best travel coffee cups uk

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Best travel mug 2023: Tried and tested travel cups from Thermos, CamelBak and more

• Danielle Amato

Want tough, leak-free mugs that keep coffee hot for hours? We're here to help with our best travel mug roundup

Well designed and well insulated, the best travel mug will keep hot drinks toasty and cool drinks ice-cold, while also staying leak-free. From classic coffee-shop cups to thermos-shaped designs, travel mugs come in all shapes and sizes. At first glance, travel mugs can seem expensive. If you’re thinking about using one on your commute, you might find it hard to justify spending what might be five to ten times as much as an Americano from your local coffee shop. However, walking out of your door already holding a coffee will save you many more pounds in the long run and you’ll avoid those annoying queues.

To help you make an informed decision about which travel mug is right for you, we’ve put together a short buying guide below. Our at-a-glance list will take you directly through to buy some of our favourites or you can scroll further to find mini reviews on a variety of models for every style preference and budget.

Best travel mug: At a glance

• Best for hot drinks: Thermos | From £25
• Best one-handed mug: Stanley Classic | From £30
• Best plastic-free: Dualit Stainless Steel Travel Mug | £30
• Most stylish travel mug: Contigo Autoseal Luxe | £27
• Best all-rounder: Zojirushi SM-SA | £35

How to choose the best travel mug for you

How much do i need to spend.

Travel mugs vary in price, with the most costly coming in at over £30 and generally speaking, you get what you pay for. If you only need a travel mug for occasional use, you can make do with a standard option for under £10. However, if you want to use it every day for outdoor activities or on your commute, you’ll want something that promises to perform in terms of heat retention, spill protection and robustness.

What features should I look out for?

Look out for leak-proof extras such as autoseal and lockable lids, as well as easy-to-clean materials, as these are what set the best travel mugs apart from the cheaper options. If you need a mug that keeps drinks hot (or cold) for longer, you’ll need a double-wall, vacuum-insulated option, preferably constructed in stainless steel.

Again, you will always pay more for stainless steel, but it’s worth it if heat retention is a priority. If you have a tendency to drop things, it’s also wise to choose a mug that’s easy to grip. If you can’t quite allow yourself to part with over £20 for what’s essentially a coffee cup, opt for the next best composition, but ensure that the mug is double-walled.

Does it matter which size of mug I buy?

If you’ll be travelling by car with your mug, ensure you find a travel mug that fits a regular drinks holder and can be picked up with one hand. Travel mugs generally come in two sizes: around 360ml and around 470ml. The large options are perfect for carrying water or soup, but if it’s only ever going to be tea or coffee, you may want to get a smaller size, which fits better in your hand and under single-serve coffee machines.

READ NEXT: The best lunch boxes to buy

The best travel mugs you can buy in 2023

1. thermos: best travel mug for hot drinks.

It also features a slow flow option, which proves pretty handy when your coffee is still steaming hot after a few hours. The lockable seal makes it ideal for long train journeys without any worries about spillages; a nice additional touch is the teabag holder. The only real drawback is that it doesn’t fit into all standard car drinks holders – a considerable compromise given the price.

Key details – Size: 470ml; Materials: Stainless steel

Thermos 101834 Stainless King Travel Mug, Matt Black, 470 ml

2. stanley classic: best one-handed travel mug.

The most outstanding feature on this mug is its one-handed function in the form of a push-button lid, which allows users to drink while using their other hand, whether it’s browsing on your phone or operating a pickaxe. The Stanley Classic One Hand is the best choice for multitaskers.

Key details – Size: 470ml; Materials: Stainless steel, plastic

Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug 0.47L / 16OZ Nightfall ? Leakproof Cup | Hot & Cold Thermos Bottle | Vacuum Insulated Tumbler for Coffee, Tea & Water | BPA Stainless-Steel Travel Flask

3. dualit stainless steel travel mug: best plastic-free travel mug.

Aside from its eco credentials, this travel mug has plenty of deft design touches which make it a worthwhile buy. Its slim, minimalist design is both aesthetically pleasing and easy to pop into a backpack, tote, or handbag, while still boasting a generous 500ml capacity. Its well-insulated interior meant that, in our tests, it kept drinks hot for up to 7 hrs, or cold for up to 12 hrs, just as advertised. Finally, the removable spill barrier controls the flow of liquid from the mug, making for easy drinking while out and about, and the leak-proof lid proved extremely effective in transit.

Key details – Size: 500ml; Materials: Silicon, stainless steel

Dualit Travel Mug - 500ml Capacity - 5 Layer Insulation - Hot & Cold Beverages on The go - Leakproof Premium Sustainable Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Sip Barrier

4. contigo autoseal luxe: most stylish travel mug.

In testing, the Luxe kept our drinks hotter for longer than three hours in many cases and chilled for up to ten, though the temperature did drop during this time. We think it’s a decent price for a travel mug that will last you for years. Moreover, its slick design and impressive leak-proof features make it well worth the price.

Key details – Size: 360ml; Materials: Stainless steel

Contigo Luxe Autoseal Travel Mug, Stainless Steel Thermal Mug, Vacuum Flask, Leakproof Tumbler, dishwasher safe, Coffee Mug with BPA Free Easy-Clean Lid, Stainless Steel, 360 ml

5. zojirushi sm-sa: best all-round travel mug.

The mug is only leak-free when closed, and due to the difficulty of opening it, many users are likely to keep it open, thus increasing the likelihood of a spill. But once you’ve conquered the lid, this travel mug couldn’t be better for robustness, temperature retention and style. A great choice for those who like a bit of colour.

Key details – Size: 600ml; Materials: Plastic, stainless steel

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Non-Stick Vacuum Travel Mug - 600 ml, Red

6. s’well: best for hot and cool beverages.

Key details – Size: 485ml; Materials: Stainless steel

S'well Stainless Steel Water Bottle - 17 Fl Oz - Onyx - Triple-Layered Vacuum-Insulated Containers Keeps Drinks Cold for 36 Hours and Hot for 18 - BPA-Free - Perfect for The Go

7. camelbak forge: best travel mug for features.

It’s also proved impressively watertight. Slightly frilly features include the strangely dubbed “aroma bowl”, which, according to the manufacturer, allows for a “superior drink interface”. This basically means you can test your drink’s temperature by allowing a small amount to be released.

The easy-clean cap puts function back to the fore, however, as it simply pulls out to be rinsed under the tap. This makes it perfect for non-fussy users happy with a quick rinse. It also features a plastic cap underneath to minimise the ill effects of a breakage to the main body of the mug. The finger loop is surprisingly handy too for when your hands are full.

Key details – Size: 500ml; Materials: Plastic, stainless steel

Check price at Go Outdoors

8. Contigo Autoseal West Loop: Best travel mug for commutes

Its easy-to-clean lid doesn’t have any loose parts and it can keep drinks cool for an impressive 12 hours. It’s also one of the best-looking mugs out there. This is a great choice for those with a bumpy journey to work… or butterfingers.

Key details – Size: 470ml; Materials: Plastic, stainless steel

Contigo West Loop Autoseal Travel Mug, Stainless Steel Thermal Mug, Vacuum Flask, Leakproof, Coffee Mug with BPA Free Easy-Clean Lid, Stainless Steel, 470 ml

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9 best reusable coffee cups and travel mugs that aren’t adding to the landfill

Billions of single-use cups are chucked every year, so consider swapping to these sustainable alternatives, article bookmarked.

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Britain has a love affair with coffee. As a nation, we drink about 95 million cups a day , with the average fan sipping two cups daily. Some people have their own at-home morning routine, while others frequently visit their favourite cafe or coffee shop for a takeout brew on the way to work.

Britons spend billions of pounds a year at high street coffee chains. It’s a habit that does not come cheap, and it could be costing the earth.

The UK’s fondness for takeaway coffee sees us disposing of 2.5 billion plastic-coated takeaway cups annually, and that number is set to increase by a third by 2030 . Only one in 400 cups is recycled. The rest are sent to landfill, generating 152,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – equivalent to the emissions of 33,300 cars.

In light of this, is now finally the time to start making the shift? A breakup between Britain and coffee shops is unlikely, so we need to limit the environmental impact in other ways, and reusable coffee cups could help.

Baristas will gladly make your regular drink in your own refillable cup, and some retailers even offer discounts or extra loyalty stamps if you have one. When you’ve finished your drink, take it home to wash up for use the next day. Your coffee experience will be all the better for knowing that you’re not contributing to waste and are doing your bit to care for the planet.

Related stories

How we tested.

There are dozens of reusable coffee cups available as brands try to help consumers be more environmentally conscious. To help you find the right one for you, we’ve whittled down the options to the ones we think are best. There are glass, stainless steel and silicone versions, those that look like takeaway coffee cups and others that more closely resemble a bottle.

Each one included in our roundup has been tested with hot drinks and some also with cold. We’ve rated each on drinking experience, functionality, ease of use, leak protection, design and looks. It’s time to quit your takeaway cup habit.

The best reusable coffee cups for 2024 are:

• Best reusable coffee cup overall – Circular&Co reusable coffee cup: £15.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best collapsible coffee cup – Stojo on the go coffee cup: £14.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best for iced coffee – S’well traveler: £35.29, Amazon.co.uk
• Best smart coffee mug – Ember travel mug²: £199.95, Ember.com

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Circular&Co reusable coffee cup

• Best : Reusable coffee cup overall
• Available sizes : 236ml and 355ml
• Made with recycled cups
• Designed to be durable
• 360-degree drinking

We named the Circular&Co reusable coffee cup our best buy before, and we’re doing it again. Even after testing many different mugs, it’s still our favourite in all the factors we consider important – not least because the company helps tackle the problem of takeaway cups in more ways than one. The brand collects millions of used coffee cups from around the country, cleans and shreds them and blends the material with a recycled polymer to form the new cups. The result is a robust, high-quality travel cup that is designed to last a decade and is 100 per cent recycled again at the end of its life.

The smooth cup allows for a 360-degree drinking experience, which means it feels no different to drinking from a standard mug or coffee cup, and it kept our drinks hot for longer than an hour. Plus, it is leakproof, thanks to a lid that clicks open and closed when pushed. It’s also dishwasher safe on the top shelf, is excellent value for money, and there are several colour combinations to choose from, so you’ll undoubtedly find a favourite.

Stojo on the go coffee cup

• Best : Collapsible cup
• Available sizes : 355ml
• Collapsible design
• It can leak when squeezed

Having only a dinky bag is no excuse for not carrying a reusable coffee cup because Stojo’s design collapses down to a couple of inches high for easy storage on the go. It’s a clever concept, but you’ll need to be mindful that the cup’s body is made from flexible silicone, because we found that it can leak when it’s full and accidentally squeezed. The insulated heat sleeve can help stop too much pressure from being put on the flexible part, and it keeps your hands safe because the cup can get quite hot.

The cup is pleasant to drink from and features a swivel stopper to close the mouthpiece and prevent leaks, but we wouldn’t risk putting it in our bags if it were full. There are plenty of design options and colours, and we like that there is the option of a straw, which also folds down inside the cup.

Klean Kanteen insulated tkwide with café cap

• Best : For hiking
• Incorporates recycled materials
• Too small for long hikes

No hike is complete without a warming brew for when you’re taking a well-earned breather. You’ll want a lightweight, leakproof, insulating container to carry it in safely, and we think this cup is among the best for the job. It’s compact, features a durable metal loop for attaching to a bag or belt and is made from 90 per cent recycled food-grade stainless steel that can take the bumps of outdoor adventures.

The insulating performance is outstanding, keeping drinks hot for up to 11 hours and cold for 38 hours, perfect for long expeditions (although we’d suggest taking more than one cup because you’ll need more than 355ml to stay hydrated). Instead of a hinged lid, this cup features a twistable cover that reveals a smooth opening for comfortable, dribble-free drinking.

S’well traveler

• Best : For iced coffee
• Available sizes : 355ml, 470ml, 590ml
• Easy to clean
• Wide enough for ice cubes

As the temperature rises, our drinks get cooler, and we need a reusable cup for iced lattes and frappes. Enter S’well’s traveler, which is perfect for both hot and cold drinks. The design is simple, with only the bottle and lid, making it super easy to keep clean and fresh.

We found this to be among the best bottles for mouthfeel because you drink from it like you would a conventional cup or mug, and it’s just as good if used with a straw. The wide opening is also ideal for adding ice cubes, whether crushed or whole, and makes cleaning easy.

We found it kept our cold drinks cool for several hours, up to 24 in fact, not that you’ll be able to resist drinking a delicious frappe for that length of time. But this cup is equally good all year round because it keeps hot drinks warm for up to 12 hours, and the insulation keeps the outer bottle cool enough to handle safely.

KeepCup design your own

• Best : Customisable cup
• Available sizes : 227ml, 340ml, 454ml
• Great for personalisation
• Replacement parts are available
• Not insulated

There are now dozens of options for drinks at coffee shops, so why should the size and design of your reusable cup be limited? KeepCup doesn’t think it should and offers a design-your-own service on its trusty cups. The sizes available are 227ml, 340ml and 454ml, and there are options for the material the cup is made from, including glass, stainless steel and the original plastic. You can choose between a cork or a silicone heat band on the glass versions, and there are so many colour combinations to choose from, allowing you to create something truly personal.

As with all the brand’s cups, the lid pushes on for a secure fit, and there is a smooth opening from which to drink that can be closed with the swivel stopper. We love that KeepCup also sells replacement parts to keep your cup going for many years and out of landfill.

SoleCup travel mug

• Best : For tea drinkers
• Available sizes : 310ml
• Includes a smoothie filter
• Glass doesn’t effect the flavour of the tea
• Not insulalted

Real tea fans will agree that tea bags are equivalent to the coffee world’s instant drink and loose leaves are king for the perfect cuppa. The only thing is that drinking them on the go isn’t always possible because an infuser is essential, and few travel cups feature them. But the SoleCup is here to make your proper tea-drinking dreams a reality. It features a beautifully designed tea diffuser that attaches to the lid and holds plenty of loose leaves for the perfect brew. A detachable plastic smoothie filter is also included in the box.

The cup is a charming, colourful little number too, with plenty of options to choose from, including whether you have a silicone or cork heat band. Best of all, the cup is made from glass, which we find is the best for tea because it doesn’t affect the delicate flavour.

Ember travel mug²

• Best : Smart mug
• Elegant look
• It’s pricey
• Three hour battery life

Smart tech makes almost every area of our lives that little bit easier nowadays, including on-the-go drinking with the Ember mug². It is a marvellous bit of kit, and you’ll never worry about cold tea or coffee again if you choose to invest in one.

Set your perfect drinking temperature – between 50C and 62.5C – and you will get a notification from a phone app to say it has reached that optimum point, plus the mug will keep it there for three hours. A touch-sensitive display on the front of the mug itself can also be used to check and change the temperature, so no worry if your phone is not at hand.

The black matte cup looks elegant, and it is comfortable to hold and use, with 360-degree drinking. Plus, it is 100 per cent leakproof, with a push of the lid to open and close with a tight seal. We tipped it up when it was full several times to test, and not a drop came out.

The mug comes with a matte black charging coaster, which we keep on our desks because the battery life does not last beyond those three hours. And despite the internal electrics, this cup is safe to handwash and submersible up to 1m in water, but do not put anything but the lid in the dishwasher.

BugBear antimicrobial purple corduroy

• Best : For hygiene
• Cool antimicrobial technology
• Only eeps drinks warm for over an hour

Clean freaks will love the idea of this travel cup. The cute design that we tested makes it look like the cup is wearing a knitted cosy, but really it is made from food-grade stainless steel treated with AntiBug technology. While the knit cup is out of stock, you can still shop the corduroy design instead. This antimicrobial silver ion material kills 99.9 per cent of all known bacteria, including MRSA, E. coli and salmonella, and lasts for the lifetime of the cup, which is about five years. This doesn’t mean you can get out of washing it as you would any other cup. It will still need cleaning after use, but it just adds a little extra protection.

Besides its bug-killing powers, the cup is comfortable to drink from and pretty good at keeping the liquid inside warm for over an hour. It’s also leakproof thanks to the hinged stopper that closes the mouthpiece.

Smidge citrus travel cup

• Best : For colour
• Available sizes : 236ml, 355ml, 473ml
• Mouthpiece could be more userfriendly

Do you have one of those bags where you can never find a thing? One item you’re unlikely to lose in there is this orange cup, which is sure to brighten your day. It’s a double-walled, vacuum-insulated cup made from food-grade stainless steel and designed to last a lifetime. The Smidge cup promises to keep drinks hot for six hours or cold for up to 12 – and we found it delivers for perfectly toasty coffee even if you forget about it for a couple of hours.

We also put its leakproof claims to the test, and the contents stayed securely inside, even when we gave it a little shake with the cup turned upside down. So we’d be confident about carrying the cup in our bags even if it were half full. Drinking from this cup is through a small opening, the standard type you find on coffee shop cup lids. We found the hinged mouthpiece cover a little tricky to open when we first started testing, but it became easier with each use.

Things to look for in a reusable coffee cup 

Beyond capacity and looks, consider material. Insulated cups will keep your hot (and cold) drinks, well, hot or cold, for longer. If this isn’t a non-negiotable for you, there are glass cups or flexible designs for when you’re on the move, too. Then, consider whether you’ll need a leak-proof cup. If you want to pop your coffee cup in your bag, this will be a must. Finally, think about the lid. Some cups come with small mouthpieces, while others feature small or wide water bottle-style designs instead. 

How will using a reusable cup benefit the environment?

The idea of a reusable coffee cup is to use it for as long as possible. Take-away coffee cups are typically made of paper but come with a plastic lining to stop drinks from leaking. Trees need to be cut down to make paper, impacting ecosystems and resulting in the loss of trees as carbon sinks. Meanwhile, production also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

The paper and plastic need to be separated which can make it more difficult to recycle the cups in practice. When plastic isn’t recycled it ends up in landfill where it can be left to languish and release microplastics into the environment.

The verdict: Reusable coffee cups

The Circular&Co reusable coffee cup ticks all the boxes in terms of insulation, drinking experience and, importantly, environmental consideration. We love how the UK-made travel cup helps to do away with single-use takeaway coffee cups smartly and creatively with no compromise on functionality and insulation performance.

We also love the freedom of choice you get with the KeepCup design your own and think the S’well traveler is a summer must-have for those iced coffees and picnics in the park.

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The Best Travel Mugs & Reusable Coffee Cups

You'll have landed on this post, I'm guessing because you're looking for the best travel mugs or the best reusable coffee cups, and you've discovered that there's a lot more choice than you'd given credit for, so you need some help, and you've thought “Kev, he'll help me choose the best travel mug”, well – you're right, I will :-). 

Best travel mugs vs best reusable coffee cups – what's the difference?

The first thing to point out is that while these terms are often used interchangeably, as far as I'm concerned they're two completely different things. For this reason, I'm splitting this post into two sections, best travel mugs, and best reusable coffee cups.

I'm hoping this will help people to end up with something that fits their needs more closely, as it's quite common for people to buy the wrong kind of mug based on this misunderstanding. 

A really good example of this is when you read through the reviews for various popular travel mugs and reusable coffee cups, you'll find some people saying that a reusable cup didn't keep their coffee hot enough or wasn't leakproof.

You'll also find some people saying that a travel mug kept their drink too hot and they had to wait hours to drink it. These are examples of why there are different kinds of mugs/cups for different people or situations, as I'll describe.

I did at one point have two completely separate posts, one for travel mugs and one for reusable coffee cups, but I decided it would be more helpful to my fellow coffee botherers (coffeeblog readers, so that now includes you) to create one post that covers both so that the differences are made clear. 

So let's just briefly discuss what is a travel mug and what is a reusable coffee cup, so you can decide what it is you're looking for at the moment.

Reusable coffee cups

These are coffee cups that can be reused, vs using takeaway cups. The name refers to the fact that these cups were mainly designed to replace disposable takeaway cups. They're so popular for use in offices, at home, and so on that, the term “reusable” might not make much sense, as they're often used instead of normal coffee cups, and of course, normal coffee cups are reusable.

But when you recall the fact that these kinds of cups are intended as a more environmentally friendly replacement for disposable cups, it's easier to understand what you can expect from a cup of this kind, by considering the kind of cups they are replacing.

The most simple description for reusable coffee cups is that they're (usually) made as a direct replacement for disposable cups, and they're made for drinking your coffee (or tea, or whatever) more or less straight away, and not for keeping hot in to be sipped over a longer period of time (that's what travel mugs are for).

Disposable cups are relatively poor where thermal insulation is concerned, a card sleeve is often needed to be able to carry them, they don't do a great job of keeping your coffee hot, and they're not leakproof, in fact, most people will be accustomed to not trusting the lids on disposable cups, and double-checking they're on properly before drinking.

Most of the best reusable coffee cups I'll be sharing in a sec, do better in most of these areas than disposable coffee cups, and they're more environmentally friendly, but it's just worth keeping in mind that if you're buying a cup like this, you're not going to get the same kind of heat retention & spill prevention that you get from a travel mug, which we'll discuss next. 

If you're wanting a cup to make coffee in, or to take to a coffee shop to ask them to make your coffee in, and then to drink almost straight away, then you'll want a reusable cup vs a travel mug.

When you make a cup of coffee or tea in a normal ceramic, porcelain, earthenware, or glass cup or mug, it's usually far too hot to drink straight away, unless you're one of those people like my old boss who has an asbestos mouth & drinks instant coffee straight away after pouring boiling water in his cup from the kettle!

Normal cups allow the drink to cool down relatively quickly, resulting in a drinkable brew (for most people) within a few minutes. Disposable cups are, generally speaking, worse for this than ceramic mugs for example, which is one of the reasons it's good to use a reusable cup instead, in addition to the environmental reasons of course, as some people find that their coffee or tea is lukewarm by the time they get it to where they want to drink it. 

Most people, if they're wanting a drink to be at a drinkable temperature within 5 or 10 minutes, would be better off using a reusable mug or cup, and not a travel mug, for when they're buying or making a coffee or whatever, which they want to drink shortly. If you're like my old boss, however, and you like your coffee at the temperature of the surface of the sun, then you may want to go for a travel mug. 

Travel Mugs

While reusable coffee cups are intended as an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable coffee cups, travel mugs are mugs/cups that are made for travel. I know, the term “no shite Sherlock” is probably on your tongue now ;-), and yes this may be obvious where travel mugs are concerned, but I'm saying this to point out by contrast what reusable coffee cups are not made for, as a way to distinguish the two. 

If you imagine a thermos flask, but in more of a single cup size, and with a more convenient system for sealing (rather than just unscrewing a lid) then you'll have a good idea of most modern travel mugs. The main features travel mugs are known for are longer heat retention, and being leakproof.

If you want to make your coffee or tea, sling it in your bag and crack it open a couple of hours later, then you'll want a travel mug vs a reusable cup. If you want to drink your brew over a longer period of time, for example during a hike whenever you decide to have a breather, then again, you'll want a travel mug. 

I hear people complaining about reusable cups not being leakproof, not retaining the heat, not being spillproof, not being sturdy enough to throw around, and so on, and this is due to confusing these two types of cup/mug, so what I'm getting at here is that if you need a mug for travel and for travel-related features, you need a travel mug, not a reusable coffee cup. 

If you're using a mug for travel of any kind, you'll usually want your coffee (or whatever other hot drink you might be using it for) to stay hot until you get around to drinking it, and you'll need to know that it's not going to spill your drink all over the place while you're traveling with it and that it's not going to leak in your bag, for example. 

Another reason you may want a travel mug and not a reusable coffee cup is if you always like to drink your coffee or tea at the brew temperature (i.e. you have an asbestos mouth). If you're someone who doesn't want their brew to cool down at all prior to drinking, then you may prefer a travel mug over most reusable coffee cups even if you're not using it for any kind of travel-related activity.

You might not be surprised to discover that my home is full of different mugs ;-), I have travel mugs (including a number of the mugs discussed here) and reusable coffee cups. If I'm making a brew to drink later, I'll reach for a travel mug, or if I'm drinking it almost straight away while I'm driving to the office or walking into town or something, I'll reach for a reusable coffee cup.

So hopefully that makes things a bit more clear where travel mugs vs reusable coffee cups are concerned. So, now let's talk about what I reckon are among the best in both categories. 

By the way, regardless of which kind of travel mug you're after – do you want to know how to instantly improve your coffee quality? This is an instant fix, it's ridiculously simple, and it doesn't involve buying a new coffee machine . Are you ready for this revolutionary method I'm about to give you to improve your coffee? 

Use better coffee… I know it seems simple ;-), but so many people put lots of effort and investment into things like replacing coffee brewers or upgrading their coffee machine, but they continue using the same coffee (or the same kind of coffee). 

The Best Cup of Coffee Starts With The Best Coffee Beans!

The best coffee machine in the world won't produce decent coffee unless you feed it with decent coffee beans.

The Coffeeworks started right here on Coffee Blog. We now have a range of 19 different coffees (all freshly roasted, usually on the day of dispatch), plus collection boxes & bundles, and a very flexible (and great value for money!) coffee subscription.

This is the coffee I drink every day, I love it! Here's 25% off your first order, so you can find out whether you love it too :-).

Use Code CWNC25 for 25% Off Your First Order

I digress, here is my review finally!

Best Travel Mugs

720° dgree leakproof travel mug.

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Capacity: 450ml Size: 6.4cm at bottom, 7cm at top, 21cm tall. Weight: 282 g Car cup holder compatible? Fits however may be a bit too small for some of the shallower holders. Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: BPA-free polypropylene and silicone seal Seal: One touch open/close mechanism Leakproof?: Yes Dishwasher Safe?: No Thermal Performance: Brand Claim: 5 hours. 

My Observations:

This is one of the best selling travel mugs at the time of writing, and reading through the massive number of Amazon reviews it has, it's clear to see that this German designed travel mug has a lot more going for it than just good looks.

I have one of these, so these observations can be taken as my 720° Degree travel mug review .

This is a travel mug that looks good, and it feels like a good quality stainless steel travel mug for the cost. I have to question the brand name, though, it has a 360 degree drinking gamut, so where does the 720 degrees come from, and who stole the other e from degree?? Weird.

The 450ml capacity is relatively big given the size, it's quite a slim travel mug, and the design makes the capacity deceivingly big. It's fully leakproof,  and you can drink from 360 degrees, meaning that there isn't a single drinking hole you have to identify before you take a swig.

This might not seem like that much of a big deal, but have you ever experienced what happens when you're drinking from a single hole travel cup and you have it the wrong way around? You end up wearing your coffee, not great if you're on the way to a meeting, or are about to film a YouTube video… now you know why I wear the apron! 😉

Re car cup holders, the usual complaint with bigger travel cups is that they're too wide to fit car holders, and the opposite is true with this one, as the base is narrower than the top and is just 6.5 cm in diameter, this will mean that with some of the bigger cup holders such as those in the central position in many cars, it'll rattle around a bit.

So in my car, for example, this is one of the few travel cups that will fit in the smaller secondary cup holder on the right hand side of the steering wheel, but it rattles around a bit in the deeper, wider cup holders between the driver's seat & passenger seat. Not a big deal though as it's leakproof so your brew won't spill while it's rattling around.

Do you know how important it is to weigh your coffee?

I've not timed the heat retention yet, but it definitely does a good job of keeping hot drinks hot. This isn't one to use if you want your brew to cool down a bit within 20-30 mins of making it, it'll be scalding hot still until at least an hour later, I'd say.

The number of reviews this product has is quite staggering, and I didn't have to read all of them (which is good…) before coming to the conclusion that the manufacturer's claim of 5 hours of heat retention is understated. It's also clear from some of the images that this, like most coloured stainless steel travel mugs, won't keep its colour if it's washed in the dishwasher. The brand doesn't appear to state whether it's dishwasher safe or not, but I'd say not if you want the colour to remain.

The seal is nice and easy to use, just press once to open and again to close, and the 360-degree drinking position is great. My only slight criticism of this mug is that it's not the most stable. The Contigo travel mugs, for example, are very stable, you'd have to try quite hard to topple them over, this one does feel like it wouldn't take much effort to topple it, although if it's sealed that shouldn't be a problem. 

Contigo Autoseal West Loop 

Capacity: 470 ml Size:   6.5 cm at bottom,  9 cm at top,  20.5 cm tall. Weight: 340 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most car cup holders. Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: BPA free plastic Seal: Autoseal one touch release Leakproof?: Yes Dishwasher Safe?: Lid yes (top rack of dishwasher), mug no Thermal Performance: Brand Claim: 5 hours

Contigo is one of the biggest brands of travel mugs, now owned by Newell Brands, the firm that owns Dr. Coffee, Yankee Candle, and Breville , not to be confused with Breville worldwide, whose machines are sold in the UK under the Sage Appliances brand.

I have to hand it to Contigo, or more specifically to the design team behind the travel mugs sold under this brand name, as they really do know what they're doing when it comes to travel mugs. It's no wonder they do, to be fair, as they honed their craft by designing and manufacturing the Starbucks travel mugs, before deciding to continue to develop their designs under their own brand instead of continuing to work as a white-label supplier.  

I think it's fair to say that this is Contigo's flagship travel mug, and it's clear to see from the reviews how well they've done with this travel mug. Previously I would have said that this should be the case for the price, as the original version of this mug was about double the price of the Contigo Byron travel mug featured in this post, but this version (the 2019 version) is usually only slightly more expensive than the smaller Byron travel mug, below, so great value for money.

Again, I have this travel mug, so you can take these observations as my Contigo West loop mug review.

The main feature here is the “auto seal” that Contigo has patented. This isn't a standard seal mechanism, it's an automatic sealing lid that you press in order to release the seal to drink from it, and when you remove your finger from the button it automatically seals again.

This makes it perfect for folk who want a leakproof travel mug which they can easily grab from their bag, have a swig without removing the lid, and launch it back in the bag. There's a “lid-lock” to stop the button from accidentally being pressed while in your bag, in case you were wondering.

It's a really well designed and well made travel mug, it feels very sturdy, it's very stable, I wouldn't be concerned about it wobbling over on a train journey, for example, it'll fit in most car cup holders, and it'll keep hot drinks hot (and cold drinks cold) for several hours.

This is definitely one of my favourite travel mugs. I really like the Contigo Byron too, below, but for me, the West Loop just nudges over the finish line because the seal is so easy to operate, while Byron is a bit stiff, there's a bit of a knack required to operate it one-handed.

Best coffee for Americano

Contigo Byron Leakproof Stainless Steel Travel Mug

Capacity: 470ml Size: 8 cm at bottom, 8.3 cm at top, 18.5 cm tall. Weight: 275 g Car cup holder compatible? Bigger cup holders. Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: BPA-free plastic lid Seal: One-handed Snapseal™ Leakproof?: Yes and no (see below) Dishwasher Safe?: Yes and no (see below) Thermal Performance: Brand Claim: 6 hours. 

Another one from Contigo, their Bryon travel mug is among their more popular products and has sold astonishingly well since it was released only a couple of years ago (at the time of writing), as you'll see from the huge number of Amazon reviews. Once again, I have this travel mug, yes, I'm a nerd ;-), and I spend most of my money on coffee stuff, what can I say ;-). So once again, you can take these observations as my Contigo Byron review.

I like the Contigo Byron, it's one of my favourites, it's clear that this has been designed by people who know what they're doing. It keeps hot stuff hot and cold stuff cold (it really does, it's not just a marketing blurb), I've found it to be 100% leakproof and spillproof, it's very stable, not an easy mug to accidentally knock over, although it wouldn't really matter as long as it was sealed.

The biggest difference between this travel mug and the auto seal west loop is the simple one-handed opening snap seal, vs the more innovative auto sealing mechanism. In theory, the snap seal is more simple and less complex so may be less chance of it causing issues. In practice, it's just a little bit faffy to open the Byron with one hand. 

Don't get me wrong, it is doable, but it does require a certain amount of dexterity and hand strength to do it one handed. It's not just pressing a button, it's a really tight catch, so to hold it with one hand and pop open the catch with a finger of the same hand (I tend to use my index finger) does take a bit of effort. It's fine, but if I was choosing between this one and the West Loop, I'd choose that simply because it's less physical effort to open and close.

Contigo claims a fairly huge thermal performance of up to 6 hours for hot drinks and 12 hours for cold drinks, which is even more than they claim for their auto seal, and I'm not 100% sure what is responsible for the one hour improvement. They've recently released a Byron 2.0 , which they state keeps drinks hot for 7 hours! I've not used the Byron 2 as of yet but I'll add it to this post once I have.

Regarding the “Yes and no” answers above, it is dishwasher proof according to the manufacturer, but the outer coloured coating doesn't appear to like the dishwasher all that much. This is something you'll find with quite a lot of coloured stainless steel mugs, if you put them in the dishwasher the paint often starts to come off after a while. My advice is to put it on the top shelf of the dishwasher, or if you're bothered about paint remaining in place just hand wash it.

The leakproof controversy comes from the fact that it's leakproof if the seal is in place, but quite a few users have pointed out that you do need to keep an eye on the rubber seal and make sure that it's stayed put. If the seal has come out partially and you didn't notice, and you shove it in your bag, you could have a disaster. I've not had an issue with this personally, but if I do I'll update this post accordingly.

Have a look at the new Barista Touch Impress, this machine produces amazing coffee quick and simply, and is ready to go in minutes, perfect for your morning walk:

Sage Barista Touch Impresss Review

Opard Leakproof Double-Walled Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug 

Capacity: 350 ml Size: 6.5 cm at bottom, 7.5 cm at top, 17 cm tall. Weight: 390 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most car cup holders. Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: BPA-free plastic lid Seal: Single button seal Leakproof?: Yes Dishwasher Safe?: No Thermal Performance: Brand Claim: 6 hours. 

This is a popular travel mug that has sold incredibly well since it was launched in 2019. It's quite a hefty unit at just under 21cm tall, just under 9cm wide, and 390g, so probably not one for people who want a lighter weight mug for walking, etc., and while it will fit in many car cup holders (the base is smaller than the listed diameter, at approx 6.5cm) it does depend on the depth of your cup holders, as it won't fit in some of the deeper and narrower holders.

It has a nice big silicon grip, a silicon non-slip base, and a one-button plunger to open the seal. This is supposed to be completely leakproof and spill-proof, but a recurring theme with all of these travel mugs that are allegedly 100% leakproof, is a small % of complaints that this isn't the case. 

In my humble opinion, regardless of the design of the travel mug, there is always, always the potential for completely leakproof mugs leaking, simply because it requires the seal to be in place, and they can quite easily be dislodged prior to or while screwing on the lid. So it's worth just double-checking the seal each time you put the lid on after filling any travel cup, to ensure the seal is in place, if it isn't it'll leak.

Also, there is always the potential for the sealing method to fail. With a mug like this where there's a button mechanism, this mechanism can fail. Obviously, they're not supposed to, but it can happen, and this is why with any travel mug like this, you will find some reviews from people saying it leaks. Personally, this is why I prefer the more simple snap seals, although it's also possible for them to fail too of course.

Have you thought about bringing your espresso maker with you for an even fresher cup of coffee on the go?

Lifeventure Leakproof & Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

Capacity: 300 ml Size: 6.8 cm at bottom, 7 cm at top, 22 cm tall. Weight: 262 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most car cup holders. Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: Stainless steel lid with BPA free plastic pressure release chamber Seal: Screw off Leakproof?: Yes Dishwasher Safe?: No Thermal Performance: Brand Claim: 6 hours. 

This travel mug is quite a bit different from a lot of the other popular mugs in that it's more flask like where the lid is concerned. Instead of a snap seal flap or a one-touch mechanism to open and close, you just screw off the lid as you would with a traditional flask.

This isn't as convenient for taking quick sips on the move, but if you're wanting to bung your coffee in your bag, and open it to drink it when you're ready, then this isn't a bad mug to look at, although I'd also have a look at the Zojirushi, Thermos, and Stanley options below for this style of travel mug. 

There's a lot of love for this mug in the reviews, but the more common gripes are that it requires a bit of wrist strength to open, and a few people note that they find the secondary lid to be a bit of a pain.

Zojirushi SM-TA36BA Stainless Steel Travel Mug

Capacity: 480 ml Size: 7 cm at bottom, 6.5 cm at top, 22.5 cm tall. Weight: 220 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most car cup holders. Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: BPA free plastic Seal: 2 step flip open lid with lock Leakproof?: Yes Dishwasher Safe?: No Thermal Performance: Brand Claim:  6 hrs

This is one of many cool looking non-leak travel mugs available from the global Japanese based brand Zojirushi, a 100+-year-old company that started out manufacturing glass-lined vacuum bottles in the early 1920s.

The Zojirushi travel mugs have a flask look to them, but it's not a simple flask lid design, it's a 2 step flip lid designed to prevent the user from being splashed by condensation when opening.

This is a very stylish looking travel mug, it's available in a range of colours (the black one and the pink one appear to be the best sellers) and it does get a lot of praise from owners, mainly for the great heat retention. 

Stanley Classic Trigger Action Vacuum Mug

Capacity: 470 ml Size: 7.3 cm at bottom, 7 cm at top, 20 cm tall. Weight: 250 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most car cup holders. Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: BPA free plastic Seal: One-handed trigger seal Leakproof?: Yes Dishwasher Safe?: Yes, top rack. Thermal Performance: Brand Claim:  7 hrs

You'll no doubt know Stanley for their tools, they've ventured out into all sorts in recent history, including alarms, but this isn't a new diversification for Stanley, they've actually been making vacuum flasks since the early 1900s.

This is a proper retro-looking travel mug, especially if you go for the hammertone green. It's available in other colours but the hammertone green looks exactly how I'd expect a Stanley travel mug to look. These are nice heavy weight, sturdy travel mugs, popular for outdoor use, hiking, camping, and so on.

This is one of the “one hand” travel mugs that are clearly targeted at active people, who want to be able to grab their travel cup and drink their brew with one hand while doing something else with the other, such as digging ditches, fishing, composing an orchestra, whatever. Not that you need to hold a travel mug with two hands like it's a broadsword or light saber, of course, but because some travel mugs and flasks are a two-handed affair when it comes to getting to the coffee.

It's worth pointing out that Stanley backs their travel mugs with a huge 25-year manufacturer's warranty, which is a very rare thing to see in a travel mug.

How to make coffee taste better in 3 easy ways

Thermos 185198 Direct Drink Flask / Travel Mug

Capacity: 470 ml Size: 7 cm at bottom, 7 cm at top, 23.2 cm tall Weight: ‎290 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, bigger car cup holders. Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: BPA free plastic Seal: Push-button with locking catch Leakproof?: Yes Dishwasher Safe?: No Thermal Performance: Brand Claim: 10 hrs

The Thermos brand needs no introduction in the UK of course, probably the most well-known brand in the UK when it comes to flasks – and the thermos direct is a very popular travel mug/flask, as you'll see if you have a read through the online reviews.

The biggest feature to mention is the crazy 10 hour heat retention claim. This sounds far fetched, but if you have a look through the reviews you'll find plenty of users concurring with this, some of whom even say it's too good and they have to leave the lid off to allow their brew to cool down!

Although it's a Thermos, it doesn't have the standard flask gubbins that you might expect, it has a one-handed push button, to enable busy folk to open their mug and drink their coffee (or tea, but not at the same time) on the go, again so they can do other stuff with their other hand, such as play Concerto No 4 on piano, and if they can do that one-handed I'm impressed.

It's 7cm wide, so it will fit into the larger cup holders which are just over 7cm, but it won't fit in the smaller car holders. Some cars have, for example, larger central cup holders and then smaller secondary ones, it'll fit in the bigger ones. 

Bodum 11068-01 Vacuum Travel Mug

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Capacity: ‎ 350 ml Size: 6.9 cm at bottom, 7 cm at top, 18.5 cm tall Weight: 330g Car cup holder compatible? Most cup holders Mug Material: Stainless steel Lid Material: BPA-free plastic  Seal: Flap with catch Leakproof?: No Dishwasher Safe?: Lid yes, mug no Thermal Performance: N/A

Guess what? Haha, yup, you guessed it, I have this travel mug (a couple of them actually), so you can take this as my Bodum travel mug review.

Bodum is a very well-established brand, founded towards the end of the second world war in Denmark by Peter Bodum, and is still owned by his son and daughter Jørgen & Pia Bodum, and operated by Jørgen who's currently the CEO of Bodum. If you're wondering what the heck this has to do with which is the best travel mugs, well, maybe not much, but I like to give whatever background I can on the products and brands I'm discussing. 

Also, I do think the background of the brand and who operates it makes a difference actually. Usually, the best products come from the most passionate brands, and the most passionate brands tend to be the ones with more history to be passionate about. 

Best coffee machines review Best bean to cup coffee machines review

I really like the Bodum travel mugs, I have to say. The only obvious point to make is that they're not completely leakproof. The catch over the drinking hole, the thread of the lid, and the silicon seal, are almost leakproof (as long as the lid is properly screwed on), but even if you've taken care to put the lid on properly if you chuck this in your bag, it'll leak, so it's not made for this. 

These mugs straddle the two categories, really, between travel mugs and reusable coffee cups. I've put them in the travel cup category though because of their thermal performance I think is too good to put them in the reusable cup category. Although Bodum doesn't make a heat retention claim (which is why I've entered N/A for this in the features), I can tell you that these mugs keep drinks hot for hours. 

I play drums in a band, and I'll usually take a brew with me when I'm rehearsing at night, and a few times I've made a brew in the Bodum travel mug and realized the error of my ways when I try to take a swig and realize it's chuffing boiling. It's about a 20 minute drive, and it's usually far too hot to drink still when I get there, and there have been times when I've left the travel mug in my cup holder, on a cold night, and returned to the car almost three hours later to find it's at a reasonable drinking temperature. 

We've got a red version of this at home as well as the black one, and for me, the black one seems better, where the lid is concerned. I'm not sure why, you'd think it would just be a colour difference, but it doesn't seem to be, the lids feel slightly different, and the thread seems a better fit on the black version.

Goat Story  Travel Mug

Capacity: ‎ 350 ml Size: 26 x 10 x 9 cm Weight: 259g Car cup holder compatible? No, unless you have a horn-shaped cup holder. Fred Flintstone probably had one of these. Mug Material: BPA-free plastic  Lid Material: BPA-free plastic  Seal: Snapseal Leakproof?: Yes  Dishwasher Safe?: Yes Thermal Performance: N/A

Some people will have just spat their coffee all over their keyboard or smartphone from looking at this one, and apologies for that, I realize this design isn't for everyone, but it really is for the people it's for if that makes sense? Also, Goat Story was the first travel mug brand to send me their quirky travel mug to review, so it would be remiss of me to not include it.

I know this will be getting boring now ;-), but yes, I certainly do have one of these, so these observations can be seen as my goat story mug review. As I've said, they sent it to me, I wouldn't have bought one simply because I drive a car, and I don't ride a dragon. I watched Game of Thrones and Vikings, both were great but enjoying these programs wouldn't compel me to walk around with one of these ;-).

Joking apart, I do really like the Goat Story mug, It's very, VERY unique, and it's ridiculously quirky, but it's also a high-quality, well made product, it's leakproof, dishwasher safe, and although it's made of plastic, it's thick BPA free plastic, and it does a relatively good job of keeping coffee hot, although the brand doesn't make any claims in terms of hours of heat retention. 

The goat story travel mugs don't have any kind of innovative sealing technology like some of the leakproof travel mugs have, they have a conventional seal that works very well. You should be able to sling the goat story over your shoulder, throw it around, run with it, ride a dragon with it, etc., without it leaking.

The only thing to add to this is that if you're putting black coffee or tea in your goat story mug, which tends to be a bit hotter than coffee or tea with milk, just give it 30 seconds to a minute until you seal it and go on your way, otherwise the steam might pop the seal.

Let's point out the obvious, though, you'd only really want to use one in public in fairly specific circumstances. Either you're a complete attention seeker and you welcome the looks and questions ;-), or you're using the mug in a particular setting that makes it an appropriate choice. 

A reviewer has mentioned that it was a great talking piece in the shop they worked in, and I think that's a good point, if you want people to engage with you, this is a real talking point, well, it'll either cause people to engage with you, or it'll cause people to back off without losing eye contact, just until they can open the door.

If you're involved in the middle ages with work or play, i.e. if you do reenactment stuff or if you work in a shop that has anything to do with Vikings or Game of Thrones or something, then you'll have a great excuse to buy this travel mug. Needless to say, this isn't for everyone, but who cares? All that matters is whether it's for you or not. 

If your question about the goat story mug is simply “Why?” then, yeah, I understand that question ;-). The why, or the inspiration, is one of the most commonly told coffee origins stories, in which there was a goatherd by the name of Kaldi (In some versions of the story the name is Khalid), who first discovered coffee sometime around 850 AD when he noticed the goats acting more energetic after munching on coffee cherries.

Goats of course have horns, well some don't but let's not be pedantic about it. So that's the link to the story. They're not made from actual goat horns, obviously. The actual travel mug itself is made from a BPA free plastic, and it feels very sturdy. It comes with a sleeve/holder that doubles as a stand, a hand strap, and a shoulder strap. 

Best reusable coffee cups

Keepcup brew cork reusable coffee cup.

Capacity: ‎ 340 ml (This is the medium, available in 3 other sizes) Size: 6.3 cm at bottom, 7.5cm at band, 8.8cm at the top Weight: 272 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most cup holders but see below. Mug Material: Tempered soda lime glass Band Material: Cork Lid Material: BPA And BPS free polypropylene #7 Dishwasher Safe?: Yes, top rack. Microwave Safe?: Yes

Yes, you can take this as my keep cup brew review, as this is a reusable coffee cup that I owned, that is, I did use to have one of these, and I used it for quite a while until, sadly, I smashed it. Obviously, I wouldn't have done that on purpose, these keep cups aren't cheap cups ;-), so I was a bit miffed when this happened, but it was my own daft fault. 

This is a typical example of using the wrong mug for a given circumstance, I should have had a stainless steel travel cup with me on this day, but I didn't, I chose to take the keep cup brew, and I was careless with it. Thanks to Newton's invention of gravity (I think everything floated prior to that?) it hit the floor and turned into a no point in keeping any longer, cup (doesn't have the same ring to it).

It's worth noting that being tempered glass, it broke into lots of little chunks, and not big shards, so it's a fairly safe glass mug to smash – dustpan and brush sorted it.

I'm not putting down the product, it's glass, if you drop it onto a road as I did, it'll probably smash. If you particularly enjoy drinking from glass (I much prefer drinking from glass to drinking from plastic) then I think it's worth the risk as long as you're careful, and don't try to use it in circumstances where you're going to be throwing it around, or putting it in a bag that is going to be getting knocked around.

I've actually been meaning to buy another one of these for ages, as it was my favourite reusable coffee cup before I went & broke it.

I found it really comfortable to hold, with the cork band. The cork is allegedly a waste product of wine cork manufacturing in Portugal, so it's great to know you're using a product that is partially made from a very sustainable product, a waste product. I say “allegedly” though, because I reckon they use an F tonne (approximately double the weight of an S tonne) of Cork for these bands, so the cynic in me would ask the question is it really all waste cork? 

This is a very popular reusable cup, and most people who own them, love them. There are a few common complaints, one is that the cork band could be a bit taller, so you can hold a hot coffee with it with more than just your thumb and forefinger. I can understand that comment, but I'd imagine that having a taller cork would require changing the design of the glass cup to reduce the angle, so it's probably the height it is for good reason. 

Another thing I've seen a few times is complaints about the lid having a terrible smell, and this appears to have been a batch issue as some people have experienced this on the lid that came with it but then ordered a replacement lid from KeepCup and that didn't have the same smell. Mine didn't have an odour to it, although I'd usually take the lid off to drink as I prefer to drink from glass than plastic.

BioGo Reusable Coffee Cup

Capacity: ‎ 450 ml (350 ml also available) Size: 7.1 cm at bottom, 8.4 cm at the top, 18.6 cm tall Weight: 182 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most cup holders  Mug Material: Rice husk fibre  Band Material: No band Lid Material: Rice husk fibre  Dishwasher Safe?: Yes, top rack. Microwave Safe?: Yes

BioGo is a British firm, offering reusable cups made from a material that is made from waste rice husks. Rice husks are a waste byproduct of rice harvesting, masses amount of waste rice husks have been burned or buried over the years, and clever people are finding better ways to deal with them. 

It turns out that rice husks are abundant in natural silica, which is a very strong and versatile material, so converting waste rice husks into reusable coffee cups has an impact on the environment both in the potential reduction of disposable cups used and in being a more environmentally friendly way of dealing with the waste rice husks.

They're one of the best selling reusable cups in the UK at the moment, and there's a lot of praise for these cups online. They have a screw on lid, which is quite rare for reusable cups which can quite often have a push-fit lid similar to disposable cups – and they have a pop open drinking hole which makes them relatively leak resistant for a reusable cup. 

Note I say leak resistant, these aren't sold as leakproof cups, you wouldn't want to chuck one in your bag, but the hole cover (which doubles as a carry handle when empty) and the screw fit lid does mean they're among the most leak proof reusable cups. Just keep in mind that, as with the Goat Story mug above, you need to wait until your drink stops steaming (a minute or two if you've used water just off the boil) before closing the hole, or it might pop open.

Stainless Steel Coffee Cup

Capacity: ‎ 380 ml  Size: 7 cm at bottom, 8.8 cm at the top , 15.3 cm tall Weight: 240 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most cup holders  Mug Material: Stainless steel Band Material: No band Lid Material: BPA free plastic  Dishwasher Safe?: No Microwave Safe?: No, unless you're Casey Ryback, a cook aboard USS Missouri, a former Navy SEAL and a specialist in martial arts, explosives, special-weapons and tactics, and you need to blow up a microwave in order to cause a diversion while attempting to thwart the devious plot of a group of mercenaries under the command of a disillusioned former CIA operative, or something.

Another very popular reusable cup, these are insulated stainless steel cups with a screw on BPA free plastic lid and a relatively standard catch cover on the drinking hole (flip buckle). The insulation means that these are not going to burn your hands, so no need for a band to save your fingers, although it's also worth noting that this will do a fairly good job of keeping your coffee hot, so it may keep your hot drinks a bit too hot if you want to drink your coffee straight away.

It's worth pointing out that if this is the case and you're making your own coffee, you can always make it slightly cooler, and how you'd do that would just depend on the brew method.

For hints and tips on how to improve your coffee taste watch:

If you're using instant (get out… just kidding, instant coffee drinkers are welcome here) just add a bit less hot water and then top up with cold water. If you're making Americano, top up with a bit less hot water than you usually would, and leave some space for cold. If you're making a milky, just steam your milk to a slightly cooler temperature, although if you're steaming your milk to 65C which is the ideal max temperature for moo milk and most milk alternatives, it should be ready to drink almost straight away in any cup.

These are practically leakproof, as they have a threaded screw on lid and a decent catch on the drinking hole cover, but again as with the BioGo cups above, I wouldn't recommend slinging one of these in your bag.

Circular and Co Reusable Coffee Cup Made from Recycled Coffee Cups

Capacity: ‎ 340 ml  Size: 6.2 cm at bottom, 8.5 cm at the top, 17 cm tall Weight: 200 g Car cup holder compatible? Yes, most cup holders  Mug Material: Paper Band Material: No band Lid Material: BPA free plastic  Dishwasher Safe?: Yes Microwave Safe?: No

This is a rare reusable coffee cup in that it's sold as being 100% leakproof, it's also rare in that it's made from disposable cups! Although the material is listed as paper, it's not really paper as such, it's a composite made from shredded recycled paper cups and shredded and recycled polymer, so it would be fairer to say, I think, that this material is made from recycled plastics and recycled paper cups.

The lid is BPA free plastic, and it's a 360 degree drinking lid similar to the 720° Degree travel mug I mentioned earlier, you just press the centre of the lid to open, and then drink from anywhere around the lid, then press again to close. 

This lid design means that it's a leak proof reusable cup, which isn't very common as I've said. It won't keep your coffee hot for anywhere near as long as a stainless steel vacuum travel mug, but if you wanted standard thermal retention paired with the guarantee of no leaking or spilling, this is a good one to have a look at.

It may be surprising to learn that a cup made from paper cups, is dishwasher safe, but again it's not just made from paper cups, it's a material made from recycled shredded paper cups blended with polymer from recycled plastics, made into a sturdy material.

With regard to microwaves, if you microwave it with the lid on, you might have an Under Seige experience as I alluded to with the stainless steel coffee cup above, as there's a metal spring in the seal assembly in the lid. The manufacturer does say it isn't suitable for the microwave, although there are users who've shared in the reviews and answered questions that they've used theirs in the microwave, without the lid, without any problems.

Bodum 11103-01S Reusable Cup

Capacity: ‎ 350 ml  Size: 7 cm at bottom, 8 cm at the top, 178. cm tall Weight: 225 g Car cup holder compatible? Fits in the bigger cup holders Mug Material: BPA free dual wall plastic Band Material: Silicone  Lid Material: BPA free plastic  Dishwasher Safe?: Yes Microwave Safe?: Dunno

Guess what? Yup, I've got one of these, this one is my wife's favourite, particularly for drinking tea, relatively soon after it's been made. Despite the marketing blurb, the plastic ones aren't brilliant for thermal performance, and this is why I've placed this in the reusable cup category and not the travel mug category despite the fact it's labeled by Bodum as a “Travel mug”, and the blurb seems to suggest it'll keep your brew hot for “hours”.

I disagree, but I don't think this is a bad thing. I think these are among the very best reusable coffee cups, I don't think they're great if they're being classed as “travel mugs” because being all plastic, even though they're dual walled plastic, they don't hold the heat nearly as much as their stainless steel counterparts, and they're not leakproof.

If you just want a straightforward reusable cup though, that will keep your brew hot for quite a bit longer than a disposable cup but will be a lot more comfortable to hold due to the dual wall body, then I think these are great.

CS COSDDI Reusable Coffee Cups

Capacity: ‎ 380 ml  Size: 7 cm at bottom, 9 cm at the top, 14 cm tall Weight: 390 g Car cup holder compatible? Fits in most cup holders Mug Material: Stainless steel Band Material: Silicone  Lid Material: BPA free plastic  Dishwasher Safe?: Yes Microwave Safe?: No

OK, this does sound like a drama series about a crime scene investigation team, but no, it's a reusable coffee cup.

This is one of the more “travel mug” worthy reusable coffee cups, given that it's stainless steel, it has very good heat retention for a cup of this kind, and has a screw on lid which is rated as leakproof by the manufacturer. It's not as good where heat retention is concerned as some of the travel mugs above which are known for keeping drinks hot for hours, simply because although the body itself is insulated, the lid isn't, so it'll lose heat there. 

As I've said, though, it'll keep your hot drinks hotter for longer than a lot of the other reusable coffee cups, but that isn't necessarily a good thing, it just depends on whether you want to drink your brew straight away, or not. If you have a 20 minute walk from the coffee shop to the office, for example, and you want to be able to ask the Barista to make your coffee in your reusable cup and have it ready to drink when you reach the office, this might be a good choice.

It'll fit most of the larger cup holders, but again if you have one of the smaller ones it might just be slightly too big. It has a silicone non-slip base, with the aim of ensuring it stays put, which is probably not a bad thing if you regularly take your reusable cup on train journeys.

SUNTQ Reusable Coffee Cups

Capacity: ‎ 380 ml (510ml version also available) Size: 6.8 cm at bottom, 9 cm at the top, 14 cm tall Weight: 290 g Car cup holder compatible? Fits in most cup holders Mug Material: Stainless steel Band Material: No band Lid Material: BPA free plastic  Dishwasher Safe?: Yes Microwave Safe?: No

Who is responsible for naming these cups?? How the chuff am I supposed to pronounce that, and who would put a Q at the end of a word? Anyway, ridiculous name aside, this is very similar to the equally daftly named CSI New York, sorry I mean the CS COSDDI cup above. These cups are almost identical in many ways, they both have a non-slip base, the lids look identical, and they're both available in the same two fairly non-standard sizes of 380ml and 510ml, the only difference I can see is that this one with a Q at the end has no band, and the side of this cup is slightly squared off. 

I'm including both of these so if one of them seems right for you, you have more choice if one is out of stock or if one of them is available at a lower price.

Neon Kactus – Hand-Blown Borosilicate Glass Reusable Coffee Cup

Capacity: ‎ 340 ml (available in 3 other sizes) Size: 6 cm at bottom, 9 cm at the top, 11.5 cm tall Weight: 220 g Car cup holder compatible? Fits in most cup holders Mug Material: Hand blown borosilicate glass Band Material: Food grade silicone Lid Material: Food grade silicone Dishwasher Safe?: Yes Microwave Safe?: Yes

Yay, a brand name I can pronounce, and to thank the guys at Neon Kactus for giving me something I can pronounce, I'm going to return the favour by not being pedantic about the spelling of Kactus, or the fact that apparently, their cups are 107% plastic free… ;-).

I think (hope) that's just a joke, but look, it's a cool looking mug, made from hand blown glass which is quite a cool thing, they're available in a wide range of colours and sizes, and I think if you're looking for a glass reusable coffee cup, this is a decent option for the price.

While they seem similar to the keep cups, they're different in a few ways. The glass type is different, as these are made from borosilicate glass, while glass keepcups are made from tempered soda lime glass.

Also, the “brew” glass keepcups are machine blown, not hand blown, while these are hand blown. In theory, I like the fact that this is a product made by people, hopefully, they've been made by people who're being paid a decent wage and working conditions. 

Iglu Reusable Coffee Cup

Capacity: ‎ 340 ml (available in 2 other sizes) Size: 5.8 cm at bottom, 9 cm at the top, 11.5 cm tall  Weight: 267 g Car cup holder compatible? No Mug Material: Stainless steel Band Material: No band Lid Material: BPA Free plastic Dishwasher Safe?: No Microwave Safe?: No

I've not seen a cup quite like this before, it's an unusual design which I think is quite cool, also it's quirky but not quite to the extreme of the Goat Story mugs above, so I wouldn't feel like I'm going scare a barista by asking them to fill this ;-).

It comes with a clear lid, and while the body of the cup is dual walled stainless steel so it'll do a relatively good job of keeping your coffee not, the single walled plastic lid will be where the heat loss occurs, and as I've said a few times, this isn't a bad thing if you want a reusable coffee cup for drinks that you plan on drinking almost straight away. 

The only slight concern I'd have is the lids, looking at the questions, the biggest question people are asking is how can they buy a replacement lid, which would beg the question why are so many people needing a replacement lid? It seems they're a bit snappy… Other than that though, this looks like a really nice reusable cup, and it's available in a wide range of colours too.

The shape of this cup and the clear plastic lid, and the dual walled stainless steel body would possibly make this a great little cup for using in the summer for your G&T, for keeping out the Wasps & flies. By the way, if you find a “Wappy” in your drink this summer, don't panic – the reason people get stung is they flap around like dingbats.

If I ever find a wasp in a drink, I fish it out with my fingers and let it dry off on my hand until it's ready to fly off. I've done this many times, and (touch wood) I've never once been stung. One even landed on my face for a second at a wedding a few years ago after I rescued it from a pint, I'm not 100% sure but I think it was giving me a kiss.

Nutella Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, 200g

Capacity: ‎ 200 ml (ish) Size: 7.5 x 9 cm Weight: 150g (once you've eaten all the Nutella!) Car cup holder compatible? Most car cup holders Mug Material: glass Band Material: No band Lid Material: Plastic Dishwasher Safe?:  Yes Microwave Safe?: Yes

I thought I'd finish this post off with a bang :-), you may be surprised by this – but in my humble opinion, Nutella jars are the very best reusable coffee cups, specifically for smaller drinks, including flat white, Cortado, espresso & lungo.

See my video on the best reusable coffee cups, Including the delicious jar of Nutella!

They're not sold as reusable coffee cups, obviously, but I've been using them as cups for years, and they're mega. They're among the cheapest, you can get them everywhere including Tesco , they should cost you under two quid which makes them the cheapest reusable coffee cup I've ever seen, and they come with 200g of chocolate spread!

They have a lid, and although there's no drinking hole, it does mean you can prevent sloshing coffee over your hands while you're walking around the home, office, or garden, and although they're not insulated and they don't have a band to protect your hands, they're fine for slightly cooler drinks such as flat white & cortado or small cappuccino, as long as you're not over steaming the milk, and they should be fine for small volume drinks such as espresso and lungo if you hold them closer to the top.

Find out how to steam milk with most espresso machines:

They're also good as glasses for (small) drinks when in the garden, thanks to the lids. Did I mention they come full of chocolate spread?? ;-).

For more info on coffee accessories see:

Looking for a wide range of home barista accessories, including tampers, milk jugs, knock out boxes, manual brewers, manual grinders, brew scales, and loads more?

Checkout my friends at Coffee Hit, one of the UK's most established suppliers of pro and home barista gear.

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15 thoughts on “ The Best Travel Mugs & Reusable Coffee Cups ”

What do you think of Huskee cups? I’ve been considering getting one of these. I am very sensitive to how a cup affects the flavour of my coffee, though!

Hi Rachel, I haven’t used the Huskee cups, but I will try and get my hands on some. Ta Kev

I’ve had many, expensive travel cups over the years and this one has been the best. I recently purchased a newer version with the button lock and this removed my only issue – my original cup had no lock, which caused the occasional unintentional release of pressure & heat when moving the cup around.

Great blog and thank you for sharing your reviews! It’s suprisingly challenging finding the right travel mug, but it is defintely worth searching around for. I really can’t do without my morning cup of coffee, and I love being able to take my home-brewed coffee with me on my journey in to work everyday.

Thanks for your comment Isabella 🙂

Good post – I do agree with the recommendation for Contigo West Loop. This mug easily retains good heat for 5 hours with no drips or spills. I’ve had many, expensive travel cups over the years and this one has been the best. I recently purchased a newer version with the button lock and this removed my only issue – my original cup had no lock, which caused the occasional unintentional release of pressure & heat when moving the cup around.

What is your conclusion for the best travel mugs? A run down of top 5 would be great.

One thing I wish you could test with mugs that you actually have your hands on… does an Aeropress fit in them?

I have been amazed at the coffee cups that I have bought over the years that are just (sometimes 2mm) too small to use with an Aeropress.

Hi Mark, That’s a great idea. Thanks for that Cheers Kev

Loved reading your reviews, was finding it hard to get a leak proof cup/flask. Thanks for all the insights, can’t get by without my coffee.

Thanks Veronica 🙂

Great blog and thank you for sharing your reviews! It’s suprisingly challenging finding the right travel mug, but it is defintely worth searching around for. I really can’t do without my morning cup of coffee, and I love being able to take my home-brewed coffee with me on my journey in to work everyday. I recently started using the Frank Green smart cup and love it. Hopefully we’ll be able to use the ‘smart’ chip component of the cup soon too!

Thanks Jane 🙂 I spoke to someone at Frank Green, and they told me they’re “working on global accessibility in the future”. It does look like a very good leak proof travel cup/mug.

Hmmm. Nice post! Right now I have a travel mug that resembles a camera lens but it’s not leak proof and it doesn’t keep coffee hot very long so I was considering getting another and may grab one in this list! Good insight!

– Tyler

Thanks Tyler 🙂 Yeah I’ve seen the camera lens ones, there are some cool looking travel mugs which are fine for at the desk etc., especially if you tend to finish your coffee while it’s still hot, but yes if you want a travel mug for on the go, multi tasking, which won’t leak everywhere and will keep your brew warm until you’ve got round to finishing it, one of these leak proof travel mugs would be a good option. Cheers.

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10 Best Travel Mugs in the UK: 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Travel mugs need to be comfortable to hold, cool to the touch, and they should be insulated, at least to some extent, to ensure that your drink retains its heat or stays cold. Not only are they beneficial for making drinks at home for the commute to work, but they are a more environmentally friendly alternative to using disposable cups from coffee shops and takeaways.

Below are 10 reviews of the best travel mugs in the UK, including a range of sizes and other features, so that you can find the best mug to hold your favourite drink and keep it fresh.

• A Quick Comparison of Our Favourites (Updated in 2024)

The 10 Best Travel Mugs in the UK:

• 1. Thermos Stainless Steel King Travel Mug – Best Overall

Thermos has a long history of manufacturing insulated flasks that are useful for travelling, hiking, camping, and other occasions when you need to keep a drink at its desired temperature, so it’s not surprising to find that they also make a range of similarly insulated travel mugs. The Thermos Stainless Steel King Travel Mug has a stainless-steel interior and exterior and Thermos claims that it will keep drinks hot for up to 9 hours. It is compatible with single serve drinks machines and has a tea hook that will hold tea bags and most loose-leaf tea infusers.

It’s around the average price, comes in a variety of colours, and has a handle for easier holding. It is quite heavy, although this is to be expected from a stainless-steel construction, and the lid is designed in such a way that it is difficult to clean properly. However, it is leak-proof and does an excellent job of keeping drinks hot, so it is our choice as the best available travel mug in the UK.

• Stainless steel interior and exterior keeps drinks warm for up to 9 hours
• Leakproof design avoids any accidental spills
• Handle is supportive and strong, making it comfortable to hold
• Difficult to clean thoroughly
• Heavy because of the amount of stainless steel
• 2. Luckyberg Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug – Best Value

The Luckyberg Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug is an inexpensive travel mug that is made using a combination of stainless steel and polypropylene plastic. It has a double-wall, stainless-steel design that will keep drinks hot for up to 6 hours. The double-walled design means that there is a small gap between the interior and exterior layers, reducing the heat that transfers to the exterior of the mug. While your drink might be boiling hot, the outside should stay cool and safe to touch.

The mug doesn’t have a handle but should fit in standard cup holders and has a leakproof design. It’s also one of the cheapest mugs on the list, which when combined with the double-walled design and ability to keep drinks warm for 6 hours, makes it our choice as the best travel mug in the UK for the money.

• Double-walled design means the outside stays cool while drinks stay warm
• Keeps drinks hot for up to 6 hours
• Tricky to clean
• 3. S’Well Stainless Steel Traveller – Premium Choice

The S’Well Stainless Steel Traveller is a 470 millilitres travel mug or flask. It has a wide mouth design, which means that it is not only suitable for cold and hot drinks, but it is easy to fit ice in the neck. It is made from stainless steel and has a triple-walled design. This helps maintain the temperature within the flask while preventing heat transfer to the exterior.

It doesn’t have a handle included, although one can be bought separately, the cup is expensive, but it promises to keep drinks hot for up to 12 hours and cold for up to 24 hours. It is leak proof but as well as being expensive, the mug has a rubber lid seal and this can transfer to the liquid inside, especially if you’re carrying a hot coffee or tea for several hours.

• Keeps drinks hot for up to 12 hours and cold for up to 24
• Triple-walled design means exterior never gets too hot
• Leakproof design
• Rubber smell can transfer to the drinks
• 4. Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug

The Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug is a modestly priced travel mug with a 470-millilitre capacity made from durable and insulating stainless steel. It has a double wall design so stays cool to the touch while keeping drinks hot for up to 7 hours. The lid has a trigger action for opening and drinking, which means that it can be used with one hand, and its tall design means that it will fit in most cup holders. It is spill proof, and, unlike a lot of designs, where the lid has to be hand washed, Stanley says that the Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug’s parts are all dishwasher safe and can be placed in the top rack for convenient cleaning.

There is no handle, presumably because that would prevent its use in cup holders, and it does leak from the trigger button if you try to pour from the mug into another receptacle.

• Trigger action lid makes one-handed use possible
• All parts are dishwasher safe
• Slim enough to fit in cup holders
• Trigger button leaks if you try to pour drinks out
• 5. Zojirushi Stainless Steel Non Stick Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

The Zojirushi Stainless-Steel Non-Stick Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug is a large stainless mug with a 600-millilitre capacity, which should have enough capacity to sate the desire of even the heartiest coffee drinker during their morning commute. Despite its size, which also makes it more expensive than most other mugs available, it is conveniently shaped so it will fit in bags and rucksacks.

It has a leakproof design, but it may prove too bulky for those looking for a mug-sized travel mug, and its size means that it does cost more than most. The flask can keep drinks hot for up to 12 hours, although this does depend on the amount inside the mug. The more hot liquid that is in it, the longer it will stay hot.

• Holds up to 600 millilitres, which is a large coffee shop drink size
• Surprisingly light considering its size
• May be too bulky for some
• More expensive than others, although this is larger
• 6. Corkcicle Travel Mug

The Corkcicle Travel Mug is a 475-millilitre travel mug with a triple-walled stainless-steel body that keeps drinks hot for 3 hours and cold for 9 hours. The lid is spill proof and shatterproof and has a sliding mouthpiece that is easy to operate. The lid is dishwasher safe, and the silicone base ensures that the cup won’t slip even when you’re driving or on the move, but the silicone base does mean that the cup itself shouldn’t be placed in the dishwasher.

It is on the upper end of the price range for a travel mug and although a 3-hour limit for keeping drinks hot will be enough for most morning commutes, it is much lower than the times promised by manufacturers of competing travel mugs.

• Sliding mouthpiece is easy to operate
• Triple-walled design means the outside remains safe to touch
• Silicone base prevents slipping
• Quite expensive
• Only claims to keep drinks hot for 3 hours
• 7. Contigo Byron Thermal Mug

The Contigo Byron Thermal Mug is a 470-millilitre capacity travel mug that uses a double-wall design, so drinks stay hot but the outside stays cool. Contigo claims that the mug will keep hot drinks hot for up to 6 hours, which is about average and certainly better than some.

It will also work to keep cold drinks cold, maintaining cold temperatures for up to 12 hours. The lid is dishwasher safe although the mug body should be hand washed, and the easy-open lid and convenient size of the mug means that it is suitable for one-handed use and for both left-handed and right-handed users. It is also reasonably priced and doesn’t leak liquid.

The drinking hole is quite small, which means that it can be difficult to get a decent mouthful of your drink and it is too wide to fit in most cup holders.

• Easy one-handed operation
• Lid is dishwasher safe
• Drinking hole is small
• Too wide for cup holders
• 8. Contigo West Loop Autoseal Thermal Mug

The Contigo West Loop Autoseal Thermal Mug is a stainless-steel mug with double-wall vacuum insulation. The mug stays cool while keeping your drink hot for up to 5 hours or cold for up to 12 hours. The lid hinges completely open and can be removed. It is dishwasher safe, although the body does need to be hand washed. The cup is designed to be comfortable to hold and difficult to drop, and its dimensions mean that it will fit easily in most cup holders.

It is on the expensive side and the 5-hour maximum insulation is less than most but being able to put the lid in the dishwasher is convenient, and the push button opening mouthpiece means that the mug can be used one-handed. However, you do need to take care when removing the lid for washing because the spring mechanism can fall out and is difficult to replace properly.

• Fits in cup holders
• Cup stays cool to the touch even with hot drinks in
• Lid mechanism is fragile
• 5-hour insulation time is less than other travel mugs
• 9. Contigo Luxe Autoseal Travel Mug

The Contigo Luxe Autoseal Travel Mug is another travel mug from Contigo. This one is smaller than the West Loop above, having a 360-millilitre capacity, but that also means that it is more compact and easier to carry around. It is also small enough to fit in cup holders and other holders. The lid hinges open and can be removed and safely put in the dishwasher, although the rest of the mug needs to be hand washed to prevent the coating coming off the outside.

The Contigo claims to keep hot drinks hot for 5 hours and cold drinks cold for 12 hours, which is less than a lot of companies but seems a realistic time. It also has a one-touch mouthpiece so can be used one-handed by left- or right-handed drinkers. Considering its smaller size, the Contigo Luxe Autoseal Travel Mug is pricier than most and the button does cause a few drops of your hot beverage to spill out when pressed.

• Compact size means it is convenient
• Push button mouthpiece tends to spray a few drops of drink
• Expensive for its size
• 10. Mighty Mug Go

The Mighty Mug Go is a modestly priced travel mug with a standard, 470-millilitre capacity. Rather than being made from stainless steel, it is constructed from BPA-free plastic. It has a double-walled construction which does prevent the outside from getting too hot to hold but you can still feel the warmth through the cup.

The Mighty Mug Go’s main feature is that it has a suction cup on the bottom of the base, which means that it cannot be knocked over. It isn’t leak proof, however, and the suction cup prevents it from being used in a cup holder or other holder. It also struggles to keep drinks hot for longer than an hour or so. Although that may be enough for your daily commute, it is still a lot shorter than other mugs.

• Suction cup prevents it from being knocked over
• Double-walled construction means it is safe to hold
• Not leak proof
• Only keeps drinks hot for about an hour
• Suction cup means it won’t fit in cup holders

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Travel Mug in the UK

Travel mugs are ideal for your morning commute, when on any long drive, or for out walking. They also make a great replacement for disposable cups from coffee shops and cafes. They are more expensive than standard mugs , but good ones can also keep drinks hot or cold for several hours and usually come with a leakproof design that means you won’t spill your drink.

Design features to consider include the material the mug is made from, the thickness and number of insulating layers, and the type of mouthpiece or lid it has. Below are some of the most commonly seen features.

The majority of travel mugs are made from stainless steel. Stainless steel is safe, does not impart any flavour or aroma in the drink, and it does a good enough job of insulating drinks. It is also durable and relatively lightweight. Some mugs may use plastic because it is cheaper and has some insulating properties, but if this is the case, you need to ensure that it is BPA-free plastic.

It is also worth considering that while the cup itself is likely made from stainless steel, other materials will be used in the construction of the lid and the seals. Rubber lids may impart a flavour, especially on hot drinks that are close to the rubber itself, so watch out for this.

• Double-Walled Designs

Stainless steel transfers heat, which means that a hot liquid touching a single piece of stainless steel causes the metal to get really hot. For this reason, and for extra insulation, most travel mugs use a double-walled design. In this design, there are two layers of stainless steel with a small gap between them. This prevents the exterior layer from getting hot so you can still hold the mug even when it is filled with piping hot coffee. A limited number of travel mugs offer triple-walled insulation, although this is unnecessary in most cases.

The capacity of the travel mug you want will depend on how much you typically drink. As a guide, standard or medium takeaway coffees are usually 340 millilitres, while large are 454 millilitres. Because of these sizes. Most mugs will either hold 360 millilitres or 470 millilitres, allowing enough room for the drink with a little bit spare. There are some giant drinks mugs that hold as much as 600 millilitres, although these are more like flasks with a drinking spout or mouthpiece to drink directly from. The capacity not only affects the volume of liquid that the mug will hold, but how well it retains heat and the chances of it fitting in a cup holder or other holder.

• Size and Shape

The size and shape of a mug are determined by its capacity, first and foremost, but the shape and whether it will fit in a cup holder depends on the cup’s dimensions. Most small travel mugs, with a 360-millilitre capacity, should fit in a cup holder. Those that hold 600 millilitres are unlikely to fit and may get in the way of driving even if they will fit in the holder. Some medium-sized mugs with a 470-millilitre capacity will fit, while others will not. If you are buying a travel mug for your morning commute, try to ensure that the mug you choose will fit in the holder.

• Handle or No Handle

As well as the dimensions of the mug, the inclusion of a handle will also determine whether a mug fits in the cup holder of your car. A handle will usually prevent a cup from sliding into the holder. If you’re looking for a cup that you can take to work or on a walk or use while camping or having a picnic, a handle might be convenient. If you’re using the cup while driving, a handle is unlikely to be a good choice, ignoring the fact that a mug without a handle isn’t really a mug.

• Mouthpiece Opening

Another feature that is essential to a container being called a mug is that it must be possible to drink directly from it in contrast to a flask which is more often used to hold a drink but to be poured into another container. The mouthpiece of a travel mug is important. It should be sealed when not in use, preventing spills, but it should be easy enough to open and convenient to drink out of. Some are designed to be opened and closed with your thumb, which means that they offer one-handed use. Others are more complicated and might require the use of two hands to open the mouthpiece.

• Effective Insulation Period

The quality of the stainless steel, how many walls the mug has, and the dimensions of the cup determine how effective it is at insulating the liquid inside. Some mugs claim to keep hot drinks hot for up to 6 hours, with a select few offering 12 hours of heat. Because it is easier to keep cold liquid cold, mugs will usually claim twice this period for keeping cold beverages at a reasonable temperature. Most people use travel mugs for driving to work, and while it is tempting to opt for the mug with the highest time, it may not be necessary in most instances.

Travel mugs are a great way to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold, especially useful during the commute to work, while outdoors, or when working and you can’t get to a kettle or drinks dispenser. They also make a good, reusable, and environmentally friendly alternative to the disposable cups that you get from coffee shops, cafes, and takeaways.

While compiling the reviews above we found the Thermos Stainless Steel King Travel Mug to be the best available travel mug in the UK. As well as being the only one that has a handle as standard, it is leakproof and keeps drinks hot for up to 9 hours, although the handle does mean it is unlikely to fit in most cup holders. The Luckyberg Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug is not only cheaper than the Thermos and other travel mugs on our list, but it does fit in cup holders and still keeps drinks hot for up to 6 hours.

Featured Image Credit: Nataliia Martseniuk, Shutterstock

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Best travel mug 2023: re-useable coffee cups for drinking on the go

Sick of vending machine coffee at Starbucks prices? Take your favourite blend on the road in a handy travel coffee cup, from stainless steel flasks to cutesy cup designs

Travel mugs, also known as reusable coffee cups, have become increasingly popular recently, as we become more aware of the effects single-use options have on the environment. Some coffee shops even offer a discount on their drinks if you present your own cup, instead of taking one of theirs.

So while a travel mug might cost the equivalent of a week’s worth of morning commute coffees, you’ll start to earn your money back over time - while also knowing you’re doing your bit to help reduce unnecessary waste.

But which one should you go for, and what features - and designs - and worth looking out for?

You should pair the best travel mug with one of the best coffee machines and carry them in one of the Best backpacks.

If you prefer your beverages chilled, you can check out our guide to the best water bottles and best thermos flask .

How to buy the best travel coffee mug for you

Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Toughness and a locking lid are key here, unless you want to find mysterious puddles of coffee in the bottom of your bag or worse, seeping through the keyboard of your laptop. While we can forgive a throwaway paper cup from disintegrating, a travel coffee mug should be solidly built and with a secure locking mechanism.

Stainless steel is a popular option for travel coffee mug, as it will shrug off much of what your daily commute has to throw at it.

Next up is the mug’s thermal qualities. A cheaper option designed to keep your morning coffee hot for an hour of so will be perfect for the commute, as you can easily grab a refill when you get to the office. But if you plan on taking a hot beverage further afield, you should consider a thermos option, as these claim to keep their contents hot - or cold, if that’s what you’re after - for hours on end. Handy if you find yourself stuck up a mountain on a weekend hike gone awry.

Then you’ll want to consider the design and size of your travel coffee mug. Yes, aesthetics shouldn’t really matter, but when you’re using something every day you will probably want it to look nice - as well as being easy to hold and store in your bag. 

Many come in a range of colours too, helping you stand out from the crowd, or fit right in with the masses, whichever you prefer.

Our pick of the best travel coffee mugs to buy today

1. S’well Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug 340ml

Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

The S’well travel mug is available in a wide range of sizes, colours and finishes. But for this article we’ve opted for the smaller 340ml model, in a blue/grey colour called Night Sky.

This mug offers a travel-friendly size with an ergonomic design and a wide mouth making it easy to insert ice to cool or fruit to infuse with. There’s no official word on how long this mug keeps your drinks hot or cold, but owners report they get in the region of four to five hours of heat, and 24 hours of cold. The former isn’t a huge amount, but given it carries a smaller amount we can’t see this being a complete deal-breaker.

The travel flask is triple-walled for a condensation-free exterior, so your hands (and the contents of your bag) stay nice and dry.

2. Contigo Autoseal West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug

We love the sleek shape and shiny finish of this travel coffee mug, but when it comes down to it, it’s all about the performance – and the performance is very good indeed. 

Its autoseal technology locks firmly when not in use with the slide of a button, and when “on”, you push the button to drink, ensuring your brew will never go anywhere unless you absolutely want it to. The big selling point is its insulation: it keeps hot drinks hot for 4 hours, and cold drinks cold for a whopping 12. A great all-rounder that’ll last forever and looks pretty good too.

3. Thermos Stainless King Travel Tumbler, Midnight Blue, 470 ml

From iconic brand Thermos, this stainless steel travel coffee mug is the last word in knock-proof, shock-proof, incredibly stable drink transportation. As well as being durable enough to get knocked around in a pack, not one leak or dribble gets past its sealing lid, even when turned upside down, and it keeps contents hot for hours on end – for those reasons, we think it’s the best travel mug for walking and hiking. 

If you're more of a tea drinker, you'll be pleased to hear it also comes with a tea hook for holding bags and loose-leaf infusers, so char lovers needn’t feel left out. 

4. Mighty Mug Go - The Travel Mug That Won't Fall Over (0.47 Litre), Red

Touted as the world’s first unspillable travel coffee mug, we’re almost disappointed that the Mighty Mug Go makes good on its promise – many have tried, King Arthur-like, to be the ones to knock it over, but none have succeeded. 

As such, it’s amazingly good for bumpy car rides or for use in the vicinity of excitable children. It won’t keep your tea or coffee as hot as other mugs will, but for a caffeine injection on short trips, that you won’t accidentally elbow over while rifling through your bag, it’s a winner. 

5. Double Y 500ml Insulated Vacuum Flask

For when only a half-litre of coffee will do, we present this 500ml insulated vacuum flask from Double Y. That’s just shy of a whole pint, which should keep you going all day - and it’ll stay hot (or cold, if that’s what you’re aiming for) for eight whole hours.

The flask is made from stainless steel and is available in four different colours; red, black, champagne gold, and blue. The mug’s screw lid mechanism is claimed to be unique, and guarantees a completely leak-free design. It is also designed to be spill-proof and usable with one hand.

6. Corkcicle Tumbler 355ml

If you're looking for a compact travel mug, this 355ml tumbler from Corkcicle is the one for you. It's perfect for enjoying your morning coffee, and includes a clear, sliding spill-resistant lid so you can take it on the go, wherever you go. It's ideal for lattes, hot tea, milk, mixed drinks and more. It features triple insulated stainless steel, which can keep your drinks cold for nine hours or hot for three hours.

7. Contigo Byron Travel Mug

Measuring in at almost 600ml, this stainless steel travel coffee mug by Contigo is huge, and represents great value for money. Not only does it have a larger capacity than most, but it also claims to keep hot drinks hot for seven hours, and cold drinks cold for 20 hours.

A unique leak-proof lid presents any scolding spillages, and a reservoir spout is claimed to offer more flow control while pouring, and releases more of the drink’s aroma. The lid pivots back for easy cleaning, and is dishwasher-safe.

The two colour option son offer are ‘Vivacious’ - a red/pink metallic - and ‘Monaco’, which we’re going to call blue. 

8. Luckyberg Insulated Vacuum Travel Mug

This large 480ml insulated travel coffee mug is claimed to keep your hot drinks hot - or cold drinks cold - for up to size hours, thanks to its double-waller, vacuum-sealed construction. The mug is also claimed to be truly leak-proof, and has a BPA-free lid and food-grade steel construction, so there’s no chance of chemicals working their way into your drink.

Although boasting a large capacity, this mug is tall and thin, so should fit in most car cup holders - as well as the drinks pouches of backpacks - without a problem.

A touch stainless steel body means it should hold up well no matter where you take it.

9. The Rice Way Travel Mug

Their marketing materials might be incredibly over-the-top (you’re probably not going to get radiation sickness from a ceramic mug), but The Rice Way have a right to be smug. 

This eco-friendly reusable coffee cup doesn’t just keep your coffee hot without burning your hands, it’s also fully biodegradable and made from renewable rice husk, a by-product of processing rice. If you like to do your bit for the environment or would rather avoid BPA-containing plastics, give this a go. 

10. Kooyi Vacuum Insulated Travel Coffee Mug

With its sleek design and range of unexpected colours – there’s no silver in sight, and we’re especially taken with the jet black option. This is a travel coffee mug that both looks the part and does the job. 

The flip-up one-handed opening is helpful for on the go, and the safety locking mechanism guarantees it leak-proof, even when chucked in a bag. If you are looking for a travel mug to use in the car whilst driving, this is the one.

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Alistair is a freelance automotive and technology journalist. He has bylines on esteemed sites such as the BBC, Forbes, TechRadar, and of best of all, T3, where he covers topics ranging from classic cars and men's lifestyle, to smart home technology, phones, electric cars, autonomy, Swiss watches, and much more besides. He is an experienced journalist, writing news, features, interviews and product reviews. If that didn't make him busy enough, he is also the co-host of the AutoChat podcast.

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Best Travel Mugs UK

What do you look for in a travel mug?

It may seem like a silly question – you want something to keep your hot drink hot, right? Well, if you’re on this page, I would imagine that you already realise that there is a bit more to it than that.

As the number of people that have been able to make better coffee at home has grown over the last decade or so, so has the demand for travel mugs. We can make this coffee, and we want to take it with us.

As such, the market is flooded with a huge variety of options – how do you decide which is the best travel mug for you? That’s where we come in. We have searched the market and below we have featured the 8 best travel mugs available in the UK that we have found, all offering something a bit different and at various price points.

Travel Mugs vs Reusable Coffee Cups

Before we get on to our list of the best travel mugs, we thought it would be helpful to clear up an understandable confusion over the difference between travel mugs and reusable coffee cups.

The lines between the two are a little blurred, but basically the main difference is that a reusable coffee cup is a direct replacement for a disposable coffee cup that you might get from a takeaway coffee shop – the paper cup with the plastic lid.

A travel mug, on the other hand, is something that you would take away with you when going away – sort of a cup version of a flask.

As such, a travel mug will tend to keep your drink hotter for longer than a reusable coffee cup, and a reusable coffee cup will look more like a coffee cup. Also, a travel mug is something that you would happily throw into the bottom of a bag, whereas a reusable cup is made for drinking out of as soon as the coffee is made.

So if you are wondering whether you are holding a travel mug or a reusable coffee cup just ask yourself this – would I want to hike up a mountain with this in my bag? If the answer is yes, you’ve got yourself a travel mug!

Maybe this is even simpler – Reusable Coffee Cups are for commuters – Travel Mugs are for adventurers. (It is possible to be both, of course, just remember to take the correct mug!).

They both have their place, of course. Sometimes you want your coffee to cool to a more drinkable temperature – perhaps on your walk into the office when you pick up a coffee en route.

Today, though, we are going to be looking at Travel Mugs. The adventurer’s choice!

What to look for in a travel mug

We come back to the original question – what do you look for in a travel mug? Well, here are some of the key features to consider:

• Aesthetics : You want a mug that looks nice, right? The good news is that there are some really stylish designs available now – it is not like the old days of knock-off army equipment!
• Capacity: This will depend on where you are going and what you are doing, but maybe you’ll want something that you can sip from all day, or just have one drink
• Heat retention: How long do you want your coffee kept warm for? Is it a case of the longer the better?
• Shape: You may have a bag with a cup carrier that you want to use – make sure your new travel mug will fit in it
• Weight: If you are going to be carrying this around with you for a long time, you may want it to be as lightweight as possible

Our 8 Best Travel Mugs

We are a coffee review site, so we are going to use coffee as our reference drink here. It should go without saying, though, that these cups are all appropriate for any hot drinks.

Okay, let’s get into it – the Best UK Travel Mugs:

Contigo West Thermal Mug

Stanley classic, tefal travel mug, 720 dgree – pleasuretogo, bodum vacuum travel mug.

We’ll kick things off with this Thermal Mug from UK-based travel mug specialists – Contigo. They are dedicated to creating the best possible cups and bottles for people to use on the go.

It has a capacity of 0.47 litres, which is pretty standard for a travel mug, but bigger than some. For a rough guide, it would be big enough to fit in the Grande size from Starbucks.

The lid is BPA-plastic free and is fitted with an AutoSeal which automatically seals the cup between sips, and it even has a lid-lock so that the button can’t be pressed accidentally when you are on the move. This is absolutely leak-proof.

The insulation is good – your drink will stay hot for five hours, or stay cold for up to 12 hours. It also has a ‘sweat proof’ design, which prevents condensation on the outside of the mug.

It is dishwasher safe, and measures 8 x 9 x 20.5 cm, so it is a nice little size for travelling, and it is reasonably priced, slightly above the midrange for the mugs on our list – a great place to start your search for your new travel mug.

Check Latest Price Of Contigo Mug

Next up we have a Classic from a classic travel mug producer – Stanley. Founded in 1913 when William Stanley Jr fused vacuum insulation with steel to make a portable drinks bottle – and they have been developing that original design for over a century since.

It is rugged and built to last. They use rust-proof stainless steel to create the double-walls which has a reassuringly solid feel to it.

They make it leak-proof by employing a trigger action lid – not only does this help you control when the liquid is released, but it is so easy to use with one-hand, which really feeds into the idea that this is made for the more active trips that you might go on.

Aesthetically, it comes across as a solid little bottle – it may not look beautiful, but it is not supposed to. This isn’t for walking around town with, this is for adventures.

It is one of the more expensive items on our list today, but there isn’t a lot in it really. It’s a great bottle that is great at doing the job it is designed to do. Perfect for the outdoorsy types.

Check Latest Price Of Stanley Classic

It was only a matter of time before we featured Tefal, wasn’t it? Founded in the 1950s, Tefal quickly established themselves as great innovators – creating non-stick cookware and inventing the first cordless iron. Now they have moved into travel mugs and have continued to build their reputation here too.

The capacity is 0.36 litres, similar to the Stanley above, which is a decent size. It is 100% leak-proof with a press-seal. Whenever you want to open the cup, you need to press the button in the middle of the lid, so it only comes loose when you need it to.

One feature I really like is the 360 degree drinking aperture – basically this means that you can pick it up and drink from any angle, you don’t need to rotate it round to find the hole or spout. This is great if you are doing something else as there is nothing more frustrating than fumbling around looking for where your drink will come out.

This is priced slightly below the average, which is surprising given the strength of the Tefal brand name – that normally adds to the price. It is a great looking cup that will keep your drink warm for around 4 hours. Definitely one to consider.

Check Latest Price Of Tefal Travel Mug

We go from a company that does a bit of everything to a company that does just the one – Mighty Mug. A company devoted to ‘stopping spills before they happen’. A noble cause, I am sure you will agree!

It has a double walled base, and measures ‎8 x 8 x 22 cm, which is pretty compact for a mug with this capacity. The lid is locked with a one-touch button to prevent leaks, and it also has a 360 drinking lid, so you can drink from any angle.

But the USP (unique selling point) of the Mighty Mug is that it cannot be knocked over. Using Smartgrip technology, the mug has a suction-style grip on any flat surface that you put it on. This means that when you knock into it, it may wobble slightly, but it won’t topple over. In order to release it you just need to lift it straight up in the air and it will come loose.

It’s a novel little quirk that we really liked. It makes this mug not just a travel mug, but a great mug to have with you at your desk – perfect for people that travel into their offices, particularly those with longer commutes.

It’s priced towards the higher end of the price range on this list, but it is not far from average. It is a great mug with a really fun feature.

Check Latest Price Of Mighty Mug

Over to Germany now with a look at this stylish travel mug from 720 Dgree – a company founded with the intention of reducing single-use bottles and cups in an effort to promote a more sustainable way of living.

We are greedy consumers though, and we don’t just want to know that the companies we buy from are doing good, we need them to produce quality products. Fortunately, 720 Dgree come good here.

This bottle-slash-mug is completely leak proof thanks to the complex design of the lid, which all comes apart easily so that you can give it a thorough clean. The unique KeepDGREE technology and double-walled design means that your drink will still be warm 5 hours after it is made, which compares pretty favourably to most travel mugs.

This travel mug ticks every box that you could wish for, and it is from a company that goes above and beyond when it comes to the environment, which makes it that little bit more attractive. Definitely one to consider if these issues are close to your heart.

Check Latest Price Of 720 Dgree

Something a little bit different now from UK-based iglu – a family-run business with a passion for reusable coffee cups.

It is made from high-grade materials – stainless steel – and it employs a vacuum, airtight lid which means that your drink will stay warm for 6 hours, or cold for 12 hours. It is a point that they are keen to emphasise – these mugs are not just for your hot drinks. They recommend using it for smoothies, wine or even your morning yoghurt! It’s a very versatile travel mug.

For a product that has such an emphasis on style, it is surprisingly inexpensive – one of the cheapest products on our list today. They are available in a range of sizes, from 12oz (0.34 litres) to 20oz (0.57 litres) – something for everyone there.

They make great gifts, but they are also a nice little travel mug to treat yourself to. I think these are the most unique looking travel mugs on our list, so if you want to stand out, these could be the ones for you.

Check Latest Price Of iglu Coffee Mug

A truly budget option for you now, by the brand synonymous with keeping your drinks warm – Thermos. They’ve been making products in the industry for over 100 years, and they remain one of the biggest names around.

It is the only travel mug on our list that has a handle. Some people will find that this is a key requirement, and not feel comfortable grabbing a cup by its base, so this may be the best pick for them.

It works well enough at keeping your drink warm with the double wall insulation, and the lid has a slide lock on it which is designed to prevent leakage.

One word of warning, though. I wouldn’t use this mug in the ‘throwing in the bottom of the bag’ scenario that we spoke about earlier. The slide lock could come undone with a little pressure, and the lid may come off completely if it gets knocked about. This is designed more for the cupholder of your car than an all-action hike.

If that suits your needs though, this is a great product. It will keep your drink warm and save you a few pennies in the process.

Check Latest Price Of Thermocafe

We complete our list of the best travel mugs with a modern classic from Danish company Bodum. While they have been making household and kitchen appliances since the 1950s, Bodum exploded onto the scene of travel mugs around a decade ago – now they are everywhere!

Available in plenty of different colours, all with a classic stainless steel base, these have become iconic in their own right. You probably know someone with a Bodum mug.

Why are they so popular? Well, the heat retention is impressive with around 4 hours of keeping your drink hot. They use the double-walled design for insulation, with a vacuum seal. The outside will remain cool to the touch while the drink stays hot.

The rubber grip is comfortable to use, and that is what provides the colour. The lid is secure and has a ‘flip’ access for the drink. It is pleasant to drink out of.

Like the Thermocafe item above though, it should be kept upright – it is not completely leak proof if it is tipped up. Again, this may put some people off as it wouldn’t be suitable to be put in a bag and jostled around.

It is priced accordingly, though. It is the second cheapest product on our list – if you just want to use it in the car or on your commute, then this is a perfect travel mug.

Check Latest Price Of Bodum Travel Mug

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• 10 Best Travel Mugs UK 2024 | Thermos, Contigo and More

Whether you're into iced coffee, matcha lattes or straight up builders tea — travel mugs are the way forward when you're on the move. Both environmentally and cost-friendly, travel mugs tick all the boxes and there are lots of stylishly designed British-made options to choose from, combining sustainability and flair.

Travel mugs are invaluable for the daily commute, taking hot or cold drinks on long journeys, or to enjoy on a nature walk. There are a few things to consider to ensure you get the perfect mug — such as insulation, leakproof abilities, and size — but we're sure you'll find one amongst our picks from Amazon, eBay, John Lewis and ASOS that'll be just your cup of tea!

A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. We are constantly creating new content to provide the best shopping experience from choosing ‘cosmetics’ to ‘food and drink’, ‘home appliances’ to ‘kids and baby’ products, reaching users all across the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

How to Choose a Travel Mug in the UK

• Consider Each Material’s Environmental Impact and Insulation Quality
• For the Most Comfortable Hold, Opt For a Double-Walled Cup or a Grip Band
• Leakproof Cups Are a Must if You Intend to Carry It in a Bag 
• Consider Your Intended Use Before Settling on a Cup Size

Steel, Glass or Bamboo? Consider the Insulation and Eco Credentials of Each Material

Opt for stainless steel to keep drinks hot or cold for up to 6 hours.

Stainless steel is a solid choice if retaining a hot or cold temperature for as long as possible is a high priority in your purchase. Steel is the best at thermal insulation , particularly if you choose a double-walled travel mug, which can insulate for anywhere between 4 and 6 hours. However, consider how lightweight it needs to be as many options can be large or cumbersome.

Also, go for high quality, food-grade stainless steel which prevents bacteria growth and minimises any unwanted tastes. Overall, steel travel mugs can last a long time and are very hardwearing , which is great for both the environment and your pocket! 

Check out our article on steel tumblers for more sturdy and sustainable options!

Care About Style, Great Tasting Coffee and the Environment? Go for Glass

Glass is not only an environmentally-friendly option but a healthy choice too. Of all the possible materials — glass tends to maintain the purest flavour , works well for hot or cold beverages and doesn't absorb odour or taste.

You'll want to check that your choice is as lightweight as possible while also being shatterproof  so that it's convenient to use and travels well. You may also prefer to choose glass that can be recycled at the end of its lifespan, such as soda-lime glass.

Would you like a matching glass water bottle to go with your travel mug?

Look to Bamboo and Other Natural Materials for a Light, Recyclable and Affordable Option

These days there are many options for eco-friendly mugs made from naturally derived materials to choose from. Bamboo is very popular, however, there are some future-forward cups made from 100% recycled single-use paper coffee cups for a very eco-conscious choice.

Travel mugs made from natural materials are known to erode over time, and therefore may not be a 'lifetime' option . Though many of the high-end products do claim to last at least 10 years if you're happy to spend slightly more.

However, the cheap cost of most mugs made of natural materials means it isn't too big a deal to replace them after a few years, and they're usually biodegradable , too. You can also look for those used in combination with hardier materials like stainless steel for the best of both worlds. 

Take a look at the top-rated reusable coffee cups while you're here.

Choose a Double-Walled Cup or a Grip Band for the Best Insulation and a Comfortable Hold

We now know some materials are better than others when it comes to insulation, but it's also worth looking out for a double-walled mug , which will keep your drink at the desired temperature for longer.

As well as keeping the heat  in , there's also the important consideration of choosing a  cup that doesn't burn your hands on the outside. A handled mug provides a comfortable grip, but if you want a design that fits in coffee holders and doesn't take up as much space, go for one with a grip band (which also doubles up as extra insulation!)

Glass can really feel the heat, but a cup that has either a silicone or cork band is the perfect solution for your hands . The wider the band, the more efficient it'll be at both protection and insulation. 

Make Sure the Mug Is Fully Leakproof if You Want to Throw It Into a Bag on the Go

Getting the right type of lid is more of a big deal than you might think. You can choose a very secure, leakproof lid, but if it's so hard to open that it causes spillages then you may end up wondering if it was worth it!

Decide whether you need a completely leakproof closure that can be thrown into a backpack or handbag with full reassurance, or something more simple — some cups boast 360-degree lids that you can drink from on any side, whereas others just have a drip-proof clasp. 

Get a Size That Fits Where You Need It to: Up to 12 oz for Coffee Machines or as Big as Needed for All-Day Trips

For the real coffee lovers out there, shape and size can really make or break a purchase. When it comes to barista-standard sizing  — an 8oz cup is the best for a flat white, a long black or other short drinks, whereas a latte, mocha or cappuccino would fit better in a 12oz cup.

Following this sizing not only means you can enjoy your favourite drinks to the fullest when travelling, but it also means your mug will fit under any coffee machine , scoring you points with your local barista in the process! 

However, if "the bigger the better" is more your kind of motto for a day out, a hike, or a long journey — you may also want to consider whether your cup of choice will fit comfortably into your bag, your hand and if you drive, your cupholder .

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The Best Coffee Mug With a Low Carbon Footprint

This cup by Neon Kactus is made from 304 grade double walled stainless steel, which promises to insulate hot drinks for up to 6 hours and cold drinks for up to 12 . Not only that, but it comes in a range of colours to suit anybody's aesthetic.

The cup made of recycled materials, which ensures a low carbon footprint. As if that wasn't enough, Neon Cactus have promised that for every cup sold, they'll plant a tree in the rainforest! Although this cup is limited in sizing options, we'd say it's perfect for any eco-warrior looking to carry their coffee in style!

Circular&Co. Recyclable Reusable Leak-Proof Circular Cup

A Planet-Friendly Choice Promising 10 Years of Use

Exceptionally stylish with top-class eco-credentials, the Circular Cup (formerly the rCup) is the world's first reusable travel mug made from recycled single-use paper coffee cups . Boasting at least 10 years of use, the cup itself is then fully recyclable too and is even dishwasher-safe. 

Leakproof and fully insulated , it can keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold for over an hour, even in your bag! Its well-designed lid makes it easy and comfortable to drink from using just one hand. Convenient and chic!

Thermos GTB Stainless King Travel Mug

Fully Leakproof, Well Insulated and Perfect for All-Day Travel

If thermal insulation is your highest priority in a travel mug and you love a splash of colour — Thermos GTB have got you all fixed up. This mug has the ability to keep your drink hot for up to seven hours or cold for up to eighteen hours .

Made from vacuum-insulated stainless steel and plastic ergonomic handle, it's also fully leakproof so can be throw in a backpack. A very sturdy travel mug, it is also surprisingly slim and fits into bags and cup holders easily.

Le Creuset Stainless Steel Travel Mug

A Beautifully Designed Option That's Built to Last

If you've ever lusted after Le Creuset's signature range of kitchenware, you'll love this well-insulated travel mug. Coming in a range of gorgeous Le Creuset colours and featuring the brand's three stripes, it doesn't only look great but it is also very practical.

Vacuum-sealed, it's made of double-walled stainless steel to keep drinks hot or cold for longer. It has some other handy features, such as a silicone ring on the base to keep the mug stable and a heat-resistant screw-top lid that locks to stop leaks.

bru Reusable Coffee Cup

A Chic, British-Made Mug for Your Morning Cafe Pilgrimage

A cool mug from an even cooler company — the smooth, curved design on this beauty makes you feel like you're at home wherever you are. It's also robust, double-walled, and vacuum insulated , as well as being long-lasting and shatterproof!

Made for those who love design and the daily cafe pilgrimage, it fits perfectly under coffee machines whilst still being a good size for travel. Coming in a range of colours, you'll love this eco-friendly cup from a UK-based family start-up.

Thermos ThermoCafé Translucent Desk Mug

A Desk-Friendly Update on the Classic Thermos

Reminiscent of '90's camping trips with a nostalgic outdoorsy feel — the ThermoCafé is not only practical but feels like a cool update on the regular Thermos , and is available in plenty of fun colours. 

The handle makes it cosy yet convenient to use on the go or in the car, and the splash-resistant lid twists open to allow easy drinking without spillage. Its double-walled insulation keeps your drinks at the right temperature, and it's safe for dishwasher use, too.

TruBamboo Premium Bamboo and Stainless Steel Tumbler

A Big, Sturdy Tumbler Made for Outdoor Adventures

This big, sturdy mug by TruBamboo is great for  longer travel times or sustained periods of time outside . It's unscrewable base is the perfect space to store teabags, extra coffee grounds, or other small valuable items.

It's BPA-free, made from 100% organic bamboo and food-grade stainless steel , which makes it extremely resistant to bacteria, stains, and odours. Its triple-walled technology keeps drinks hot for up to twelve hours, or cold for twenty-four hours. It also comes with a built in tea strainer to make drinks on the go!

Contigo Autoseal Thermal Mug

A 100% Leakproof Flask You Can Stow in a Bag

With its autoseal technology and thermalock vacuum insulation, this is the Terminator of the travel mug world! If being able to safely stow your drink into your bag without it ever spilling  while making sure it stays perfectly hot or cold are your biggest concerns — this is the one for you.

It's a great size for a big latte or iced drink , or for when you want to have a drink with you all day. Plus, its pop-up lid is not only super secure but also very pleasant to drink from. With a utilitarian design, it's definitely more functional than stylish though. 

KeepCup Cork Brew Reusable 8oz Glass Coffee Cup/Travel Mug

The Barista-Standard Choice for the Commute

One of two KeepCup picks, this reusable glass cup has been specifically designed for specialty coffee drinkers . It's made to fit under coffee machines with barista-standard sizing, and this 8oz cup is perfect for a flat white, long black or a matcha latte!

A great eco option — it's made from toughened glass, non-toxic plastic, and sustainable cork from wine industry waste products. However, the lid isn't secure enough to put in a bag when full and drinks only stay hot or cold for a short time, so it's best for casual walks and shorter trips.

Artlive Double Walled Travel Mug

A Great Value Pick for 6 Hours of Hot Coffee

This travel mug's greatest superpower is its temperature retention abilities. It can keep drinks hot or cold for an amazing six hours ! Made with food-grade stainless steel for durability and health, it also has a leakproof lid.

A steal at just over a tenner, this cup has all of the practical functions needed. However, the lid isn't as durable as some and once it breaks the cup would need to be replaced. So with all things considered, it may be better for occasional use  like day trips or picnics rather than a long-term investment.

Top 5 Travel Mugs

No. 1: Neon Kactus ｜ Double-Walled Stainless Steel Coffee Cup

No. 2: Circular&Co. ｜ Recyclable Reusable Leak-Proof Circular Cup

No. 3: Thermos GTB ｜ Stainless King Travel Mug

No. 4: Le Creuset ｜ Stainless Steel Travel Mug

No. 5: bru ｜ Reusable Coffee Cup

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Best Travel Mugs

Finding the best travel mug in the UK could be the difference between a brew that stays hot for several hours or opening the lid to find your coffee is in its own ice age.

So how do you avoid choosing something that has terrible insulation, will leak when you hit a bump in the road and will taint the taste of your coffee with its shoddy material choice?

It’s easy – you let us do the work for you! We’ve put some of the most popular coffee cups to the test to find out once and for all which one is the best travel mug in the UK. And how do we do that I hear you ask? We designed a series of tests including heat retention, drinking experience and durability to help us understand just how good each mug really is.

1. GoBambu (Best Travel Mug Overall)

This visually appealing travel mug (450ml) from GoBambu ticks all the boxes for us and is our vote as the best travel mug in the UK. Not only is it pleasing on the eye, it also does everything you want a travel mug to do in terms of practicality.

Heat Retention

Our tests showed that the GoBambu coffee cup is able to keep coffee hot for around 5 hours when the lid is on and the cap is sealed. This is more than enough time for situations such as driving to work or walking back to the office from a local cafe.

When the cap is sealed, very little liquid is able to escape. You’d be fine with knocking it over for example as it would give you enough time before a real mess is made. Even when the cap is open, the suction lid does a good job at preventing too much liquid escaping.

Drinking Experience

Whilst the GoBambu mug doesn’t really separate itself from its competitors in the two categories above, it certainly does when it comes to the drinking experience. The outer layer of bamboo is smooth to the touch and doesn’t heat up unlike some other travel mugs. The food-grade stainless steel inner layer is also high quality and doesn’t effect the taste of the coffee in the slightest.

The combination of stainless steel and solid bamboo make this one of the most durable travel mugs in the UK. What many people don’t realise is that bamboo is one of the strongest materials to use for products. It’s got a greater tensile strength than steel and can withstand pressure better than concrete.

Final Verdict

Overall, this mug is a great value for money and gets our vote as the best travel mug in the UK.

2. Contigo (Best Leak Proof Travel Mug)

The Contigo, available in a variety of colours, is about as dependable as it gets when it comes to travel mugs. The convenient auto-seal button is great for those who want a coffee mug that can lie horizontally in their bags. With a capacity of 470ml it’ll easily fit a large coffee.

Our tests revealed that Contigo’s claim of 5 hours of heat retention is pretty accurate. It has a double-wall vacuum insulation and this means you can keep cold drinks cold for around 12 hours too.

This is one of the more impressive travel mugs when it comes to being leak-proof. The auto-seal technology ensures that 100% of the liquid remains in the mug at all times with absolutely no leakage. It also has a lid-lock feature which stops you accidentally opening the lid.

The Contigo has a plastic lid to drink from but lacks a lip groove which is helpful to stop any drips after you take a sip. The stainless steel design feels nice to hold but of course can get cold during the winter months, especially if you’re drinking on the go.

The Contigo is made out of high quality stainless steel (double walled) and so is very strong and durable. It’s very difficult to dent so you’re pretty safe when it comes to accidentally dropping it.

Overall, the Contigo is 100% leakproof and keeps hot drinks hot. It’s worth buying if those are the most important metrics that you consider.

The Bodum travel mug does all the basics very well without having a real stand out feature which for us, makes it a good all rounder. Whilst it doesn’t have the capacity of some of the other mugs on this list, it’s still good for a quick coffee break.

The double walled stainless steel structure makes the Bodum one of the better insulators and as such keeps coffee hot for over 5 hours as per our tests.

Before buying this mug, there was a lot to be said about its weakness in this area. Sure, like most travel mugs, it’s not going to go well if you throw this in your backpack but when kept upright/going over bumpy roads there’s little to no spillage.

The Bodum has a number of features which contribute towards a pleasant drinking experience. The curved lip is a nice addition and the rubber grip makes the mug comfortable to hold. The only knock is that it’s a two hand job to get the lid open so isn’t recommended to drink from whilst driving.

Being dishwasher safe, it’s easy to keep the Bodum in good condition. The materials include stainless steel and high density PP and should comfortably last a few years before showing signs of wear and tear.

The Bodum, with its 350ml capacity is perfect for those who like a quick coffee.

4. Zojirushi (Great Insulated Travel Mug)

The Zojirushi is a fantastic insulated travel mug although with great insulation comes great cost. North of £50, it’s probably not for those working on a budget but if you can buy it, it’s great value for money.

This mug was the best performing when it comes to heat retention. It was able to maintain a very drinkable temperature of 70°C for 6 hours thanks to its vacuum insulation.

Shake this one as much as you want, nothing’s getting out. The Zojirushi travel mug is 100% leakproof so there’s not too much to add here!

We really loved the slick, long but thin design. It’s super lightweight and feels like it’s been made from the best materials. Perhaps the only knock on the product is the flow is a little bit slow but not so much that you’d really recognise it.

The Zojirushi is made out of premium stainless steel and whilst not being appropriate for dishwashers, is pretty easy to keep clean. The paintwork is of a high standard and is difficult to scratch and should look in good condition for a long time.

With the Zojirushi you essentially get what you pay for. It’s very expensive but it’s an immaculate product that would be our best travel mug but for the price.

Thermos are a trusted brand when it comes to flasks but how does that translate to their coffee tumbler?

It’s hardly surprising that Thermos’ heat retention is one of the best on the market. They’ve long been reputable when it comes to flasks and outdoor living so when it took 5 hours for the temperature of our coffee to drop below 70°C it was expected. Not too much else to say here but it’s very good.

Like most travel mugs, if you kick this over, it’s going to leak. The effectiveness of the Thermos is really all down to your reactions. If you quickly pick it up, you can actually expect no leakage.

The shape of the travel mug makes it very easy to drink from. The grooves in the body of the mug makes gripping it easy which is especially important as the outer layer is made from stainless steel. The only downside for me was the actual hole to drink from is just a little bit too wide. At 470ml the capacity can hold a large coffee.

The stainless steel used is high quality and won’t break any time soon so expect this to last a good few years. Whilst the paintwork looks to be a good standard, there have been some complaints that it tends to peel off when used in a dishwasher often.

Thermos are a reputable brand in this space so it’s not surprising that this mug follows suit. It’s a good quality travel mug with a generous price tag.

6. 720°DGREE

The 450ml capacity 720°DGREE Travel Mug is lightweight, keeps coffee hot for a suitable duration and comes in a variety of different colours . But where does it stack up when it comes to the best travel mugs? Let’s dig a bit deeper…

The 720°DGREE travel mug keeps coffee above 70°C for just over 4 hours . This makes it ideal for work commutes and a mid-trek coffee. It doesn’t quite match some of its competitors but 4 hours is still a lengthy period and should suit most people.

This travel mug is absolutely leak proof…if you screw the lid back on properly.

Drinking on the go is a bit tough with this one and I’ll tell you why. The lid is quite fiddly so unscrewing it and putting it back on multiple times is just a bit too time consuming for it to be worth it. I also wasn’t keen on drinking straight from the cup. The stainless steel lip can get very hot and really just confirms this is more of a coffee carrier to your final destination than anything else.

The materials used for this include stainless steel and tough plastic and so should keep the travel mug protected for awhile. Like Thermos, there have been issues with paint peeling away but that’s purely a cosmetic thing. Another thing to note is that due to the fiddly nature of the lid, the plastic has been known to wear down. This can significantly reduce the lifespan of the travel mug.

The 720°DGREE is more suited to c amping and hiking so if you’re buying for that, this might be for you.

Moving away from stainless steel travel mugs we have the ecoBrew which is made from a durable borosilicate glass. These glass style reusable coffee cups have become more and more popular but is it more down to the look than the practicalities? Let’s see how it faired during our testing…

Glass isn’t as good a conductor of heat as stainless steel but the ecoBrew still does a pretty good job when it comes to heat retention due to the fact that it’s double-walled. It’s not going to keep your coffee hot for hours but that’s not really the intention of this travel mug. It’s seen more as a replacement for single use coffee cups.

Whilst the shape of the glass mimics that of single-use disposable cups, the ecoBrew has a handy stopper to stop splashes when you’re not drinking from it. We still wouldn’t recommend shaking it too much though!

The glass looks stylish and the silicone grip is comfortable so gets points for that. Drinking from a silicone lid does feel a bit strange though, even if it doesn’t effect the taste of the coffee too much. I’m not a fan of the texture but that’s not to say you’ll dislike it too, it’s more a personal preference. The only other issue I have with it is it’s 350ml capacity as it’s only really suitable for small and medium (at a push) drinks.

The mug is designed to be reused over and over again and replace single use cups (hence the name). It has a silicone base which is unique when it comes to glass travel mugs and gives it a degree of protection. The glass should survive a drop on a flat surface but will probably shatter if dropped on an uneven one.

This eco-friendly coffee cup is a great alternative to single-use coffee cups but will need to be looked after to ensure it doesn’t break.

Travel Mug Buying Guide

When buying a travel mug, there are certain things you should look out for. Prioritising features such as heat retention, leak/splash proof capabilities and durability are of the utmost importance so allow us to break them down in a bit more detail.

A lot of companies make claims about how long their mugs keep coffee ‘hot’ for. But what does ‘hot’ even mean? The temperature the coffee was when you poured it? Our tests were based on keeping the coffee above 70 degrees celcius.

This for us is the point at which the coffee starts to become too cold to be enjoyed properly. It’s likely that companies are not using this as a benchmark as our tests have shown. Always take this information with a pinch of salt and have realistic expectations.

Leak/Splash Proof

This isn’t necessarily a huge factor when deciding what the best travel mug is. The aim of the travel mug is to have something convenient to drink from when you’re on the go. If you want something that is truly leak proof, go for a flask.

No one wants a travel mug that’s simply going to break after a few uses. When it comes to durability, looking at the materials the travel mug is manufactured from is a good indicator. Stainless steel is something that is sturdy and doesn’t scratch easily. Glass always has the potential to break. Bamboo is a super strong material too.

If you enjoyed reading this and have learnt something new, feel free to check out our recent ‘ best Nespresso compatible capsules ‘ article!

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Best travel coffee mugs in 2024 — tested and rated

We’ve tested a range of models to find the best travel coffee mugs

Best overall

Best budget and durable

Best with handle

Best heavy duty

Best color selection

Best smart travel mug

Best for heat retention

Best for sustainability

Most secure

Best mug design

Best ceramic

Whether you want to ensure your coffee stays warm throughout the morning, or your iced tea remains cool in warm conditions, you'll need one of the best travel mugs. 

And while it might seem simple enough, the task of choosing out of tons available, can be tricky. You'll need to find the right travel coffee mug to suit your needs and lifestyle. Consider what material you'd prefer? Durable materials range from steel, aluminum and plastic, to even ceramic. Other things to think about include how heavy it is to carry, heat retention, and overall style. 

Finally, how much are you willing to spend? The best coffee travel mugs range from $15 to $35, though there are more advanced types with their own battery that cost $185.

To help you decide, we’ve found a great selection of the best travel mugs to suit any lifestyle and budget right now.

1. MiiR Flip Traveler

Capacity: 16 fluid ounces | Dimensions: 2.75 x 7.25 inches | Weight: 10.2 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 9

The MiiR Flip Traveler is one of the best travel coffee mugs we’ve tested, offering a compact cup that will keep your liquids hot or cold for hours. Coming in 9 different colors, the double wall vacuum-insulated stainless steel body holds 16 fluid ounces of liquid. Although there are 12 and 20 fluid ounce capacities available too. The cup itself is very light, coming in it at 10.2 ounces.

The unique lid on top flips out when you need to drink and is secure when you need it locked in. But right after you drink, a small amount of liquid can gather on the lid, leaking to tiny droplets getting in places they shouldn’t. Also, if you don’t lock the lid firmly in place, it can spill. There’s nothing worse than having hot tea on your electronics because you didn’t make sure the lid was completely down.

It was one of the best we tested at keeping liquids consistently hot. Our testing started at 203 degrees Fahrenheit, only to drop to 178 after two hours, 154 after five hours, and 126 after 10 hours. Other cups paled in comparison, with the MiiR outclassing them in the category that is, literally and figuratively, the hottest.

Washing the cup is super simple and the lid doesn’t need to be taken apart to be put in the dishwasher. The whole cup is fairly durable and comfortable to hold. Overall, MiiR offers a fantastic travel mug with few downsides, keeping everything cool and on the inside. Give it a try if you are looking for a mug that offers everything you’d need. 

2. Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug

Best budget and best durable

Capacity: 16 fluid ounces | Dimensions: ‎2.9 x 8.9 inches | Weight: 8 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 18

Stanley is a brand built for rugged adventures and their Trigger Action Travel Mug is no exception. The strong, durable exterior claims that it has survived a bullet so it should be able to handle whatever you can throw at it. Made of stainless steel, the double-wall vacuum insulation creates a sturdy mug that weighs 12.8 ounces and holds 16 ounces, making it one of the heaviest we reviewed. A 20 ounce capacity is available too, which will no doubt weigh even more — we tested the 16 ounce capacity. 

The lid is also built to last, having a unique trigger system that lets you take a sip by just pressing the button. Though the lid is useful, it does tend to leave a bit of water in the mouthpiece if you close it too quickly. But other than the occasional dribble, it won’t leak even when turned upside down and severely shaken. The whole cup is dishwasher safe, but you might want to think twice about taking apart the lid. It's a bit difficult to reassemble, especially when you haven’t rebuilt it before. 

It kept the heat in fairly well, starting at 204 degrees Fahrenheit, dropping to 176 at two hours, 152 at five, and 125 hours at 10. But when it does have a hot liquid in it, the heat only breaks through a bit allowing you to hold even scolding beverages without a problem. 

While the MSRP is $25, it can often be found for $17.50, so you are getting one of the best travel coffee mugs out there for a great price. Even if you aren’t the adventurous type and just need something to shove in your cup holder that won’t tip over, then Stanley is your guy.

3. Hydro Flask Coffee with Flex Sip Lid

Capacity: 20 fluid ounces | Dimensions: ‎2.9 x 9.3 inches | Weight: 13.2 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 14

Hydro Flask is one of the most popular brands for travel mugs and cups for a very good reason. Available in multiple sizes, from 12 to 40 ounces, and in 11 colors, this travel mug features double-wall vacuum insulation to keep your drinks at the right temperature for hours. The stainless steel bottle is durable, with paint that won’t chip from use.

What really makes this mug different from the competition is its unique lid. The top handle is great for taking it on the go, but when you unscrew it you see the real magic. To take a sip, just turn the lid counterclockwise to open the seal. When you want to take the whole lid apart to clean, just unscrew it in the opposite direction, revealing the intricate mechanism beneath. Keep in mind that getting it put back together can be a bit of a hassle or might take practice. 

The cup is incredibly durable and lightweight, coming in at 11.6 ounces for the 20 ounce capacity. Though it lacks a rubber bottom, the cup is still comfortable to hold and stable. It's also great at keeping your drinks hot, falling from 202 degrees Fahrenheit to 172 after two hours, 145 after five, and 116 after 10. It's definitely one of the more unique-looking cups we’ve tested, but that doesn’t make it any less spectacular. Expert engineering and craftsmanship put it at the top of our list. This is why it’s one of the best travel coffee mugs. 

4. THERMOS Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug

Capacity: 16 fluid ounces | Dimensions: 3.3 x 7.6 inches | Weight: 15.7 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 8

Thermos is a brand that has become synonymous with quality travel mugs, and the Stainless King is truly a wonderful option. Made of stainless steel, this vacuum-insulated cup is dishwasher safe and should fit in most cup holders. The handle on the side makes holding the cup easy and the outside stays cool even when hot liquids are inside. It is available in four different colors and holds 16 fluid ounces of liquid.

The lid is expertly crafted and won’t leak no matter how many times it's turned over or shaken. But it does have to be completely closed to work, just a little bit of an opening and the cup will spill out whatever is inside. 

To open the lid, just turn the nozzle counter-clockwise revealing the “open” label on the lid. When it's closed, the lid creates a vacuum seal that keeps everything nice and hot. There’s even a small hook on the bottom of the lid to hold your tea bag and make sure it doesn’t fall in. The lid doesn’t even need to be taken apart to clean.

The Thermos excels at keeping beverages hot, outperforming everything else we tested. Starting at 203 degrees Fahrenheit, it only dropped to 181 at two hours, 159 at five, and 131 at 10 hours, which we found was still too hot to drink. It earns a spot on our list as one of the best travel coffee mugs for this reason alone. 

It is one of the heaviest cups we tested, coming in at a whopping 15.6 ounces. The only heavier mug was the Ello Jane Ceramic Travel Mug. 

5. Yeti Rambler

Capacity: 20 fluid ounces | Dimensions: 3.5 x 7 inches | Weight: 12.8 ounches | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 34

Available in 10, 20 or 30 ounces (we tested the 20 oz capacity), the Yeti Rambler is unique in its design, offering a much stouter mug with enough room for your liquid inside. Cupholder-friendly and dishwasher safe, this double-wall vacuum-insulated mug is great for taking your cold or hot drinks on the go. Plus it’s available in a whopping 34 colors, so you can find whatever tone you want. 

Because of its more round shape, it's better than some we’ve reviewed at not getting knocked over, though it doesn’t have a rubber bottom for grip. But even the mightiest wind should allow the Yeti to stay upright. 

The lid is simple but effective when kept upright. You can slide it up to take a sip and then slide it back down to seal it. The slide requires a bit of pressure for it to get opened, so it shouldn’t just flop open and spill what's inside. But you shouldn’t just place this cup in your bag because it is possible for it to spill. The lid does not screw on and only has a rubber circle keeping it in place. With enough shaking or momentum, the lid will pop off and won’t have an airtight seal when turned upside down. 

It's also a bit dangerous to drink while hot. We found that while testing the outer ring on the lid retains heat a bit too well and was too hot to touch. The cup itself retains heat well enough, starting at 204 degrees Fahrenheit and going to 166 after two hours, 136 after five, and 108 after ten. 

But if you aren’t going on any backpack adventures and just want a drink to keep warm, then the Yeti is a great option. 

6. Ember Temperature Control Travel Mug

Capacity: 12 fluid ounces | Dimensions: 3 x 8 inches | Weight: 38.4 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: No | Colors available: 2

Having an electronic travel mug that costs $185 might seem a bit extra, but the Ember makes it seem absolutely reasonable. The mug has an internal battery and can keep a drink at the same consistent temperature for three hours on a single charge. All you have to do is tap the center to reveal icons and set it to your desired temperature. 

It's packed full of smart features, which is why it’s one of the best travel coffee mugs, like Bluetooth that connects it to your phone to set the temperature and light that tells you when the cup needs charging. It also has an app, which is simple to use and works flawlessly, showing the battery level and temperature of the beverage (but it does need to be reconnected after every use). To charge it, all you have to do is place the cup on the included stand and it should be ready to go in just a few hours. We set the temperature to 136 degrees Fahrenheit after starting at 199, it managed to stay the same for the whole 10-hour period. 

The lid is also a marvel of engineering- all you have to do is press down whenever you want to drink to create a small circle of liquid to flow through. Even when shaken, the liquid didn’t escape and stayed inside the remarkable metal cylinder. Some liquid might stay around the lid after you take a sip, so keep that in mind. 

It’s also very durable and has a rubber-coated bottom to keep it from spilling over. It might be a great travel mug, but other options can do what it does without the hefty price tag. There’s no need to over-engineer a cup that’s worked fine before. It’s fairly lightweight,  coming in at 12 ounces and holding 12 fluid ounces. Being hand wash only is a drawback to boot as well.

7. Teabloom

Capacity: 16 fluid ounces | Dimensions: 2.5 x 9 inches | Weight: 15.2 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 5

The Teabloom tumbler allows you to make teas on the go with everything inside the bottle. Unlike a lot of other travel mugs, this long but elegant bottle comes with a metal diffuser with its own handle that you can throw your favorite tea blend or coffee right inside. Holding 16 fluid ounces, it's made of stainless steel and brushed with a metallic exterior that stood up to the wear and tear of everyday use and weighs 15.2 ounces.

The tumbler is very thin and can be a bit wobbly. It doesn’t have a rubber grip and it's tall but the thin facade can cause it to get knocked down with just a little bit of force. But it will fit in almost every cup holder snugly, without any worry of it flying out. 

The lid is a simple screw-on top with a rubber ring that easily stops it from leaking even when shaken upside down. We found that even with the lid not screwed on completely all the way, the cup did not spill any water.

It also retained heat very well. When you put it in high-temperature beverages you can feel the heat on the side but it is definitely not too hot to touch. Out of all the travel mugs we tested without its own battery, the Teabloom held heat the longest, starting at 203 degrees Fahrenheit, and falling to 179 at two hours, 154 at five hours, and 126 at ten hours. It's by far one of the best travel coffee mugs to store hot liquid in, the fact it can make tea, coffee, or infused fruit water is just a plus. 

8. bioGo 16 oz Reusable Coffee Cups

Capacity: 16 fluid ounces | Dimensions: 3.6 x 7 inches | Weight: 6.4 ounces | Material: Rice husk | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 8

The bioGo Reusable Coffee Cup is simplistic but offers everything you’d need in a travel mug. Available in eight colors, it's made of recycled rice husks making them better for the environment. They also fit in cup holders and have a padded bottom to stop the cup from falling over.

It's also remarkably light; the model we tested weighs 6.2 ounces while still holding 16 fluid ounces. Although a 13 ounce capacity is also available. That light nature does make it feel a bit flimsy, but it held up to being knocked around just as well as other stainless steel mugs we tested. The cup is dishwasher safe and won’t break apart after multiple uses. 

The screw-on lid is simple but effective. The hole on top has a plastic stopper that can be flipped in or out, which effectively keeps liquids inside. No matter how shaken or flipped upside down, the cup did not leak. The lid closer did not move once it was locked in place, but when the piece came out of the hole it did flop around. 

Though it's a very pretty and stylish cup, it didn’t retain heat as well as a lot of the other mugs we tested. Starting at 202 degrees, it dropped quickly to 118 by two hours, 90 by five, and room temperature by 10. The whole cup became extremely warm on the outside, starting out at 125 degrees making it too hot to touch. If you need a mug that's safe for the environment and that you don’t need to hold hot beverages for long periods, then give this bioGo a shot. The environmentally friendly aspects make it one of the best travel coffee mugs.   

9. Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug

Capacity: 16 fluid ounces | Dimensions: 3.56 x 7.75 inches | Weight: 6.9 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: No | Colors available: 13

The Contigo West Loop Travel Mug has a gorgeous and unique shape that is durable enough to last. Made of stainless steel and its own patented Thermalock insulation, drinks stay hot or cold for hours inside. The shape makes it stand out from other travel mugs out there while still being slim enough to fit in most car cup holders. It holds 16 ounces of fluid and weighs 6.9 ounces. A 20 ounce capacity is also available, but we tested the smaller model. 

The lid opens with a button press on the side, allowing any liquid to flow without issue. Even when shaken and held upside down, nothing escaped. To make sure nothing escapes, there’s a fantastic locking feature where all you have to do is press down on a button on top to make sure the lid can’t open. So when you place the mug in your bag, the button won’t accidentally get pressed and spill everywhere.

The odd shape does have it wobble a bit when tapped and it lacks rubber grips on the bottom, so it can fall. But it is still quite durable so even a tumble shouldn’t crack the exterior. The whole cup is dishwasher safe and the locking lid does not require disassembly to clean. 

When filled with hot liquid, we found that the plastic lid coated in rubber got very hot and couldn’t be touched at max heat. But it did hold heat tolerably, starting at 204 degrees Fahrenheit and failing to 166 at two hours, 137 at five, and 111 at 10. Other travel mugs insulated a bit more consistently, but the Contigo still earned a recommendation, which is why it makes the list as one of the best travel coffee mugs. 

10. Ello Campy Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

Capacity: 18 fluid ounces | Dimensions: 4.4 x 6.9 inches | Weight: 5.3 ounces | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 9

The Ello Campy Travel Mug is a simple, yet truly effective, liquid container. Its sleek metallic exterior hides a vacuum-insulated interior that keeps beverages cold or hot hours after use. That hard body makes it incredibly durable, though the plastic lid may not be able to handle the most aggressive of use. 

The handle is coated in cork inside, helping you keep your grip and not burn yourself when going for a drink. The large handle makes it impossible for it to fit firmly in most car cup holders, especially any that are very deep. But it does make the cup look aesthetically pleasing and simple to use if you’d rather grasp a handle. 

The screw-on lid is a bit more than just a simple piece of plastic, using a unique flipping mechanism to look the cup in place. Hot liquids made the lid too hot to touch and drink. It's also just a simple push button that can easily be knocked open without you noticing. This cup can’t be placed in a bag because it will spill everywhere. But it won’t leak when turned upside down as long as the lid is positioned correctly. 

The whole cup is fairly good at keeping liquids hot, starting at 203 degrees Fahrenheit it fell to 171 at two hours, 142 at five, and 113 at 10. That puts it alongside a lot of the other cups we tested with vacuum insulation. Overall, it's great as long as you don’t try to drink scolding hot beverages. The model tested holds 18 ounces and weighs 5.3 ounces, but a smaller 11 ounce design is also available. 

11. Ello Jane Ceramic Travel Mug

Capacity: 18 fluid ounces | Dimensions: ‎3.5 x 6.5 inches | Weight: 24.7 ounces | Material: Ceramic | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Colors available: 5

The Ello Jane Ceramic Travel Mug is elegant with a timeless look, capturing the vibe of a cozy summer cottage somewhere in the wilderness. With a thick rubber bottom, the mug stays firmly planted when placed down and won't jiggle too much unless you try to knock it over. Being made of ceramic, we imagine that it's not as durable as other steel options (though we didn’t intentionally try to break it). 

The handle on the side makes it comfortable to hold, though it is a fairly wide mug that won’t fit in most cup car holders. You can fill it with 18 fluid ounces of liquid and clean it in the dishwasher. 

The top lid is a thin piece of plastic that you can shift up and down to take a drink. The lid is most certainly not leakproof and does not offer an airtight seal. If you just flip it over, the liquid will come gushing out, potentially with the lid as well. The lid is not screwed on and has no rubber gasket and is only held in place by a thin rubber bit around the lid.

It’s also not very good at retaining heat. It started at 199 degrees Fahrenheit and went down to 115 in just two hours. Like the Tupkee Glass Tumbler, the cup reached room temperature in just five hours. It's a much better indoor mug than a travel one, offering a unique option that just isn’t as stable as others on this list. The mug is also quite heavy, coming in at 22 ounces.

How we test

We put these travel mugs through rigorous testing for durability, heat retention, and comfort. First, we gave a score to every mug based on holding capacity, comfort to hold, stability, ease of opening, ease of cleaning, weight, and quality. 

Then we performed a test to see if it could hold liquid while turned upside down, without spilling a drop. We filled each cup to its maximum amount and held it upside down for five seconds. Then we noted which cups leaked and spilled onto the countertop. Most mugs managed to stay tight-lipped, while others leaked their insides everywhere. After a quick wipe-down of each mug, we moved on to the next step.

Then we tested each mug's ability to retain heat. We filled each cup at the same time with boiling water and checked its temperature with a digital instant-read thermometer at two, five, and 10 hours. To check the inside temperature, we opened the top and placed a thermometer with a rod inside just long enough to get the recording without leaking much heat. Then, we closed the lid as quickly as possible before moving onto the next one.

How to choose the best travel mug

Material A travel mug can be made of stainless steel, plastic, ceramic, or glass. If you need a more durable mug, you should find one made of a tougher material like steel or plastic. These tougher mugs are also much better at retaining heat, with some having a vacuum insulation that keeps heat from escaping.  

Durability Steel and plastic mugs are incredibly durable, able to withstand rigorous outdoor activity or time spent knocking around in a backpack. Mugs with rubber bottoms are also better at staying upright and not just falling over. If you are looking for a mug you can take on the road, it needs to be both durable and practical to use. 

Size Most travel mugs are between 12 and 20 ounces, with 16 and 18 being the sweet spot. Most are slim enough to fit inside your average car coffee cup holder, while being snug enough to not just bounce around inside. If you are looking for a good sized mug, then aim for one that's around eight to ten inches in height. 

How easy is to clean

Ideally, you should wash or rinse out your travel mugs straight after use, to prevent any grimy build-up inside. If you want to remove odors, one tip is to add  ½ cup of vinegar before adding 1tbsp baking soda into the travel mug. Allow it to soak in the solution overnight, and then rinse it with warm water. Make sure you rinse it well so that there are no traces of the solution/vinegar. This should have removed lingering smells. 

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Steven Asarch is a writer and editor who lives on Twitch and YouTube. After graduating from Baruch College, he wrote for IBT Media,  Newsweek and Insider. In 2021, he executive produced the docu-series "Onision in Real Life" on Discovery +. As someone always looking to have the best smelling apartment possible, he's made it his mission to find the best air purifiers out there. His home has since become an air purifier haven, having stored and tested ten models for over three months. You could say he now knows everything there is to know about air purifiers, and what separates the good from the best.

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11 best reusable coffee cups to turn your caffeine addiction sustainable

By Sophie Cockett

Reusable coffee cups are this year's must-have accessory. Every year, billions of single-use coffee cups are disposed of across the UK. 2.5 billion , to be exact. Only one in 400 coffee cups is recycled, which equates to over 30,000 tonnes of landfill waste. And the worst part? This number is only set to increase by a third by 2030.

Sadly, these terrifying stats come as no surprise. As a nation, we drink about 95 million cups of coffee a day, with the average latte stan sipping up an average of two mugs every 24 hours – and popping into your local Pret to get your fix, no prep needed, is convenient. But we have no choice but to get our act together and start using sustainable alternatives, pronto.

Luckily, owning one of the best reusable coffee cups is fashionable. It suggests you care about the planet (cool), shows that you know your brews/beans/blends (also cool) and – if you choose the right one – elevates any office get-up. So while it's not just our favourite coffee shops that can serve up a brew worth shouting about (we’re alluding to these amazing coffee subscription services , FYI), heading to your local coffee jaunt armed with a pink Frank Green coffee cup just can't be competed with. Here's everything you need to know about the best reusable coffee cups on the market.

Reusable coffee cup reviews | What is the best reusable coffee cup material? | How long does a reusable coffee cup last? | How we tested the best reusable coffee cups

The best reusable coffee cups 2023 at a glance:

• Best overall: Circular and Co Leakproof Reusable Coffee Cup, £15.95, Amazon
• Best collapsible: STOJO On-The-Go Collapsible Coffee Cup, £12.99, Amazon
• Best glass: KeepCup Cork Brew Reusable 16oz Glass Coffee Cup / Travel Mug, £26, John Lewis
• Best leak-proof: Joseph Joseph Sipp Travel Mug, £11.64, Amazon
• Best for tea-drinkers: SoleCup Travel Mug Loose Tea Infuser, £19, Amazon

What is the best reusable coffee cup material?

Most of the reusable coffee cups in this edit are made from glass, bamboo fibre, stainless steel or recyclable plastic. And each material has different benefits. Glass is easy to clean, bamboo fibre is sustainable, stainless steel keeps liquids both hot and cold for time and plastic is lightweight and durable.

How long does a reusable coffee cup last?

If you buy something of good-quality and look after it well (read: wash it thoroughly after every use and prevent it from getting knocked around too much in your bag), the average lifespan of a reusable coffee cup should be around four years. Stainless steel coffee cups will be more durable than glass or plastic.

How we tested the best reusable coffee cups:

I am quite the hot drink obsessive, so testing these reusable coffee cups was nothing short of a joy. There are tonnes of options on the market – including many epic reusable coffee cups which we didn't get the chance to try – but after scoring on leak protection, design and how well it kept my drink insulated over a period of a few weeks, we're certain that you won't be disappointed by these.

For more from Glamour UK Commerce Editor Sophie Cockett , follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx .

What is the best reusable coffee cup? Ahead, our edit.

Best reusable coffee cup overall

Circular and Co Leakproof Reusable Coffee Cup, £15.95, Amazon

Why we love it: Our favourite of the reusable coffee cups we tried – and the variation we've been reaching for time and time again ever since – is the Circular & Co leakproof reusable coffee cup. The main reason for its crown? You don't have to sip your coffee through one tiny mouth hole. Instead, it serves up a 360 degree drinking experience, just as you'd get if you drank from your bog-standard coffee mug. It's leak-proof, looks chic, is easy to clean in the dishwasher and holds a hefty amount of flat white. Oh, and it's made from a number of the many millions of used coffee cups that the brand have collected from around the country (then cleaned and blended into a new material). So. Good.

Sizes: 340 Millilitres. Colours: Black and pink, black and mustard, black and blue, cream and black, cream and green, cream and blue.

Save when you shop for the best reusable coffee cups with these Amazon promo codes .

Best leak-proof reusable coffee cup

Joseph Joseph Sipp Travel Mug, £11.64, Amazon

Why we love it: Great for both tea and coffee drinks, this reusable mug is made from a grippy, non-slip BPA-free plastic making it perfect for hectic commutes. We found it particularly easy to hold, and loved that it is microwave-safe (so you can re-heat your drink if you need to). It kept drinks warm for a few hours and it has a hygienic Sipp lid which is designed to keep bacteria to a minimum.

Sizes: 340ml or 454 ml. Colours: Green, blue, coral, silver.

Best collapsible coffee cup

STOJO On-The-Go Collapsible Coffee Cup, £12.99, Amazon

Why we love it: The Stojo cup is the best collapsable variation we tried, perfect if you hate carrying your reusable coffee cup around all day after taking the last sip of flat white. This cup folds up and fits in your pocket, is seriously lightweight and comes in a range of mood-boosting hues, like this lovely peony shade. The only downside? The insulation isn’t quite as good as some other offerings - but if you drink you coffee as quickly as you anti-bac after a trip to the supermarket, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Sizes: 355ml. Colours: Sage, blue, pink, grey, denim, turquoise, black, yellow, oat, peony, steel blue.

Best reusable coffee cup for iced coffee

S'well Stainless Steel Traveler, £27.47, Amazon

Why we love it: First off: how pretty is this reusable coffee cup?! We're obsessed with the geode design it's adorned in. Secondly: it's genuinely really good. S'well traveler mugs have been designed to fit more "snugly" in your hands than some other designs, and since the mouth is really wide, there's space to add ice if your go-to brew is a cold one. It keeps drinks both hot or super cold all day long no problem.

Sizes: 470ml, 350ml, 590ml. Colours: White marble, wood, black, navy, pink, gold, blue granite.

Best reusable coffee cup for tea drinkers

SoleCup Travel Mug Loose Tea Infuser, £19, Amazon

Why we love it: This cute tea infuser mug is so good if you can't start your day without a good old cup of English Breakfast tea. Best for loose leaf tea, it features a diffuser which attaches to the lid. and holds a good amount of loose leaves for a delicious morning brew. The cup is made from glass to stop it from negatively impacting on your tea's flavour, and the silicone strap stops you from burning your hand. Oh, and if you do fancy a coffee, you can take the detachable loose leaf tea infuser out – and the mug will fit under most coffee machines.

Sizes: 340 millilitres. Colours: Ice cream, grey, blue, black, pink, red.

Best smart reusable coffee cup

Temperature Controlled Travel Mug 14oz, WAS £189 NOW £179.95, La Redoute

Why we love it: This reusable coffee cup is expensive, granted. It's fancy. It's show-y off-y. But what makes it worth the £150+ price tag, we hear you ask? Well, it keeps your drink at your own preferred temperature - you can customise the temperature setting yourself - and it tells you when your drink has reached that preferred temperature. So you don't take a sip too early and burn your tongue. There's also an app which you can sync up to the coffee cup, with temperature and brew timers for green tea, coffee and more, plus recipes and a caffeine intake tracker. You can check your heart rate and connect the app to your Apple health app. Told ya it was fancy.

Sizes: 14oz. Colours: Black.

Best glass reusable coffee cup

KeepCup Cork Brew Reusable 16oz Glass Coffee Cup / Travel Mug, £26, John Lewis

Why we love it: KeepCup launched a thermal range which we're huge fans of, but we love their OG cork and glass reusable coffee cup just as much. It's the world's first barista-standard reusable cup which you can take to your fave coffee shop with you and get refilled. The cork band is light, antibacterial, biodegradable and has super thermal qualities, while the lid is splash-proof and really easy to clean. Environmentally friendly, it's made from durable, toughened soda lime glass and non-toxic, BPA-free and BPS-free plastic - if that's something you're worried about.

Sizes: 455ml. Colours: Teal & Black.

Save when you shop for the best reusable coffee cups with these john Lewis promo codes .

Best reusable coffee cup for post-workout

The Hot/Cold Bottle 17oz, £38, Lululemon

Why we love it: Best for workout babes, this Lululemon reusable coffee cup works well for both hot and cold drinks. Our favourite feature is the single-touch open-and-close lid, which makes it super easy to open the lid and drink with one hand when you're on-the-go. It's made from double-layer stainless steel and is vacuum-insulated to help keep your drink hot for a really long time. Plus, it comes with a built-in silicone coaster which protects any surfaces from damage.

Sizes: 17oz. Colours: Graphite Grey, Pink Mist, Green Jasper, White, Black, Cassis.

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Best reusable coffee cup for winter walks

Klean Kanteen Bottle, £29.45, Amazon

Why we love it: Leak-proof, grippy and lightweight, this is the perfect reusable coffee cup for hikes or long walks. 'Cos no stroll up a mountain is complete without a warming mug of coffee, right? Features of particular note? The thermal performance of this mug has been upgraded in comparison to previous models with the new TK Closure™ system, and the lip is rounded for spill-free drinking.

Sizes: 16oz and 12oz. Colours: Lilac, berry, yellow, green, pink, blue.

Best reusable coffee cup for gifting

Pink Hearts Chilly's Reusable Cup 340ml, WAS £23 NOW £16, Emma Bridgewater

Why we love it: As functional as it is cute, this heart-adorned Chilly's reusable cup boasts double-walled insulation to keep your drink hot and cold. It makes a lovely gift and we love that - despite the temperature of your brew remaining hot - your hands will never burn.

Sizes: 340ml. Colours: Pink heart print.

Best reusable coffee cup for style

Durable Ceramic Tumbler, £24, Free People

Why we love it: Making your own brew (and refraining the urge to stop off at Starbucks) will be a total joy with this Good Citizen Coffee Company cup. It comes with a matte protective sleeve that stops you from burning your hands, and is made from ceramic which is really durable (and doesn't make your drink taste funny). It works just as well for hot and cold liquids, and is dishwasher safe.

Sizes: 14oz. Colours: White, green, red, gold.

By Georgia Trodd

By Bianca London

Best Travel Mugs in the UK 2022 Buyer’s Guide

Table of Contents

If you are commuting or hiking, a reliable travel mug makes it easier to enjoy your favourite beverages like coffee or black or green tea, while also saving money and reducing waste. There are many factors you should consider when searching for the best travel mug- BPA free, resistant to rust and corrosion, made of high quality and durable food-grade 18/8 stainless steel, better drinking experience no metallic taste, does it fit in a car cupholder, Stay sweat and condensation free.

Since disposable mugs are wasteful and regular at-home mugs aren’t practical to take on the go, a steel travel reusable coffee mug will make sure that your beverage is at the perfect temperature (hot or cold!) — no matter how long ago you made it.

Since there are so many types of travel cups on the UK market, We evaluated the best thermal coffee mug to find out which are actually worth buying.

Our top 5 brands include leak-proof picks you can rely upon in your bag, insulated options for nature lovers caught in the coldest environments, and cool designs that showcase your personality with every sip.

What we looked for in a Travel Mug Good Value for money Effectiveness Style Design and functionality Innovation Leaks

The Best Travel Mugs to Buy in the UK 2022

Technical Details Comparison 

Our Recommended Travel Mug Review

1. sophie & jasmine london travel mug review.

After considering all the features, quality and price, we found that this British brand Sophie & Jasmine London is the absolute best travel mug for keeping drinks piping hot for long periods of time. It features impressive thermal-retention abilities and has a thoroughly leak-proof, locking lid.

Compared to similar mugs in the market, this one is slick in design and is a bit slimmer and more comfortable to drink out of. This coffee mug comes in 3 different colours and it contains 480ml. An attractive cool design that’s minimalist yet eye-catching in its simplicity. Insulated double-wall stainless steel mug that stays cool to the touch, so your hands never get burned. Perfect for coffee, green or black tea and hot water.

Spillproof & leakproof seals and a simple click mechanism to open & close that we trust to keep your belongings dry. Just close the lid, and you’re guaranteed that the top won’t pop open when you don’t want it to. OneTouch click opens & closes hands-free with just one finger and the lock is closed for peace of mind when taking in a bag.

This BPA Free steel mug has continued to dominate the competition in our heat-retention tests. It will keep your drink for more than 6 hours and cold for more than 12 hours. The most important feature of this reusable coffee cup is that you can open and close the lid with one hand which is easy to drink from when you are driving. This feature makes it a unique design.

These mugs are also well constructed and It has got an easy-to-grip design that fits perfectly in your car cup holders. You can sip in style while you’re driving on the way to your office and home. It has been designed to bring a better drinking experience with no metallic taste.

Another important function is the special non-slip rubber base to maximise stability and minimise accidents. Also, the body is made of high-quality and durable food-grade 18/8 stainless steel which is non-magnetic and has excellent resistance to rust and corrosion and won’t grow mould.

Is it Leakproof?

It is hard to get a leakproof travel mug no matter what every company claims. But this company promises that every British family receive sustainable products with 100 % customer satisfaction. In any case, if you are unsatisfied or received any faulty item, simply contact them; they will issue you a Full Refund or Replacement Product within 30 days of receipt of delivery. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Cleaning Instruction:

For Regular Cleaning: Please hold the hole of the lid from where you drink under the hot water tap while clicking on and off for some time.

For Deep Cleaning: Take a bowl and soak the lid in warm soapy water for 10 minutes. You can also add white vinegar and baking soda. This travel mug lid has an open/close mechanism, so set it to “open.†This will help soften and loosen whatever may be clinging to the lid.

Finally rinse under warm tap water, opening and closing the lid to ensure all the soap gets washed away.

2. Contigo West Loop Autoseal Review

While the Contigo’s outward appearance is pretty standard for a travel mug, there are a handful of welcome features hidden within.

Contigo West Loop stainless steel coffee travel mug, have lids to prevent drips and spills and are usually designed to keep liquids hot for much longer than a standard mug.

The coffee mug is a double-walled vacuum insulated, meaning that it’s comprised of two layers of steel and the space between the layers has been voided of air leaving an empty channel that doesn’t conduct heat well. That’s why it will not burn your hand.

The company claims the mug can keep drinks hot for 5+ hours which is not bad. We tested it and the Contigo performed even better than promised.

The mug’s most sophisticated features are hidden in the lid, though. Rather than having a flip-top, there is a small hole with auto-seal technology. This means the hole stays closed unless the user presses and holds the lid’s button.

The company claims it’s easy to clean. They said its dishwasher-safe lid hinges open completely for easy cleaning. It provides easy and convenient one-handed drinking for both left- and right-handed users and it will fit most car cup-holders:

3. 720°DGREE Travel Mug “PleasureToGo“ Review

An eye-catching travel mug for every coffee and tea enthusiast. This brand 720°DGREE mug can become an ideal companion for daily commuters or avid hikers. It has an elegant, minimalistic design and is made 100% free from BPA materials.

It is built using food-safe stainless steel that leaves no residual taste or smells when you drink your favourite beverage. The mug boasts a durable, matte finish that really shines when the light falls on it.

Speaking about the interior, the mug has a double-wall design with an extra copper layer to keep your drinks hot for up to 5 hours and cold for up to 9 hours. So, no matter whether you prefer your beverages super hot or icy-cold, this is one of the best leakproof coffee travel mugs.

The only part that is made without the use of metal is the lid – it’s constructed from durable plastic and silicone. You can effortlessly open it with just 1 click, which is particularly handy for those individuals who often drink on the go.  The lid is completely leakproof and the mug can be safely thrown into your hiking backpack without worrying about leakage.

If you want to ensure the maximum life span, wash by hand. Overall, the 720°DGREE  mug seems to be well-constructed and sturdy enough to take day-to-day commuting knocks. Comfortable drinking and effortless cleaning are guaranteed.

4. Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug Review

With double-wall vacuum insulation that keeps your hot drink hot or your cold drinks cold, the 473ml Stanley Trigger Action mug has a leakproof design and a trigger-action, push-button lid.

Double-wall vacuum insulation keeps your favourite tea, coffee or other hot drinks hot for 7+ hrs.—or chilled beverages cold for up to 10+ hrs.

Everything is made with BPA-free material with 18/8 stainless steel so this can take a beating. It will fit in most car’s cup holders so it can ride along on your daily commute.

Trigger-action, push-button lid makes this reusable coffee cup spillproof and easy for one-handed use. Leakproof design lets you throw this in your work bag without worrying about it.

Since 1913, Stanley has promised to provide rugged, capable gear for food and drink, built to last a lifetime. Wide-mouth tumbler opening makes washing by hand a breeze. All components are also dishwasher-safe to make cleanup easy.

5. Milu Thermo Mug Review

This brand MILU has designed an innovative thermal mug that has a lot to offer.

Our Milu thermal mug has absolutely convincing inner qualities and will enrich your everyday life. They use durable, high-quality and rustproof 18/8 stainless steel. This material is easy to clean, odourless, tasteless and completely harmless to health. Their lid is made plastic-free from BPA, so an all-around active contribution to your health.

This mug will keep soothing tea and coffee warm for up to 10 hours long also cool for up to 12 hours. 450ml capacity and the size is flexible for handbags, school bags or cup holders in the car. One-Click closure, the lid is easy to close/open at the touch of a button and is still 100% leak-proof.

It also comes with a free cleaning brush.

6. Zojirushi SM-SC36 Stainless Steel Travel Mug Review

This travel mug from Zojirushi model SM-SC36 capacity 340 Grams hits almost every mark and is one of but best but expensive travel mugs. The stainless steel vacuum-insulated double walls keep your drinks hot for more than six hours, and its tough design is virtually unbreakable and strong yet still light to carry. They have a special manufacturing technique to make the body ultra-lightweight and compact.

The cleaver design flip-open lids are designed to release and hold, then flip open. This 2-step lid release allows condensation on the lid gasket to fall back into the travel mug instead of splattering. You can completely disassemble the lid for easy and thorough cleaning. Also, the safety lock prevents the lid from opening accidentally if you keep it inside your bag.

The air vent on the mouthpiece allows the drink to flow out smoothly, without gushing or overflowing. The non-stick coated inside makes cleaning very easy. Also, the wide-open mouth will help to drop ice easily.

7. Le Creuset Stainless Steel Travel Mug Review

This stylish eye-catching 350 ml leak proof insulated travel mug from Le Creuset also ticks all the right boxes to be one of the best ones on the list but it’s a bit expensive too comparing the other brands on the list. Its double-walled and vacuum-sealed design will keep your drinks stays piping hot during your journey and throughout the day.

It has a handy silicone ring at the base to keep it stable on the table and the vacuum-sealed will prevent unwanted spillages. It comes with heat-resistant lids but make sure to keep liquid below the screw-top thread line and the lid locks securely to prevent any leaks. Also, the flip-top is secured in the open or closed position only after it clicks into place.

Make sure to clean with warm water and mild soap. Wash and dry thoroughly after each use. They suggested hand wash only.

8. Thermos 185198 Direct Drink Flask Review

This travel mug is for those looking to add a pop of colour to their day and it is one of the best-insulated travel mugs that keeps coffee hot the longest hours. This Drink Flask has changed the way we use a travel mug. Designed with travel in mind, this mug is ideal for everyday use for people on the go. The clever drink flow spout enables you to flip the lid and drink directly from the bottle one-handed. It allows maximum temperature retention – keeps hot for 10 hours and cold for 24 hours.

You can use this mug as a traditional Flask, travel mug in the car or sports bottle. The locking top ensures that it’s leak-proof. You can choose different colours to allow you to mix up your style. It’s a perfect companion for the daily commute or your weekend adventures. Created with the Thermos® quality and performance you can rely on and with a 5-year guarantee.

How to Choose the Best Travel Mugs for Coffee or Hot Drinks

When shopping, there are a few important factors you should keep in mind:

1. Is it double-wall insulated?

You should buy insulated mugs that can keep your drinks hot or cold for much longer periods of time. Most of the top-rated brands on the market have steel or glass interiors. Some options are also double-walled (or double-insulated), meaning there is an air pocket between the two layers of insulation to keep your drink hot and prevent the cup from overheating.

2. How long does a travel mug stay hot or cold?

A travel coffee mug should retain your beverage hot or cold temperature for as long as its specs advertise, so look for mugs with the longest heat and cold retention times. Many reasons can affect the length of time mugs can keep your beverage hot or cold.  The most effective material for mugs has proven to be stainless steel.

3. Does it have a spill-proof lid?

If you keep your reusable coffee mug in a bag or cup holder, its lid shouldn’t leak. The best reusable coffee mugs should have two sealing mechanisms: the first will cover the sipping port and the second locks the lid into place to prevent it from being jostled open. With some mugs, you have to hold down a button to open the sipping port for drinking, so it seals automatically when you let go.

This auto-sealing mechanism prevents spills if you knock over your mug. Arguably one of the most important features of travel mugs is a leak-proof lid.

4. Is it big enough?

Some people prefer wider mugs that won’t rattle in cupholders, while others like slimmer mugs that take up less space in backpacks or bags. When buying a travel cup, it is also important to consider how much drink it can hold. If you intend to use your mug in your car, you should also consider the shape and size of the mug, and whether it will be able to fit inside a cup holder.

5. Is it dishwasher safe?

You might be wondering: are travel mugs dishwasher safe? 99% of mugs that you can buy in the UK are not safe. Most modern mugs have dishwasher safe lids, but the vacuum-sealed body is not dishwasher safe.

Some mugs are made with many small, intricate parts that can be difficult to clean around. If you think that you are not going to deal with hand-washing your cup, you should invest in one that is dishwasher safe.

As we said most of the travel mugs are generally not safe on dishwashers because of the vacuum seal that gives the travel mug its insulating properties. The high heat from your dishwasher can damage these vacuum seals. The damaged vacuum seal will cause your travel cup to lose its insulating properties, and it might cause a leak.

You got the option to choose the brand of coffee mugs that are safe in the dishwasher. Make sure to read the product listing page carefully if any company is claiming that their mug is safe in the dishwasher. Our experience is there are many brands; they claim that it is safe but the product loses its longevity or colour if you use a dishwasher regularly. Our advice is to hand wash it.

6. Is it easy to use?

A hood travel mug should be easy to use. Just imagine you’re going to be using your mug while driving or biking, you’ll definitely need at least one hand free, and probably both eyes. A good mug should be easy to both open and close and lock and unlock, with one hand.

7. Why handle-free travel mug is the best choice?

We recommend not to buy mugs with handles for few reasons. First, it’s unnecessary: with a vacuum-insulated double wall mug, you don’t need to worry about burning your hand on the mug’s body. Handles can add additional space and weight to a bag or backpack, and may also prevent a mug to fit into a car cup holder.

8. Is it BPA free?

Not only are BPA-free mugs better for the environment , but they are also much better for your body. Studies have found high amounts of BPA consumption to be related to many diseases. By drinking from products that contain BPA, you are eliminating the main source contributing to higher BPA levels in your body. For improved health and to decrease the risks of the health effects above, we recommend choosing BPA-free travel mugs.

How Travel Mug Keeps Your Drink Hot

A double-wall stainless steel travel mug tries to keep heat in by having two layers, one is smaller than the other, separated by a thin layer of empty space. The air is sucked out from that empty space between the layers and there is a seal that will prevent air from getting back in. Now the inner container has no air to transfer its heat onto. A vacuum is terrible at conducting heat. So, the heat stays inside the inner container, keeping your drink hot.

How to Clean Your Travel Mug in 2 Simple Ways

When you have that favourite travel mug and use it every day, you rapidly become attached to it and needing to find a different mug seems like abandoning an old one. The trouble is that your old one can sometimes become a bit dirty and even stinky or mouldy if you fail to give it the care that it needs. Also, the rubber ring that serves as a seal on some lids can also trap water and grow mould.

Consuming mould can be dangerous for us since some types of mould may cause serious and severe allergic reactions and respiratory problems.

Yes there are 2 simple and effective ways to safely and deeply clean it—and yes as we advised, skip the dishwasher:

1. With Soap

Take apart any pieces of the lid that you can. Soak them and the lid in warm dish-soapy water for 10 minutes. This will help soften and loosen whatever may be clinging to the lid. If the lid has an open/close mechanism, set it to “open.†Avoid cleansers or anything chlorine-based.

Using a clean sponge, wipe your mug and lid down with soapy water. Rinse them quickly under running water. Dry with a paper towel or a microfiber cloth.

2. With Vinegar or Baking Soda

If the soap doesn’t do the trick, here is another option to clean the coffee stains out of mugs with baking soda. Sprinkle about 1 tsp. baking soda on the stain and add a little water to make a paste. Scrub the stain with a soft sponge. The gentle, abrasive nature of baking soda will helps lift coffee or tea stains from the surface. Rinse the mug well to remove any remaining baking soda from it.

Why Would You Use Travel Mug

Now that travel restrictions in the UK are slowly being lifted and offices, shops are starting to reopen, it’s time to start thinking about on-the-go essentials. Whether you plan on taking a vacation or your job recently announced a return to the office, a travel mug is a useful accessory that can help you stay hydrated (or caffeinated) on the road. You can also carry your lukewarm meal replacement shakes going to the gym. You can also use them as an alternative to insulated water bottles .

Investing in a reusable mug can also help you use fewer single-use coffee cups while keeping your coffee hot for a long time, which is generally better for the environment. Buying the right reusable cup could also mean the difference between having a hot drink for hours and settling for lukewarm coffee after just 30 minutes.

Nowadays, it is very easy and quick to buy coffee and other hot drinks from anywhere where in the UK. You can buy them from your local coffee shop, supermarkets, off licenced shops or filling stations. They can be simply put in either paper cups or disposable plastic containers. But have you ever thought of bringing your very own travel mug?

In the UK, some coffee shops started charging customers more to use disposable. They are doing this to actively encourage us to use reusable cups. But what are the reasons for this move towards reusable travel mugs rather than plastic throwaways?

It’s not only for environmental reasons, but it is also good for our health and wellbeing – and of course, in the long run, it is cost-effective. Sales of reusable coffee cups are soaring in the UK, retailers are reporting, as the government hints at a tax on disposable cups .

The benefits

✅ Your health : Drinking from a plastic mug is harmful to your health. While going out or staying at the workplace, many people use a lot of plastic mugs. The BPA in plastic will contaminate the drink.

✅ Our environment: We have been using so many plastic cups for a long time, unaware of their impact on the environment. When you enjoy your sip of coffee, just think about the planet we live on. A reusable travel mug is surely an environment-friendly option compared to disposable mugs.

✅ Save money at coffee shops: Many coffee shops in the UK, offer discounts to customers who bring their own reusable coffee mug. If you’re a regular coffee drinker, you could save more than £100 a year.

✅ It’s convenient: Your travel mug will usually also keeps your drink at the right temperature for a long period of time compared to disposable mugs. When the travel mug is properly insulated, it keeps your drink hot for hours. The paper mug doesn’t offer much in the way of insulation, so your drink is likely to turn cold quickly, particularly when it’s chilly outside.

✅ Prevent leaks and spills: If you’re looking for something that you can carry in your bag without any risk of spills, you’re best off opting for a travel mug, as these are designed to be more leak-proof than reusable cups.

✅ Travel Mugs are cool : Eco-friendly mugs are very popular nowadays in the UK. At the office desk, at the park, at the supermarket, or any other place where you go, you can see various mugs. It’s not only trendy but also a statement piece.

To summarize, there are many benefits to using stainless steel travel mugs. They not only help you to protect our planet but also enable us to save money and make healthier choices.

Taking Advantage of Using Travel Mug for Discounts in Coffee Shops

Do you know some coffee shops in the UK that give you a discount if you bring your own travel mug for coffee? If you own a reusable mug or are about to make the switch, you are on the front line for the battle against single-use disposables. Owning a reusable travel mug is a quick way to eliminate a lot of disposable waste that isn’t usually recycled!

With plastic pollution building (literally), many coffee shops are encouraging customers to boycott single-use cups. They’re offering discounts for customers who use reusable cups instead.

Ultimately, the most cost-effective way to save on hot drinks is to carry your own mug. So we take a look at which cafes offer the best discounts, and how much money you could save with your own eco cup.

Pret A Manger: They give customers a 50p discount if they have a reusable cup.

Starbucks: In the UK, customers who bring their own cups to their store are offered a 25p discount on their drink.

Costa: They offer a 25p discount on any handcrafted drink in-store to everyone who chooses a reusable cup rather than a disposable one.

M&S café: A  25p discount for customers bringing reusable cups to its in-store café’s.

These are just some of the examples but you need to find out how much discount your favourite coffee shop offers. Just imagine on average if you save 25p per day that means almost £90+ savings a year.

Invest some money buying a good quality travel mug that can last for years (if they’re looked after properly), so you should get your money’s worth in the long run. The good thing is, you’ll be helping the environment from day one by using a travel mug.

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The Best Travel Coffee Mugs, Whether You Walk, Ride, or Drive

By Wilder Davies and Emily Farris

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

We take our recommendation for the best travel coffee mugs very seriously. The working world (ours anyway) runs on caffeine, and for many coffee drinkers, that need has to be satisfied on the go. So a good travel coffee mug—one that’s easy to hold, doesn't leak, and keeps hot coffee hot and iced coffee cold—is a must.

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Mug

Brumate Nav

Yeti Rambler 10-Ounce Tumbler with Magslide Lid

To find the best travel mugs available right now, we tested more than 20 popular and top-rated options in a variety of shapes and sizes. Below, you’ll find our top picks for commuters of all kinds, followed by the details of how we tested and what we looked for. To learn the pros and cons of all the other mugs we tested, keep reading.

The best travel coffee mug to toss in your bag: Zojirushi

Of all the travel mugs we tested, there are only a few we’d feel comfortable tossing into a bag with our laptop or favorite book, and of them all, this one was the absolute best at keeping our coffee hot. After five hours the hot coffee we poured in was almost too hot to drink.

That excellent heat retention is due to the Zojirushi’s vacuum-insulated, double-walled stainless steel. Though it sounds like a beast, this travel mug is actually relatively lightweight and has a super-slim design that fits perfectly in your hand or bag. It also looks really nice, which is a definite plus for a mug you'll be carting around everywhere.

And you never have to worry about coffee spilling inside your bag or briefcase because the spout cap has a pretty serious sliding lock on the top that, when engaged, makes it impossible to open or spill. Shake, rattle, roll this thing—it's not going to leak any hot drinks on you or whatever else you’re carrying. The lid also comes apart for easy hand washing.

The Zojirushi travel tumbler isn’t dishwasher-safe, which is true of many vacuum-insulated vessels. This was the slimmest travel mug we tested (the opening of all three sizes is just 1⅝ inch) so if you want to clean it with friction, you’ll need a soft bottle bottle brush . That kind of cleaning shouldn’t be necessary often since the inside has a non-stick coating. We weren’t able to find any kind of documentation on what that coating actually is but it probably is nothing to worry about as the issues with nonstick cookware are around exposing it to direct, high heat or scratching it with metal utensils, neither of which are likely in a coffee cup. The super-slim design also means this mug may rattle around in a car cup holder, and the 20-ounce size is too tall to fit under our Nespresso VertuoPlus spout (you’d likely run into the same issue with other single-serve coffee makers ). Finally, sipping from the Zojirushi is slightly more awkward to drink from than many of the other mugs we tried, but it’s a small price to pay for such incredible heat retention and the peace of mind that comes with having a truly leak-free travel mug to use for hot drinks on the go.

Dishwasher safe: No Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes, very Sizes available: 12 ounces , 16 ounces , 20 ounces Warranty: 5 years

This price represents the 12-ounce size. Click through for more options.

The best dishwasher safe travel coffee mug to toss in your bag: Brumate

If you want a spill-proof, leak-proof travel mug that you can also stick in the dishwasher at the end of the day, we recommend the Brumate Nav. This tapered, tumbler-style mug is just as secure as the Zojirushi, though the “BevLock” lid uses a slider to lock a flip-top spout cover into place. And even when it’s not locked, this mug won’t leak; the lock just provides an extra layer of security in case the flip-top were to catch on something strong.

We accidentally turned our testing up to eleven one morning when we dropped this mug—full of piping hot coffee—while trying to shuffle small kids out the door. The lid was closed, but not locked, and we didn’t lose a single drop or burn any toddlers.

The insulated stainless steel body retains heat well (though not as well as the Zojirushi) and we appreciate that the BPA-free clear plastic lid allows us to look inside the cup.

The Brumate doesn’t retain heat nearly as well as the Zojirushi, but if you consume your coffee within an hour or two, it’s more than sufficient. The product description says it will keep hot drinks hot for three hours, but we only experience that kind of heat retention if the mug is full, and stays that way, for the entire three hours. We’d also love to see this mug in a 16-ounce size.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 12 ounces , 22 ounces , and 32 ounces   Warranty: Limited lifetime

This price represents the 22-ounce size. Click through for more options.

The best travel coffee mug for the car: Yeti Rambler with Magslide Lid

If you like to take your coffee in the car, you might not need a truly leak-proof mug. But you still need something to prevent sloshing and splashing when you inevitably encounter a pothole or other rough road. And, of course, a travel mug for the car must be able to keep your coffee hot even on brutally-cold mornings.

Yeti’s tumbler-style Rambler mug meets all of our requirements for a car-friendly coffee mug, and then some. The double-wall vacuum insulation keeps your drink hot for hours, the slim base fits comfortably in a car cup holder, and the Magslide spout cover is really easy to open with one hand while driving (it’s easiest if you slide it open while it’s still in the cup holder).

This mug is also incredibly easy to clean as all three parts are dishwasher safe. The little magnetic slider stays securely put until you pop it off from the underside of the lid.

Aside from the fact that it’s not leak-proof, there’s not much we don’t love about this mug. But some coffee drinkers may find the size options limiting. The 10-ounce is perfect for an 8-ounce pour-over, a small latte, or a couple shots of espresso, but the next size up is 20-ounces and that may feel too big if you just want to commute with a cup of coffee. We’d love to see this mug offered in a 14-ounce or 16-ounce size, too.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: No Sizes available: 10 ounces , 20 ounces , 30 ounces Warranty: 5 years

This price represents the 10-ounce size. Click through for more options.

How we tested travel coffee mugs

For weeks we conducted unofficial testing, adding these mugs to our regular coffee-vessel rotation. When it came time for the official testing, we filled all of the mugs with piping hot water and let them sit on our desks for five hours. We then sipped from each to determine if they had retained heat. Next, we put the containers through a stress test, shaking them and tipping them up and down to see if anything leaked. Finally, we took some brisk walks to mimic the frantic conditions of a morning commute, coffee mug in hand. We did not preheat the mugs by filling them with hot water first—we figured the typical user would not do this and we wanted to see how well each mug retained heat without this step.

What we looked for

Obviously, a travel mug needs to be spill-proof, but mugs that will travel in a bag also need to be completely leak proof. To test the seal on each mug, we filled them with hot coffee, closed the lids according to the manufacturer’s directions, and shook them vigorously while turned upside down.

One of the most important considerations was temperature retention, so we looked at how well the mug kept coffee hot over the course of a few hours. We lined up the mugs and tasted them side by side after five hours to see which one was the hottest.

If a mug was marketed as leak-proof, we looked at how hard or easy it was to engage its leak-free function. Mugs that are too hard to seal are more likely to malfunction when you’re running out the door in a hurry.

We didn't want a travel coffee mug that was too heavy or unwieldy, as this would make it more difficult to carry around while commuting. We also considered how much you had to maneuver your mouth while drinking.

If a mug wasn’t listed as dishwasher safe, we looked at how easy it was to get all parts—including the nooks and crannies of the lid—thoroughly clean with hand washing .

Yes, these mugs are utilitarian vessels meant for keeping hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold, but let’s not pretend looks don’t matter. These are accessories as much as they are tools.

Personal preference dictates what size coffee cup you’ll need, and if you make yourself an 8-ounce latte every morning, a 20-ounce travel mug is going to be too big. So we looked for mugs that offered a range of sizes—including mugs big enough for those who do like to chug 24 ounces of coffee on the way to work.

For car commuters, a base that’s too wide is a deal breaker. So we looked at whether or not these mugs were slim enough to fit into standard car cup holders.

Other travel coffee mugs we tested

We love this bigger Yeti Rambler mug for most of the reasons we loved our top pick for the car, and it even has a handle and a more leak-resistant (though not leak-proof) lid. But the smallest size is 20-ounces and it’s just big enough that it’s not guaranteed to fit in every car cup holder. Plus, unless you’re planning to hit the road with an entire French press-worth of coffee, a 20- or 30-ounce capacity is overkill for your morning commute.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Some Leakproof: No Sizes available: 20 ounces , 30 ounces

Yeti Rambler Travel Mug with Stronghold Lid

Yeti's most mug-shaped Rambler mug has the best size selection of all of the Rambler mugs and the two smaller sizes (10 ounces and 14 ounces) are stackable. But because it's mug-shaped, it won't fit in a car cup holder. And because it has the Magslider lid, it's not leak proof, either. While this one is generally good for camping, the handle is pretty basic and not very comfortable to hold—especially if the 24-ounce size is full of hot coffee.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: No Leakproof: No Sizes available: 10 ounces, 14 ounces, 24 ounces

Yeti Rambler 24-Ounce Mug

With the addition of the Hotshot lid, Yeti’s versatile, durable insulated Rambler water bottle becomes a (mostly) leak-proof travel mug for coffee, tea, and other hot or cold drinks. The Hotshot lid, when twisted to the open position, allows you to drink from any spot along the rim. We say it’s “mostly” leak-proof though, because if it’s not closed tightly enough, it is possible to shake some drops out of this mug when turned upside down—and we don’t love that it allows for that kind of user error. You can also buy the Hotshot cap separately , which is a great way to get even more out of a Yeti Rambler bottle you already own. Well, as long as you make sure to close it really well.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Most Leakproof: Mostly Sizes available: 12 ounces , 18 ounces

Yeti Rambler with Hotshot Cap

Brumate haș a series of leak-proof coffee mugs with handles called Toddy and these mugs have nearly all the same features we love about the Nav. But the reasonably-sized option ( 16 ounces ) is too wide to fit into any cupholder. The two larger sizes ( 22 ounces and 32 ounces ) have tapered bottoms and actually do fit into many cup holders, but most coffee drinkers will find they're otherwise just too big, in general.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Some sizes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 6 ounces , 22 ounces , 32 ounces

Brumate Toddy

Klean Kanteen is best known for its lightweight stainless steel reusable water bottles (and for tripping up our spell check every damn time) but the brand also makes a very nice double-wall, vacuum-insulated stainless steel travel tumbler. In fact, it’s so nice it’s almost perfect. This mug has excellent heat retention, and the powder-coated body is durable, dishwasher safe, and covered by Klean Kanteen’s lifetime warranty. The tumbler’s wide mouth (wide for Klean Kanteen, anyway) is big enough to fit most ice cubes, and the bottle itself is slender enough to fit most cup holders. Unfortunately, you need to use two hands to open the leak-proof lid, which isn’t always conducive to drinking hot coffee while on the go.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 12 ounces , 16 ounces , 20 ounces

Klean Kanteen Wide Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle

Klean Kanteen

We’re generally big fans of Oxo gear but the Oxo Good Grips travel mug we previously tested always leaked a little when tipped upside down. In 2023, we tested a newer model, which has what the brand calls a leak-proof “SimplyClean” lid. The mug comes in an array of pretty colors, all of the parts are dishwasher safe, and we found the lid to be truly leak free when properly assembled. However, the engineering required to get such a good seal is… a lot. Disassembling the lid for cleaning and reassembling it are each three-step processes—and the steps are so unintuitive that instructions, arrows, and numbers are actually embossed in various spots all over the three separate lid components (four if you count the removable gasket). After a few tries, it’s pretty easy to get used to how it all goes together, but coming from a brand that makes such user-friendly products, this leak-proof lid is more complicated than it needs to be. It’s also a little too easy to accidentally remove the entire lid when trying to open the spout.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 16 ounces , 20 ounces

OXO Good Grips Travel Coffee Mug With Leakproof SimplyClean Lid

We like that the short Hydro Flask coffee mug feels like a traditional mug, and this is the only “travel” mug we tested that comes in a 6-ounce size. Like all of Hydro Flask’s insulated products, this mug has great temperature retention and it’s also very durable thanks to solid construction. But because it doesn’t have a leak-proof lid or fit into a car cup holder, it’s definitely more of a “coffee on the front porch” mug or “hot toddy around the campfire” mug than an actual commuting mug. Another drawback? Unlike the brand’s powder-coated water bottles, Hydro Flask mugs are not powder-coated and therefore are not dishwasher safe .

Dishwasher safe: No Fits in car cup holder : No  Leakproof: No Sizes available: 6 ounces , 12 ounces , 24 ounces

Hydro Flask Mug

This 16-ounce stainless steel vacuum-insulated travel mug from Thermos is good, and most people would probably be content using it, but there's also nothing remarkable about it. It didn't keep our coffee hot nearly as long as the Zojirushi and though it has a leak-proof lid, it doesn't lock like the Brumate does. It’s also only available in one size (16 ounces). That said, the underside of the lid does have a built-in hook for tea bags and loose-leaf tea infusers, so if you're a tea drinker who likes to take your hot tea on the go, you’ll like that feature.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder : Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 16 ounces

Thermos Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler

When we first tested the Fellow Carter mug, we tried the Move model —a gorgeous ceramic-lined thermal mug that does a great job of keeping hot drinks hot. Unfortunately, the twist-off lid required the use of both hands, which kept the Fellow Carter from taking a top spot. When we retested travel mugs in 2023, we were thrilled to find that Fellow had recently released a new model of the Carter mug with a slide-lock lid (the lid can also be purchased separately if you already own a Carter mug). The smooth sliding mechanism makes it easy to open and close the angled lid with one hand, and though it doesn’t actually lock like the Zojirushi does, it is leak-proof when closed. But the angle of the new lid means our testers’ noses got smashed up against it every time we took a drink, and because of a lip around the inside of the body, it’s hard to get every last drop of coffee out of this mug. Additionally, the ceramic-coated stainless steel interior is supposed to keep this mug from holding onto smells, but we found that after just one use, it was nearly impossible to get the coffee smell out the lid —so this isn’t a tumbler we’d want to use interchangeably as a coffee cup and a water cup.

Dishwasher safe: No Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 12 ounces, 16 ounces

Fellow Carter Slide Travel Coffee Mug

We wanted to love this beautiful powder-coated stainless steel tumbler from Kinto, a Japanese housewares brand. And for the most part, we did. The carry handle on the smartly-constructed top can be removed, revealing a thin circular opening that ensures controlled sipping. Liquid doesn’t pour out too quickly (no scalded tongue or ice cubes in the face) and when tightly sealed, it doesn’t leak. You can also remove the entire top of the mug, which makes pouring easy and makes the travel mug easy to clean. However, it’s impossible to open this mug one-handed. That, combined with its high price tag, kept it out of our top picks.

Dishwasher safe: No Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 17 ounces

Kinto Day Off Stainless Steel Tumbler

The MiiR Insulated Travel Tumbler got a lot of oohs and aahs during the unboxing phase of our test. It's sleek, bright, and incredibly comfortable to hold. And when you buy a mug, the brand gifts a portion of revenue to a charity project that's trackable via a code on the bottom of the mug. Hot drinks stay piping hot in this mug, thanks to what the brand calls “Thermo 3D Double Wall Vacuum Insulation Technology.” The locking flip lid is super-secure, too. Unfortunately, the way it’s designed makes it impossible to get the lid completely out of the way when drinking, which resulted in little spots of coffee on our testers’ noses with every single sip.

Dishwasher safe: No Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 12 ounces

MiiR Insulated Travel Tumbler

S’well’s water bottles have a cult-like following so we were excited to try the brand’s sleek and simple vacuum-insulated travel tumbler. ​​It did a good job keeping our coffee warm for a couple hours, but it wasn’t noticeably better than most of the other mugs we tried. The stainless-steel and BPA-free plastic lid is actually leak-proof thanks to an airtight flip-top spout cover. However, it flips easily enough we’d be worried about it catching on something in a bag and opening up by accident. Also, as with the Miir above, our testers’ noses got pressed into the piece that flips back while drinking—especially as we got toward the bottom of our hot and cold drinks. This design flaw is less annoying on this mug than it is on the Miir, but it’s annoying nonetheless.

Dishwasher safe: No Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 16 oz

Sip by Swell Stainless Steel Travel Mug

We can't help but love this vintage-inspired Stanley travel tumbler—but definitely not for coffee. It does a good job of keeping hot drinks hot, but after weeks of testing, we will only ever use it for ice water because following every single sip, a significant amount of whatever liquid is inside accumulates on the top of the supposedly leak-proof trigger-activated spout cover. When that liquid is coffee, you risk leaving little coffee stains everywhere you go. The slim design is really nice to hold and this tumbler fits in every cup holder we tried, but it’s kind of annoying to have to hold down the trigger the entire time you’re drinking.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: No Sizes available: 16 ounces , 20 ounces

Stanley Classic One Hand Vacuum Mug

Ace Hardware

This vacuum-insulated stainless steel travel mug from Ello looks like the kind of old-school speckled enamelware you'd find in your grandparents' house (that’s a good thing). More importantly, it holds heat well and doesn’t leak, though we wouldn’t want to toss it into a bag with any electronics or white clothes. It’s slender enough to fit in some (but not all) car cup holders—and unlike most of the insulated travel tumblers we tested, it has a handle. Technically, this mug is dishwasher safe, but the brand recommends hand-washing, and we’d want to do that anyway since the inside of the handle is lined with cork. There’s also no way to clean with friction under the sliding spout cover. Still, for less than $20, this mug is a good budget pick, especially if you want a cute, leak-proof insulated mug with a handle. But price is often indicative of quality, and while we have yet to encounter any problems, customer reviews indicate issues with long-term durability, and upon closer inspection, we realized we could probably snap off the handle with very little effort. (Intentional damage would not be covered by Ello’s limited lifetime warranty , but accidental breakage might be.) If you want something that will hold up to everyday use, consider investing in something that’s more solidly constructed.

Dishwasher safe: Yes (top rack only, hand wash recommended) Fits in car cup holder: Maybe Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 18 ounces

Ello Campy Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

Like the Ello Campy (above), the Ello Cole is a budget-friendly, vacuum-insulated, stainless steel tumbler with a leak-proof sliding spout cover. It holds heat well and all of the parts are top-rack dishwasher safe, though hand-washing the body is recommended. The Cole also has a cork accent, though on this mug, it’s a “built-in coaster,” which seems rather pointless since a well-insulated mug shouldn’t sweat. While we enjoyed testing this mug, we also worry about long-term durability after reading customer reviews—and the fact that there’s no way to deep clean under the slider lid is concerning, too.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 16 ounces

Ello Cole Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

The West Loop mug with Contigo’s leak-proof Autoseal lid is very leak-proof, thanks to a lock switch on the top. But even after unlocking the sip lid, you still have to push pretty hard on the autoseal button on the side of the lid to open it enough to get a good swig. In theory, it’s a good system, but when you just want to take a drink of coffee, it’s pretty annoying, especially because the button isn’t very responsive; it often feels like you’re not pushing it hard enough. We also had a really hard time getting the coffee smell out of the lid, even after just one use.

Dishwasher safe: Lid only, top rack Fits in car cup holder: Most Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 16 ounces , 20 ounces , 24 ounces

Contigo Stainless Steel Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug

The Contigo Autoseal Transit Mug has some nice features that set it apart from the West Loop. There’s a permanently-affixed non-slip silicone textured sleeve and a silicone pad on the bottom, too. But it has Contigo’s Autoseal lid, and though the Transit mug’s push-button mechanism is slightly different from the lid on West Loop (and locks and unlocks by twisting the lid), it’s equally annoying to have to hold down a button as you drink.

Dishwasher safe: Lid only, top rack Fits in car cup holder: Most Leakproof: Yes Sizes available: 16 ounces

Contigo Autoseal Transit Stainless Steel Travel Mug

Our testers were divided on this collapsible silicone travel “mug.” It’s really more of a coffee cup to travel with than an actual travel mug, as it’s not insulated and the flip-top lid is more leak-resistant than leak-proof. But if you want something that takes up very little space when not in use, this is a decent option. Simply push down the cup from the top and it becomes about the size of a can of tuna. It also comes in lots of pretty colors and all of the parts are super easy to clean in the dishwasher. On the other hand, keeping track of all those parts (especially the support ring) can be kind of annoying.

Dishwasher safe: Yes Fits in car cup holder: Yes Leakproof: No Sizes available: 12 ounces , 16 ounces , 24 ounces

Stojo Collapsible Travel Cup With Straw

The takeaway

If you want a travel mug that will keep your coffee piping hot (or your cold brew cold) for hours, the Zojirushi stainless steel mug has the best heat retention capabilities of any mug we tested. It’s also completely leak-proof so you can toss it in your bag without worry. The Brumate Nav , while not as great at retaining heat as the Zojirushi, has an equally-secure lid and the added benefit of being dishwasher-safe. For car commuters, we recommend the tumbler-style Yeti Rambler with the Magslide lid . Though not leak-proof, this dishwasher-safe, vacuum-insulated mug is pretty great at preventing spills while also keeping your morning coffee easily accessible—even while you keep your eyes on the road.

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Best Travel Mugs of 2023

Last Updated on November 22, 2022

Our editors independently research the best products online to produce this list. We may receive commission on purchases made from the links below but this will never affect our product choices.

Top 9 Best Travel Mugs

Bodum 11068-01 vacuum (editor’s choice), contigo west loop autoseal thermal (luxury choice), artlive insulated & reusable thermal stainless steel (best value).

• 720°DGREE BPA-Free Thermo Cup (Best environmentally friendly)

Emsa N2012200 Waves Grande (Best dishwasher safe)

Contigo byron snapseal (best one-handed), thermos stainless king (best insulated), insulated stainless steel coffee cups (best coffee cup), haushof double wall vacuum insulation flask (best leak-proof).

Travel mugs are a great addition to any trip, as they keep your beverage hot during the winter and also cold when the summer returns. They are also great for the environment as they are reusable, and they even keep your coffee hot or cold for longer compared to a disposable takeaway cup.

Travel mugs also make great gifts to friends and family, and you can even customise some to suit your style or for special occasions. From stainless steel travel mugs to customised options, you can get any style of mug you want.

Getting the best travel mug can be a daunting task, especially with the plethora available on the market. To help you find the one for you, we have reviewed some of the best travel mugs available and also offered some advice on which factors to consider when buying a coffee cup.

How we Compared Travel Mugs

To find the right travel mugs we considered multiple factors, including:

• Capacity and size
• Temperature retention
• Leak-proof and spill-proof

Our editorial team carefully researched and selected products that would suit a wide range of needs to take your kitchen experience to the next level. We set out this list after assessing customer reviews and evaluating pros and cons in line with the above comparison points.

Find more about our behind-the-scenes process here .

Travel Mug Reviews

Sleek and stylish are terms that best describe the Bodum travel mug. This travel mug is excellent at temperature retention with stainless steel construction and a vacuum insulated body. Additionally, it boasts a leak-proof silicone lid so that you need not worry about any leaks.

This travel cup also has a non-slip silicone sleeve for comfortable handling. Furthermore, the sip hole has a cover to prevent spillages when you are out and about. When done using your travel mug, you can throw it in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. Last but not least, this model is available in various colours so that you can choose the one that suits you best.

• Keeps drinks hot for hours
• Doubles as an on the go coffee maker
• Dishwasher friendly
• The silicone base provides additional stability
• The sip hole cover helps prevent spillages
• It may not be entirely leak-proof
• The coffee grids may escape if the mug is tipped over
• Some users may find its design to be bulky

For those who are looking for a luxurious option coupled with a stylish design and portability, consider the Contigo West Loop Autoseal Thermal Mug.

This superb stainless steel travel mug has a modern matte silver appearance. It can be opened with one hand and automatically closes when you’re done drinking. It has a capacity of  473ml, making it an ideal choice for the office or the gym .

The mug features a Thermalock double-wall vacuum insulation technology and stainless steel construction.

Not only is this a durable choice, but it will also keep your drinks hot or cold. To be precise, the mug can keep drinks hot for more than 5 hours while cold drinks stay cold for 12 plus hours.

What’s even more appealing about this reusable coffee cup is the auto seal technology, saving you from accidental spills.  Additionally,  it also comes with a lid-lock that prevents the Auto seal button from opening accidentally.

• Anti-spill lid and auto-lock
• It can be locked and unlocked with one hand
• Sweatproof exterior
• Available in different colour options
• Great for tea and coffee
• The plastic lid may be prone to breakage
• The vacuum flask body  may not be dishwasher friendly
• Its coating may peel off after several washes

Stylish and practical are the terms that best describe the Artlive Travel Mug. Its appealing coating and compact design fit comfortably in your palm and all standard car cup holders. With an optimised capacity of 380ml, this reusable cup ensures you can enjoy your cold or hot drinks in style.

The double-wall technology on this travel mug also ensures beverages stay hot or iced for three to six hours. And its high-quality stainless steel double construction makes it durable and reusable.

The mug’s lid is leak-proof, and thanks to the air vent built into the mouthpiece, you can drink your beverage with it smoothly flowing out of the mug. Furthermore, the cup’s bottom has a rubber base for enhanced stability. The Artlive Travel mug is environmentally friendly, safe, reusable and easy to clean .

• It comes with a high-quality BPA-free lid
• The lid is both leak and splash-proof
• Easy to clean
• Rubber sole for extra stability
• Double-wall insulation
• It may not be leak-proof
• The lid may pop off at times
• It might not retain heat for very long periods

720°DGREE BPA-Free Thermo Cup ( Best environmentally friendly)

The 720 DGREE Travel mug leads the way when it comes to style, portability, and choosing an environmentally friendly alternative. Thanks to its ability to keep beverages at the desired temperature for up to five hours, it is the ideal coffee mug for everyday use .

Furthermore, its 360° drinking opening and one-handed operation make it simple to use. It also has an eye-catching design, plus it is a better option compared to a reusable coffee cup.

Apart from comfortably drinking from any side, the travel mug is also leak-proof and lightweight, making it useful when you are on the go or when you are in the car.

Its construction features 100% BPA-free stainless steel and silicon, making it a safe option for you and the environment. Its sturdy stainless steel construction also helps in extending its life span.

This coffee travel mug uses vacuum insulated stainless steel technology to keep your beverage hot or ice-cold all day long. The vacuum double wall design is then coated with a unique extra copper layer, which helps extend the desired temperature of your drink even further.

Additionally, it has a wide mouth for effortless refilling, while the detachable lid allows for easy cleaning.

• BPA-free material
• Easy to disassemble for cleaning
• Compact and lightweight
• The one-click lid makes it ideal for one-hand operation
• This travel mug may be too tall for some car cup holders
• Some users may find it hard to tell when the mug lid is open or closed
• The lid might be prone to breakage

Are you looking for a travel mug that can be easily cleaned and can simply be thrown inside the dishwasher once you are done with it? If yes, then the Emsa N2012200 Waves Grande Travel Mug is a solid option. This dishwasher-safe coffee travel mug is designed to store the piping hot coffee you need to kick start your morning with .

This coffee cup, which has a vacuum insulated stainless steel construction and an airtight silicone seal, can store your drinks at a constant temperature for several hours. It keeps a hot drink hot for up to six hours, while iced drinks remain cold for up to 12 hours.

Furthermore, it has a cool to touch exterior, thanks to the outer BPA-free plastic, which is optimised for an enhanced grip.

What’s more, you can drink your coffee from any side of this travel mug, thanks to its comfortable cup technology that comes with a 360-degree opening. Its one-click open lid and quick press closure button also make it ideal for one-hand operation.

• Excellent temperature retention
• It opens at the press of a button
• It’s comfortable to hold thanks to its silicone cuff
• The travel mug may leak
• Its silicone cuff may fall off after sometime

Whether you like ice-cold refreshing drinks or love hot coffee when the winter months roll around, you can now take control over your drink’s temperature with this Contigo Byron Snapseal Travel Mug. With this mug, you only require one hand to enjoy your drink at your preferred temperature.

The mug uses the latest vacuum flask insulation technology known as the Thermo lock to keep your drink piping hot or ice-cold for hours (up to 6 hours hot and up to 12 hours cold).

When you need to take a sip, a snap seal button allows you to easily open and close your drink . Again, it features a reservoir on the lid that allows hot drinks to cool for a moment.

The Contigo Byron Snapseal Travel Mug boasts a seal proof design that helps keep liquids in the travel cup, and the lid is also made of BPA-free plastic.

In addition, it also has an easy to clean design, so you don’t need to disassemble any part of this travel mug. But it may not be dishwasher safe, so handwashing it is highly recommended.

• It has a thermal lock vacuum insulation system
• This travel mug is compatible with most car cup holders
• It boasts of a durable, high-quality design
• It uses Contigo’s snap and seal technology to avoid spillage
• The rubber seal on the lid may fall off
• It may leak after sometime
• The exterior coating may start to peel off after several washes

You cannot go wrong with the Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug for those looking for the best-insulated travel mug. Like all Thermos brand insulated products, this travel mug provides an innovative and portable option that promotes a healthy lifestyle and safety .

This product uses the innovative thermos vacuum insulation technology that creates an airless space between the double walls, eliminating heat loss. This ensures your cold remains so for up to nine hours. At the same time, your hot drink remains cold for up to five hours.

Another great addition is that this travel cup does not get hot when holding piping hot tea or get sweaty when the drink is ice cold. This is thanks to the magical insulation and helps retain the drink’s hot or cold temperature. What’s more, it features a drink lock sealing silicone lid making it the ideal companion for your morning commute and park adventures.

• Excellent vacuum insulation
• The drink lock sealing helps prevent spill
• It comes with an inbuilt tea hook for tea bags
• The mug is sweatproof
• It has a convenient handle
• It may be difficult to open when hot
• Some of its plastic pieces may be fragile
• Cleaning it may be a difficult task

The Insulated Stainless-Steel Coffee Cups are the ideal companion when you are far from home for a camping trip, hiking or hunting . It comes as a set of two mugs, both of which have a 414 ml capacity.

These travel cups are shatter-proof, featuring tough metal construction, making them suitable for kids and clumsy hands when on outdoor adventures. Their extra interior insulation ensures that the mugs remain cool to touch on the outside – even if you have hot water within.

In addition, these coffee cups come with spill-resistant silicone lids and wide handles that help enhance portability and comfortable handling. Also, the Insulated Stainless-Steel Coffee Cups are dishwasher safe, but we recommend that you wash them by hand when you can.

• It’s shatter-proof thanks to its stainless-steel construction
• Easy to clean since they are dishwasher friendly
• It has a spill-resistant lid
• They are good at temperature retention
• They have a durable stainless steel interior
• The lid may not be entirely spill-resistant
• It may not be well insulated
• This travel mug may not fit in all car cup-holders

If finding the best leak-proof travel mug is your top priority, then the HAUSHOF Travel Tumbler may be a good option for you to consider. It has an innovative water bottle design with a leak-proof flip lid that ensures easy one-handed drinking or pouring. What’s more, even when you invert or shake it, it does not leak.

The tumbler features a double-walled stainless steel design that keeps your drinks hot or cold. The vacuum-sealed area is dipped in copper to further enhance its temperature retention capabilities, keeping your drinks hot or cold for up to 24 hours. Its large capacity of 700ml satisfies your daily needs making it ideal for both indoor and outdoor usage .

What most people love about this mug is the high-grade 18/8 stainless steel which is corrosion-resistant, doesn’t absorbs odours or flavours, thus not subtly changing the taste of your favourite drink but rather helping the flavours be retained. It also has a wide mouth that allows for easy filling and washing.

• Triple-wall vacuum insulation
• The lid is leak-proof
• Works well for both indoor and outdoor activities
• It boasts of an ergonomic grip handle
• It fits in most car cup holders
• The handle may break quite easily
• Its colour option may not be ideal for some people
• It might not suit left-handed users

What to Look For in a Travel Mug

With the wide variety of travel mug options on the market, shopping for one may not be easy since different mugs tend to come in all sizes and with varying features.

To help you in your decision-making process, we have listed some features we think are important and which you should consider when shopping for the best travel mugs.

Unlike disposable takeaway cups, travel mugs are prefered for their reusability and their durability. Hence when shopping for one, we recommend choosing one that has the ability to withstand the test of time while also maintaining an optimum performance , i.e. retaining its heat.

Always consider the type of beverage that you will be consuming most. Whether it’s hot or cold, check the maximum temperature each cup can hold in both conditions as the best travel mugs keep in the heat as well as they keep it out.

Although stainless steel is the most common material for travel mugs, other materials include plastic , ceramic , glass , bamboo , and silicone . While the construction affects aesthetics, it also defines other important factors such as heat retention, durability and price.

Plastic is the cheapest, but it is prone to retaining odours and flavours, as well as staining. If you are looking for longevity and heat retention ability, stainless steel is the best option.

When shopping for a travel mug, always check if it’s dishwasher friendly or hand wash only. Especially if you’re going to be using it a lot, you may want to make sure that it’s easy to clean and doesn’t retain any odours. Furthermore, settling for one that doesn’t require you to disassemble it completely when you need to clean it will make your life that little bit easier.

The type of insulation your travel mug has is the key to temperature retention for both hot and cold drinks. Whether you settle for a to-go mug that is made of glass, stainless steel or bamboo, always ensure it has a layer of insulation.

Additionally, the insulation layer on a travel cup also ensures that your cup is able to maintain a cool to touch exterior. With that being said, always consider shopping for a to-go mug that features multi or double-wall insulation and for comfortable carrying , you may want to have a mug that features a silicone strap for greater comfort and grip.

Whether you are taking coffee, water, juice, tea, or even wine, every sip should be smooth and easy. There are several options for lid design, such as lids that flip, twist, or slid open, have a push-button or have a straw so that you don’t have to tilt your head back when drinking. Each lid has its drawbacks and benefits, but it is important to get a durable option that is spill-resistant.

Lids of travel cups should not spill. When considering your purchase, always keep the anti-spilling tech in mind .

Additionally, always check the functionality of the lid. Is it splash and spill-proof? Does it pose a challenge when screwing it on and off? Such questions should always be considered since travel mugs with one-handed operated lids are more efficient and convenient to use.

Capacity and Size

Travel mugs are available in different sizes and capacities. And when shopping for one, you need to consider your personal preference and your drinking habits. Since the main point of owning one is that you shouldn’t have to make a number of trips to the coffee machine or shop.

Always settle for one that perfectly holds a satisfying amount of liquid without being too bulky when you carry it around.

Furthermore, when shopping for travel mugs, always consider the size of your car cup holders, as different travel mugs sizes may not all fit your specific car cup holders.

Temperature Retention

Everyone hates the taste of lukewarm coffee on a cold day or the taste of lukewarm juice on a hot summer.

The best travel mugs thwart the interference of the surrounding temperature, ensuring your drink remains at your desired temperature. Vacuum insulated mugs made of stainless steel and with double insulation are the best when it comes to temperature retention.

Leak-Proof and Spill-Proof

Whether you prefer a simple or stylish travel mug, it’s important to ensure that you settle for one that does not spill or leak when in use. Leak-proof and spill-proof mugs come with different types of sealing that ensure its more leak-proof. This means that you won’t encounter spillages and experience coffee burns when using your travel mug.

Additional Features

Durability and functionality tend to be some of the key factors you may want to consider when shopping for a travel mug. However, having a to-go mug with bonus features is an added advantage. So, when shopping for a travel mug, you should also consider the bonus features that different mugs come with.

Such bonus features include a built-in tea hook that allows you to hang your favourite tea bag in your cup so that you can easily retrieve it without having to fish around.

In addition, some go mugs come with convenient handles that make it easier for you to enjoy your favourite drink without overheating your hands. Also, silicone sleeves on different cups come in handy since they help in reducing any uncomfortable experiences when using the cup.

How to Properly Clean a Travel Mug

Cleaning a travel mug doesn’t necessarily require any fancy cleaning product, as you will find that the combination of vinegar and baking soda always gets the job done. You need to simply add a generous amount of vinegar and baking soda inside the mug and let it sit for a while.

Let it fizz away as both the acid and alkaline react. Then using a clean piece of cloth, clean the inside of your mug until all the stains are removed. Rinse it with clean water and let it air dry.

When cleaning the lid of your travel mug, ensure you get your way around the anti-spillage lock since these detailed areas tend to be a great location for mould and dirt to build up.

Moreover, it is always advisable to always rinse your mug with water after use to ensure there is no build-up of nasty stains and odours. Also, always air dry both the mug and lid separately and ensure to wipe your mug with a dry clean cloth to remove any excess moisture.

Are All Travel Mugs Dishwasher Safe?

This normally depends on the type of travel mug you own. However, a number of reusable coffee cups and travel mugs are only safe on the top shelf of a dishwasher.  Such travel mugs are made from bamboo, plastic and glass.

On the flip side, if you prefer having a to-go mug that has a decorated exterior or thermos lining, it’s important to note that these to-go cups are not dishwasher safe. Since the outside coating or the finish may come off with time.

What Is the Difference Between Reusable Coffee Cups and Travel Mugs?

The best travel mugs are designed to be more leak-proof and spill-proof than reusable cups. They are a more solid option, especially when travelling or if you prefer a hands-free commute. In addition, the best travel mugs have a leak or spill-proof seal that ensures no spillage is encountered while you’re in transit.

A reusable cup can be described as an upgraded version of a disposable takeaway cup. These cups are normally made with recycled plastic or bamboo, and they have a silicone lid. 

A number of reusable cups have closable drinking spouts, but this doesn’t mean that they are fully spill-proof or leak-proof as they are only meant for transporting both cold and hot drinks for a short distance.

Furthermore, the capacity of a reusable cup tends to be around 350ml- this is the approximate size of a regular takeaway coffee. On the flip side, the capacity of travel mugs ranges between 350ml to 500ml.

Needless to say, a travel mug is a handy product to have around if you’re always on the move. And we hope that our travel mug reviews will help you settle for one that suits not only your style but your preference. But if we were to pick an overall winner, we would settle for our editors choice, the Bodum  Travel Mug.

This to-go mug combines double-wall insulation and stainless steel construction that helps keep your cold beverages cold and hot ones hot. Additionally, it is dishwasher safe, and its rubber grip makes it comfortable and secure to hold. The grip comes in handy, especially when wearing gloves, as it won’t slip out of your hand.

Additional Resources

• Best Coffee Bean
• Best Ground Coffee
• Best Food Flask
• Best Coffee Grinder
• Best Milk Frother

Paul is the type of person who never met a problem he couldn’t fix. He can always be found tinkering with something in his house, even if it isn’t broken! His tips and tricks are often shared on our site. He’s the one you call when something breaks because he has been known to improvise fixes for everything from leaky faucets to malfunctioning dryers.

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17 Best Travel Coffee Mugs for Hot and Cold Drinks

Commute with your coffee under control.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

For many of us, coffee is a constant companion — and that means you'll want a trusty travel mug as you head out the door. Whether you prefer a piping hot cup from your drip coffee maker or single-serve coffeemaker , a refill at Starbucks or a dose of joe from your cold brew coffee maker , your travel coffee mug should handle it all without leaking. Fortunately, there's tons of options out there, including stainless steel coffee thermoses to keep your beverages cool and ones with straws for easy sipping.

Over the years, the pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab have tested 45 different travel mugs for hot and cold temperature retention, durability, resistance to leakage, ease of use and more. In our most recent tests, we called in samples of the latest travel mugs and used them both in the office and on our commutes to see how well they held up. We noted how they felt, how they traveled and, unavoidably, how they held up when dropped. Ahead, we rounded up the best travel coffee mugs based on picks that performed well during testing or come from brands that we trust.

Our top picks:

Best Overall Travel Coffee Mug

Zojirushi 16-ounce stainless steel mug.

Best Value Travel Coffee Mug

Juro stainless steel vacuum insulated tumbler.

Best No-Spill Travel Coffee Mug

Stanley classic trigger action travel mug.

Best Travel Coffee Mug for Espresso Drinks

Avana sedona stainless steel thermal tumbler.

Easiest to Clean Leak-Resistant Travel Coffee Mug

Oxo good grips 16-oz travel coffee mug with leakproof simplyclean lid.

Best Travel Coffee Mug with Carrying Strap

Hydro flask flex sip lid coffee flask.

Best Self-Heating Travel Coffee Mug

Smrtmugg heated coffee mug.

Best Wide-Mouthed Travel Coffee Mug

S'well stainless steel traveler.

Best Locking-Lid Travel Coffee Mug

Contigo luxe autoseal vacuum-insulated mug.

Best Travel Coffee Mug with Handle

Yeti rambler mug with lid.

Read on for more information on our testing process as well as for tips on what to look for when shopping for a travel coffee mug. For more ideas on what to fill your cup with, check out these coffee recipes to make at home .

Zojirushi's travel mug with a locking lid opens with the push of a button but won't leak or spill (even in a backpack). It will keep hot coffee hot — in fact, the brand is so confident that it offers a five-year warranty on heat retention. Iced coffee fans will appreciate that the mouth is large enough to handle big ice cubes for that extra chill.

Our tester noted that the vacuum-sealed lid keeps water cold all day: "I always grab it from my backpack and think, 'There's no way this could still possibly be cool anymore,' and I'm always pleasantly surprised." We also like the slim design, which is easy to grip and fits nicely into backpacks or totes. It comes in several colors and a 12-ounce version.

This stainless steel mug is a great affordable option, especially considering its large 20-ounce size. What's more, it claims to retain the temperature of your coffee for up to six hours. Online reviewers like that it fits easily into car holders and won't sweat when filled with ice. The tumbler includes two lids: The featured slider lid as well as a flip-style lid , so you can choose which you prefer for the beverage you're drinking. It also comes with a reusable straw and a straw cleaner, though we found the straw was short and inconvenient to use.

Stanley has been in the thermal carafe game since 1913. This travel coffee mug delivers the company's insulated design and also includes a push-button "trigger action" lid that keeps the mug sealed unless pushed. We liked that it means the spout stays closed when you're not hands-on . Our pros did note that it requires some level of strength and dexterity to hold the button while sipping. This mug is available in several colors (even camo!) and in a 20-ounce size.

This 10-ounce travel mug from Avana is perfectly sized for espresso-based drinks, but it's also available in 20-ounce and 30-ounce versions. Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou likes that the simple two-piece design is easy to clean because the lid is just one solid piece, unlike many other lids. This is particularly helpful if you like coffee drinks with foam, like latte beverages , that can gunk up lids over time. The contoured mouthpiece makes sipping easy, but it doesn't seal closed, so watch out for leaks. The double-walled insulated construction keeps drinks hot or cold and helps prevent condensation from collecting on the outside.

We love when kitchen gear comes apart for a thorough cleaning, but would rather skip the guesswork that can follow when it's time to reassemble. The OXO travel coffee mug with SimplyClean lid solves this pain point: The four-piece lid is color-coded, numbered and etched with assembly instructions . It's easy to take apart and clean by hand (or in the dishwasher), and simple to put back together for your next cup. Never mind, it's also comfortable to hold. The mug comes in four other colors as well as a 20-ounce size.

Hydro Flask has a huge following when it comes to water bottles — in fact, we named the brand our best stainless steel water bottle — and we're fans of its coffee mugs (called coffee flasks), too . GH Lab tests found that its stainless steel, vacuum-insulated body kept drinks hot and cold for hours, and it was quite leakproof. Hydro Flask also offers a separate wide-mouth lid , which can be handy for cold beverages. (The included lid twists to open and close.) But, be careful drinking hot beverages with a wide mouth as it can spill easily. It's available in a range of colors as well as 16- and 20-ounce sizes , and the little handle helps make it easier to transport.

This SmrtMugg travel mug — rated our best self-heating travel mug — has built-in heat technology to keep coffee hot. Its large battery on the bottom — the manufacturer claims a 10-hour battery life — kept coffee hot (above the target temp of 135˚F) for the full four hours of our Lab tests . Once you get the hang of the controls at the bottom of the mug, the clear digital readout is helpful in setting the temperature and turning off the mug. This travel mug also aced our leak tests. Our tester noted that while the push-button lid is easy to use, the edge of the button can bump your lip while drinking.

This sleek 16-ounce bottle has been redesigned to fit more comfortably in your hand. Though we have not tested this model in the Lab, our pros appreciate that i ts large size and wide mouth can easily fit ice cubes , which makes it a great choice for frequent iced coffee drinkers. We have also found other S'well products to be good at maintaining temperatures. It seals shut and is leakproof; plus, it will keep your drinks cold (or hot!) all day. The S'well comes in a ton of color options as well as 12-ounce and 20-ounce sizes.

This coffee mug from Contigo is super comfortable in your hands, and it has a unique locking feature that makes it leak- and spill-proof. When you want to sip (or chug) your coffee, just press the button to release the seal. During your commute, you can lock the button so you don't accidentally press it while on the go . It's also completely dishwasher-safe, even the lid. One tester did note that with hot beverages, the lid can feel too hot to handle.

This popular Yeti mug looks just like a traditional coffee mug, but it's designed to keep your drinks hot or cold and comes with a lid to prevent unnecessary spills. The sturdy and comfortable handle is large enough for even wide hands. It's available in a dozen different colors as well as sizes from 10- to 30 ounces. Another bonus is that when you buy from the Yeti site, you can customize your product with a short text, a monogram or a logo. Our tester found that the lid slides open easily but noted that it's not leakproof. The brand has also introduced the Rambler Stronghold lid , which screws on (rather than presses in), which we're actively testing in the Lab.

Fellow Carter Everywhere Travel Mug

This little cylinder makes a statement, with testers loving how compact it was. The sleek stainless steel shell contains a ceramic liner intended to keep your coffee free of metallic flavors. The screw top reveals a wide mouth that you can sip from any angle and is large enough for adding ice . It comes in seven additional colors as well as a smaller, 12-ounce size.

W&P Porter Ceramic Mug with Protective Silicone Sleeve

Papantoniou likes that the inside of this travel mug is easy-to-clean porcelain, which generally helps to prevent buildup over time that can negatively impart flavors . She also noted that it keeps coffee "nice and hot right off the bat." It includes a simple shape and a silicone sleeve for a comfortable non-slip grip. It comes in several colors and a couple of terrazzo prints . It's also available in a 16-ounce size.

Starbucks Classic Green & White Traveler Tumbler Coffee Mug

Starbucks fans will appreciate that they can purchase this mug online rather than solely in the stores. The ceramic mug is easy to use — the lid just pops into place and is surrounded by a rubber seal to help keep it (and the coffee) in place — and easy to clean . "It keeps coffee warm like a standard ceramic mug would, and the lid helps to keep things a little warmer for longer," our tester says. "I like that it's not scalding hot like in a metal mug, so I can enjoy my coffee without burning my mouth." The 12-oz size is perfect for refills of Starbucks tall drinks.

STOJO Collapsible Travel Cup with Straw

Stojo's collapsible coffee cup makes it possible to travel light while avoiding single-use plastics. The brand impressed our pros with its other collapsible offerings — the Collapsible Bowl won a 2021 Kitchen Gear Award . Similarly, this travel cup is well designed: The cup includes a heat sleeve that provides a structured grip for the squishy silicone cup, and the 16-ounce size includes a straw (which is great for iced coffee or if you prefer to bring your own cup to fountain machines). The collapsed cup is just two inches in size. It's both microwave and dishwasher safe, with 8-ounce , 12-ounce and 24-ounce sizes.

MiiR Flip Traveler

With a 4.8-rating on Amazon, this stainless steel thermos comes in a slim design and an easy-to-open lid. Though we have not tested this pick in the Lab, we like its focus on giving back: T he bottom of each travel mug is printed with a "Give Code" that you can enter at Mirr's website for details on the brand's corporate giving , which is funded through every purchase. The Flip Traveler is available in several colors and 12-ounce and 16-ounce sizes .

JOCO Glass Reusable Coffee Cup

This glass bodied Joco mug has a colorful silicone lid and a matching thermal sleeve. It's microwave (and dishwasher!) safe, which makes it a great option if you like to reheat your coffee throughout the day. Since the glass is clear, it's easy to see how much coffee you have left — and hit your preferred shade when you add your creamer. Take note that the lid does not seal shut, so while it might be handy for car commuting, this isn't one that's great for tossing in your bag.

Zoku Instant Iced Coffee Maker

For iced coffee fiends, this mug is for you. Get your cuppa in flash: Simply store the inner core of the mug in the freezer, then slip the frozen cup into the protective plastic sleeve and pour in hot coffee. Our tester found that the travel mug will chill your coffee rapidly without watering it down with ice cubes. (The brand actually uses the same concept for its ice cream maker .) Slide in the lid with the provided straw, and you're ready for undiluted iced coffee — though you can add ice if you prefer. One caveat is that the freezable core holds only 11 ounces, which some might find too small.

How we test travel coffee mugs

When the experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test travel coffee mugs, they use thermocouples to track the temperature of the liquid inside the mug over time. Many of the mugs on this list were tested at home over months (even over commutes) to assess their durability, ease of use and temperature retention.

Our pros also evaluate the mugs for stability, cleanability and comfort of both holding and drinking. They test whether the mug is easy to open and close, and they drop each mug to assess its durability. To test for leaking, our pros roll the mug around on its side as well as turn it upside down and shake it vigorously.

How to find the best travel coffee mug for you

✔️ Material : Many travel coffee mugs are stainless steel, though our list also includes porcelain, glass and silicone options. Double-walled construction is common with stainless steel mugs, and that can help keep your beverage hot or cold longer. Other materials may not be insulated. If you opt for a glass mug, consider borosilicate glass, which is tempered to prevent shattering with hot liquids and can be more durable if dropped. Porcelain mugs are generally easy to clean, and because the material is nonporous, the mug is unlikely to develop odd flavors. Silicone is a great lightweight option, but it can get warm if it does not have a heat sleeve.

✔️ Lid : Some lids are more spill-proof than others. Our Lab experts particularly love the locking feature on the Contigo Luxe Autoseal Vacuum-Insulated Travel Coffee Mug , which adds a level of safety if you plan to toss your mug in your bag. Lids that screw on are also often leak-resistant. Those who prefer a more traditional-style mug with a handle may find that slider lids are common; evaluate those for leaking, as some are prone to dribbles (or worse). Note that spill-proof lids often require more care to clean.

✔️ Washability : Check to see if the mug is dishwasher-safe. If it needs to be washed by hand, make sure you can thoroughly clean it with a sponge or bottle brush .

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Sarah Wharton is the Senior Editor and Analyst for the Good Housekeeping Institute. She tested several of the newest additions to this list as well as led the recent test of heated mugs. She's written about all kinds of kitchen gear as well as coffee advice like how to make a cappuccino and how to make an iced latte .

Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou oversees all testing of kitchen gear, including products like coffee grinders , coffee makers , espresso machines and Nespresso machines . She has tested almost all of these travel mugs and is constantly rotating through an assortment in her daily travel mug use. She is also the lead judge in the Good Housekeeping Institute's forthcoming Coffee Awards .

Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor in the Good Housekeeping Institute , where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, tech, health and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).

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The Best Travel Mugs to Keep Drinks Hot or Cold

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Best Overall Miir Flip Traveler (16 Ounce) Read more

Runner-Up Hydro Flask Coffee Mug With Flex Sip Lid (16 Ounce) Read more

A Close Third Klean Kanteen TKWide Insulated Mug (16 Ounce) Read more

A Classy Paper Cup Replacement KeepCup Brew Cork (12 Ounce) Read more

If it isn't wine or whiskey, you shouldn't be drinking it at room temperature. Even river water on a warm day of hiking is refreshingly cooler than the ambient air temperature. Lukewarm coffee is a great way to get your whole day off to rough start, and nobody daydreams about relaxing by the pool with a tepid glass of 70-degree water by their side.

Lucky for you, everybody seems to be selling a vacuum-insulated bottle, mug, or tumbler these days. Most of them are perfectly capable, too. It's rare to run across one that's a total failure at its one job, but it's also rare to find one that truly stands out. Here are the best travel mugs that impressed us, and some of the rest.

Updated December 2023: We've moved the Yeti Rambler to honorable mentions, as well as added the KeepCup Thermal, Hydro Flask All Around Tumbler, and GSI Outdoors Glacier 15-Fluid-Ounce Camp Cup. We've also updated pricing and availability throughout.

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Best Overall

Miir makes one of my favorite stainless-steel water bottles , and its insulated travel tumbler doesn’t disappoint. It 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 cupholder or backpack bottle holder, and it feels tough enough to survive years of abuse.

Hydro Flask’s powder coating is one of the toughest I have come across on a beverage container. Whenever I can foresee some serious abuse happening to a coffee mug on a trip, I take a Hydro Flask. I’ve yet to dent or scratch one through routine carelessness. Without a cupholder in my car, my Hydro Flask lived on the floorboards, rolling and crashing around with every maneuver, and it still held up. The pebbled texture is grippy, so you won’t fumble it like a stick of hot butter if your hands get wet or greasy.

A Close Third

Narrow openings are fine for water, in my opinion, but for hot beverages, I like having a wider gap so I can take a big gulp. You’re less likely to burn your mouth on hot drinks when you can slurp, too. The TKWide’s Cafe Cap is like drinking from a regular to-go coffee cup, rather than a water bottle.

All the colors have matte powder-coated finishes, which are more scratch-resistant than the brand’s smooth powder-coated finishes. That said, I haven’t found them to be as tough as Hydro Flask’s powder coating, and the uncoated stainless-steel ring on the bottom of the mug is pretty easy to scuff up.

A Classy Paper Cup Replacement

The Brew Cork is greater than the sum of its parts. Its double-walled, insulated version is meant to replicate and replace paper coffee shop cups. It’s fun to drink out of. Many other tumblers’ lid openings are blocky or mash your nose, but the KeepCup is ergonomically on point. It’s not the best for road trips, nor the best for keeping a ton of coffee hot for hours, but I highly recommend the LongPlay if all you want is a reusable cup to cut down on single-use waste and keep your drink warm long enough for you to actually drink it. That said, the lid is a bit dribbly. While the interior and lip are glass—no metallic off-tastes here—the exterior shell below the rubber grip is plastic.

David Nield

Adrienne So

Reece Rogers

An Eco-Friendly Option

It doesn't fit a typical car’s cupholder, but if you like an insulated mug that resembles an actual cup more than a pack of Lifesavers standing on end, the Climate+ is for you. It has the solid build quality and tough powder-coated finish we’ve come to expect from Miir, in a package that has less of an impact on the environment. Miir says that the Climate+ uses no new plastic (the lid is 100 percent recycled and recyclable), and its insulation uses 25 percent less stainless steel than traditional insulated mugs. It’s also completely BPA-free.

Camp Classic

The blue enameled steel camp cup is a piece of Americana that hearkens back to black-and-red flannel shirts and war-surplus Army tents. Like all the tumblers on this list, it’s vacuum-insulated to keep hot drinks hot and cold ones cold. Its screw-on plastic lid, with a sliding lever for sipping, is leak-proof enough. If you leave it upside down for more than a few seconds or shake it, it’ll drip, but we couldn’t get it to leak by knocking it onto its side.

The handle is plastic to avoid conducting heat from hot contents, and the inner part of the handle is lined in cork. The Campy isn’t enameled—it’s just painted to look like it—but it pulls off the effect well.

For Coffee Purists

Instead of a tiny sippy hole, the Carter’s screw-on cap reveals a wide tumbler that lets you breathe in your coffee’s aromas as you drink. The opening is 69 millimeters wide, so you can use most manual coffee brewers, such as an AeroPress or Hario pour-over , directly on it. That’s too wide for many cars’ cupholders, but it’s plenty stable, and you won’t have to worry about tipping it over on a desk. My average-size hands had no issues, but some buyers with smaller hands might find it difficult or uncomfortable to hold.

The interior is ceramic-coated, so you don’t get any metallic flavors, and the thin metal lip is curved like a cabernet glass. Its textured matte exterior coating is tough and held up as well as the mighty Hydro Flask’s coating. It's been completely leak-proof too. You’ll have no concerns throwing it into your laptop bag completely full.

For Camping

When traveling, I want to pack light. Snow Peak’s gorgeous insulated titanium camp mug is less than 4 inches tall, weighs only 4.2 ounces, and has foldaway handles to make it even smaller. Its 450-ml capacity equates to slightly more than 15 fluid ounces. As someone who finds washing mugs to be an interminable hassle, this is the easiest one to travel with—just refill, rinse, and carabiner it to the outside of your bag. You can also buy a lid separately .

Tumblers and travel mugs are generally designed for you to pour your chosen beverage into, but what if you just want to slam a can in there? These kinds of insulated drink holders are particularly useful when I'm out and about, drinking a canned soda or beer, and there's no nearby recycling bin immediately nearby to toss the empty can into.

The Hydro Flask displaced the Yeti Rambler Colster because, yes, it's designed to keep an entire beverage can cool, but if you feel like pouring one out and drinking directly from the tumbler, you can do that too. Just remove the collar, and now you've got a handsome, stainless steel rim to sip from. The collar fits over the bottom of the can to stabilize it too, so you won't lose it. This is the 12-fluid-ounce version that fits a standard beer, soda, juice, or wine can. There's also a 16-fluid-ounce Tallboy Cooler Cup for $28 if you're feeling particularly thirsty.

Honorable Mentions

We run through so many travel mugs, and not all of them are winners. These are a few we like, just not as much as the ones above.

Contigo Luxe Autoseal for $36 : What makes the Contigo “automatic” is a button on the side of the lid that opens the sippin’ 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. Of all the tumblers and bottles I’ve tested, this is the easiest to reach down and quickly use one-handed. You don’t want to mess with latches while you’re piloting a wheeled missile down the road. 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, so consider that myth busted.

KeepCup Thermal for $33 : 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.

Miir Camp Cup for $28: Miir's insulated coffee mug doesn't fumble any crucial details. It 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 stainless steel rim, and the transparent plastic lid feels a little cheaper.

Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler for $35 : With its soft, pastel colors and chunky handle, the All Around Travel Tumbler seems to be crying out, “Hold me!” 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 that resists scratches and chips like a nuclear fallout shelter, with 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 : Not too easy to find at retailers, unless you count Backcountry's limited selection of two colors, this is an insulated version of GSI Outdoors' classic camp cups. It's 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 : Zojirushi's classic 16-ounce travel mug is a favorite around these parts. The stainless-steel interior is BPA-free and has a wide-mouth opening to accommodate ice cubes. The lid locks to avoid accidental spillage, and I accidentally left hot tea in it for 18 hours and found it still hot when I cautiously 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. I also need a bottle brush to wash the interior.

Rambler Stackable Pint Glass for $22 : Never mind the fact that Yeti calls it a glass when there's no glass—this insulated cup holds 16 fluid ounces, which is the capacity of a typical tall drinking glass. The best aspect of these is that they stack, 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: This style of mug has become increasingly common. 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 cupholder, which it can't fit into.

Owala FreeSip for $28 : Drinking from the FreeSip while wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet (by tilting the helmet up slightly and sipping from under the chin bar) was surprisingly easy, thanks to the built-in straw on this mug. 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 to maintain your beverage’s perfect temperature, and the clear press-on lid has a locking mechanism. You can also 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 ombre hues.

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 over the course of the year.

S'well Traveler Tumbler for $30 : S’well boasts that its tumblers are triple-walled, but we’re not convinced that has much real-world benefit over a normal double-walled tumbler. 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, and also hard hats and construction sites. 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.

Avoid These Travel Mugs

We’ve tested a great many tumblers, and not all are winners. These aren't anywhere near as good as our picks above.

Greens Steel Beast 20-Ounce Insulated Tumbler : Greens Steel’s Beast tumbler has nearly 14,000 positive reviews on Amazon and is, at least for me, one of the top hits when I search Amazon for an insulated tumbler. But the rubber seal around the lid is thin and easily comes out of place. I was ready to write the Beast off when it was leaking like a sieve, but after I adjusted the seal, it was reasonably leak-proof. Sometimes it dribbles, sometimes it doesn’t, depending on whether the seal stays put when you’re attaching the lid. The exterior color coating is not as durable as the Klean, Hydro Flask, Yeti, or Fellow. It did come with a regular metal straw, a thick metal milkshake straw, and a cleaner brush.

Stanley Adventure Vacuum Quencher : It's not that it's a bad tumbler, but rather that I don't see the point. Yes, it has the typical Stanley bombproof powder coating and build, and it does a fine job of keeping hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold, but the chief feature is just … a straw. It pokes out of a hole in the lid without sealing to the opening's sides, so it's not spill-proof if you're using the straw, even though there's a lid on it. You can close the lid, but you have to remove the straw and put it somewhere. It doesn't flip down conveniently or anything. “Insulated tumbler with a reusable straw thrown in” seems like an afterthought of a product.

Snow Peak Kanpai 500-ml Bottle : Unlike most of Snow Peak’s line of camping and backpacking gear, the Kanpai is stainless steel, not titanium, and it’s not made in Japan. It’s a double-walled, insulated stainless-steel tumbler with a glossy finish, and it comes with three lids, for some unnecessary reason. There’s a white screw-on lid that needs to be removed every time you want a drink, and a black version of the same lid. The third lid—one with a sipping hole that can be closed with a sliding latch—leaks if the Kanpai tips over. It took damage in a mere 3-foot drop when it was empty, landing on its rim, which flattened. A steel bottle, especially one with no liquid in it, should be able to survive that without battle scars.

Toaks Titanium Double Wall 450ML Cup for $40: More often than not, I champion Chinese-made Toaks gear as an affordable source of titanium camp cookware compared to Japanese-made Snow Peak and Evernew and Thai-made MSR, which tend to be more expensive. But this mug is only $10 less than the Snow Peak mug we recommend above, and it's finishing is rougher.

Louryn Strampe

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The Best Travel Mug

By Trey French and Anna Perling

Hot drinks are a daily staple for many, and just as important as the beverage is the travel mug that keeps it warm while you’re on the go.

After a decade of testing travel mugs, we still recommend the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug for most people. It keeps drinks hot for hours, and its locking lid stays securely closed, even when you toss the mug into a bag. We also have another option, which fits better in most cup holders, for use while you’re driving.

Everything we recommend

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

The best travel mug.

This mug offers the best heat retention, plus one-handed usability and a locking, leakproof lid, which makes it especially useful if you carry your mug in a bag or backpack.

Buying Options

Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug (16 ounces)

A wider mug for drivers.

This wider mug fit securely in our testers’ cup holders, and its spill-proof lid design is good for rough roads. It doesn’t retain heat as well as the Zojirushi mug—a fact that some people might actually appreciate.

OXO Good Grips Water Bottle Cleaning Set

For cleaning your mug.

This bottle-cleaning set has a skinny straw brush and a looped detail-cleaning brush, which are all you need to keep your travel mug squeaky clean.

The 16-ounce Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug keeps beverages hot for hours, even in cold environments. It has a well-designed exterior, an easy-to-clean nonstick Teflon interior, and a foolproof lid-locking mechanism that you can operate with one hand.

The mug is lightweight and slim, but it may not fit snugly in some cup holders. However, thanks to its locking lid, we were comfortable carrying it around in a bag, without worrying about leaks.

This Zojirushi model is pricey for a travel mug, but this is the mug we trust most not to spill in a bag, and it’s hard to put a price on that. (Actually, that would be about the price of a new bag, laptop, phone, and whatever else happened to be in there at the time.)

It’s also available in a 20-ounce version .

Like other Zojirushi products, it comes with a five-year warranty.

The 16-ounce Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug is wider and fits better in most car cup holders than the Zojirushi mug. The lid has an auto-sealing button that prevents spills, and when you drink, it won’t block your view of the road ahead.

Although this Stanley model may not keep drinks as hot as the Zojirushi mug, some people might prefer such results—we’ve heard many complaints over the years of the Zojirushi mug keeping drinks too hot.

Both the mug and the lid are dishwasher safe, but the lid has fewer parts than that of our top pick, so it is easier to disassemble and hand-wash if you prefer to clean it that way.

And let’s not forget that these things need cleaning regularly. That’s why we also have a bottle-brush recommendation for when you need to clean out the gunk .

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked, how we tested, our pick: zojirushi sm-sf stainless steel mug (16 ounces), also great: stanley classic trigger-action travel mug (16 ounces), also great: oxo good grips water bottle cleaning set, other good travel mugs, the competition.

We’ve been testing travel mugs since 2013. Previous versions of this guide were written and researched by Séamus Bellamy and Anna Perling. In 2023, staff writer Trey French wrote the latest update to this guide. He gained an appreciation of high-performing insulated drinkware while spring camping in Colorado when the temperatures dropped below freezing.

In addition to conducting our own tests, we spoke to engineers and industry professionals about mug design, ideal coffee and tea drinking temperatures, and the best way to find out how long coffee will really stay good in a travel mug.

Travel mugs, as their name implies, are for people who want to take beverages on the go. Compared with paper or Styrofoam cups, a good travel mug offers better insulation and safeguards against leaks or spills. In addition, you can save money in the long run and reduce your environmental impact by using a travel mug.

Tumblers, thermoses, and insulated water bottles are all close cousins to the travel mug but have some important differences:

• Tumblers have sipping ports that don’t seal as tightly or securely as on travel mugs and have wider mouths for you to add ice cubes. Many also have straws for you to sip cold beverages.
• Thermoses usually lack the slim size and lid-design features that make travel mugs portable and convenient. With a thermos, instead of popping open a lid to take a sip, you need to unscrew the cap and pour liquid into an open cup to drink.
• Insulated water bottles are geared toward keeping drinks cold and don’t have sipping ports like travel mugs do. Instead, they often have screw-top lids that require two hands to open and close, or they have sport caps, which aren’t great for hot drinks.

To determine which travel mugs to test, we look for mugs that advertise the following qualities:

Vacuum-insulated: All of the mugs we consider are double-walled and vacuum-insulated .

Capable of retaining heat all day: We look for mugs that claim to keep hot beverages drinkably warm for at least eight hours.

Made of stainless steel: Stainless steel is more durable than glass or ceramic and retains heat better than plastic. It’s also the best material for vacuum insulation and therefore heat retention.

Leakproof and spill-proof: A leakproof seal keeps a closed lid from leaking if the mug jostles. A spill-proof seal guards against spills should you drop the mug or knock it over; such seals typically incorporate a push button, like the one found on the Stanley Classic Trigger-Action.

Easy to use: A good mug should be easy to both open and close, as well as to lock and unlock, with one hand. It should also be easy to disassemble for cleaning. We look for mugs that advertise these features or have reviews indicating that they are easy to use.

Between 12 and 20 ounces in capacity: We’ve concluded that 16 ounces is the optimal capacity for a travel mug, as it delays the need for a refill while remaining portable and easy to hold. Some people prefer wider mugs that don’t rattle in cup holders, while others like slimmer mugs that take up less space in backpacks or bags. We test both styles.

After considering the everyday wear and tear that a travel mug might go through in real-world scenarios, we devised tests to mimic those scenarios. During our tests, we use the mugs daily, evaluating them for simple enjoyability.

• Leak and spill tests: We test mugs for leaky seals by shaking them upside down, dropping them, and carrying them in bags.
• Drop test: We drop each mug three times from a height of 4 feet onto asphalt.
• Insulation test: We fill each mug with boiling water and then measure how quickly the water cools over eight hours, checking every hour.
• Ease of cleaning: We wash each mug, following instructions; we also take apart their lids and wash those. We check for lingering smells and to see if the finish on the mug is harmed.
• Cup holder compatibility: We test the mugs in cup holders of varying sizes (2.75, 3.5, and 3.75 inches in diameter).

The 16-ounce Zojirushi SM-SF Stainless Steel Mug is the best travel mug for keeping drinks hot for long periods of time. This mug also comes in a 20-ounce size. (The SM-SF is the current model; these model designations often change from year to year, but the mugs themselves stay the same.)

It kept our drinks the hottest. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the best temperature range for coffee is 145 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit. After sitting for eight hours in the Zojirushi mug in a 72-degree room, our water measured 158 degrees—hotter than in any other mug we tested. That translates to hot coffee over a full workday. (If you’re opening the mug more frequently than once an hour, however, it might cool a bit faster.)

It won’t leak. It has sturdy, leakproof seals and a simple locking mechanism. Just close the lid, switch the lock into position, and you’re guaranteed that the top won’t pop open when you don’t want it to—when you’re carrying the mug in a bag, for instance.

It’s easy enough to keep clean. The nonstick interior helps to prevent odors and stains, though the mug’s instructions do warn against storing milk or fruit juices in the mug. (If you prefer drinking from a vessel that doesn’t have a nonstick coating, you might consider the Zojirushi SM-KHE , which has an electro-polished stainless steel interior.) The narrow girth makes it hard to get a sponge inside, but using a bottle brush circumvents that problem. You can disassemble the plastic lid to clean out any gunk that might be lodged in hard-to-reach places, although the small plastic and silicone parts can be difficult to get on and off the lid.

It’s durable. Though this mug developed a few scuffs in our drop tests, it acquired no more than the other mugs we tried, some of which fared far worse. Zojirushi backs the vacuum insulation of its stainless steel mugs with a five-year limited warranty, and the company sells individual replacement parts online .

It’s simple. The Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug has an attractive design that’s minimalist yet eye-catching in its simplicity.  The 20-ounce version comes in only one color (navy), but our pick, the 16-ounce version, comes in three (navy, pale pink, mint blue).

How the Zojirushi mug has held up

The Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug might be the single most commonly owned and used product among Wirecutter staffers; it has traveled in many crowded bags, backpacks, and purses without any problems. One staff member did report that after eight years of use, hers finally developed a leak. Another colleague says that their mug has survived drops onto cement (once from a third-floor balcony) without suffering more than a dent.

Zojirushi specifies hand-washing only, but we know of several mugs that have survived accidental trips through the dishwasher without any noticeable decrease in performance, though the external paint has flaked as a result.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• The Zojirushi mug is sometimes too good at insulating. We’ve found that if we pour fresh coffee directly into the mug, the liquid can stay scalding hot for hours. To prevent burning your mouth, let your beverage cool a little before closing the lid.
• It’s not cup holder friendly. This model, which is more narrow than a typical travel mug, did not fit snugly in our testers’ car cup holders. If you prefer a travel mug with a larger circumference, check out our also-great pick.
• It isn’t spill-proof. Though the SM-SF is leakproof, it isn’t spill-proof like our also-great pick; the design lacks an automatic seal to prevent liquid from spilling if you drop the mug while you’re drinking.

The 16-ounce Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug is our recommendation for use in a car, as it’s a great spill-proof mug that keeps drinks hot and fits in a cup holder.

It’s designed for drivers. Wider than the Zojirushi mug, this Stanley model fit more securely in our testers’ car cup holders. The top of the mug is narrower than the base, though, to help reduce heat loss through the lid. (Experts told us that the lid is where a double-walled mug loses the most heat.) And the design has no pop-up lid to bump your nose or block your eyes while you’re drinking.

It’s spill-proof, unlike the Zojirushi mug. You do need to hold down a button to keep the sipping port open to drink from the mug, which may be frustrating to some people. However, this design prevents spills—whether from rough roads, say, or if you accidentally knock the mug over while reaching for it—since the mug closes automatically. Other mugs we tested, such as the Contigo Autoseal Transit and West Loop (both former runners-up), had similar buttons, but the button on the Classic Trigger-Action was easier to press and hold. Unlike the Zojirushi model, this mug has no lock to secure its lid, but it never leaked in our tests.

It keeps drinks hot long enough. The Classic Trigger-Action can’t keep your beverages quite as hot for quite as long as our top pick can, but that might be a plus for those who complain that the Zojirushi mug keeps drinks too hot. When we boiled water and let it sit in this Stanley mug, the water took only three hours to cool to 158 degrees (whereas water in the Zojirushi mug took eight hours to reach that temperature). After eight hours, the water in the Classic Trigger-Action measured 132 degrees—26 degrees cooler than the water in the Zojirushi mug. If you drink your beverages quickly or don’t want to wait for them to cool down before sealing your mug, the Classic Trigger-Action may be a better option for you.

It’s tough. This mug endured our drop tests, sporting only light scuffing on the plastic lid and minor dents at the side of the base of its body. Like Zojirushi’s five-year warranty, Stanley’s lifetime warranty covers only manufacturer defects, not damage to mug components due to accidents or wear. Should you damage the lid or simply lose it, you can buy a replacement lid .

It’s dishwasher safe. Both the mug body and the lid can go in the dishwasher. The lid has some hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, so be sure to disassemble it for the best cleaning results. Stanley’s lid has fewer pieces than Zojirushi’s lid and is easier to take apart.

You have more color choices. If you care about colors, the Classic Trigger-Action comes in many—about a dozen at last count. This mug also comes in a 20-ounce size .

The OXO Good Grips Water Bottle Cleaning Set is the best bottle-cleaning set. It comes with a large bottle brush, a skinny straw brush, and a looped detail-cleaning brush, all kept together on a handy ring so you won’t lose any of the parts. The set is dishwasher safe, and we found that it works well for anyone looking to remove gunk from travel mugs and other hard-to-clean items.

If you want a mug with a locking lid for about half the price of our top pick: Consider the GSI Microlite 500 Flip , which keeps liquids almost as hot as the Zojirushi mug and has a similar one-handed flip top with a lock.

However, when we dropped this GSI mug to the ground when the lid was unlocked, the lid popped open and spilled coffee everywhere—and the exact same thing happened when we dropped it a second time. Eventually, we dropped the mug enough, accidentally, to break the lid; GSI does sell replacement lids.

This mug, which has a large sipping port, also has a higher flow rate than our picks, and may require more careful sipping when the beverage is really hot.

If the Zojirushi mug is out of stock: You might look into the MiiR 360 Traveler , which in our tests kept drinks almost as hot and resisted denting just as well as our top pick. When it’s unlocked, its sipping port allows you to drink from anywhere on the lid’s circumference. We decided not to make it a pick because we struggled to decipher whether the sipping port was open or closed—which in turn led to spills. Unlike some twist-to-open 360-degree ports, the MiiR 360 Traveler’s lid has a push button for operation that forms the center of the lid, and at a glance, it looks nearly the same whether closed or open.

The mug is also available in a flip-top version called the Flip Traveler , but we’ve found flip-top lids prone to breaking during our drop tests. The mug bodies for the 360 Traveler and the Flip Traveler are the same, and the lids are interchangeable, in case you buy one and then decide that you’d like to try the other.

We’ve considered and evaluated several other Zojirushi travel mugs throughout our testing. Here’s a breakdown:

• Zojirushi SM-WR : Almost identical to the SM-SF series, this version has an integrated gasket, which reduces the total pieces to clean. We like it almost as much as our top pick. However, it dispenses a little faster than the SM-SF, which is good for cold drinks but can be too much for really hot drinks.
• Zojirushi SM-YAE : This 16-ounce mug costs a little more than our main pick. It comes with an electro-polished interior, like the Zojirushi SM-KHE, but has a shape that’s stouter than other Zojirushi mugs and short enough to fit under the spout of a single-cup brewing machine. In our tests, however, it fell short of our picks in insulating performance: After eight hours, the water temperature had dropped to 100 degrees, 58 degrees cooler than the water in our top pick.
• Zojirushi SM-SHE : We were reluctant to test this mug due to persistent stock issues. Zojirushi sent us one to try out anyway, but it broke during our drop test.
• Zojirushi SM-JHE : We opted not to test this mug because it has a wide-mouth, screw-off lid.
• Zojirushi SM-JTE : We also elected not to test this model, which has a tea-leaf filter, due to its screw-off lid.

The JoeVeo Temperfect Javabliss 16 Travel Mug brings a scalding drink down to a drinkable temperature and holds it there by using a third layer in its wall to capture excess heat and then release it over time. It isn’t leakproof or spill-proof, though.

The 17-ounce Kinto Travel Tumbler insulates well—so well that it was the third-best contender at insulating in our tests behind the Zojirushi SM-SF and GSI Microlite 500 Flip. Drinking from it requires fully removing the lid, though, as well as finding a place to put the lid.

After dismissing previous iterations of the Hydro Flask travel mug, we tested the 20-ounce Hydro Flask Coffee Cup with Flex Sip Lid , and it was a clear improvement over older models. It kept drinks hot for about a half day, and it resisted denting better than about half of the other tested mugs. The lid requires two hands to open and close, however, so it can be tough to open while you’re distracted, and it has a tendency to “burp” a small amount of liquid when you rotate the lid from closed to open.

The 16-ounce OXO Good Grips Thermal Mug with SimplyClean Lid resembles—and insulates about as well as—the Hydro Flask mug we tested, keeping drinks hot for a half day. It also shares that model’s flaws, requiring two hands to open and close, and burping some liquid.

The Klean Kanteen Insulated Wide Mouth Water Bottle was a previous runner-up in this guide, as well as a former insulated water bottle pick, but we found that the lid occasionally leaked when we left the bottle on its side overnight.

The 18-ounce Purist Mover with Scope Lid insulates nearly as well as our picks and has a 360-degree sip lid, which lets you drink from any side of the mug. It requires two hands to open and close, though.

We broke the flip-top lid of the 20-ounce Welly Traveler , as well as the glued-on product-label plate on the bottom of the mug, the first time we dropped it.

The 12-ounce Ketiee Travel Mug is cheaper than most mugs we looked at, and we wondered what we’d get for the price. It kept drinks hot for about two hours during our tests, scoring near the bottom. Our main complaint is that the molding process left a pointy knob on our test unit, right above the drinking port, that pressed into our testers’ noses. Also, the product page states that it’s spill-proof—and we found that it wasn’t, whether the flip-top lid was open or closed.

The promise of the battery-powered Ember Travel Mug 2 is that it allows you to keep your beverage at a specific temperature (up to 145 degrees) for three hours—if you remember to charge it. Without the battery, it scored at the bottom on our insulation test; we also managed to break its inner seal during our drop test. Although we like the standard Ember Mug 2 (read more in our mug warmers guide ), we can’t recommend this even more expensive sibling.

The Contigo Autoseal West Loop Travel Mug was one of our previous runners-up, and like the Stanley Classic Trigger-Action , it has a button that you need to push before you can drink. The West Loop didn’t hold up as well in our drop tests as the Stanley model did, and we found its vertical push button harder to use than the one on our current also-great pick.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Hongbin Bill Ma, director, Center of Thermal Management at the University of Missouri , phone interview , September 22, 2017

Michael Dickey, professor of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University , phone interview , September 26, 2017

Meet your guides

Trey French

Trey French is a staff writer at Wirecutter covering outdoors gear. A trail runner, backcountry skier, and long-distance backpacker, he has reviewed gear for Treeline Review and advised wilderness travelers on lightweight backcountry equipment at Katabatic Gear. He resides in California’s Eastern Sierra, where scenic desktop backgrounds are born.

Anna Perling

Anna Perling is a former staff writer covering kitchen gear at Wirecutter. During her time at Wirecutter, she reported on various topics including sports bras, board games, and light bulbs. Previously she wrote food and lifestyle pieces for Saveur and Kinfolk magazines. Anna is a mentor at Girls Write Now and a member of the Online News Association.

Further reading

This Inexpensive Water Bottle Is Meant for Cyclists, But It’s Great for Travelers, Too

by Christine Ryan

The Camelbak Podium is affordable, lightweight, and perfect for packing.

Our Favorite Mugs

by Jackie Reeve

Our Wirecutter home team is passionate about the vessels they drink them out of. Here are the mugs we can’t get enough of.

How to Clean a Travel Mug or Water Bottle

Don’t want your coffee to taste like yesterday’s brew? Give your travel mug a good deep clean—and do the same for your insulated water bottle, too!

We’ve Recommended This Travel Mug for a Decade. It’s Still Going Strong.

by James Austin

Our longtime favorite travel mug keeps drinks piping hot, and the nifty locking lid makes it virtually spill-proof.

Money latest: The age when the average Briton pays off their mortgage revealed

The average Briton is 61 when they pay off their mortgage - a drop of two years. Meanwhile, Spotify is raising prices again. Read about this and the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news in the Money blog, and leave a comment in the form below.

Thursday 11 April 2024 22:26, UK

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• Spotify to hike subscription price by up to £24 a year
• Minimum income for family visa rises by £10,000
• Italy mourns 'end of Italian waiters in London' as visa rule brought in
• Wendy's creating 400 jobs as part of UK expansion
• The age when the average Briton pays off their mortgage
• 'WTF is going on with the price of olive oil?'
• Could I build a home gym for less than my gym membership?
• Basically...  Tax codes
• Cheap Eats : Great British Menu legend shares ultimate toastie recipe

Ask a question or make a comment

Fake flights and caravans are the two most common items being sold by fraudsters in relation to travel, Lloyds Bank's research has found.

As Britons head online to book deals for the upcoming bank holidays and summer, they have been urged to "remain vigilant", with the average holiday scam victim being conned out of £765.

Amid rising flight costs post-COVID, people have been flocking to social media and other lesser-known websites to secure cheaper deals.

A food delivery company claims to have created an  "unshakeable bag" to avoid spillage in transit.

Bolt, which owns the Bolt Food delivery platform, said its design is based on gyroscope technology and will keep food stable "during the most abrupt movements".

In a post to its website, the firm said it would make the design available to its competitors as it is "too powerful to be owned by any one company".

"We believe everyone should enjoy a perfect meal, regardless of which app they order it from," it said.

Assaulting a shopworker is to be made a separate criminal offence after a government U-turn following pressure from campaigners.

The government previously said "more legislative change" was not needed to tackle the "intolerable violence and abuse" faced by shopworkers, arguing it did not think it was "required or will be most effective".

But Rishi Sunak is now set to announce his government will be amending the Criminal Justice Bill to bring in the new offence.

The drugmaker was on its knees when Sir Pascal Soriot took over in 2012. 

But under his leadership it now does just about everything the UK wants from a business - creating high value-added jobs and developing products that improve people's lives.

The FTSE 100's performance has lagged that of many of its peers, both in the United States and Europe, more or less since the Brexit vote in 2016.

That poor performance has reflected the poor valuation of many UK-listed companies - resulting in numerous foreign takeovers of UK businesses in recent months and years.

It has also led to a scarcity in the number of companies floating on the London Stock Exchange, most notably the  Cambridge-based chip designer ARM Holdings , which last year opted to list in the US instead.

The situation has alarmed the government, which has announced a number of reforms  aimed at raising the UK's attractiveness .

An imminent shareholder vote on Sir Pascal's pay makes a particularly interesting test case because few would dispute that he has been the most outstanding FTSE 100 chief executive of his generation.

This rise could take his potential earnings to £18.5m this year - which critics say is excessive.

Read my full piece here ...

England's average house price has risen by £103,000 over the last decade, while the average annual wage has risen by £7,734.

But some areas have seen homeownership affordability decline more than others... 

The London borough of Barking and Dagenham has seen the most significant fall, according to moving platform Getamover. 

The platform found the area has seen house prices more than double to £380,000 in the last 10 years - but wages have only risen by £2,182. 

Hillingdon in West London took the second spot, with the average property shooting up by £230,000 to £495,000, while the average income increased by just £143. 

While London remains the most unaffordable region, the East Midlands has also seen a notable fall. 

Oadby and Wigston in Leicestershire ranked fifth in the table, with the average house price increasing by £129,000 and the median annual income growing by £2,644.   

Gedling ranks sixth among the areas of England where the affordability of buying a home has declined most. 

The Nottinghamshire region has seen house prices soar by 84.8% to £231,000, while the average income has risen by just 13.11% to £33,454. 

You can see how other areas fared in the table below...

Rishi Sunak's post-Brexit rules for foreign workers are getting tough press in Italy this week - with claims they could mark the end of Italian waiters in London.

April saw the minimum salary requirement for a skilled worker visa increase from £26,200 to £38,700 - a near 50% rise as the government tries to reduce immigration.

Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica published an article on its site headlined "Italians in London, the long goodbye" after the new rule was brought in this month.

There were an estimated 342,000 Italians living in the UK in 2021, according to the latest Office for National Statistics census data.

La Repubblica said the new rule change would lead to the "end of the story" of Italy's "ancient roots" in the capital, which was founded by the Romans in 43 AD.

Separately, Italian journalist Antonio Polito wrote in the Corriere della Sera newspaper that the new salary for skilled workers was "an amount that no young novice can realistically earn".

"Thus London gives up one of its great assets, the fact of being an offshore and cosmopolitan city," he said.

Mr Sunak's post-Brexit rule change has worried hospitality bosses who are still struggling to get to grips with a post-COVID reality and rising costs. 

Conor Sheridan, founder of Nory and Mad Egg restaurant chain, previously told the Money blog that roughly 14% of his 15,000 UK employee base were on working visas that could be affected.

Trade body UKHospitality also said the changes would "further shrink the talent pool that the entire economy will be recruiting from".

As the migration law came in, Home Secretary James Cleverly said it was "time to turn off the taps and end the flow of cheap workers from abroad".

"We are refocusing our immigration system to prioritise the brightest and best who have the skills our economy needs, while reducing overall numbers," he said.

Several of the UK's biggest supermarkets closed their gender pay gap in the last year - while Morrisons saw the biggest rise, figures show.

Ocado and Lidl reduced their gap by the largest amounts in 2023-24 compared to the previous year, while Tesco, Asda, Aldi, Co-op, Iceland and Waitrose owner John Lewis also saw a reduction.

The data comes from the government's gender pay gap service and states the difference in hourly rates of pay. 

In contrast to other big-name brands, Morrisons saw its mean pay gap widen to 12.5% from 7.6%. M&S also saw a slight increase from 12.5% to 12.6%.

The mean figure gives the best overall view of the gender pay gap but includes extreme values which could skew the average.

Of the 11 biggest UK supermarkets, Co-op has the largest pay gap with 13.2%, followed by M&S and Morrisons.

An M&S spokesperson said: "We're committed to driving equal opportunities and making M&S a great place to work for women. Encouragingly our median pay gap has decreased, and women now make up more than 50% of our UK store management population, but we know there is more to do. 

"We're making progress with the launch of new initiatives, talent programmes, and policies, including our flexible working offer – Worklife, a Job Share Finder, and our industry-leading family leave offer."

A spokesperson for Co-op said: "We are committed to treating our colleague member owners fairly, and this includes driving equitable outcomes for female colleagues. We've seen a significant reduction in our gender pay gap since we started to report data in 2017, and this year's data shows further progress towards closing it.

"It's important to reiterate that we don't pay people differently based on their gender at Co-op. The gender pay gap is caused by us having fewer females in leadership role, where salaries are higher.

"Our focus on improving representation remains, as we know this is one of the key drivers causing the gender pay gap. Today, 40% of our leadership population are female - this is not enough, which is why we’ve launched a series of development programmes and have a coaching and mentoring offer to support women with career progression.

"We know there’s still much to do in this space and will hold ourselves to account and continue to strive for gender equality."

Morrisons has also been contacted for comment.

Every Thursday we look at a different savings option, explain the pros and cons, and reveal the best deals on the market (see table below for that).  This week we're talking about the best notice accounts. Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes  says this...

As with the rest of the savings market, the top notice account rates have started to fall. However, there are stalwarts like the Investec 90-day notice account that are holding steady and as a result offering savers an opportunity to earn a little more, while not having to tie up their cash for too long.

A relatively unused aspect of the savings market, notice accounts offer a bit of a halfway house, with the best rates available generally paying more than the top easy access rates, but will more flexibility of access than a fixed term bond.

Just as it sounds, these savings accounts require you to give notice in order to access your money without a penalty. The usual notice period ranges from 30 to 120 days, although there are some accounts on the market that require six months or even a year's notice.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

Another record month for Heathrow. Last month was the busiest ever March for the UK's biggest airport, the second record-breaking month in a row. 

It was also the busiest Easter weekend as Good Friday became the busiest ever direct departure day, when 118,000 people began their journey at the airport. 

It shows, despite cost of living pressures, lots of Britons were going on holiday.

More good news for Heathrow came earlier this week as planned strike action by 600 border force officers was called off to allow for negotiations in its dispute over working patterns. 

Oil prices are still high, hanging around $90. A barrel of Brent crude oil, the benchmark for oil prices, costs $90.66. The last time prices were this high was in the wake of the 7 October attacks and fears of conflict spreading throughout the Middle East. 

On the currency front, £1 buys $1.2538 and €1.1678.

How old is the average Briton when they buy their first home, or finish paying their mortgage, or retire?

These are some of the questions answered in a "Journeying Through Life" data dump from the Office for National Statistics.

Here are some of the key takeaways...

Home ownership - including the one life event that's happening earlier

People are buying homes later in life, perhaps unsurprisingly given how house prices have risen in the last decade or so.

In 2022, more than half of people owned their own home (either with a mortgage or outright) by the age of 36. 

That's a significant increase on 2004's figures - which showed the average age for home ownership was 32. 

This graph shows what proportion of people own homes at what age.

It isn't all doom and gloom on the homes front, however, with the age at which people own their home outright (ie mortgage paid off) dropping from 63 (in 2004) to 61 in 2020. 

This is pretty much the only life event happening earlier, however.

Retiring later

Again, this probably won't come as a huge surprise, but people are retiring later. 

The age where more than half of people were retired increased from 64 in 2011 to 66 in 2021. ​

There has been a bigger increase in average retirement age for women (from 61 years in 2011, to 66 years in 2021) than for men (from 65 in 2011 to 66 in 2021). 

The ONS says this is because the state pension age for women was increased from 60 to 66 during this time to match men.

Gender pay gap shrinking but still present

The latest data shows that men are still, on the whole, being paid more than women - although the gender pay gap is shown to be shrinking. 

For all employees, the gender pay gap was 14% in 2023 - compared with 20% in 2013.

Despite the gap shrinking, this graph shows that men's hourly wages are higher than women's at nearly all ages. 

The grey shaded area represents the pay gap. 

Another part of the data shows that males start work a touch earlier than women - with half of males in full-time employment by the age of 23 (compared with females at 24) in 2021. 

That data could be explained by the fact that more women attend university - some 319,000 females compared with 285,000 males in 2022.  

Moving out, marrying and having children

The age at which young people move out of their family homes is increasing, too.

In 2011, half of people were not living with their parents at the age of 21 - compared with 24 in 2022. 

More men live with their parents than women, with 61% of adults living at home in 2021 were male.

When it comes to having children, the average age at which women have their first baby has risen to 29.

That's up from an average of just 23 in 1970. 

And finally, marriage.

The median age at first marriage has been steadily increasing since the 1960s. 

For opposite sex couples married in 2020, the median age was 32 years for men and 30 years for women. For those entering into same-sex marriage, the median age was older, at 36 years for men and 32 years for women.

As well as getting married older, fewer people are getting married. In 2019, marriage rates had fallen to their lowest on record. For men, there were 18.6 marriages per 1,000 never-married men; for women, there were 17.2 marriages per 1,000 never-married women.

Spotify has announced it is hiking its subscription prices by up to £24 a year.

It is the second time in less than a year that the music streaming giant has increased its prices.

Here's how the prices will change...

Individual: £11.99 a month (up from £10.99 a month)  

Duo: £16.99 a month (up from £14.99 a month)  

Family: £19.99 a month (up from £17.99 a month) 

When will the change kick in?

The subscription price will change from May and if you are an existing customer Spotify will email you and give you one-month's notice of the change.

If you are on a free trial you will pay the old price for one month once your trial ends.

A Spotify spokesperson told Sky News: "So that we can keep innovating and delivering value to fans, the music industry, and creators on our platform, we occasionally update our prices. 

"We've begun communicating with existing subscribers in the UK to explain what this means for their account."

American burger chain Wendy's will be recruiting for over 400 job roles as part of its expansion across the UK.

The chain returned to the UK in 2021 after a 20-year break and has since opened just over 30 sites, including drive-throughs in Colchester, Peterborough, Derby and Brampton Hut.

But the chain, which was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, plans to open a further nine sites this year in Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and a second location in Sheffield.

New locations will include Liverpool, Middlesbrough and a second site in Sheffield.

Wendy's franchisee GH Burgers will open a first restaurant in Wood Green, London, this year.

There will also be restaurants in Southend-on-Sea, Colchester, Cambridge and Newcastle.

Michael Clarke, UK managing director for the Wendy's Company, told The Caterer : "We've seen great momentum in building Wendy's fandom in the UK, and the love and excitement for this iconic brand grows stronger with each new restaurant opening."

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