some object of the right shape could press on it in but the right circumstances, but on the spin-cycle leak test the Forge was far more effective than the other self-sealing mugs (fifty-fifty the ones with locks).
What's more, the loop is a convenient way to clip the Forge onto a haversack, bike purse, or just to hook a finger through, and it also prevents it from rolling if it's knocked over. (That means it won't just end y'all from spilling java: it'll also save you from that embarrassing chat where yous have to enquire your coworkers if they've seen a mug rolling effectually on the floor.)
CamelBak has catered to the outdoor enthusiast oversupply for decades and has a groovy reputation for warranty work and customer service. They guarantee this mug for life confronting defects in the workmanship or materials, which doesn't strictly cover things like worn rubber o-rings or driving over it with a cement truck, but when nosotros looked for comments on repair services nosotros establish that CamelBak is often very generous.
How we selected
Our testers have used travel mugs daily for many years and while engaged in activities ranging from truck driving to theatrical stage management, so they had some long-standing demands and expectations. We sorted through countless published professional and consumer reviews and dove into enthusiast discussion boards to discover our finalists. We've especially kept an eye out for online fizz well-nigh flaws and weaknesses, which nosotros've tested for and noted. Value is an important consideration for items like this, and we've included mugs that ranged in price from $xvi to $xxx at the fourth dimension we ordered them.
Subsequently our one-time top pick from Camelbak was discontinued, we started looking for replacements. The Burnout promised to solve all our issues with estrus-retention tradeoffs, and so we added it to the list. Nosotros're watching for a new car-seal design that'due south as easy to clean every bit the Camelbak, but nosotros oasis't found it yet.
How we tested
Well on our way to developing permanent caffeine dependence after our French Press and Unmarried-Cup Java Maker reviews, we indulged another caffeine binge as nosotros filled, drained, cleaned, and tried to intermission 13 travel mugs for multiple weeks.
Leak test
The ability to put a travel mug in your bag without fear of making volume-and-computer soup separates the best of the travel mugs from the rest. It'southward easy to say "this lid locks in the closed position so it won't leak!" but some locks are easy to defeat accidentally (Contigo West Loop, we're looking at you lot). To say without equivocation that the best mugs won't leak, we put all the mugs in a duffle bag that spent half an hour within an industrial dryer.
The mugs were filled, dried carefully, weighed, wrapped in a towel, and sealed in an individual bag. Then the seals on each mug were double-checked by shaking (all passed) and dropping them before we put them in the dryer. We started the spin-wheel, checked once at ten minutes, and then again at the 30-infinitesimal marker. All leaks were clearly visible, and we weighed the mugs again after taking them out of their bags to run across how much water had leaked out.
The Zojirushi – SM-SA48, the Thermos – Sipp, and the Klean Kanteen leaked nothing in the half-60 minutes they were tossed effectually inside the dryer. The Forge, without whatsoever lock or back-upwards mechanism to keep the seal from opening, only permit out a unmarried drop that we could see on its towel-wrap at the 10-minute marking, and nosotros didn't run into whatsoever more evidence of leaks at the end (nor could we measure the amount of water that had escaped.)
Spill test
Another important duty of a travel mug is stopping spills. Some of our testers have worked in locations where merely spill-proof mugs are allowed, and far too many of us accept experienced the tragic consequences of using unworthy mugs in moving vehicles or at desks covered with important documents.
We simulated a desk-bound-spill by filling each mug halfway with a measured corporeality of water, then tipping it on its side (spout down). After 15 seconds, we picked upwardly the mug and re-checked the corporeality of water to decide how much water spilled. We wanted to exist sure we were simulating a real-world spill: a lid or seal you lot can manually close might be cracking for throwing in a pocketbook, but the spills that matter are the ones that happen while the lid/lock isn't airtight. (Notation: we tested the Ello – Mesa both opened and closed. It spilled then much while information technology was supposed to be "sealed" we included that number on the nautical chart.)
The self-sealing mugs practically cheat on the spill test, and that's why we like them. Of the mugs that spilled nothing when knocked over, too annotation that the Forge has a lid design that prevents it from rolling off your desk-bound.
Clean-up test
Keeping a mug clean is one of those tasks that makes the difference between "buy it for life" and trashing an expensive mug in disgust. Our rating hither is based on hand-washing with a sponge, scrubber, or bottle-brush, but nosotros've also noted if the manufacturer says y'all tin can put the whole mug in the dishwasher.
Nosotros tested how piece of cake it is to effectively field-make clean the mugs with a method like to systems used by metallurgists looking for cracks in airframes: a (non-toxic, water-based) fluorescent pigment was poured into the mugs and and then out through the drinking spout. Side by side, the mugs were filled with soapy h2o, agitated, tuckered through the spout, and rinsed in the aforementioned mode.
While the paint came out in our elementary rinse process without any obvious dribbles or aerosol remaining in most cases (at that place was a tiny drop left inside the Klean Kanteen'southward 3-piece seal), we did spot some remainder left backside on all the mugs under a UV inspection light.
The Contigo Autoseal system is great for convenient spill-free sipping, but its springs and levers are immersed in your pumpkin-spice foam and nutmeg sprinkles.
The hinged-lid Thermos and Zojirushi mugs are pretty piece of cake to make clean, with the Thermos Direct Drink taking an edge here because of a vent design that's a hole rather than a tube.
Some notes on dishwasher compatibility
All of the lids for these mugs (with the exception, inexplicably, of the OXO Practiced Grips) are guaranteed safe for acme-rack dishwasher cleaning. Some also guarantee that the body of the mug volition be okay on the acme rack, but only if information technology's an unpainted stainless steel body — a marking against the Automobile-Seal Transit's silicone grip pattern. Stanley and Bubba are both willing to back up their mugs in dishwasher use despite paint and plastic accessories; the hammertone paint looks OK, merely the plastic rings on the Bubba seem destined to trap dishwater over time.
While we wouldn't recommend daily dishwashing of these mugs (the farthermost rut expands and contracts the steel forth the seams that proceed the vacuum in, which is why many manufacturers say information technology voids their warranty). If you desire to exist able to throw it in the top rack every once in a while for a deep-cleaning, though, it'due south encouraging to know that a company has your back even if the vacuum fails after ten or 20 years.
Oestrus memory test
We ran two tests to measure how well these mugs retain heat. The beginning test gives a broad overview of mug performance when starting with water at typical eatery serving temperature; the second exam shows how our favorite mugs performed when starting with a lower temperature.
Loftier-temperature heat retention
In the first test, nosotros poured very hot water (information technology was a lot of pouring, then starting temperature varied, but nosotros've normalized the differences to bear witness loss from a 185°F starting temperature) into all the mugs and checked the temperature afterwards an hr. Results are in the primary table in a higher place.
We establish that all of the mugs, even the air-insulated Ello – Mesa, will keep your Starbucks java hot enough to be 'drinkable' after sitting effectually for an hour. Not only that, two of the mugs we tested kept beverages hot plenty to burn yous. We want to indicate out that this kind of test obscures some basic usability complaints that are frequently made in comments virtually award-winning mugs: they keep humid-hot java so hot that yous may need to take extra steps in order to drink it. Some mug-owners on Reddit suggest ice cubes — no, that'south not a joke, water ice cubes — to get your fresh cup of hot coffee or tea down to a beverage temperature.
Excellent Insulation: Zojirushi - SM-SA48
The performance of this mug is practically legendary. Its narrower opening and peak performing insulation keeps drinks super hot for but a footling bit longer than our height pick.
The Redditors were absolutely right: when we made tea with freshly boiled water in either of the superlative two insulation performers (the Zojirushi – SM-SA48 or the Thermos Direct Drink Insulated Bottle) we found that it won't be absurd plenty for nearly people to drink (beneath 155°F) until an hour later, fifty-fifty if you leave the lid off completely.
Mugs similar these are cracking if you want to keep drinks hotter for longer. Just be certain you cool your coffee or tea before adding to the mug, or pour out your beverage to drink until temperatures inside the mug accept reached a safe level.
Studies show that the severity of burns starts getting significantly worse at temperatures higher up 175°F, so temperature curves betwixt 200°F and 175°F aren't showing anything but a danger zone. A study published in the Journal of Nutrient Scientific discipline shows that almost people will mix cream/milk (or colder coffee) into their hot java to bring it downwards to effectually 140°F if they're going to drink it immediately. Farther, the Specialty Coffee Association of America cupping and tasting protocols recommend that evaluation of flavor should non begin until coffee has cooled to between 160 – 140°F.
Commuter 'sip' examination
With that in mind, our 2nd test used water heated to only 167°F. We filled five mugs: three top-ranked in our first estrus examination, the CamelBak – Forge, and a heavy, 18 oz-capacity open-summit ceramic mug equally a command.
Afterwards 30 minutes, 50ml of water was decanted from each mug into a 100 ml pyrex beaker every 15 minutes. With a bench thermometer and K-type probe, we took 8 samples from each mug, leaving a slightly larger sample at the end. This controls for the style most of us drinkable abroad the specific heat capacity of the h2o in our travel mugs if we sip periodically over the course of a commute or while working at a desk.
The best and worst performance in this test yet correspond roughly to what we saw the first examination we ran, but it does testify that even in this less-generous scenario the Forge can go on coffee in the "comfortably hot" zone all the mode upwards to two hours, though it's 15°F cooler than the Thermos. That'due south longer than whatsoever of us likes to keep the same mug of java around, so we're more satisfied. (Any insulated mug is also far, far meliorate than a ceramic open up-top mug, which lost the same amount of rut in less than twenty minutes.)
Drop test
Other than falling off a desk-bound, the most likely blow a mug volition endure is falling off the roof of a car or truck. We subjected the mugs to a battery of drop tests to give a real-world worst-instance assessment of what will happen when you forget which pocket your keys are in and prepare your mug on the car'due south roof "just for a second."
We included a drop onto a padded surface in our leak test earlier, and all of the mugs escaped that without damage (most didn't even leak).
In the kickoff part of our (more destructive) drop test, nigh all the mugs also survived falling from desk superlative onto concrete with only some route rash. The exception is the Zojirushi – SM-SA48, which cracked badly plenty that the lock is simply barely belongings together.
We carried on dropping the mugs from higher and nevertheless higher heights, eliminating mugs that were also cleaved to be usable. The viii-pes drop croaky v of the remaining 11 mugs. After the ten-foot drop, ane more (the Thermos Direct Drink) was eliminated. We've separated those mugs still working into "indestructibles" which look the same as they did subsequently the first drib, and "juggernauts" which nevertheless do their jobs perfectly, only bear cracks or other deformation beyond scuffs or scrapes. The Forge, for example, shows obvious signs of fracture on ane arm of the carabiner loop — it doesn't flex or bend, though, and the seal mechanism functions as before.
Features to look for
At that place are a handful of usability factors that make the difference betwixt your become-to travel mug companion and a dud you'd rather merely leave at home. We've found the almost important factors to be the following:
Leak and spill protection: You should be able to use a travel mug without fearfulness of spills on your lap or in your backpack.
Ease of opening: If you want to enjoy a hot beverage while driving, ane-handed functioning is as much a safety characteristic as a convenience.
Mess avoidance: All spouts and lids will collect some liquid while yous're drinking (flip-open lids tend to exist the worst in this regard), then in our usability tabular array nosotros've rated how safe they are effectually white silk shirts.
Ease of cleaning: Nobody wants to use a mug they can't get clean.
Oestrus retention: Hot drinks similar your java or tea should stay pleasantly hot.
Cup holder/unmarried-brewer compatible: For those looking for compatibility with a single-cup java brewer, we've noted which mugs are seven inches or shorter (typical acme for a single-cup brewer when the drip tray is removed; your motorcar may vary), and whether a "shorty" model (normally in 12 oz capacity) is available.
Durability: Drops happen. A winning travel mug can survive the accidental fall from the acme of your car as you lot absentmindedly back down the driveway on a hectic Monday morning.
Notes for tea and pour-over brewing
If y'all want a built-in loose-leaf-infuser choice: Contigo, Thermos, Stanley, and Zojirushi all sell tea-steeping versions of the mugs nosotros tested here (or snap-in accessories) that might help you out, merely nosotros've been happy with the convenience of driblet-in or basket infusers.
Both loose-leaf tea drinkers and pour-over coffee geeks should annotation mouth-width before they purchase: we found the necks of the Klean Kanteen, Thermos Directly Potable, and Zojirushi – SM-SA48 were too modest to take any but the narrowest tea infusers; the Hario V60 pour-over coffee brewer just fits the mouth of the Thermos.
Why are they all stainless steel?
Most rut from your mug (one time y'all put a chapeau on it) is lost through conduction, and the fabric that conducts the to the lowest degree is cypher at all — difficult vacuum. Keeping a vacuum within the wall of a mug requires a material that's stiff and strong: steel is stiff, potent, piece of cake to work, and economic. Most of the steel mugs tested specify "18/eight class" steel or SAE/AISI "304 Stainless", which contains approximately 18% chromium and viii% nickel. 304 is one of the nearly widely used alloys in the world (for everything from cookware to the DeLorean to the Gateway Arch) because of its versatility and stain resistance, so there's a good risk the mugs that don't specify an alloy are using it or something very similar.
In a stiff bathroom of citric acrid, 304 will release slightly more than chromium than other alloys exercise, simply for potable use 304 stainless is as inert as any other stainless alloy, and none of u.s. tasted any unusual metal flavors in these mugs (even after we left hot orangish juice in our peak picks for a few hours). If you lot're sensitive to trace amounts of nickel or chrome and yous drink extra-acidic tea or coffee, consider the Zojirushi – SM-SA48 (which was about our favorite and is "non-stick" lined).
It's probably worth noting here: all these manufacturers specify that they use BPA-complimentary plastics.
Non-steel mugs
We included 1 non-steel mug in our lineup, the Ello – Mesa double-wall ceramic mug. Nosotros looked at other pop 'reusable to-go cup' designs, but none of them had spill-proof lids or insulating properties that would make them competitive in this line-upwardly. (Some issues, similar reports of a smelly latex rubber lid on one popular brand, or lids that were difficult to snap on, made our option not to test even easier.)
The Mesa does keep your drink hot three times longer than a conventional open-top single-wall ceramic mug (an hour higher up 140°F instead of 15 minutes), but the sliding closure on the chapeau did not preclude spills.
While some manufacturers of the stainless steel mugs say you can put them in the dishwasher, the microwave is territory held securely by mugs like the Mesa: we microwaved water to a pipage-hot 186°F and were happy to find that the outside of the mug was merely a pleasantly-warm 93°F, different some ceramic mugs that get insanely hot on the exterior when nuked.
So, if y'all are simply looking for slightly better insulation in a ceramic tumbler that can become in the microwave and the dishwasher, the Mesa is worth considering; if you lot want to stop spills and go along your drink hot for a long commute, read on.
The bottom line
Caffeine keeps us alert, awake, and energized. The Contigo – Transit ensures that information technology will also go into your oral cavity, not onto your lap or computer. The easy-to-sip-from self-sealing design makes it a articulate winner for about uses, though it doesn't accept the best estrus memory.
If you lot similar your drinks at natural language-scalding temperatures, consider the Thermos – Sipp, which keeps boiling water too hot to drinkable for an hour, even with the lid off. The Thermos is too easier to clean than most mugs. It will spill if you knock it over with the lid flipped upwards, but when it's locked you can residue assured it won't come up open in your bag.
Summit Pick: Thermos -Sipp
It won't prevent spills if y'all go out the lid open, merely this mug is practically perfect in every other way. It will keep your beverage well-nigh besides hot.
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