best travel coffee cups

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How CR Tests Insulated Travel Mugs

We test how well insulated travel mugs keep drinks hot or cold, whether they resist spilling and leaking, and how easy they are to clean. We also grade mugs on convenience, including whether they fit in cup holders in a variety of cars and whether you can open the sipping mechanism with just one hand, which is crucial when you’re driving.

For the temperature retention test, we filled each mug with boiling water (212° F) and immediately screwed or pressed each lid back on. Then our testers opened each mug at set intervals to take the temperature of the water inside until it dropped to 140° F—better known as lukewarm.

We also tested each mug to see whether it could keep cold drinks cold as well as hot drinks hot. “We found that mugs that were well-insulated did a great job with keeping liquids either hot or cold,” Deitrick says.

For our leakproof test, we filled each with water and shook each mug from multiple angles, noting whether any liquid escaped.

To rate how easy mugs are to clean, we filled each mug with a mixture of hot coffee and creamer, and sloshed the contents to saturate the inside of the lid. We drained and opened the mugs, and then let them dry overnight. Then we cleaned each one as directed, assigning points to those that were easy to clean and subtracting from those that had hard-to-clean nooks or gaskets in their lids that retained soils even after a thorough scrubbing. All except the Yeti Rambler and Bubba Classic required using a bottle brush.

Each mug in our test had at least one silicone gasket, and some had as many as three. Over time, they can wear out, and many harbor foul odors. So we removed each gasket that could be removed—some can’t—to see how easy it would be to clean beneath it, and then replaced it. We also noted whether a manufacturer offered replacement gaskets or lids, which will, on occasion, spare you the need to replace an entire mug. After all, our aim is to help you find a product that lasts, and that keeps you happy.

Paul Hope is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports and a trained chef. He covers ranges, cooktops, and wall ovens, as well as grills, drills, outdoor power tools, decking, and wood stains. Before joining CR in 2016, he tested kitchen products at Good Housekeeping and covered tools and remodeling for This Old House magazine. You’ll typically find him in his old fixer-upper, engrossed in a DIY project or trying out a new recipe.

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The Best Travel Mug

Four different travel mugs next to each other.

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).

A blue Zojirushi SM-SF Stainless Steel Mug.

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.

A white Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug.

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.

A close-up of the cap of a white Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug.

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.

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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.

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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.

a Beast stainless steel travel mug next to it's packaging

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.

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The 12 Very Best Travel Mugs

Cut back on waste and enjoy a better cup of coffee..

When I walk into any coffee shop, I see at least a handful of people asking for their morning brew to be poured into their own reusable vessel instead of something disposable. And trust me: Baristas are more than happy to oblige. Every single one of the pros I talked to for this story said that not only are ceramic, glass, and stainless-steel options better for the environment, but they actually make your coffee tastier than paper or plastic. They’re also more convenient — I make my coffee and tea at home the vast majority of the time, but now, I pour it into one of the few reusable mugs I tested for this story whenever I want to take it with me on the go. Not only does that save money, but it keeps my drink hot or cold for longer. And I can sip some, throw it in my bag , and save the rest for later.

All the travel mugs on this list have temperature retention for at least a few hours, with the exception of three, which I’ve noted and explained. While all of them work well, if you’re going to invest in this long-term good habit, you want to find the one that best fits your coffee habits and, of course, aesthetic preference. Read on to help determine which reusable cup, mug, or tumbler is best for you. And if you’re in need of a water bottle , I’ve got you covered there, too.

What we’re looking for

Most of these travel mugs come in various sizes, and obviously that’s an important feature to pay attention to when buying. Eight or 12 ounces is on the smaller side; both are good for standard cappuccinos or cortados or if you don’t consume all that much coffee or tea. Twenty ounces is pretty big, useful if you’ll be toting your drink around all day without the chance for refills. And then, of course, 16 ounces is somewhere in between.

The type of lid on your travel mug can make a fairly big difference in how you experience drinking. Some have bigger openings, some smaller. Some snap shut; others twist open and close. This can come down to personal preference — meaning the literal mouthfeel of each one. But it’s also important to consider when and how you’ll be using your travel mug, whether that’s commuting by train or car, sitting at a desk, or running errands around your neighborhood.

How to clean

Some travel mugs on this list are dishwasher safe; others need to be cleaned by hand. Take note if that’s an important factor for you.

Best travel mug overall

Volume: 12 to 20 ounces | Lid type: Flip lid | How to clean: Dishwasher safe

The MiiR Travel Tumbler is my personal favorite travel mug. I own the smallest size (12 ounces) and love the compact build and sleek shape. I find the grip itself to be secure, too, and slim enough to fit in one hand. The whole lid screws on tight; I’ve never experienced any leaking. It’s especially easy and comfortable to sip from, thanks to the small piece on the lid that flips up and reveals a hole that allows a stream steady enough to get a good mouthful but not so wide open that it spills when I tilt the mug back. This is even the case with iced coffee; the cubes never obstruct the opening or cause uneven flow (though if you mainly drink it this way, one of the larger sizes might be a better choice).

The temperature retention is fantastic, too; I’ve had coffee stay hot — not just warm, but piping — for six hours. Jerad Morrison, co-founder and co-CEO of Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco, explains that this is thanks to the double-walled interior, which also means it’s never too hot or too cold to hold on the outside. “It’s stainless steel, so it washes really easily,” Morrison says, “and doesn’t hold on to any flavors.” Will Pratt, founder and owner of Tandem Coffee Roasters in Portland, Maine, agrees that its material makes it a breeze to clean — and that if you have one, you can even just throw it in the dishwasher. “Coffee has sticky oils that leave residue, and there’s nothing worse than a mug that holds that flavor over time,” he says. The final bonus, as mentioned by Morisson, is that it fits into cup holders in both cars and bikes, which “is not always the case.”

Michael Philips, director of content and copy at Blue Bottle , recommends Miir’s standard tumbler . Like the travel model above, the body is made from the same material, slightly tapered towards the bottom, so it still feels good in the hand and fits in cup holders, Philips says. The clear lid “gives you a chance to see what you’re drinking,” he says, and “does a great job stopping sloshes from getting out and onto your hands.”

Best travel mug for cappuccinos

Volume: 12 and 16 ounces | Lid type: Flip lid | How to clean: Hand-wash only

KeepCup was also mentioned by many of our experts, and in my own testing, I liked it, too. The lid here functions pretty much the same as the MiiR, which means you can sip from the hole or take the whole thing off. Both make for comfortable sipping. But I will note: while there’s a small silicone tag that fits into the sip hole to seal it, it isn’t perfectly leak-proof, meaning this isn’t a mug I would casually throw in my bag. But it’s very nice for taking on walks or bringing coffee-shop brew home.

I was initially nervous the glass would be delicate, but it’s thick and feels sturdy, with a wide cork ring around the perimeter so I can grip without my fingers getting too hot. The glass body also means that there’s not as much heat retention going on as some of the others. (And for Ryan Fisher, director of coffee and roasting at GoodBoyBob Coffee in Santa Monica, California, that’s actually a benefit instead of a problem: The glass gets his coffee to the exact temperature he likes quickly.)

KeepCup was also praised by coffee pros who say its size and shape works well on their side of the counter, too. The small glass vessels were designed by two former baristas in Melbourne, Australia, making it easier for people like Joanna Lareau, coffee manager at Stumptown , and Samya Said, former barista training manager at Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea , to do their jobs. Both Lareau and Said say that having a wide mouth and inner slope allows baristas to pour amazing coffee art. Lareau also notes that the small size fits cortados and cappuccinos well. “Some reusable cups are so big they don’t fit into the espresso machine,” she says.

Best travel mug for iced coffee

Volume: 8, 12, and 16 ounces | Lid type: Twist-off lid | How to clean: Hand-wash only

Fellow is generally a favorite brand among industry folks (I’m a big fan of their electric kettle in particular). As with all their products, the travel mug has a streamlined look. Even though you can’t throw it in the dishwasher, Morrison says the stainless steel interior makes it easy to clean. And it retains hot and cold temperatures with the best of them. But the coolest feature of all? “There’s a small guard insert at the top,” Morrison says, “so if you’re drinking iced coffee, the cubes don’t fall back onto your face when you get towards the bottom.”

Best travel mug for commuting

Volume: 12 and 16 ounces | Lid type: Flip lid | How to clean: Hand-wash recommended

The Zojirushi, which was also a top pick for reusable water bottles , comes with a lot of the same perks as many others on this list — namely fantastic temperature control and a slim, sleek, and lightweight body. We’ve been recommending it since 2016 in large part because the water bottle keeps drinks at the same temperature as they were when you initially filled it. “One time, I made coffee early one winter morning and brought it to work in my Zojirushi. When I got to the office after walking through freezing temperatures and snow, the coffee was too hot,” wrote Laura Perciasepe in her review of this Japanese mug . “I put an ice cube in it like a philistine.”

But according to tea consultant Sara Shacket , its most impressive quality is that it’s completely airtight. “It really doesn’t leak,” she says. “I’ve used it during many commutes on the subway, thrown in my bag, and was never worried. Same if I was hiking on a trip. It could be upside-down and it wouldn’t leak.” Cookbook author and recipe developer Carla Lalli Music , who owns multiple Zojirushi models, echoes this sentiment, saying, “It has the most bustproof cap in the biz.” Ilana Glazer likes her so much, she brings it onstage, in large part because it’s “so sleek in its design and so quick to open and close.”

Best travel mug with a handle

Volume: 10 to 24 ounces | Lid type: Slide lid | How to clean: Dishwasher safe

Steven Sadoff, founder of New York City’s Ground Support , has many travel mugs (including the MiiR and the Fellow above), but he turns to his Yeti when he wants a handle. He says he finds this feature particularly convenient when he’s driving because even though it doesn’t fit in a cup holder, he can easily grab it and sip with control. “It makes for a pretty comfortable drinking experience,” he says, “especially as you get close to the end of your coffee.” The same applies when he meets friends for a coffee outside because “you can gesticulate wildly without spilling.” Aside from the handle, he appreciates that the mug seals incredibly tightly, keeps liquid hot for hours, and is dishwasher safe. Rhiannon Giddens is another fan , saying that Yeti bottles keep liquid “hot or cold for a millennia.”

Best less expensive travel mug with a handle

Volume: 8 to 20 ounces | Lid type: Slide lid | How to clean: Hand-wash recommended

Recommended by multiple experts, MiiR also makes a sweet travel mug that mimics an actual handled mug. Em Orendorff, former manager at Intelligentsia Coffee , likes it because “it’s shaped just like the mugs we use in the café (short and wide with a great handle), so it’s a breeze for baristas to make your drink in it as well as easy to clean and to drink out of.” Caleb Chauncey, former barista at East Pole Coffee Co. in Atlanta, likes that its insulated interior keeps drinks warm or cold for long periods of time, and it keeps a consistent temperature on the outside too. “It won’t burn your hand if you have a hot beverage inside, and it won’t sweat when you have a cold one,” he says. To me, it seems like the perfect camping companion. It’s also worth noting that it comes in the largest range of sizes of any of the mugs we’ve listed.

Best travel mug with a replaceable lid

Volume: 12 to 20 ounces | Lid type: Twist-off lid or sip lid | How to clean: Dishwasher safe

Hydro Flask is another go-to for water (in fact, it was named our best-overall bottle because so many people — including myself — sing its praises). The materials and build that keep liquid cold also keep liquid hot, as Strategist editor and avid coffee drinker Maxine Builder can attest to. She particularly likes the model with a Flex Sip lid. “It’s a lot easier to manipulate on the go and actually keeps the hot coffee in there,” she says. The other advantage of this lid is the addition of a hook, which means I can carry it with one finger while I walk my dog in the morning.” Best of all, if you already own a Hydro Flask, you can buy the new lid separately and just replace your old one. The company says it’s dishwasher safe, but hand washing is recommended — though both my boyfriend and I have been putting our own Hydro Flasks in the dishwasher for months now with no damage.

Best no-leak travel mug

Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa loves his Kinto Travel Tumbler because of its double-lid system, which prevents leaks. You take both off to fill the bottle, then twist in the first one that has a few holes around the perimeter to sip from, and then add the fully closed screw top over that. It stays extra-secure, Rellosa says, because there are no small flip-up or sliding parts that can open by accident. Once, he had to stuff it into his backpack while traveling and thought he was going to open it to find coffee stains on his clothes , but everything inside stayed clean and dry. Plus, “the actual lid where you drink from and makes contact with your lips never touches the exterior of your bag, or wherever you’re stashing it,” Rellosa says. Julia Shaw, director of marketing at NYC’s Devoción Coffee , is another fan. She says the bottle keeps liquid hot or cold for a long time and has an “elegant” aesthetic appeal.

Best travel mug with open hole lid

Volume: 12 ounces | Lid type: Sip lid | How to clean: Dishwasher safe

Kinto’s To-Go Tumbler has a very small but always-open sip hole, which means it’s best suited for when you’re sitting at a desk or on a walk holding the tumbler in your hand. This means your drink will stay hot for about an hour and cold for several hours, but it’s not going to retain its temperature all day long. That said, it’s still a favorite of a couple of our experts. For Haley Boyd , a designer and sustainability enthusiast, this is mostly because of the aesthetic. “It’s an attractive, simple shape in a solid color without a huge logo, which is surprisingly hard to find,” she says. But for Noah McKeown, general manager at Go Get Em Tiger in Los Angeles, who uses his nearly every day, it’s more than just looks. “I like the small-hole sip lid,” he says. “I think the flow-out of it is really nice. It never spills, but you still get a lot of the coffee aromatics out of it.”

Best customizable travel mug

Volume: 12 and 16 ounces | Lid type: Button lid or straw lid | How to clean: Dishwasher safe

Not only does this ceramic-lined mug hit the mark on functionality, but it allows you to customize way beyond size. You choose between a lid with a button-release or a built-in straw and then pick from a bunch of pretty, muted tones, either making it monochrome or designing it so that the body, lid, and button are all different colors.

It’s super effective, too. I tested a button-release version: While you unscrew the lid fully to fill the vessel, you press down on a circle flush with the top that opens another much smaller hole to sip from. This releases a slow and steady stream of liquid when you tip the mug back. Even when I was walking around with it, I never had to readjust how I was holding or maneuvering it, and no amount of turning it upside down or jostling led to any leaking. And the temperature retention (for both hot and cold drinks) is great — my coffee stays hot for about four hours, and last summer, I could hear ice clinking around after that same amount of time when I was out and about on a hot day.

Best glass travel mug for brewing tea

Volume: 7 ounces | Lid type: Twist-off lid | How to clean: Dishwasher safe

Daniela Titiun, tea sommelier and author of Tea Cachai , tried many different glass tea mugs before landing on one she calls “the smartest system” for its game-changing tea-brewing mechanism. Normally, she explains, tumblers have a metal insert that’s filled with tea leaves and steeped in water. That means that once the appropriate amount of time has passed, you either have to remove the strainer — which can be impractical, if you’re on the go — or just leave the leaves inside, which can cause your drink to get bitter. The Oneisall, however, functions by dividing the vessel in half with a filter. One side houses the leaves; the other, the water. This allows you to turn the bottle upside down to infuse and then right side up when you’re ready to unscrew and sip. (There’s a helpful video on the product page.) While the glass means this mug is non-insulating, the double walls help retain heat for about an hour, and at only seven ounces, it should be easy to finish by then. Plus, as Titiun notes, you can easily re-brew for a second time with the same leaves.

Best stainless-steel travel mug for brewing tea

Volume: 16 ounces | Lid type: Sip lid | How to clean: Hand-wash recommended

Like the model above, this travel mug (which was gifted to me by the brand) brews tea without an infuser sitting in your water — but instead of the flip method, it has a more traditional tea press that you push down once the steep time is over (similar to a French press ). The grip is comfortable, so I often take it with me on late-afternoon walks, and the twist-off lid is extremely tight. It hasn’t ever spilled, even when jostled in my tote bag . There are small sip holes around the perimeter of the top of the infuser so you can drink from any angle, all while the flow of liquid is slow and controlled. Finally, because of the stainless-steel insulation, it stays at temperature for hours; when I brew it before I go upstairs for the evening, it’s still hot when I drink from it before bed.

Some more travel vessels we’ve written about

Our experts

• Haley Boyd , designer and sustainability enthusiast • Maxine Builder , Strategist editor • Caleb Chauncey, former barista at East Pole Coffee Co. • Ryan Fisher, director of coffee and roasting at GoodBoyBob Coffee • Joanna Lareau, coffee manager at Stumptown • Noah McKeown, general manager at Go Get Em Tiger • Jerad Morrison, co-founder and co-CEO of Sightglass Coffee • Carla Lalli Music , cookbook author and recipe developer • Em Orendorff, former manager at Intelligentsia Coffee • Michael Phillips, director of content and copy at Blue Bottle • Will Pratt, founder and owner of Tandem Coffee Roasters • Jeremy Rellosa , Strategist writer • Steven Sadoff, founder of New York City’s Ground Support • Samya Said, former barista training manager at Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea • Sara Shacket , tea consultant • Julia Shaw, director of marketing at Devoción Coffee • Daniela Titiun, tea sommelier and writer of Tea Cachai

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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

The best travel coffee mugs displayed together on an outdoor railing

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: MiiR Flip Traveler

1. MiiR Flip Traveler

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug

2. Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug

Best budget and best durable

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: Hydro Flask Coffee with Flex Sip Lid

3. Hydro Flask Coffee with Flex Sip Lid

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: THERMOS Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug

4. THERMOS Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug

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

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: Ember Temperature Control Travel Mug

6. Ember Temperature Control Travel Mug

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

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: bioGo 16 oz Reusable Coffee Cups

8. bioGo 16 oz Reusable Coffee Cups

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug

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

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: Ello Campy Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

10. Ello Campy Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: Ello Jane Ceramic Travel Mug

11. Ello Jane Ceramic Travel Mug

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: Thermos mug shown above sink

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.

Best travel coffee mugs: Ello Jane Ceramic Travel Mug, Ember and Thermos shown on counter with digital thermometer testing liquid temperature.

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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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

Image may contain: Steel, Bottle, and Shaker

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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Article updated on April 17, 2024 at 10:00 AM PDT

Best Travel Coffee Mugs of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

We’ve rounded up all the best travel coffee mugs for on-the-go coffee, tea or any other hot beverage of your choice.

Our Experts

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

What's the best travel coffee mug?

Travelers need mugs that keep their drinks piping hot. If you're one of them, you should get a travel coffee mug that would allow you to enjoy and savor your beverage without having to rush to drink it before it goes cold. Whether you choose to start your day with a freshly brewed coffee from home or you stop by your favorite coffee shop, you're going to appreciate a good reusable travel mug. We've tested several of them and the $29 Zojirushi stainless steel is our pick for best travel coffee mug for 2024.

While a travel coffee mug isn’t necessarily a huge investment, it can cost up to the $45 mark, which can feel like a lot to pay. To help you pick the right travel coffee mug and not feel like you wasted money, we tested several of the most popular travel coffee mugs to see which ones keep liquids hot longest, protect against leaks and feel nice to hold -- and look at. These are the seven best travel coffee mugs of 2024.

Best travel coffee mugs

Best overall travel mug, zojirushi stainless steel mug.

Admittedly, sometimes choosing the "best" model of a given product is a matter of extreme nuance, but in this case, it wasn't even close. Zojirushi's sleek travel mug was the top performer in every possible metric. After 5 hours, the liquid was still piping hot. The screw-on lid was infallible and yet easy to drink from, with a spring-loaded button that opens the lid, and a lock feature to prevent it from being jostled open when in the closed position. (Let it be a testament to my faith in these mechanisms that I put the Zojirushi full of coffee in an overnight bag along with my clothing for a train ride out of town.) Regardless of this additional measure of security, the slim design made it easy to operate one-handed while not risking control of the mug. For the aesthetically conscious, the Zojirushi stainless mug comes in a variety of sizes, colors and patterns.

A close second for under $30

Miir flip traveler.

Along the same metrics, the Miir Flip Traveler was the clear runner-up to Zojirushi. After 5 hours, it only had lost 10 degrees beyond what the Zojirushi had maintained, but this was a solid 10 degrees hotter than almost any other model on this list. Its screw-on lid also kept all the liquid inside the mug, even when given the roller coaster treatment. The "flip" mechanism is basically a plastic flap that covers and plugs into the opening for sipping. Because the modest flap is so successful at managing leaks it wasn't as easy to flip open one-handed, but then again there's a lot less lid in your face when you go to take a sip. At half the cost of the Zojirushi, with several size and color options, this would be an excellent choice for those looking for a solid travel mug on a smaller budget.

Best variety of sizes, colors and features

Yeti rambler.

Yeti is a trusted brand in insulation, making everything from large coolers to picnic wine tumblers . It's no surprise that its travel coffee mug offering is also a worthy investment. Its Rambler series mugs are shatterproof, and double-walled, with a twist and press-on lid which includes a sliding piece to allow you a sip.

While not as hot as the above models, the liquid in the Yeti was decidedly still quite warm after 5 hours. Overall, screw-on lids tended to be more leakproof in this lineup, so Yeti's lid wasn't perfectly leak-proof, although little more than a dribble escaped. (I wouldn't be packing it among my clothing, just in case.)

Yeti has the widest variety where size and features are concerned, offering hot mugs in 10, 14, 20, 24 and 30-oz options, in about a dozen colors, and being among the only brands here to offer travel mugs with handles. Yeti's 20-oz Rambler also offers a tapered bottom with a high handle, formatted perfectly for your car's drink holder.

Best budget travel mug

Contigo west loop.

Good news for the travel-mug curious, or those with a tendency to lose things like travel mugs, Contigo's inexpensive West Loop model was also among the best performers on this list and might be something you just find on the shelf at your local department store or pharmacy. Utterly leakproof, the West Loop was on par with heavy-hitters Yeti and S'well in its ability to keep coffee relatively hot. Its contour is also especially user-friendly, with a narrow neck that makes for both a solid grip and easy one-handed operation with an auto seal function that includes a button at the back of the bottle that reveals the opening for sipping on the lid. A locking mechanism on the lid keeps the hole closed even if the auto seal button gets bumped. Its colorful models are a little more expensive, but a basic black model will cost you little more than $15, making it one of the best value mugs on this list.

Best travel mug for espresso drinks

In the spirit of full disclosure, this KeepCup mug isn't intended for long-term insulation, nor is its simple press-on lid designed to be airtight, but just look at it. For those whose daily coffee beverages top out at 6 ounces, and aren't meant to be sipped indefinitely, this glass number is the perfect vessel for a cappuccino, or other espresso drink, with a built-in cork band to serve as a heat sleeve and an attractive glass cup that still allows you to witness your foam art. Additionally, unlike all of the other models here, it is microwave-safe, which is another good way to keep your coffee hot for multiple hours.

Best travel mug with top handle

Hydro flask flex sip.

According to legend, the first people to climb to the peak of Denali did so with only a cup of hot chocolate for sustenance. While this move isn't recommended, if your to-go coffee or other hot beverage is likely to be swinging from a backpack, Hydro Flask's model with a top handle is an ideal choice. Hydro Flask is another brand whose products are known for top-performing insulation, and this Hydro Flask model was second to the Zoshirushi in terms of its ability to maintain temperature. The screw-on top creates nearly leakproof conditions. The upper part of the lid twists easily to reveal the slot for sipping, this is also what makes it only nearly leakproof, as the twisting sip mechanism tended to loosen the lid at the base somewhat.

Best design

S'well tumbler.

The S'well line of tumblers looks, feels and operates very similarly to the Yeti Rambler, even coming to within a degree of temperature variation after both 3 and 5 hours: not quite hot, but still quite warm, relying on double-walled insulation and a twist and press-on, vacuum seal lid. Also like Yeti, it is very nearly leakproof and perfectly easy to operate in one hand. While the S'well line of tumblers has far fewer size options than the Yeti, what it has in abundance is a large array of attractive designs, with several marble, geode and wood finishes for a unique touch.

How we tested travel mugs

A travel coffee mug must do at least 2 things extremely well: keep your coffee hot, and keep it from spilling all over your bag/car/desk. Additionally, matters of size, aesthetics, ease of cleaning and one-handed operability may be factors to consider. Our list was assembled based on CNET's previous picks, those that have been well-vetted by other review sites and appear repeatedly on best lists, and best-selling and consistently highly-rated models at major retailers such as Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond and Target.

Most travel coffee mugs claim to keep liquids "hot" for about 5-6 hours. To test this, I filled each of the models here with 170-degree liquid and measured the temperature after both 3 hours and 5 hours. Lids for travel mugs tend to fall in 1 of 2 camps, either some sort of threaded, screw-on mechanism or else a plastic and rubber twist/press-on lid that creates a vacuum seal. To test for leakproofness, I repeatedly upended each mug while full, looking for even a hint of a dribble.

Best travel mugs compared

Travel mug faqs, are travel coffee mugs dishwasher-safe.

It is mostly recommended to wash travel mugs and their lids in the sink with warm, soapy water. Of the models listed here, only the Yeti and Contigo give their full blessing as being dishwasher safe. Miir suggests that its Flip Traveler is dishwasher safe, but with an asterisk, recommending sink washing as a better practice to not ruin its exterior. Zojirushi, Keep Cup, Hydro Flask and S'well all are marked as not dishwasher safe.

Are travel coffee mugs good for the environment?

All of the travel mugs included here are BPA-free, which is a highly chemically processed form of plastic. To that degree, they are environmentally safe, and to the degree that they reduce the number of paper, plastic and styrofoam disposable cups, they are extremely good for the environment.

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What to Buy

The 9 Best Travel Coffee Mugs, Tested and Reviewed

We tested over 25 top-rated picks to find the best spill-proof, stylish, and durable mugs.

In This Article

Our Top Picks

Our Favorite

Factors to consider, other travel coffee mugs we tested, our expertise.

Food & Wine / Hydro Flask

There’s nothing like sipping a freshly brewed cup of coffee (or an icy nitro cold brew ) first thing in the morning — if you have the luxury to savor that cup before your day gets busy. For those of us with little to no time to spare, a travel coffee mug is an absolute essential. You may not be able to drink your coffee while relaxing in your favorite local coffee shop, but you will have super-hot or ice-cold coffee to fuel you through your jam-packed day.

The problem is finding a travel coffee mug that keeps the flavor of your favorite brew intact without any metallic aftertaste. Paper and plastic cups don’t come close to the efficiency, sustainability, and temperature control a durable travel coffee mug offers. We tested more than 25 travel coffee mugs, paying close attention to insulation, design, and size. We also spoke to some die-hard coffee drinkers to get their expert opinions on the best travel coffee mugs, from ceramic mugs to stainless steel tumblers. Read on to discover our editor-tested and approved picks.

Best Overall

Yeti rambler 20 oz tumbler.

Pros: At 20 ounces, it’s large enough to hold enough coffee or other beverages to last all day long, with tough insulation to keep the temperature just right.

Cons: Be careful: the MagSlider lid isn’t leakproof.

Durability, size, and next-level insulation characterize the YETI Rambler Tumbler. It can handle all environments, from your office to your car, pool chair, or camping tent. Made from kitchen-grade, rust-resistant stainless steel with double-wall vacuum insulation, your beverage will remain at the exact temperature you desire (whether steaming hot or bitter cold) for hours.

The Rambler can take a tumble with its hardy construction, and the exterior won’t chip or fade from years of use. However, during an upside-down leak test, we noted that the mug dripped a bit, so they wouldn’t leave it loose in a bag. The magnet on the MagSlider Lid adds an extra layer of protection to keep heat or cold from escaping.

During testing, we also noted the Rambler’s long-lasting cool insulation, staying under 40°F for about 10 hours. It won’t sweat either, and if you spend a decent amount of time in the car, you can rest easy knowing it fits in most cup holders. Once you’re done for the day, you can throw it in the dishwasher to be ready for tomorrow.

Volume: 20 ounces
Lid type: Twist-on, twist-off lid
Dishwasher safe: Yes

Best Insulated

Hydro flask wide mouth flex sip lid bottle.

Pros: We gave this tumbler a perfect score across all four categories, including size, design, insulation, and value.

Cons: It’s difficult to open this mug with one hand.

Another great name in insulated and no-sweating drinkware tech, the Hydro Flask All Around Tumbler earned a perfect score. This large mug can carry hot or cold coffee or tea in any environment for extended periods — and looks good in the process. Made from stainless steel, it’s comfortable to hold, while the wide mouth facilitates easy access to add liquids and ice. On the go, the handle and exterior texture make it simple to grip.

The lid can be sealed completely by twisting to prevent leakage, and it even has a red color marking inside to easily indicate if it’s fully closed. During testing, we noted that the lid’s super-tight seal never leaked, despite placing the mug upside-down and on its side. Given its sleek design and high performance, we recommend this mug for any type of liquid, hot or cold.

Ello Campy Travel Mug

Pros: This mug is a great size, features a stylish design, offers stellar hot and cold insulation, and is truly leakproof — all for under $20.

Cons: While the lid is dishwasher-safe, the body should be hand-washed.

Some of the coolest travel tumblers around, Ello products have great heat retention to keep things piping hot for hours. We especially love the Campy Stainless Steel Mug, which is great for traveling because it didn't leak a single drop during testing. It also performed very well for cold insulation, with under-40° temperatures that lasted for more than 10 hours.

Pair those marks with the mug’s stylish design and comfortable cork handle, and you’ve got a perfect formula for an all-around great mug. Hikes, commutes, working from home or at the office, picnics — we can't envision a scenario that this mug wouldn't be useful. And under $20, it can't be beaten for value.

Volume: 18 ounces
Dishwasher-safe: Lid is dishwasher-safe, body is not

Food & Wine / Fran Sales

Best Splurge

Kinto day off tumbler.

Pros: It provides excellent hot and cold insulation, is leakproof, and seals incredibly well, thanks to its twist-on cap.

Cons: This mug is not dishwasher-safe.

This high-end travel mug looks as good as it functions. It aced our usability and leakproof tests: It has a screw-on cap that ensures every drop of liquid stays in the mug (even when holding upside-down and shaking from side to side), and a slim body that's comfortable to hold. We enjoyed drinking from the circular opening of the mug, which allowed us to sip from any angle, though we noted that the flow was a bit fast.

The cap keeps the mouth area covered, so no need to worry about it coming into contact with germs as it rolls around inside your bag. Plus, it's versatile enough to use for either coffee or water, as it keeps both hot and cold drinks at your desired temperature for long periods. While this tumbler is on the pricier side, if you want an aesthetically-pleasing travel mug that works, we say this one is worth it. The compact size, exceptional insulation, and smart, leakproof lid design make this an all-around standout.

Volume: 17 ounces
Dishwasher-safe: No

Best for Car Travel

Bubba envy insulated tumbler.

Pros: This is the ideal iced or hot drink container for the car.

Cons: This mug is not leakproof.

If you’re looking for a reliable, extra-large travel mug, the bubba Straw Envy Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler might be your best bet. The removable straw is nice for iced coffee, and the size is ideal for a car cup holder.

The mug is spill-proof in that if you knock it over, the lid won't pop off — but the liquid will come out of the mug. While it's comfortable to hold, the lack of leak protection will certainly make a mess even if it's tipped, let alone knocked over or turned upside down. It should remain upright in your hand or a cup holder only.

Despite that, this mug has incredible insulation and kept liquid cold for nearly two days. The hot water remained hot for more than three hours and even kept warm until the following day, at 22 hours. We found the insulation abilities of this mug to be surprisingly unmatched, performing better than mugs twice or three times the price. We even poured an iced coffee to drive down to the beach one morning, and on the drive home, the remaining coffee was still ice-cold. Case in point: This is the ideal iced or hot drink container for the car.

Volume: 24 ounces
Lid type: Pop-off lid

Food & Wine / Megan Soll

Best Leakproof

Contigo autoseal west loop vacuum.

Pros: This mug kept drinks insulated for nearly two days, outperforming competing options.

Cons: You might want to pass if you're only looking for a travel mug that's good for cold beverages.

Contigo's leak-proof mug is ideal for anyone who takes their beverages on the go, especially hot drinks. It fits in cup holders, it keeps drinks insulated for hours, and it's easy to use with just one hand if you're driving or holding something in the other.

We loved this mug’s Autoseal feature, where the snap seal top pops open with the click of a button. It can even help you avoid spilling your drink. Functionally, it’s comfortable to hold, with a center groove that lends itself nicely to wrapping your hand around. The downside is there’s no handle or a texture to boost grip, though the color coating on the outside provides a light layer of non-slip.

Food & Wine / Bailey Fink

Best Collapsible

Stojo collapsible coffee cup.

Pros: This compact mug is great for backpacking and travel, or a single-serve drink while on the go. Plus, the sleek design comes in a range of colors.

Cons: It’s not insulated.

If you’re looking for a compact, lightweight, and convenient travel mug, the Stojo Collapsible Travel Cup With Straw delivers on all fronts. We noted that the leakproof abilities are great, with an easy-to-use tab that creates a tight seal. Pair that with the mug’s sleek design, and you’ve got a winning combination. Whether you’re drinking coffee or a smoothie, simply remove the heat sleeve when you’re done, open the tab, and collapse it down.

The downside is the Stojo isn’t insulated, though we found it was able to keep an ice-cold drink under 60°F for up to four hours. Because this mug is recommended for camping, the quick cooling time can be an advantage, so you're not sitting around waiting for boiling water to cool.

Volume: 16 ounces
Dishwasher-safe: Yes

Best Wide Travel Mug

Fellow carter everywhere mug.

Pros: This mug feels high-end and offers incredible insulation abilities, keeping drinks hot for hours.

Cons: Since it doesn't fit in a cup holder, this is not a good option if you like to sip while you drive.

For a reliable and secure travel mug with exceptional insulation abilities, we recommend the Fellow Carter Everywhere Travel Mug. During our tests, we noted that the lid screwed on and off easily, creating a tight seal when shut — meaning no liquid was spilled when the mug was placed upside-down, on its side, or even shaken.

Insulation-wise, this mug performed very well with both cold and hot liquids. For cold drinks, the ice didn't melt at all the following day. For hot drinks, the temperature dropped very slowly. Plus, the ceramic interior helped their drinks taste better and ensured the mug didn’t absorb residual odors after washing.

Food & Wine / Bridget Degnan

KeepCup Glass Cup

Pros: This mug is compact, transparent, and lightweight.

Cons: This travel mug is not fully leakproof and cleaning can be difficult as the cork band is tough to remove.

Anyone in the market for a small glass mug might be pleased with the KeepCup Reusable Coffee Cup. Though we appreciated the mug’s overall look, we were disappointed with some aspects of its performance. During testing, liquid dripped out of the mug’s center lid. It wasn’t excessive, but enough that we would be upset if it was coffee dripping on a white dress, for example.

The good news is this mug retained temperatures for longer than we expected, given its glass construction. But with cold liquids, the mug began to excessively sweat. The only spot where you can hold the mug while it has something hot or cold inside is by the cork band, which is cute aesthetically but makes for difficult hand-washing.

Lid type: Push-on, push-off lid
Dishwasher-safe: Lid and cup are dishwasher-safe; cork band is not

Food & Wine / Mary Hodes

We tested 26 popular, top-rated travel coffee mugs. Over the course of 4 weeks, we provided feedback on each travel coffee mug’s sealing capabilities, cold insulation performance, hot insulation performance, and ease of cleaning. In addition to its general design observations, we also paid close attention to insulation, size, and value.

Thanks to its durability, size, and next-level insulation, the YETI Rambler earned the top spot on our list of best travel coffee mugs. During testing, we found the YETI to work great in virtually any environment, keeping our beverage at the exact desired temperature for up to 10 hours.

Travel coffee mugs are usually made of either metal or ceramic, with tight-fitting lids, and some can be vacuum insulated. Your choice of material should take into account how you intend to use the mug, how long you need your coffee to stay hot, and how you drink out of it.

Choosing the right size of travel mug is about more than just how much coffee you want it to contain. If you need it to fit in your car’s cup holder, for example, or slide easily into a bag or backpack for a train commute. In general, you want a travel mug that will be easy to transport and contain enough volume of coffee to keep you satiated.

Lids are either designed as “drink-thru” or have to be removed to access the contents. Drink-thru lids are easier to navigate on the go but are not as good at keeping heat from dissipating. If you need a mug just to get hot coffee from one place to another without needing to drink it en route, a sealed lid with no drink-thru access will work best for retaining heat. If you do need to sip on the go, look for a lid with an easy slide or flip access that still protects from spills, rather than one that has a permanent opening.

Leak-Proof vs. Spill-Proof

Leak-proof travel mugs are designed to not allow any liquid to release when properly closed and sealed. These are ideal for mugs that you might need to toss into a bag or backpack during your commute. Spill-proof mugs are designed to mitigate a mess when accidentally knocked over during use. Some companies may use the language interchangeably, but in general, Leak-Proof will usually be slightly more secure than just Spill-Proof.

Care and Cleaning

Many travel mugs are not dishwasher safe, especially some that are vacuum insulated. Be sure to check the packaging to determine the best way to care for them. Regardless, travel mugs should be at least rinsed out after each use, even between cups, to keep them fresh, and preferably fully cleaned once a day to prevent mold and mildew. Remember that even if your mug is dishwasher safe, the dishwasher won’t remove tough stains and strong odors. For that, you’ll want to use baking soda and water and give it more of a scrub.

Frequently Asked Questions

“This is a vessel with two layers (or walls), one inside and one outside,” says Jessica Easto, author of Craft Coffee: A Manual . “In between is a layer of space, which even air has been sucked out of (that's what a vacuum is). Heat moves very slowly through the air, and it moves even more slowly through this "vacuumed" space because there are very few molecules in that space. Since heat transfer happens so slowly, your coffee stays hotter for longer.”

This will depend on your travel mug, says Easto. “A vacuum-insulated travel mug can keep coffee hot for several hours. Different brands promise different times.” If you need your coffee just to get you through your commute, you may not need the top-of-the-line mugs, but if you want that coffee hot all day, investing in a good vacuum-insulated mug or bottle will be the way to go.

Up to a point, says Easto. “The best performers of any material will be vacuum insulated.” Having said that, ceramic is a good material for retaining heat, and lids help to prevent fast cooling, so if you only need your coffee to stay hot for a short amount of time, they work fine.

Use a stiff brush or rough-sided sponge to remove the oils left behind by coffee (and any dairy or oat milk you've added). Baking soda and vinegar are the best bet for neutralizing aromas; soap is often difficult to thoroughly rinse out, and you can get lingering unwanted aromas and flavors. Put a half cup of vinegar and a teaspoon of regular dish soap in the travel mug, fill the rest with hot water, let it soak for a few hours, and then rinse it out thoroughly.

For the lid and rubber gasket (if needed), take the gasket off, and wash it with regular dishwashing liquid on a soft sponge. You can use the same sponge to clean the lid. Finally, rinse the mug and let it air dry.

Strong Contenders:

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug ($29 at Amazon )

S'well Stainless Steel Traveler ($35 at Amazon )

THERMOS Travel Coffee Mug with Snap Flip Lid ($30 at Amazon )

MiiR Insulated Travel Tumbler with Locking Flip Lid ($34 at Amazon )

RTIC Outdoors Travel Mug ($35 at RTIC )

Kinto Travel Tumbler ($27 at Amazon )

What Didn’t Make the List:

Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug ($25 at Amazon )

Simple Modern Insulated Thermos Travel Coffee Mug ($19 at Amazon )

Brumate Highball ($25 at Brumate )

Swig Life 18oz Travel Mug with Handle and Lid ($40 at Amazon )

Brumate Toddy Bundle 16oz. Travel Mug Set ($70 at Brumate )

Klean Kanteen Wide Recycled Insulated Mug ($33 at Klean Kanteen )

Ello Cole Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle ($18 at Amazon )

Ember Temperature Control Travel Mug ($180 at Amazon )

Clarissa Buch Zilberman is an acclaimed food writer with nearly a decade of experience. She has written for Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Travel & Leisure, and more. For this piece, she used editor-tested insights and her research on top-rated travel coffee mugs.

The Best Leak-Proof Travel Mugs for Taking Hot (and Cold) Drinks on the Go

By Kristi Kellogg and Meaghan Kenny

The 18 Best LeakProof Travel Mugs for Taking Hot Drinks on the Go

Whether you're embarking on your morning commute or headed on an East Coast road trip , you should have one of the best travel mugs in hand. Finding one you like means you can skip the routine stop at the coffee shop (or at least say no to the disposable cup), cut back on single-use plastics, and keep your drinks at an ideal temperature (with some, for hours and hours at a time). Ahead, we've rounded up Condé Nast Traveler editors' personal favorites—from brands like Hydro Flask, Yeti, Corksicle, Stanley, and more. With insulated, leak-proof, and easy-to-carry options in the mix, there's a mug in here ready for a spot in your cup holder or tote bag .

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Hydro Flask All Around Tumbler

The 20-ounce version of Hydro Flask’s All Around Tumbler has been my go-to lately, both at home and on the commute to work. It keeps coffee warm for a few hours, so if I’m sipping slowly I don’t have to bother with reheating it, and does its job in keeping iced coffee cool, too. It has the type of lid that you can push back and forth to open or close, and the opening is wide enough to easily fit a reusable straw. I don’t drive, but the mug's size seems very cupholder-friendly, too! — Madison Flager, senior commerce editor

Stanley Classic Trigger Action travel mug

Stanley makes the best classic mugs (the company has been around since 1913 after all). The brand is known for its iconic insulated steel thermoses, which promise hours-long insulation for hot drinks and durability for wherever you’re taking your beverage— hiking , camping , thrown in the back of your car on a road trip , you name it. The original green color has a delightfully retro vibe as well. — Megan Spurrell, senior editor

Stojo collapsible travel cup, 16-ounce

The main reason I adore my collapsible Stojo cup is its clever design that makes it incredibly easy to carry around. I’m not kidding when I say that when folded down, my 16-ounce cup turns into a disc that fits into my jacket pocket. It’s also light enough to drop into a travel backpack or a sling bag when you go hiking. I use mine for everything from coffees and smoothies, and when dry, for snacks and berries. Don’t expect an insulated mug with this one: It keeps a beverage warm (or cool) for long enough for you to drink it, but isn’t a double-walled metal cup. However, it has helped me cut down on a ton of waste when traveling, and might I add is cute-looking, too. — Arati Menon, global digital director

Read a full review of the Stojo cup.

Stanley Aerolight Transit bottle

The AeroLight Transit bottle has become my new favorite mug to use on my morning commute to work. My tea is still piping hot even after my hour-long train ride. I keep it in my tote bag—along with my laptop and phone—and it never leaks. I've flipped this one completely upside down and nothing spills out, making it a reliable option to travel with. It's one-third lighter than Stanley's typical stainless steel, so it doesn't feel heavy in my bag either. I also appreciate how slim the bottle is—it's so easy to carry around. — Meaghan Kenny, associate commerce editor

Yeti Rambler stackable mug

When I'm traveling, the most essential ritual I preserve is my morning coffee. While I love nearly all of the Yeti drinkware options, this mug is perfect for coffee—both for its manageable 10-ounce size, as well as the side handle, which makes this especially easy when I'm on a road trip or a train. (This mug has come with me on camping trips in the Shenandoah Valley and Delaware Water Gap, on a road trip through the Appalachian Highlands, and a long drive between D.C. and New York City .) A fair word of warning though: The airtight lid and insulation work almost too well—coffee stays hot a long time, so I recommend you get it close to your ideal temperature before pouring it in. —Corina Quinn, former city guides director

Snow Peak Milk bottle

This is one of those gifts I have become deeply attached to—it was given to me about a year ago, when I was getting really into camping and the chic outdoor brand Snow Peak, and it’s since become a staple in my house. It has a beautifully minimalist design, is small enough to feel really portable (as in, it’s not a pain to have to tote home once it’s empty), and it never leaks. It’s no bargain, but given how much I use and love it, I think the math sort of works out in the end. — M.S .

Zojirushi stainless steel mug

“This mug is my favorite one ever because the lid has a lock feature that makes it completely leak-free. I can throw this in a travel tote and not worry about coffee dribbling all over. Plus the stainless steel interior keeps coffee extra hot for hours, but it doesn't burn your hands. In addition to my commute on the subway, I've taken this little wonder on train rides to upstate New York , and I've never spilled a drop.” —Jessica Puckett, senior editor, transportation and travel news

Hydro Flask 20 oz Coffee with Flex Sip Lid

Another option from Hydro Flask worth noting is the 20-ounce bottle with a Flex Slip lid. It's large enough that I can bring plenty of iced coffee with me on the go, but it's still cupholder-friendly—very important for road trips. The double-wall vaccum insulation keeps cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot drinks hot for up to 12. The carry-handle makes it easy to hold on long walks and the leak-proof lid is easy to open and close. I love the color options, especially this new purple shade. —M.K.

Martina Thornhill Okay cup

It’s not hyperbole to state that I’ve tried the lion’s share of travel mugs on the market. I drink a ton of coffee and I travel and drive a lot. I hate the way metal mugs make coffee taste—it’s so much better out of a ceramic mug. The Okay Cup from Portland, Oregon –based ceramicist Marina Thornhill is gorgeous, doesn’t leak, and doesn’t make your coffee taste like mud. It’s pricey, but a better long-term deal than always dumping the coffee you put in another mug and don’t actually drink. It’s constantly selling out, so put your name on the pre-order list—it’s worth the wait. —Rebecca Misner, senior features editor

Kinto travel tumbler

If you’re a tea drinker like me or like your travel mugs to keep your hot drinks piping hot, be warned: this insulated mug gets me every time, keeping my teas at steaming, roof-of-mouth-burning temperatures for what feels like an impossibly long time. (And that’s a good thing in my book.) I prefer the matte exterior over the stainless steel for its added grip. I use it to commute with my tea (it doesn’t leak!) and on extra-long winter walks because I know it’ll stay warm the entire time. —Meredith Carey, former travel bookings editor

Yeti Rambler lowball

This mug is a thing in my house. My partner received one as a Christmas gift , only to find it missing every morning—truth be told, after I stole it once to use for hot coffee on my morning subway commute, I couldn’t go back to any other thermos. I personally love that this mug doesn’t have a handle, because it’s so insulated it never burns my hands, yet the coffee inside stays piping hot, and its shape is nice and easy to hold. When I’m done enjoying my hot drink on the go, it takes the least space possible in my bag , where it usually clangs around for the rest of the day until I make my way home (or back to wherever I’m staying). —M.S.

Corkcicle classic tumbler

This Corkcicle tumbler keeps my coffee hot on my subway commute, and is secure enough to sneak a couple of sips while standing on a crowded, moving train. There’s also something joyful about pouring my freshly brewed coffee into a pink vessel—how could I not be cheerful toting this cute mug around the office? Most often this mug has been my subway companion, though I have used it for road trips and early morning flights that require a caffeine boost before boarding. —Katie Henwood, former senior SEO manager

Miir Climate+ Tumbler

Lately when I want a compact option that won't take up much space in my backpack or tote after it's empty, I've been reaching for this sleek stainless steel tumbler from Miir. It's shatter proof, so I don't worry about dropping it or getting any dents. For an extra charge, you can even personalize it, making it a great gift for any traveler in your life. —M.K.

Image may contain Coffee Cup Cup Bottle and Shaker

Hydro Flask stainless steel travel mug

This Hydro Flask mug checks all the boxes: It's BPA-free and dishwasher-safe, has a leak-proof lid, carrying handle, and no-sweat matte finish, and comes with a lifetime warranty. You can use it as a thermos, a water bottle , or a coffee cup. Hydro Flask also has matching slings that let you carry your travel tumbler hands-free, helpful when biking, hiking, or just dashing through the airport. — Kristi Kellogg, contributor

OtterBox Elevation wine tumbler

Technically this is a wine tumbler, but more often, I use it for iced coffee. It keeps my caffeine cold, fits the extra-large ice cube I put into the bottom, and doesn’t leave rings on tables when I set it down. Plus, like all things OtterBox, it’s sturdy—I don’t have to worry about dinging or denting it when I inevitably drop or knock it over. Its smaller size means it’s also carry-on and backpack friendly. —M.F.

Hay Sowden travel cup

I don’t think there’s a chicer travel mug than this colorful one from Hay, which comes in pink, green, or gray, all with contrasting, two-toned lids. It puts all other thermoses to shame when it comes to design—but it’s also totally functional, with an insulated stainless steel exterior that keeps drinks hot for up to 12 hours and cold for an impressive 24 hours. —M.C.

W&P Porter mug

This mug hits all the right marks: The silicone sleeve makes it easy to grip and quiet when placed down on a surface; the mouthpiece on the lid is easy to slide open and close; and it’s safe to put in the dishwasher and microwave. Plus, it just looks nicer than the rest of my logo-clad travel mugs. Most often I use it to sip coffee on my morning commute, but I have also brought it on longer train rides to D.C. and on flights as a vessel for oatmeal. —M.F.

Simple Modern travel coffee mug

One of my favorite reusable water bottles is from Simple Modern, so I had high hopes for its travel mug and it certainly did not disappoint. This stainless steel mug keeps my hot beverages hot for four hours and my iced coffee cold for up to 16 hours, so it's great for day trips and using at the office. It's dishwasher safe and the handle makes sipping on the go easy. The under $20 price tag is nice, too. —M.K.

The 8 Best Travel Mugs for Caffeinating on the Go

We got our hands on several popular travel mugs to find out if they’re worth the hype. These are our favorites among those we tested.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us?

These durable, portable mugs are typically made of stainless steel, with built-in insulation so your last sip of coffee is as warm (or as cold) as the first. Their lids are designed to prevent splashing or spills, so you can throw the travel mug in a backpack or slide it in a car’s front console without worrying about a potential mess.

Many of the best travel mugs we recommend are ideal for camping or hiking in addition to everyday carrying. Most are dishwasher-safe or stack for easy storage, and won’t set you back more than $30. Considering they’re reusable and maintain your drink’s temperature, they’re worth considering even if your daily commute it from the kitchen to your home office. Whether you’re keeping warm by the campfire or sipping tea on the train, wrap your hands around one of these editor-tested travel mugs.

The Best Travel Mugs

Best Overall: Yeti Rambler Stackable Mug
Best Value: CamelBak Horizon Tumbler
Best Leakproof Lid: Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Reusable Water Bottle
Best Coffee Maker Combo: Espro P0 Ultralight Single Serve French Coffee Press
Best Exterior Insulation: Hydro Flask Insulated Travel Portable Coffee Tumbler

What to Consider

Most of the travel mugs on this list are made with stainless steel. Steel is great for long-term durability, holding up well to drops, scratches, and continuous washing. Flavors and odors don’t stick to steel either. Once you finish your drink and rinse out the mug, you won’t taste your last cup of tea lingering in the background for the rest of the day.

Some stainless steel mugs have a slight metallic taste to them. If you’ve got sensitive tastebuds, consider a mug with a ceramic coating on the inside. This replicates the neutral flavor profile of a classic mug you use for coffee at home.

Travel mugs are typically insulated to keep your drink hot or cold for the duration of your trip. Most have double-wall construction, with two layers of metal inside and out. The pocket of air in between prevents temperature transfer, so even if you’re drinking piping hot coffee, your hand doesn’t feel a thing.

Many of the travel mugs we recommend come in multiple sizes, usually from six ounce to 24 ounces or more to double as your water bottle. Despite large capacity, most are designed to fit into a car cupholder or the side pocket of a backpack.

Additional Features

Some travel mugs come with handles while others do not. Handles on a mug are great for holding them while on a walk or hike as well as for storage. Instead of packing your mug into your backpack where it takes up valuable storage space, clip it on by the handle. Travel mugs with handles typically don’t fit easily in a cupholder. This is a major drawback for commuters who want a coffee cup for their drive to work.

Travel mugs almost always come with lids, but these vary in quality. Some prevent splashes and major spills by simply covering the top of the mug. They press on and often have a thin rubber ring around the perimeter to help keep them on the mug, though they won’t be completely sealed. So if you drop your mug, liquid is bound to spill out.

Other travel mugs come with thicker, screw-on lids that completely seal your drink inside. These protect your drink from spilling when they are dropped, but are typically much larger than a press-on lid and are more tedious to clean.

How We Tested

Each travel mug we tested was evaluated based on their performance in every day situations from morning commutes to walking outdoors. We paid close attention to heat retention, drink flavor, splashes or spills with the lid on, and ease of cleaning. Each travel mug was dropped several times from standing height to ensure durability. For those with press-on lids, we also paid attention to how securely the lids stayed on during a drop.

For mugs we didn’t personally test out, we compared key specs such as size, material, and insulation. We also researched across multiple online publications and read through customer reviews.

YETI Rambler Stackable Mug

This travel mug from Yeti impressed us with its durability, convenience, and practicality. The stainless steel construction holds up well against drops, and the double-wall insulation kept my coffee hot for hours.

The bottom of the mug is slightly thinner than the rest of the body. Because of this, the mug stacks perfectly into other Yeti mugs for easy storage when not in use.

The press-on lid isn’t completely leakproof, but it does come with a slider to cover the mouth hole when you aren’t drinking. While this won’t prevent a leak if you drop your mug, it certainly keep coffee from splashing out as you walk.

The slightly larger than average 14-ounce capacity was a small but noticeable detail for anyone who likes a full cup of joe, creamer, and sugar. The 12-ounce mugs require the slightest sacrifice while this Yeti gives you all the space you need.

CamelBak Horizon Tumbler

Without the classic mug handle, this tumbler from CamelBak is built for the commute. While a handle is great for walking and hiking, this travel mug fits into your car cupholder without the cumbersome handle getting in the way.

The travel mug also has a silicone based which provides a solid base that keeps the mug steady when in motion. Like most of the travel mugs on this list, the CamelBak is make of stainless steel.

However, the steel is powder-coated so when you take a sip of your tea, you taste the tea, not the metallic lingering flavor of your cup.

Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Reusable Water Bottle

If you want a leakproof container for your coffee, this tumbler from Hydro Flask is your answer. The screw-on lid has a twisting top that seals the bottle closed when you aren’t sipping. Twist it open to grab a sip, twist it closed, and your bottle won’t leak even if it’s dropped on the ground.

Both the lid and body are dishwasher-safe, so don’t worry about scrubbing coffee stains out of the crevices and corners of the relatively tall bottle.

While it doesn’t have a handle, this travel mug comes with a carrying strap on the top of the lid. Combined with the leakproof lid, you can hook the bottle to the outside of your backpack filled to the brim and not lose a drop.

Fellow Carter Everywhere Travel Mug

Coupled with a ceramic-coated interior to stave off any odors, tastes, or smells from the cup, this Carter mug is great for getting that home-mug experience even if you can’t be at home. The wide opening also lets you brew coffee straight into the mug using a pour-over coffee maker or an Aeropress while camping or hiking.

The twist-locking lid of this reusable cup is leakproof to ensure no messes occur in transit and the double-wall insulation keeps your coffee hot for hours.

It doesn’t fit into a standard cupholder and the wide mouth may be hard to sip while driving or on the subway, but if you need something to transport coffee, this ensures it’s hot (and not all over your bag) when you arrive at your destination.

Zojirushi Stainless Travel Mug

For heat retention that lasts all day, the travel mug from Zojirushi is built to handle it. The double-wall insulation keeps the heat, while the variable sizes mean the mug can double as a thermos for soup too.

The leakproof lid has a flip top that locks in place, keeping liquids secure when closed. The lid also disassembles into four different pieces, so you can better clean each part of it and prevent mold buildup.

The interior of the mug has a nonstick coating that prevents residue from caking up the corners of the bottle. All you need to clean it out is some soapy water and a dish brush.

Espro P0 Ultralight Single Serve French Coffee Press

Make your coffee fresh and take it to go with this portable French press from Espro. With double filter design, all the grit and sediment from your coffee grounds is kept at bay, so your fresh cup is as smooth as any you could make at home.

Unscrew the leakproof lid and you’ll have hot coffee to sip all day long. The French press feature also works well for tea. Simply swap out your coffee grounds for loose leaf tea, and the mechanism is just as effective.

Instead of carrying along a cup of drip coffee from my house, I get fresh pressed coffee that's smoother, and frankly, tastier than anything my regular machine can make. I love it so much that I sometimes use the Espro at home just for its double-filter press.

Hydro Flask Insulated Travel Portable Coffee Tumbler

Another option from Hydro Flask, this travel mug gives you the the same sensation as your favorite mug at home. Instead of grasping your hands around the cold metallic exterior of many other travel mugs, the Hydro Flask has a soft to the touch coating.

While it won’t warm up your hands like a ceramic mug, it won’t cool them down, like other travel mugs. For all the cold mornings by the campgrounds, the last thing you want to do is wrap your hands around a frigid metal mug.

The travel mug also comes with a press-on lid with a slider for the mouth opening. It leaks if you drop it, but it keeps the coffee from splashing around as you walk.

Klean Kanteen Insulated Camp Mug

Made out of 90 percent recycled steel, this travel mug from Klean Kanteen offers the same insulation as other options on our list but with a much smaller environmental impact. The recently climate neutral company created the mug using post-consumer recycled steel, meaning it would have otherwise entered a landfill.

Beyond this, the mug comes with a unique design etched into the side. The mountains and forestry on the side of the mug add help the mug stand out among its otherwise neutral-colored contemporaries.

The press-on lid is perfect for reducing splashes, but the open mouth does leave something to be desired. While it minimizes coffee splashes, expect a few drops to slip out on a bumpy commute.

Tom Price is an Associate Editor of Reviews for Popular Mechanics, and also contributes to Runner's World, and Bicycling . He has previously covered product reviews, startup news, and even professional wrestling. In his free time, he enjoys watching pretentious TV, low-brow movies, and exercising for beauty, not health. If you are interested in exploring more of his work, check out his website .

Danny Perez is a Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics with a focus on men's style, gear, and home goods. Recently, he was coordinator of partnership content at another product journalism outlet. Prior to that, he was a buyer for an independent men's shop in Houston, Texas, where he learned all about what makes great products great. He enjoys thrifting for 90s Broadway tees and vintage pajama sets. His spare time is occupied by watching movies and running to impress strangers on Strava.

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Coffee & Tea

I Tested 15 Travel Mugs to Find the Best Ones for Coffee and Tea

My top picks from Zojirushi, Fellow, and Kinto are hot, hot, hot.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Serious Eats / Irvin Lin

The Winners, at a Glance

What we learned, the criteria: what to look for in a travel mug, our favorite travel mugs, the competition.

Why We're the Experts

Straight to the Point

Our favorite travel mug is from Zojirushi . It keeps coffee and hot beverages warm for a remarkably long time and has a locking flip lid. For coffee and tea enthusiasts, the Fellow Carter Move Mug has a thinner-edged lip that offers a better drinking experience.

After working at a coffee shop right out of college, I stopped drinking caffeine. It was the inevitable result of having way too much of it (post-college, I did not understand moderation) and coming home with my hair, skin, and clothes smelling of it chronically. But years later, after getting married to a coffee enthusiast (some would say snob), I came back to my love of coffee.

Though I now work from home and can savor my coffee slowly out of a mug, my husband often needs to bring his second cup of coffee on the go. Coupled with the extensive camping and road-tripping we do, travel mugs of all sorts have started to accumulate in our kitchen cabinets.

This is all to say: A review of travel mugs is right up my alley. I set out to test 15 of them to see which ones retained heat and cold best, were comfortable and easy to use, didn’t leak, and offered the best drinking experience.

The Best Overall Travel Mug

Zojirushi sm-sc48hm stainless steel vacuum insulated mug.

This travel mug is deceptively lightweight, yet still holds 16 fluid ounces of coffee or tea. It retains heat for a remarkably long time (longer than any other mug I tested). The lid not only opens up with a simple click of a button but also locks shut with a side switch, so you don’t have to worry about it accidentally opening.

The Best Travel Mug for Coffee and Tea Enthusiasts

Fellow carter move mug.

Courtesy of Fellow

The Fellow Carter Move Mug is designed with coffee enthusiasts in mind. Its heat and cold retention was second only to the Zojirushi and the inner chamber of the mug is ceramic-lined for a neutral flavor. The thin lip of the mug made drinking coffee out of it a pleasure.

Another Good Travel Mug

Kinto day off tumbler.

The Kinto Day Off Tumber is another excellent option for coffee and tea lovers. The top has a looped handle that makes it easy to carry around and the inner lid has a built-in splash guard. It also retains heat and cold for an exceptionally long time.

Note: If a temperature-controlled travel mug is what you're interested in (where you can set and hold the temperature for a prolonged period of time), then the Ember is the one to get. We tested temperature control mugs separately .

Heat Retention Test One (without Lid): I filled each travel mug with 212°F boiling water, then left the lid off. I inserted a ChefAlarm 's probe (our favorite probe thermometer ) and set the alarm to 140°F to see how long it took for the temperature to drop.
Heat Retention Test Two (with Lid): I filled each travel mug with 212°F boiling water, and then placed the lid on. I took temperature readings each hour to see how long it took for it to drop to 140°F.
Cold Retention with Lid: I filled each travel mug with 36°F cold water, and then put the lid back on. I placed the mugs in an oven with the light on, monitoring the temperature of the oven to keep it within 80 to 85°F, to simulate a warm day. I took temperature readings each hour to see how long it took for the water to reach 60°F.
Leak Test: I filled each travel mug with water and placed the lid back on. I vigorously shook the travel mug upside down to see how much it would leak.
Drinking Test: I filled each mug with 12 ounces of freshly brewed coffee , carrying it around the apartment and outside on walks and drinking from it to see how the user experience was.
Cleaning Test: After each test, I thoroughly cleaned the mugs and lids.

Screw Tops Didn’t Leak Like Pop Tops

The travel mugs I tested had two types of lids. One style screwed onto the mug’s body and the other popped on and had a rubber gasket that held the lid in place. The latter were easier to put on, as all you needed to do was push the lid onto the body. However, these mugs all leaked...some worse than others.

Conversely, most of the screw-on lids I tested did not leak much, if at all as long as they were put on properly. The bottom line: Get a travel mug with a screw-on lid and double-check that the lid is properly aligned and seated to avoid leakage.

Drink Buttons Were Annoying

Some lids, like the Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel and Stanley Classic Trigger , require pressing a button to drink from the mug. In theory, this seems like a great idea, as it only requires one hand and could prevent leakage. However, continually pressing a button for extended periods causes hand fatigue, especially if you have mobility or strength issues. This was especially noticeable with the Stanley mug, which had a stronger spring that required more pressure and strength to press.

Lid Design and Drinking Experience

Some lids (like the Camelbak , Yeti Rambler Tumbler , and Yeti Rambler Mug ) featured thick plastic lids with drink holes set slightly back from the edge. Drinking from them felt bulky and cumbersome. Other lids, like the Simple Modern Kona Collection , had a latch right near the opening, hitting my bottom lip as I sipped. My favorite travel mugs had thinner lid edges (like the Zojirushi and Fellow ) or rounder-edged lids (like the Kinto ), which felt more natural and pleasant to drink from. Both the Fellow and the Kinto also allowed you to drink from the mug in any direction.

Heat and Cold Retention

The travel mugs that had the best heat retention also, unsurprisingly, kept liquids cold longer as well. The Zojirushi blew every other mug away on both accounts, taking over 14 hours to drop from 212°F to 140°F and nearly 20 hours for 38°F water to warm up to 60°F. The second-best mug in these tests, the Fellow , took a respectable 10 hours to drop from 212°F to 140°F and 6 hours to go from 38°F to 60°F. The Kinto mug also took 10 hours to drop down to 140°F and 13 hours to get to 60°F. With these three mugs, you could carry around your coffee or tea and it'll stay hot or cold nearly all day.

On the flip side, some of the worse performing mugs, like the Hydro Flask and Corkcicle , dropped temperature alarmingly fast, from 212°F boiling to 140°F in just three hours and 38°F to 60°F in about eight hours. Most folks drink their coffee and tea within a few hours of brewing it, but if you prefer your coffee piping hot or you have a long commute, it’s nice to have a mug that'll go the distance.

Look for a travel mug that has a double-walled, vacuum-sealed body for the best heat and cold retention. Select a travel mug that has a screw-on lid. Pop-on lids are more convenient but leaked. Pick a travel mug that has a rounded or thinner lip for the most pleasant drinking experience.

And, finally, get a travel mug that's suitable for your lifestyle. If you are constantly on the road, look for a mug that's lightweight, easily opens up with just one hand, and fits in your car's cup holder. If you're a long-distance commuter on public transit, find a mug that retains heat exceptionally well and can be safely tossed into a bag.

What we liked : The Zojirushi retained heat and cold for a remarkably long time, longer than any mug I tested. The 212°F boiling water took a little over 14 hours to cool down to 140°F, while cold 36°F water took over 20 hours to warm up to 60°F. The flip-top was easy to use, with a simple button that popped it open. There’s a secondary latch that locks the lid, too.

The mug has a thin plastic lip and the lid comes apart into two pieces, which makes it easier to clean. The inside features a nonstick coating, preventing stains. Best of all, this slim travel mug is incredibly lightweight.

What we didn’t like: The heat retention of the mug is one of its best features. But it also means freshly brewed coffee takes a while to cool down to a drinkable temperature. If you plan on drinking the coffee from the travel mug immediately, make sure to let the coffee cool before pouring it in. Otherwise, you might scald your tongue with each sip.

Also, the opening of this travel mug is narrower than other models. This made it more challenging to clean. (You’ll want a bottle brush for the task.)

Material: Stainless steel with nonstick coating and BPA-free plastic
Dimensions: 2.625 inches diameter; 8.5 inches tall
Dishwasher-safe: No
Stated capacity: 16 fluid ounces
Fits in a car’s cup holder: Yes
Weight: 7 ounces

What we liked : The Fellow Carter Move Mug is great if you prioritize the coffee or tea-drinking experience. The interior chamber of the travel mug is ceramic lined, to help prevent any metallic taste that a cheaper stainless steel model might impart to your coffee or tea. The thin metal edge of the mug feels great on your lips and allows you to drink in whatever direction you pick the mug up from.

The mug features a removable “splash guard” insert that looks a bit like a sink drain. This prevents hot liquid from splashing outwards. The double-walled, vacuum-sealed body retained heat, taking over 10 hours to drop from 212°F to 140°F and 16 hours to rise from 36°F to 60°F.

What we didn’t like: The mug's lid requires you to unscrew it and you need two hands to do so. This also means you have a lid that you need to carry (or put down) when you're drinking. That said, Fellow does sell an optional slide lid (which I did not test).

Material: Stainless steel with ceramic interior coating
Dimensions: 3 inches diameter; 7.25 inches tall
Weight: 12.5 ounces

What we liked : The Kinto is a well-constructed, lightweight mug that retained heat and cold for fairly long, taking nearly 10 hours to cool 212°F boiling water down to 140°F and 13 hours for 36°F water to warm up to 60°F. The mug itself features a two-part top, one that screws onto the body and acts as a splash shield, and one that's a sealing lid with a looped handle.

The first splash shield offers a tapered lip and allows you to drink from all sides of the mug. Like the Fellow, this makes it a pleasure to drink from. The handle on top of the sealing lid is nice for carrying, too.

What we didn’t like: Because the Kinto mug has two parts to the lid that screws onto the body, there is twice the chance of user error where you can misalign the threads and not properly screw on the lid. Like the Fellow, the Kinto lid screws on, which means it requires two hands to remove it. Unlike the Fellow, though, the lid does have a handle, so it's easier to wrap your fingers around it and hold on to it, allowing you to drink with one hand.

Material: 18-8 Stainless steel powder coated, with polypropylene and silicone
Dimensions: 2.75 inches diameter; 9 inches tall
Stated capacity: 16.9 fluid ounces
Weight: 10.5 ounces
Contigo Stainless Steel Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug : Contigo makes reasonably priced travel mugs and this one does a good job retaining heat and cold. But the shape of the lid and its small opening meant coffee pooled on top of the lid between sips, which caused dribbling and spilling.
Hydro Flask All-Around Stainless Steel Tumbler with Lid : The Hydro Flask travel mug lost heat the quickest of all the mugs I tested, and the pop-on lid leaked.
Yeti Rambler 20-Ounce Tumbler : This Yeti Rambler had a pop-on lid that leaked and didn’t retain heat or cold very well.
MiiR Flip Traveler: This solidly constructed, lightweight mug was easy to use and retained heat and cold better than most of the mugs I tested. Unfortunately, it leaked a bit, no matter how much I tightened or screwed on the lid.
Yeti Rambler 20-Ounce Travel Mug: Unlike the Yeti tumbler we tested, this Yeti mug had a screw-on lid that didn’t leak. It also retained heat and cold for a respectable amount of time. But the thick plastic lid made drinking out of the mug less pleasant than our winners.
Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug : This Contigo mug did a decent job with retaining heat and cold, but having to hold down a button to drink was tedious.
Simple Modern Travel Coffee Mug : This mug lost heat and cold relatively quickly.
Corkcicle Commuter Cup : Unfortunately, this mug lost heat extremely quickly (in just over three hours).
W&P Porter Insulated Tumbler : I loved the feel of this tumbler and its colorful design. But the insulated tumbler lost heat relatively quickly and leaked terribly when turned upside down.
CamelBak Horizon Tumbler : The Camelbak tumbler did a poor job of retaining heat and cold. It also had a snap-on lid that leaked.
Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug : The rugged and durable mug felt like what your grandfather probably drank from as he backcountry hiked his way across the Rocky Mountains. It’s built to last a lifetime (and is backed with a lifetime warranty as well). And it did a good job retaining heat and cold. But it's slightly annoying to drink from since you have to push a button to sip. And when you did, the coffee flowed out very slowly.
Simple Modern Insulated Thermo s: This travel mug did a great job retaining heat and cold. But the small lid had a flip-top with a locking latch that protruded fairly high, bumping into my bottom lip.

How do you clean coffee or tea stains off of a stainless steel travel mug?

Sprinkle some baking soda (about one to two teaspoons) into the mug and add water to form a paste. Gently scrub with a damp cloth, soft sponge, or bottle brush. The mildly abrasive baking soda should remove the stains.

How do you maximize the heat and cold retention of a travel mug?

For hot beverages, warm up the inside of the travel mug by pouring hot water (it can from the tap) into the mug, letting it sit for a couple of minutes, and empty the mug. Then, add your coffee or hot beverage. For cold drinks, cool the inside by pouring in water and adding a few ice cubes, swirling the cubes around, then drain it and add the cold beverage.

What size travel mug is best?

For most folks, a 12- or 16-ounce travel mug is sufficient. If you're a hardcore coffee drinker or you travel a longer distance for work, a larger 20-ounce mug might be a better fit.

How do you clean a travel mug lid?

If your travel mug's lid disassembles, take it apart. Then soak the lid in warm, soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub and thoroughly rinse.

What is the best travel mug?

After testing, the Zojirushi travel mug came out on top, with a convenient flip-top and excellent insulation. But if you prioritize the coffee-drinking experience, the Fellow Carter Move Mug and Kinto Day-Off Tumbler are also excellent.

What travel mug won't leak?

All of our favorite travel mugs (from Zojirushi, Fellow, and Kinto) are leak-proof. The Zojirushi features a flip-cap that locks, while the other two have screw-on lids that prevent accidental spills.

Why We're the Experts

Irvin Lin is a cookbook author, recipe developer, food writer, photographer, and ceramicist.
He wrote the cookbook Marbled, Swirled, and Layered , which was picked by the New York Times as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016.
He runs a blog called Eat the Love , where he’s developed, photographed, and written recipes since 2010. Eat the Love was nominated twice for best food blog by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in 2016 and 2022.
He has served as a judge for the 2021 IACP Cookbook Awards and served on the executive committee for the 2022 IACP Cookbook Awards. He currently serves on the 2024 Book Awards Committee for the James Beard Foundation.
He’s tested and reviewed hundreds of kitchen items including stand mixers and indoor herb gardens .
For this review, Irvin tested 15 travel mugs, evaluating their insulation, usability, and more to find the best ones.

More Serious Eats Recipes

The 9 Best Travel Coffee Mugs That Will Keep Your Coffee Safe and Perfectly Hot When You’re on the Move

For taking your caffeine on the go, a travel coffee mug is a better alternative to paper or Styrofoam cups—not only will it reduce your environmental impact, it can also prevent your coffee from losing its heat (or chill) while safeguarding against leaks and spills while you’re on the move.

Many insulated tumblers or mugs made from durable stainless steel will ensure that your coffee are as perfectly hot or cold as your first sip, even hours after it has been first poured—and to protect the contents of your mug (and your bag), consider one that is leakproof, or at the least spill-proof. Beyond that, you’ll also want to consider a coffee mug in a style and size that suits your preferences. Fortunately, there are many travel-friendly mugs to choose from, but to help you whittle down your choices, you’ll find nine of the best options below, including picks we use ourselves.

01 what to look for
02 best travel coffee mugs

Best travel coffee mugs, at a glance

Best leakproof: Zojirushi, Stainless Mug SM-KHE36/48 , $28
Best value: Oxo, Good Grips Travel Coffee Mug , $30
Best versatile: Fellow, Carter 3-in-1 Sip System , $49
Best handled: Hydro Flask, Mug , $28
Best small capacity: Yeti, Stackable Cup , $20
Best splurge: Ember, Travel Mug 2 , $200
Best customizable: Frank Green, Ceramic Reusable Cup , $36
Best with a straw: Brümate, Era ,$40
Best for coffee and tea drinkers: Firebelly, Stop-Infusion Travel Mug , $40

What to look for in a travel coffee mug

Temperature retention.

When shopping for a travel coffee mug, look for options with double- or triple-wall vacuum insulation. Vacuum insulation helps keep drinks hot or cold for extended periods , making it ideal for those who want to savor their cup, or maintain its temperature while traveling to prevent hot coffee from going cold—or iced coffee from becoming tepid—before drinking it.

Stainless steel construction

As you shop, you’ll also want to consider the material—and when it comes to travel coffee mugs, stainless steel is a popular option. Many people love stainless steel because, unlike glass or ceramic, it’s sturdy and can withstand a lot of abuse, and it holds temperature better than plastic and silicone.

Travel coffee mugs can have a variety of openings, including flip-cap lids, slider lids, twist-off lids, and lids with straws—and for the most part, selecting your ideal option will come down to your preference. If, for example, you want to prevent coffee from splashing out if knocked over, you might want to opt for a travel mug with a twist-off lid. If you want to drink from your mug on the move, you may prefer an option with a lid that you can open and close with one hand, like a flip-top lid, a slider lid, or a lid with straw. Many brands also sell lids separately, so you can opt to have a variety of options at your disposal.

Size and style

Travel coffee mugs also come in a wide range of sizes and styles. Their capacities range from eight ounces to well over 30 ounces, and many feature helpful designs, such as handles. If you plan to use your mug in the car, just be sure it fits in your vehicle’s cup holder. The manufacturer will usually indicate whether a mug is designed to fit in a cup holder, and customer reviews can offer additional insights as well.

Leakproof versus spill-proof

Finally, consider whether you want a leakproof or spill-proof travel coffee mug. A leakproof mug prevents any amount of liquid from spilling out. Spill-proof mugs only safeguard against any major splashes, but if knocked on its side or upside down, some liquid is likely to leak out.

Shop the best travel coffee mugs

Capacity: 12 ounces (also available in 16 ounces) | Available colors: 8

With the Zojirushi Stainless Mug, you won’t have to worry about spills—it’s as “leakproof” as they come. It has a leakproof lid with a locking mechanism, which keeps the lid from accidentally opening. As secure as it is, it’s easy to drink from—the lid pops open with a push, and its small opening keeps your brew from splashing out of the mug and on your face. The mug also helps drinks retain their temperature for up to six hours, thanks to its double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel construction, and more conveniently, it fits into most cup holders.

Leakproof, push-button, flip-top lid
Locking mechanism prevents lid from opening accidentally
Keeps coffee hot (or cold) for up to six hours
Fits most car cup holders
Hand wash only

Capacity: 16 ounces (also available in 20 ounces) | Available colors: 5

If you want a budget-friendly travel mug, this option from Oxo offers many of the same qualities as its pricier counterparts at less cost. Made from double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel, it promises to keep drinks hot for up to 12 hours and cold for up to 24 hours—something Well+Good contributor Lesley Chen can attest. “Coffee stays piping hot for as long as you want it to,” Chen previously wrote. What’s more, it has a leakproof, twist-off lid, and its slender profile makes it cup holder compatible. It’s also one of the easiest picks on the list to clean, and you can place the entire mug in the dishwasher.

Read more about the Oxo Good Grips Travel Coffee Mug here.

Keeps coffee hot for up to 12 hours or cold for up to 24 hours
Leakproof lid prevents accidental spills
Dishwasher safe
Only 16 and 20-ounce capacity

Originally $57, now $49

Capacity: 16 ounces | Available colors: 3

What I love most about the Fellow Carter 3-in-1 Sip System is its versatility. The kit includes three interchangeable lids. It comes with a twist lid and a slider lid (both leakproof), along with a straw lid. I particularly like the slider lid, which is easy to open and close with one hand, and true to its promise, it doesn’t leak, even when full and bouncing around in my backpack. It’s made from double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel for optimal temperature retention to keep coffee hot for up to 12 hours and cold for up to 24, while the ceramic-coated interior keeps your coffee’s flavor “free of odors, oil, and ‘old penny’ tasting notes,” per Fellow. I can attest that it does an excellent job retaining heat—my morning brew was still hot after sitting in the mug for over six hours. One tradeoff is that it only comes in one size and only three colors, but this is a small price for its versatility.

Comes with three interchangeable lids
Fits in most car cup holders
Only 16-ounce capacity

Capacity: 12 ounces (also available in 6 and 24 ounces) | Available colors: 8

If you want something that has the look and feel of your at-home coffee mug, consider the Hydro Flask Mug. It closely resembles an everyday mug—handle and all—but is made from double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel for heat retention and durability. It also comes replete with a lid to keep its contents safe while on the move. The press-in lid fits snugly into the mug, while the sliding lever seamlessly glides open and closed. The opening is small enough to prevent splash-back, but not so small that I have to suck instead of sip the coffee from the mug, making fora pleasant drinking experience overall. Its lid is not leakproof—however, this offset by a wide base that is tougher to tip, making it more likely to remain in an upright position in the event you accidentally bump it, and it doesn’t hurt that the rounded handle also offers a comfortable grip on the mug. Unlike regular ceramic mugs, it holds heat plenty well, too—my coffee was perfectly hot, even hours after it had been poured.

Comfortable handle
Spill-proof lid
Multiple sizes and many colors
Not leakproof
Body is hand wash only

Capacity: 8 ounces (also available in 16, 20, and 30 ounces) | Available colors: 7, plus 2 limited-edition colors

If you travel light, opt for Yeti’s Rambler Stackable Cup. At eight ounces, the double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel cup is one of the smallest options on the list. Well+Good food writer Maki Yazawa loves it for a quick caffeine hit. “After searching far and wide for the ultimate travel coffee cup, I’ve landed on my favorite, YETI’s Rambler 8-Ounce Stackable Cup,” she says. “The eight-ounce size fits in just about any car cup holder, and as per YETI’s description, it’s truly built for the at-home (or far from home) barista in mind. It fits underneath most espresso machines, is spill-proof (ideal for bumpy car rides), and, most importantly, stays hot (or cold) until the very last drop. Of course, if you need a little extra juice to get you going in the morning, the Rambler comes in larger sizes, and in a variety of colors to best suit your personality. My cup of tea (pun intended) at the moment is their limited-edition King Crab Orange and Agave Teal colorways. Chef’s kiss.”

Capacity: 12 ounces | Available colors: 2

The Ember Travel Mug 2 is expensive, but its unique design makes it wonderful to use. The Travel Mug 2 has a built-in heat source to regulate the temperature of your brew, much like Ember’s mug warmer . It pairs with your smartphone via Bluetooth and uses a companion app, where you can control the temperature of your drink, and once you’ve made your selection, it will keep your coffee at your chosen temperature for up to three hours. When your phone isn’t within reach, you can also toggle between preset temperatures using the buttons on the mug itself. What’s more, the mug has an integrated screen to display the temperature and the amount of battery charge remaining, which greatly adds to its convenience factor. The push-button lid is leakproof and features a 360-degree sipping port that lets you drink from any and all sides of the mug, as well as a tapered base to fit snugly into standard car cup holders—all factors that make it ideal for travel. Its long-lasting battery life of up to three hours is a bonus, too. With that said, there’s no denying that $200 is a lot to spend on a mug, but it could be money well spent if you’re a coffee lover who wants a smart gadget.

Controls coffee temperature using an app
Keeps coffee at ideal temperature for up to three hours
Leakproof lid

Frank Green Ceramic Reusable Cup Background Removed

Capacity: 12 ounces (also available in 8, 10, and 16 ounces) | Available colors: 23

If you want a travel mug that you can customize to your precise liking, consider the Frank Green Ceramic Reusable Cup. In addition to offering four sizes, the Ceramic Reusable Cup lets you customize each part of the mug, including the base, the lid, and the button of the lid, in the color of your choice. It also comes with a push-button lid that is spill-proof, but you can swap it out for a straw lid (sold separately). Frank Green boasts that its stainless steel mugs are triple-walled to provide optimal temperature retention and have a ceramic-coated lining that is meant to preserve the true flavor of your brew, making this pick as fun as it is functional.

Multiple sizes with option to customize the color of each part of the mug
Triple-wall vacuum insulation to keep coffee hot or cold for hours

Capacity: 30 ounces (also available in 40 ounces) | Available colors: 11

If you like your coffee iced, the Brümate Era will fit the bill. It features a lid with an integrated straw and locking mechanism to make it fully leakproof, so whether you tip the mug on its side or upside down, it won’t spill a drop so long as it’s locked. The Era, made of durable stainless steel with double-walled vacuum insulation, is also capable of keeping drinks cold for up to 24 hours, and it can hold up to 30 ounces—or more, if you opt for the larger 40-ounce mug. Despite its large size, this mug still fits in most cup holders, and it’s easy to schlep around, thanks to its hefty handle—and unlike many of the other picks, it’s dishwasher safe.

Leakproof straw lid
Keeps coffee cold for over 24 hours
Only 30- and 40-ounce capacity

Capacity: 16 ounces | Available colors: 6

Whether you want to drink coffee or tea, the Firebelly Stop-Infusion Travel Mug has you covered. It comes with an infuser to brew your own loose leaf teas, but you have the option to use it without the infuser as a standard coffee mug. What’s more, it has a leakproof lid, and thanks to its double-wall stainless steel interior, it can keep drinks hot or cold for hours so you can enjoy your brew for longer. Well+Good contributor Gina Vaynshetyn can attest to this: “I’ve made myself tea in the mug in the morning, and have absentmindedly sipped on it for hours—from home at my desk and in the car during a day trip,” she previously wrote. “It’s truly the only way I’ve discovered to conveniently brew tea that stays hot no matter where you take it.”

Read the full review of the Firebelly Stop-Infusion Travel Mug here.

Features a removable tea infuser
Keeps drinks hot or cold for up to six hours

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What to Buy
Glassware & Drinkware

The Best Travel Mugs for Hot or Cold Sips on the Go

Easier on your wallet and the environment

The Spruce Eats / Derek Rose

Whether you drink coffee, iced tea , or water, a travel mug is a handy accessory that keeps you caffeinated or hydrated on the go. Owning a travel mug can also save money (no more need to stop at a coffee shop) and cut down on paper and plastic waste. Some people have a few different travel mugs for various occasions, like an extra-durable one for hiking and a cupholder-friendly option for driving to work. No matter where you're headed, we have a travel mug for you below, all of which we've tested ourselves and can recommend firsthand.

How We Tested Travel Mugs

To help you make an informed buying decision, we tested more than a dozen of the most popular travel mugs on the market today. Every travel mug was tested for a minimum of one week, and some of them have been used by our staff members for several years. To review the travel mugs, our writers evaluated key areas, including size, design, insulation, and value, and then provided additional insights about what we liked and disliked about each mug.

We Observed:

How easy the mugs were to clean: We made notes about how rigorous the cleaning process was for each travel mug. Some mugs were dishwasher-safe or only had a couple of parts to clean; others had multiple parts or lids so small that they were difficult to clean by hand.
How durable the mugs were: Our testers gauged the durability of each mug by traveling with them and putting them in bags if they were leakproof. Some testers have owned mugs on this list for numerous years and, as a result, gave long-term durability insights.
If any liquids leaked from the mugs: If a mug was labeled as leakproof, our testers shook it upside down over the sink to see if the claims were accurate.
Design: Our testers rated each travel mug's design on a one-to-five scale. Factors that led to higher design scores included functionality, durability, and a stylish aesthetic.
Insulation: After using a thermometer and stopwatch to measure drink temperature, we graded each mug on its degree of insulation.
Value: Finally, we compared the performance of every travel mug to its retail price. Items that lived up to or outperformed their price received higher value-for-money ratings.

The Spruce Eats / Suzie Dundas

What to Look For

Types of Travel Mugs

About our testers, why trust the spruce eats, best overall, contigo west loop vacuum insulated travel mug.

Effectiveness 5 /5
Functionality 5 /5

Effective autolock and anti-spill lid

Can be locked and unlocked with one hand

Keeps drinks hot/cold for hours

A little wide for smaller hands

Plastic lid seems prone to breakage

If you’re looking for a solid, leak-proof travel mug that will keep your coffee hot for up to seven hours, look no further. The Contigo mug is my number one pick for many reasons, the first of which is the “Autoseal” lid. Unlike other travel mugs that have a sliding lid, which is prone to leaks, the Contigo lid has a push button that opens the vacuum seal when you’re ready to drink and closes again when you release the button. (This means you can also use it with one hand.) I was able to carry it around in a bag all day without any leakage. Just keep in mind that this means the lid isn’t interchangeable with any of your other travel mugs.

In addition to hot drinks like coffee or tea , this vacuum-insulated stainless steel mug will keep drinks cold for up to 18 hours depending on whether you buy the 12- or 20-ounce version. You can also choose between seven different colors, so everyone in the family can keep their mug straight.

One of the few drawbacks is that the mug is fairly difficult to clean. If you’re washing the Contigo by hand, be prepared for a bit of an inconvenience as it comes with very specific washing instructions. The lid is dishwasher-safe, but the bottle itself is hand wash only.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 10, 16, 20, or 24 ounces | Dimensions: 3 x 9 inches (20-ounce model)

The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples

The Spruce Eats / Suzie Dundas

Stanley Classic Travel Mug

Design 4 /5
Insulation 3 /5

Highly durable

Great for commuters

Lid is hard to clean

Faint plastic smell first few uses

Stanley is a century-old name known for its array of durable mugs, thermoses, and more. In fact, the company patented all-steel vacuum flasks in 1913. That top-grade technology is bottled into the sleek and simple design of the Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug today. You can purchase the item in three sizes—12, 16, and 20 ounces—as well as five different colors.

We tested the 16-ounce model firsthand and confirmed that it lives up to the brand's claims about temperature retention. Hot coffee stayed warm and drinkable for seven hours, cold coffee lasted 10 hours without ice, and ice water remained refreshing for more than 30 hours. With that in mind, temperature retention varies slightly depending on the size of the mug you buy.

We were pleasantly surprised that the trigger-action lid is completely leakproof. No water escaped even after we shook it upside down over the sink. It's rare to find a mug with a lid as convenient as this one that is also safe to throw in a bag or backpack. It's excellent for hiking, and because it fits in cupholders, it's viable for commuters, too.

We've also used this mug frequently over four years and it shows no signs of slowing down. The item is backed by Stanley's lifetime guarantee. The company claims the bottle can withstand everything from a 4,000-foot drop to a windchill of -70 degrees Fahrenheit. The best part? This lifelong companion is affordably priced, making it one of the top value-for-money options on the market.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 12, 16, or 20 ounces | Dimensions: 2.9 x 8.9 inches (16-ounce model)

Best for Hot or Cold

Zojirushi stainless steel mug.

Design 5 /5
Insulation 5 /5

Easy-to-hold design

Fits in most cupholders

Excellent heat retention

Locking mechanism prevents leaks

Hand wash only, many pieces to clean

While most of the mugs on our list work well for hot or cold beverages, they are generally better at one or the other—but that’s not the case with this mug from Zojirushi. It retains drink temperature for at least six hours, no matter if you take your coffee hot or iced. Our experience with the mug was even better than the company advertises: Coffee was warm enough to drink nearly 12 hours after brewing.

Available in 12 and 16 ounces, the Zojirushi mug also wins points for design and easy drinking. The flip-top cap not only stops the mug from leaking, it also keeps the drinking spout protected and clean. The cap includes a lock to keep it from coming undone in your bag, as well.

Cleaning this model is a bit harder than some of the others (a specially designed bottle-cleaning brush is recommended). Several different pieces need to be cleaned thoroughly to avoid staining and mildew buildup. The plastic sipping piece and rubber gasket on the lid can be popped out easily and cleaned separately, though.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 12 or 16 ounces | Dimensions: 2.625 x 2.875 x 9.125 inches (16-ounce model)

Best High-Tech

Ember travel mug 2.

Touchscreen display

Battery lasts up to three hours

360-degree leak-proof lid

Only 12-ounce capacity

Just like many other travel mugs, the sleek Ember Travel Mug² will keep your drink hot throughout your morning commute, but it stands out by using smart technology and a high-tech design. This second iteration of the Ember Travel Mug is lighter and more streamlined than its predecessor, mainly because instead of a manual dial, it features a touch-sensitive control panel.

The mug is "smart" because you can use the panel to control and set its temperature or link the mug to the Ember app via your smartphone. The app essentially serves as a temperature gauge for the mug, notifying you when the set temperature has been reached. This is a nice feature because it eliminates the possibility of burning your mouth.

The Ember Travel Mug²'s best design feature is the lid: It only needs a push to open, is leak-proof, and lets you sip from any side of the mug. Furthermore, the mug's design is ergonomic. It's wider at the top than the bottom and is coated with a matte finish, making it easy to grip and comfortable to hold. We wish it held more—12 ounces isn't a lot for many coffee drinkers—and we don't love the high price point, but you are getting a high-tech product so the cost makes sense.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 12 ounces | Dimensions: 3.14 x 7.9 inches

The Spruce Eats / Russell Kilgore

Best Budget

Copco acadia travel mug.

Amazon

Safe in both microwave and dishwasher

Colorful grip

Fits in cupholders

Can stack inside each other

Prone to staining

Hole in lid can't be closed

This 16-ounce travel mug works for both hot coffee, iced coffee, and cold brew , and it comes at a budget price. It's designed with a double-wall construction to keep drinks at their temperature longer than a non-insulated cup; however, it’s not made for all-day temperature regulation like some stainless steel mugs. We found hot coffee to be lukewarm just two hours after brewing. The good news is that the mug is microwave-safe, so you can easily reheat drinks should they cool off.

Another advantage of this mug is how easy it is to clean. It's dishwasher-safe, and the lid opening is large enough to clean the inside by hand should you choose to do so. The lid doesn't have a cover, however, so you can’t toss the mug in your bag. Another downside is that the interior is prone to staining. We have owned the mug for nearly four years and it still works like new, but the coffee stains set in after roughly a year.

The cup portion is white, but you can choose from a variety of colored bands, so you always know which one is yours. The bands also serve as coffee collars to protect your hands from scorching temperatures while adding extra grip. There's nothing fancy to this mug, but it's dependable.

Material: BPA-free plastic | Capacity: 16 ounces | Dimensions: 3.66 x 6.78 inches

Best With Straw

Bubba envy insulated tumbler.

Design 3.5 /5
Insulation 4.5 /5

No sweating

Lid seals tightly

Fits in car cupholders

Keeps drinks cold or hot

Can't close hole on lid

Hand wash only

Prefer iced coffee ? Then a travel mug that has a straw might suit your palette more. This model fits in most cup holders and can keep your drink cold for up to 12 hours. You can use the removable plastic straw with the Tritan lid or not, depending on your preference. The one design flaw, however, is that there is no way to completely seal the lid since the hole doesn't include a cover or flap.

The cup is made of stainless steel, so it will repel stains and odors, meaning your lemonade won't taste like yesterday's coffee. The mug even has a lifetime guarantee, so you know it will last. If you’re looking for a durable travel mug that’s designed to hold both hot and cold beverages, the 24-ounce Bubba Envy Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler is a solid option at a price you can afford. While the mug is large and doesn't have a handle, it's surprisingly easy to hold because of indents that circle the cup.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 18, 24, or 32 ounces | Dimensions: 3.62 x 3.93 x 10.54 inches (24-ounce model)

The Spruce Eats / Rebekah Joan

Best Handled

Thermos stainless king travel mug.

Comfortable to hold

Doesn’t fit in all car cup holders

Thanks to the vacuum insulation of most travel mugs, a handle is no longer really a necessity to keep your hand dry from condensation or to prevent it from getting burned, but if you prefer to drink from a handled mug, this version from Thermos is the right pick for you.

Available in five different colors, this 16-ounce mug will keep beverages hot for up to five hours or cold for up to nine hours thanks to the double-wall stainless steel construction. The lid has a “DrinkLock” seal, which opens when you press the lever to the left or right. During testing, there were no spills and coffee stayed hot for longer (even on chilly days). The one drawback (if you even consider it one) is that this mug must be washed by hand.

Tea drinkers will also want to consider this mug since it has a built-in tea hook that accommodates most tea infusers and makes it easy to remove them from the mug. It comes with a five-year limited warranty in case there is an issue.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 16 ounces | Dimensions: 3.3 x 4.9 x 7.8 inches

The Spruce Eats / Rebekah Joan

Best Design

S'well traveler mug.

Multiple sizes and many colors

Great temperature retention

Price varies, can be expensive

Lid isn't ideal for commuting

The S’well Stainless Steel Traveler Mug is inarguably one of the best-designed travel mugs on the market today. Thanks to S’well’s high-end, triple-wall technology, you can rest assured that your drinks will maintain their ideal temperature for hours on end. It performed exceedingly well when we tested it. Coffee stayed hot for 12 hours and, after adding refrigerated coffee without ice, it was still cold 30 hours later.

This mug topped others in the design category because it is cupholder-friendly and available in 17 different color options as well as three sizes: 12, 16, and 20 ounces. The Traveler is completely leakproof and can be trusted in your bag or backpack. Just keep in mind that the lid can't be unscrewed with one hand, so you'll need both hands free if sipping on the go. Also, it's not dishwasher-safe, so to clean it, you can either put a drop of dish soap in and rinse with hot water or use a long bottle brush.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 12, 16, or 20 ounces | Dimensions: 3.3 x 9.3 inches

Best for Easy Cleaning

Yeti rambler 20 oz tumbler.

Size 4.5 /5
Design 4.5 /5

Dishwasher safe

Magnetic lid slides easily

Multiple color options

Not leakproof

The Yeti Rambler comes in three sizes: 10, 20, and 30 ounces. Some travel mugs are too small for a hand to fit inside or have multiple parts to clean. That's not the case with the Rambler. We appreciate that we can reach every nook and cranny of the mug with a sponge. The Rambler is also dishwasher safe when you're not in the mood to wash it by hand.

We've used the mug for more than two years and it's still going strong. We take it in the car a lot because it fits in cupholders and can be sipped with one hand. There's a toggle on the lid, which Yeti calls a Magslider, that's effortless to open with your thumb. One of the only downsides is that the lid isn't leakproof, so we don't throw it in our hiking backpack or messenger bag.

Like most Yeti products, the Rambler effectively keeps drinks hot for around 10 hours or cold for close to 20. It's also sold in more than 10 colors from neutrals to vibrant hues, so you can find one that suits your style.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 10, 20, or 30 ounces | Dimensions: 3.5 x 6.6 inches

Best Large Capacity

Bubba classic insulated desk mug.

Budget price

Lightweight despite size

Too big for cupholders

Lid has a hole you can't close

This 52-ounce mug is what you'll want to take to the pool, beach, or camping since it holds enough water for several hours. It’s also great for office workers who don’t want to keep running to the water cooler to refill smaller bottles. Of course, the drawback with a mug of this size is that it won’t fit in your cupholder, so this pick is better for non-drive time.

For those who intend to drink hot beverages out of this mug, it doesn't quite have the heat retention that the brand claims. When filled more than halfway full with hot coffee, it was lukewarm less than three hours later. The mug did perform better when tested with cold drinks, however. With refrigerated coffee poured into the mug without ice (as the amount of ice may vary for customers), the coffee was still cold 12 hours later. Another testing observation to note is that the lid opening seemed a little wide, and it was easy to spill when drinking.

As an added bonus, the Bubba 52-Ounce Desk Mug is incredibly durable and can handle being dropped or tossed around in the trunk of your car. The wide, comfort-grip handle feels very sturdy, too.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 34 or 52 ounces | Dimensions: 7 x 10 inches

We highly recommend the Contigo Autoseal West Loop because its sleek, durable, and easy to sip on the go thanks to its button-activated lid. As an alternative, the Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug is similar in price and quality, and it performed well in our testing process. You can't go wrong with either one.

Other Options We Tested

Yeti Rambler Mug : Yeti makes a number of reliable travel mugs—not to mention the brand's beloved coolers—but the Rambler mug has too many shortcomings for us to recommend it, starting with its poor insulative properties. The hot coffee we brewed lost temperature rapidly in the mug and, because it's made with stainless steel, it couldn't be reheated in the microwave. Additionally, the lid is not leakproof, which is a feature that's easy to find in a number of other travel mugs out there.
Ello Campy Travel Mug : The Ello Campy Mug is a stylish, large-capacity option that many customers may enjoy, especially those into the outdoors. While it doesn't have any major defects, it didn't quite make the cut for this list. We found that the paint can chip easily and that it's tricky to clean. On top of that, it's too large to fit in many car cupholders.

What to Look for in a Travel Mug

It doesn’t matter if you’re drinking coffee , tea, or water—every sip from your travel mug should be smooth and easy. That’s why it’s important to figure out the lid style that best suits you. Some of the top options include flip lids, thumb-sliding lids, push-button lids, twist lids, and straw lids. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. Customers who prioritize durability or preventing spills, for instance, should choose a more secure style, like a twist lid. Others who want to seamlessly drink from their mug while on the move may prefer a lid that can be opened with one hand. Luckily, lid style does not affect price, so every option should be on the table when you start looking for a travel mug. Many brands also sell lids individually so that users can have multiple options at their disposal.

Temperature Retention

All too often we take a sip of coffee and find it’s gone lukewarm. A reliable travel mug can thwart that dreaded, flavorless middle zone and keep your coffee at the ideal temperature for hours, no matter if it’s hot or iced. Vacuum-insulated mugs, which are typically made from stainless steel, offer the best performance when it comes to temperature retention, while plastic and silicone are the least effective materials. When buying, think about the type of coffee you drink most often (hot or iced) as some mugs are better designed for one or the other.

The length of time that a mug keeps drinks hot or cold is often listed in its product details, but keep in mind that this figure is often based on the item being preheated or precooled before use. We also asked Graham Nearn of the Stanley brand what temperature range the company defines as "hot" and "cold." He told us that when Stanley says a drink stays hot for a certain amount of time, the liquid must be between 140 to 203 degrees; for a drink to be considered cold, it has to fall between 39 and 50 degrees.

Travel coffee mugs come in a variety of sizes. The average capacity is around 16 ounces, though the range extends far on either side of that. Some are no bigger than a regular at-home coffee mug; others are large enough to keep you caffeinated the entire day. Brands often manufacture the same mug in multiple sizes, so if a specific one catches your eye, you can likely find it in a size you love. Customers interested in larger mugs should see if it is microwave-safe or able to retain heat well; otherwise, they may be sipping a lot of cold coffee. Finally, for those who plan on taking their mug in the car, check out customer reviews or product details to ascertain if a mug can fit in your cupholders.

While most travel mugs are made from stainless steel, options are far from limited when it comes to material. Other possibilities include plastic, glass, silicone, ceramic, and bamboo. This choice naturally affects a mug’s aesthetic, as well as larger factors like price, durability, how the item is cleaned, how long it retains heat, and whether condensation appears on the outside. What factors are most important to you? If you want a budget-priced mug that can go in the microwave, plastic is likely the best material for you. If durability and heat retention are higher priorities, you may want to stick with the stainless steel route. Also keep in mind the downsides that certain materials have. Plastic mugs, for instance, can stain and retain coffee odors, while some stainless steel mugs may unfavorably alter the flavor of your coffee.

If you sift through a list of travel mugs, you will likely come across the phrase "18/8 stainless steel." This denotes a type of stainless steel made from 18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel. Graham Nearn of the Stanley brand says 18/8 stainless steel is often used for drinkware because it's "food-grade, durable, and resistant to corrosion."

Leak-Proof vs. Spill-Proof

Whether walking to class, embarking on a long hike, or heading out for the daily commute, it’s easier to transport a mug if it can be kept inside a bag; that’s where leak-proof travel mugs come in handy. They prevent even the slightest drop from escaping into your bag, no matter what. Make sure to read customer reviews beforehand, however, as some items advertised as leak-proof may not actually be up to the task. There is also a difference between leak-proof and spill-proof. Mugs labeled as spill-proof only prevent major spills from occurring; they are not safe to store in bags since they can still leak.

Taking a travel mug’s design into consideration involves two different paths. First, you can think about the item’s shape or silhouette. Do you want a mug with a handle? Or one thin enough to slide into a bag or backpack? Second, design also involves the many colors and patterns found on the outside of a mug. There is an array of options, from fun and playful to chic and striking, that can convey your personality with every sip.

Not only are most travel mugs affordable, but they also help customers save money by cutting down on daily trips to the coffee shop. The only type likely to break the bank are electric travel mugs. Other than that, budget picks are widely available both in-store and online. Some mugs cost as little as a bag of coffee beans. Size does generally impact price, however, as larger mugs tend to cost more than smaller ones, even if they are the same model. Expect plastic mugs to be the cheapest option, while glass, stainless steel, and ceramic are all slightly more expensive.

When picturing a travel coffee mug, most envision a tall, tapered item similar to a reusable water bottle, but there are actually many options designed to look exactly like the mugs we use every day at home. Items in this category provide the feel and comfort of a regular coffee mug but with added heat retention and the luxury to take your joe on the go. Because they are smaller in capacity than most travel mugs (usually around 12 ounces), they are also slightly more affordable. Unfortunately, coffee-mug-style travel mugs aren’t leak-proof and don’t fit in cupholders because of their handles.

Portable Coffee Maker

Truly defining on-the-go coffee, there is a category for travel mugs that additionally function as portable brewing devices. They allow users to make coffee and drink it all from the same bottle. This is certainly a less common variety, but it’s still worth consideration, especially for frequent travelers and campers. The majority of portable coffee makers work like French presses. Aptly named “travel presses,” they immerse coffee grounds in water and then push them to the bottom of the mug via a built-in plunger. The second most common type of portable coffee maker utilizes a pour-over brewing method instead.

Well known for their smooth exterior, tumblers are the most popular subcategory of travel mugs. They never have a handle and the body usually tapers to a narrow base, both of which make them cupholder friendly. Tumblers can be used for both hot and cold beverages, but they are especially popular for iced coffee. Many have straw lids for easy sipping. Customers may be familiar with tumblers in other types of drinkware, as they are also used for cocktails, iced tea, lemonade, and general home use.

What is a vacuum-insulated mug?

The phrase “vacuum-insulated” pops up all over the place when searching for travel mugs. It’s also commonly used with another phrase: "double-walled." Both labels denote that a travel mug is built with two different layers, an inner wall and outer wall, and that the space between the layers is partially evacuated of air, creating a vacuum. This design allows drinks to retain their temperature for a longer period of time because they are less exposed to the outside air.

Can I make my travel mug retain temperature longer?

We all want the most out of our products, and this one small tip goes a long way: preheat or pre-cool your travel mug before use. Taking a few extra minutes to let hot or cold water sit in your mug will prime the material for better temperature retention. You can pour hot water from the tap or even boil it for an added boost of heat, all while your coffee is brewing.

How do I clean my travel mug?

Before cleaning, consult the product details or instruction guide to see if the item is dishwasher-safe. This is a common benefit of glass and plastic travel mugs but not stainless steel. If your mug isn’t dishwasher-safe, don’t worry. Cleaning is still quite easy. A simple daily cleaning only requires scrubbing with dish soap and a sponge or gentle brush. Avoid using steel wool brushes and harsh household cleaners on stainless steel mugs. For a more thorough job, allow a solution of vinegar and baking soda to soak inside the mug for several minutes, then rinse and clean with dish soap before using.

Can I add milk to my coffee if it’s in a travel mug?

Most brands advise against putting milk or creamer in thermoses unless it's for a brief amount of time. Bacteria can develop when dairy products are stored at warm temperatures, especially if the travel mug isn't properly cleaned. Graham Nearn of the Stanley brand echoed this thought, telling us: "We don’t recommend putting milk or dairy products in Stanley vacuum bottles or food jars for extended periods of time, as bacteria growth can occur at certain temperatures."

The Spruce Eats / Cheyenne Elwell

Cheyenne Elwell is a freelance writer specializing in food and coffee. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Insider, MSN, and her coffee blog BakedBrewedBeautiful.com.
Suzie Dundas is a freelance writer and editor based in Lake Tahoe, California. Along with The Spruce Eats, her writing has appeared in Forbes, Fodor's, SkyLife Magazine, and Outdoor Sports Guide.
Rebekah Joan is a writer and blogger located in Northwestern Pennsylvania. She has written for The Spruce Eats since 2019.
Derek Rose has been The Spruce Eats' coffee and tea expert since 2019. His other work has appeared in Forbes, SPY, and Angi.

This piece was written by Derek Rose , the coffee and tea expert for The Spruce Eats. He researches a variety of coffee products, from measuring scoops to commercial espresso machines, and interviews field experts for their insight. He has owned or tested a number of the items on this list, including the Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug , the Copco Insulated Travel Mug , the S'Well Traveler Mug , and the Bubba 52-Ounce Insulated Desk Mug .

Graham Nearn , the Senior Vice President of Product Creation & Design for PMI Worldwide, was interviewed for this piece. He oversees the Stanley brand, which has manufactured vacuum flasks and more since 1913.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

The Best Travel Mugs and Reusuable Coffee Cups, According to Vogue Staffers

By Julie Tong and Boutayna Chokrane

Image may contain Coffee Cup Cup Human and Person

We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.

What are the best reusable travel mugs? Ask someone from Vogue , and their excitement for their favorite vessel might rival that of the latest great fashion collection. If one of your 2023 goals is to live more sustainably, buying a travel coffee mug or tumbler is a simple way to bake the virtue into your everyday life. Many of us are guilty of grabbing a latte and, after an hour or two, quickly discarding that paper or plastic cup into the trash. According to the National Coffee Association , Americans are drinking, on average, around 3 cups of coffee daily and recent research shows it could lead to a longer life span (I don’t know about three cups a day, though). So there’s no need to actually give up your daily coffee —just bring a travel cup that will help reduce the amount of single-use plastic disposed of each day, but can be chic, too.

Below, the Vogue staff spill about their favorite reusable coffee cups and luxe travel mugs.

José Criales-Unzueta, fashion news writer

I love my Stanley Quencher. I recently received one as a gift from a friend, and have been using it non-stop at the office. It helps me stay hydrated, but also simplifies the process. I used to pour water into a carafe and then into a glass at my desk, but after several tip overs I realized that something had to change!

Quencher tumbler

Clarissa Schmidt, commerce producer

My friends and family know that coffee is my must-have accessory, every day. I start my mornings with a fresh cup of joe, whether it’s while I’m walking my dog or grabbing one on the go for a day spent at the office. I received a set from Corkcicle for my birthday a couple of years ago (a matching mug and canteen ), while we were hunkered down in quarantine, because my father knew I missed my routine of running out to my favorite coffee shops. Needless to say, I’ve used it every day since, and no other cup has kept my coffee hot for as long as this one does. The rest is history!

Corkcicle classic coffee mug

Florence O’Connor, associate producer

Not to be dramatic, but the MyBevi travel mug has changed my life. I used to be someone who forgot to drink water, so introducing a 32 oz. tumbler into my daily routine has drastically changed the amount I consume. It’s a perfect water bottle—the straw makes me feel like I’m a little kid again, the water stays ice cold for hours, and it looks pretty cute sitting on my desk. I never thought I would be a big cup girl but I’m genuinely so obsessed I even got one for my boyfriend and my roommate.

MyBevi Outlander stainless steel travel mug

Ciarra Lorren Zatorski, associate fashion editor

Over the years, I’ve really come to love sipping a great cup of tea or warm water with lemon throughout the day but hate lugging around a bulky tumbler! By nature, the Museum of Peace & Quiet tumbler has been my minimalistic dream with a sleek silhouette and color-blocking details. Not only is it functional with vacuum-insulated stainless steel, but aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well.

Museum of Peace & Quiet off-white to go tumbler

Eliseé Browchuk, marketing and events manager, experiences

Maison Kitsune’s reusable tumbler is a timeless replica of the brand and café’s iconic coffee cups. Whether I’m on the go or working from my desk, sipping from this coffee cup always reminds me of Paris.

Cafe Kitsune coffee tumbler

MAISON KITSUNE

Ian Malone, experiences manager

Why does a portable mug have to be simple? This sculptural, colorful version will be sure to add visual interest to anywhere you go. Suitable for cold drinks or hot beverages, this bottle is the ideal accessory at any time of year.

Hay Sowden bottle

Kiana Murden, beauty commerce writer

Even if it’s not coffee, I love starting my day with a pick-me-up drink! Matcha, turmeric lattes, tea—anything goes! Regardless of my choice, I always reach for my W&P Porter Mug. Not only is it the chicest reusable cup I’ve owned, but the no-slip grip feels comfortable to touch while I sip.

W&P Porter mug

Laura Jackson, commerce writer

I love how unobvious this coffee mug from Fellow is. It’s small enough to fit in any purse or work bag , but can still hold an ample amount of coffee to keep you caffeinated throughout the day.

Fellow Carter Everywhere travel mug

Irene Kim, production and editorial coordinator, Vogue Runway

There’s nothing worse than watered-down iced coffee or a lukewarm hot coffee, which is why I’ve only used a corkcicle tumbler when I make coffee at home. It’s been my trusty go-to since my college days, keeping drinks warm even on the coldest day of the year. I love that it’s also stainless steel which makes for an easy clean up after use.

Corkcicle classic tumbler

Julie Tong, commerce director

There’s nothing worse than having your hot simmering coffee turn cold while you step away from your desk. Enter: Ember—the innovatively designed reusable coffee cup that is designed to keep your coffee hot and fresh for hours on end. Brilliant!

Ember temperature-control smart mug

Elise Taylor, senior living writer

Two things I love about Hay’s Sowden cup: 1. the good design (contrasting colors! sleek lines!) and 2. its ability to keep your coffee cold, or hot, for twelve hours. Considering I still drink ice coffee in the depths of New York winter, I likely won’t ever need the latter temperature meticulously maintained! But it’s still nice to have options .

Image may contain: Bottle, Shaker, and Cylinder

Hay Sowden travel cup

Alexis Bennett, senior shopping writer

Sorry, cappuccino lovers, I cannot stand the taste of coffee—like not at all. Instead, tea is my morning drink of choice. I feel really fancy when I’m sipping it from my favorite Tea Forte cup. It has a lid that allows me to take it with me when I’m on the go, and the pretty flower print makes me feel like an extra on Bridgerton .

Tea Forte Kati ceramic tea infuser cup

Mai Morsch, editor

I love my Kinto travel mug for hot and cold coffee alike. The clever double lid not only prevents awkward (or dangerous!) spillage, but also keeps ice cubes at bay.

Kinto vacuum insulated travel tumbler

Willow Lindley, fashion market and collaborations director

I’m obsessed with my KeepCup. It’s a great size and most like a traditional to-go cup for me. Plus, it’s super easy to clean which means I’m way more likely to keep using it!

KeepCup 12 oz. reusable coffee cup

Naomi Elizée, market editor

I’m not a huge coffee drinker but I do love my tea! This reusable mug from Miir is my go-to whenever I am on the run and need to take my drink on the go. I also love the sleek and modern design of the mug!

Miir travel tumbler

Madeline Fass, market editor

For someone like me whose coffee order is good ol’ drip and a bit of half and half, (which might just make me the only non-non-dairy coffee order in New York) there’s something about drinking it out of a ceramic imitation of the classic bodega paper cup. Perfect for sipping joe or some tea daily at my desk or right at home—sans paper and plastic.

Exceptionlab We Are Happy to Serve You ceramic cup

Nicole Phelps, global director, Vogue Runway

I use my Joco Cup faithfully every day. The annoyance of hand washing it every morning is offset by the righteous virtue I feel as I wait in line to pay among all the single-use plastic holdouts.

Image may contain: Bottle, Cosmetics, Drink, Milk, and Beverage

Joco 12 oz. resuable coffee cup

Liana Satenstein, senior fashion news writer

I used to be a diehard disposable cup user because I’m probably lazy and myopic when it comes to recycling, etc. But I have to say, I love this coffee cup that I keep at my desk and get my morning coffee in. I haven’t used a disposable cup since I bought it.

Corkcicle 12 oz. triple-insulated tumbler

Laird Borrelli-Persson, archive editor

This soccer mom—tennis mom, actually—was yearning for a spot of tea while watching matches, so the hubsters lent me his Zojirushi stainless steel mug. It’s sleek. It has a lock function. It keeps things super hot, or super cold. I was sold. I wished for one for Christmas and Santa came through with a gift that keeps on giving. Now I don’t leave the house without it.

Zojirushi stainless steel mug

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best travel coffee mugs reusable cup - Luxe Digital

Travel Mugs For Stylish, Secure Sipping On-The-Go

Caffeinated and chic.

by Editorial Team Updated on May 17, 2023

At Luxe Digital, we independently research, review, and recommend products we love and that we think you will love, too. Learn more about how we curate the best products for you .

We all love those moments when we can sit and enjoy our morning coffee in peace. However, we’re busy people. We live life on the go. Whether you’re traveling for work or play, your coffee’s going to need to come with you .

The best coffee mugs for traveling have all of the feel-good benefits of the mugs you have at home…with all of the benefits of being able to safely and securely bring them wherever you want . With these travel tumblers and mugs, you’ll also enjoy eco-conscious benefits.

Whether you’re brewing your coffee at home or toting a reusable cup to your favorite coffee shop, you need to have the best travel mug for your specific lifestyle.

With features like auto locks, triple insulation, and gorgeous, aesthetically-pleasing facades, the world is your oyster when you’re looking for the best travel mugs to keep coffee hot (or ice cold!).

We’ve compiled a definitive ranking of the best travel coffee mugs, so you know precisely what to look for. From chic reusable coffee cups to sturdy stainless steel coffee mugs, you’ll find them all right here .

The best travel coffee mugs

Zojirushi: overall best coffee travel mug.

best travel coffee mugs zojirushi - Luxe Digital

If you’re looking for industry-approved insulation , look no further. Zojirushi makes the same coffee urns that are used in coffee shops worldwide – so you know that the brand’s personal insulated mugs are going to keep your drinks hot or cool for hours on end. And, just as importantly, these mugs can do it while looking sleek and chic.

A powder-coated exterior, an easy-clean nonstick interior, an ultralight body: Nothing about this mug gets in the way of your everyday coffee experience. It’s all there to enhance. The BPA-free plastic lid on this best travel mug to keep coffee hot has a 2-step release process to avoid accidental spills, gushing, or overflowing.

Best of all, the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Mug simply ensures that your coffee will be the precise temperature you want , even hours later.

Best for : Coffee aficionados who like their drinks piping hot or icy-cool — with no in-between.

S’Well: Best high-end thermal mug

best travel coffee mugs swell - Luxe Digital

If you’re anything like us, your coffee mug is one of your favorite daily accessories. If you’re spending a lot of time using it, you might as well enjoy the process, right?

Turn to S’Well for a bottle that works well and looks good doing it. With triple-layered construction that keeps beverages cold for 24 hours (and hot for 12), your drinks will always be just the way you like them. Each Traveler Mug by S’Well has unique patterns, prints, textures, and colors. You’re sure to find one to perfectly complement your own personal aesthetic .

The seal on these mugs are impeccable, the opening of the mug is wide enough for ice cubes and comfortable sipping, and they’re perfectly sized for most cup holders. They’re also far and away the best travel mug for iced coffee.

Ultimately, when you’re looking for a gorgeous traveler mug to fit into your lifestyle, the S’Well Traveler is the way to go.

Best for : Drinking perfectly-heated-or-iced coffee on the go—in style.

MiiR: Best value stainless steel coffee mug

best travel coffee mugs miir - Luxe Digital

Travel mugs already have the potential to save you a lot of time and money, as you can use them to bring drinks from home instead of stopping at your favorite coffee shop (or stopping for coffee anyway, but having your favorite mug to use instead of a single-use cup). When it comes to value, though, this MiiR Insulated Tumbler really steps up to the task.

This dishwasher-safe, double-wall-insulated mug will give you perfectly-heated (or cooled) beverages without condensation . The hard shell powder coating won’t deteriorate over time. It’ll always look good and feel good to hold while you’re enjoying your morning (or afternoon) coffee.

The lid of the MiiR Insulated Tumbler flips open so you can easily drink your beverage — but locks so you don’t have to worry at all about leaks . With three gorgeous color choices and a low price point, it’s safe to say that this tumbler is definitely worth it.

Best for : Those who appreciate the reliability of a mug that can truly go the distance.

Contigo Transit: Best reusable coffee cup for your car

best travel coffee mugs contigo autoseal - Luxe Digital

When you’re enjoying your morning commute, you need to be alert. This stainless steel mug can provide you the java you need to drive safely and even get your thoughts in order before you park at work, ready to start your day.

This coffee mug does its job as well as you do : it’s sized to fit in most standard car cup holders, it keeps your beverage at the temperature you want it, and it won’t leak or spill if it suddenly tips over, should you need to brake quickly.

Its non-slip grip sleeve makes it easy to sip your coffee with one hand , and it’s got the same non-slip material on its base. This coffee mug won’t be going anywhere unless you want it to!

For a frustration-free car coffee experience, the Contigo Stainless Steel Mug is the right pick.

Best for : A tried-and-true co-pilot for your next road trip.

Trudeau: Best insulated coffee mug for work

best travel coffee mugs trudeau - Luxe Digital

When you’re enjoying your coffee in-office, you need a professional-looking travel coffee mug that’s up to keeping you alert through meetings, deadlines, conferences, and more.

The leak-proof lid of this coffee mug swivels and even pops off so you can have a regular mug drinking experience — without the risk of getting coffee stains all over your tech and your documents. The durable, hand-washable faux-leather accents are a nice touch, as well.

What’s more, the no-frills, industrial vibe of the Trudeau Board Room Mug can literally tell others (and remind yourself) that you mean business.

Best for : A veritable savior for your morning commute (even if that’s just from the kitchen to your living room!

bubba: Best coffee travel mug with straw

best travel coffee mugs bubba - Luxe Digital

The thing about travel coffee mugs is that they almost universally come in sip-friendly models. One of life’s great joys, however, is enjoying an iced coffee through a straw . If you’re missing out on that experience when you use reusable travel mugs, don’t worry.

Enter: The bubba insulated coffee mug. Its easy-clean lid can be used with or without an included plastic straw , which is dishwasher-safe — so you can clean it easily, as well.

With a sleek double-walled body that fits in most cupholders and a sweat-free exterior formulation, this bubba Vacuum-Insulated Mug will be pleasant to use for years to come . (Since it comes with a lifetime guarantee, you’ll be able to use it for that long, too.)

Best for : Those who enjoy sipping through a straw, but want a sustainable way to do so.

YETI: Best coffee mug with handle

best travel coffee mugs yeti - Luxe Digital

Many coffee travel mugs don’t actually look like mugs, when you think about it. For the very thing which defines a mug — an eminently grippable, practical handle to make drinking your coffee kinesthetically pleasing — is often absent from sleek, modern travel cups.

This YETI Rambler Mug is here to change that.

With an impeccably-engineered shape , feel, and insulation system, this travel mug has a low, wide body and a large handle for easy grabbing and pleasant sipping. Even if you’re wearing gloves, this mug will easily fit around your mitts!

The no-sweat dura coat cover ensures that the color of your choice will remain bright and cheery forever. You’ll see no peeling, fading, or scratching with the YETI Rambler . Its ability to keep drinks hot or cold all day long is just as hard-working as its frame : Until the last sip, your beverages will be precisely as you need them, every single time.

Best for : A travel tumbler that can handle literally anything before you.

Contigo Autoseal: Best stainless steel travel tumbler

best travel coffee mugs contigo autoseal vacuum insulated - Luxe Digital

Raise your hand if you’ve ever accidentally knocked your travel mug over to your great chagrin. (Our hands are raised.) This can ruin your day before it even begins. Finding a travel mug that would never, ever do that would be a game-changer.

Introducing: the Contigo Autoseal Travel Mug .

With Contigo’s Autoseal technology, you can be sure that will never happen. (You can also simply toss this travel mug into your bag and be perfectly confident your belongings are safe. It’s that good at what it does.)

Just the push of a button and you can enjoy one-handed drinking of perfectly-heated (or cooled) drinks. The lid opens completely so you can clean it thoroughly — and locks, so you don’t have to worry about a thing .

Absolute peace of mind in a travel coffee mug. That’s what we like to see.

Best for : Those who seek reliability and safety with their coffee mug. No leaks, here.

Swig: Most trendy travel coffee mug

best travel coffee mugs swig - Luxe Digital

When you’re using your coffee mug, you’re walking out and about. You’re at work. You’re strolling through your office. You want that mug to be reflective of who you are …and your personal style.

And, sometimes, you might just want to have a little fun with your accessories. That’s where the Swig Triple Insulated Mug comes in. With countless gorgeous, fun, and trendy designs , this handled mug is one you’ll want to reach for in the morning.

A silicone base keeps this mug completely scratch-free, slip-free, and noise-free . It looks good, and keeps your coffee hot for up to nine hours. When it comes to a coffee mug, what more could you want?

Best for : A gorgeous coffee truly worth of your #ButFirstCoffee ‘grams.

Mora Ceramics: Best ceramic travel mug

best travel coffee mugs mora ceramics - Luxe Digital

If you’d rather steer clear of a mug with an industrial, workaday feel , perhaps it’s time to hit pause.

Named for the Latin word meaning ‘pause’, this ceramic mug by Mora Ceramics is a constant reminder to slow down, take stock, and rest as you go throughout your day.

With an organic, natural feel, the glazed ceramic of this mug is something you’ll enjoy cupping in your hands as you begin your day. However, this mug isn’t all about looks. It incorporates a splash-resistant lid, a double-walled ceramic body with paladin clay, and a base that will slip smoothly into any standard cup holder.

Instead of rushing through your day, take a moment to pause. With the Mora Ceramics Travel Mug , invite calm into your productivity. Your future self will thank you.

Best for : Moments of caffeinated chill among the chaos of busy days.

JOCO: Best glass coffee travel mug

best travel coffee mugs joco - Luxe Digital

An artisan glass travel coffee mug. Does such a thing exist?

As it turns out — yes. The artists behind the JOCO Glass Travel Tumbler precisely formulate these mugs with wide-mouth, comfort-sip designs, steady flow function, and gorgeous clarity . If you want to drink your beverage instead of wearing it, you’ll enjoy the anti-splash ergonomic experience of the lid.

JOCO has made sure that nose-to-lid collisions are minimal with the intuitive shape of the lid; the thermal silicone sleeve keeps your drink hot and the mug touchable ; and — as this mug is 100% plastic-free — it is odor-resistant, oven- and microwave-safe, and very easy to clean.

If you’re looking to eliminate plastic from your life and you like the thought of incorporating a beautiful work of art into your coffee experience, the JOCO Glass Travel Tumbler is the one for you.

Best for : The fans of coffee in a glass who enjoy one-of-a-kind artisan pieces.

Thermos: Best tumbler for coffee

best travel coffee mugs thermos - Luxe Digital

A sleek, fluted style . Unique functional features. And a company name that has literally come to define travel coffee mugs.

Thermos’ Sipp line has been completely re-engineered and redesigned to give you maximum temperature retention. With vacuum insulation and a durable stainless-steel interior and exterior, this thermos is made to be at your side to endure whatever life throws at you .

Thoughtfully crafted with a one-hand push-button drinking operation, a built-in tea hook for tea bags or infusers , and a minimalist, streamlined body that can easily be cleaned in the dishwasher: The Thermos Travel Tumbler brings sophistication to the table encased in a slim, smooth profile.

Best for : Anyone who prefers the simple classiness of pure functionality.

Juro: Best budget travel coffee mug

best travel coffee mugs juro - Luxe Digital

BPA-free, large-capacity, a matte black facade that blends in with any outfit or environment: This travel coffee mug is everything you need out of a basic coffee mug…and it’s available for an extremely economical price.

The Juro Stainless Steel Tumbler keeps cooler drinks cold for a full day, and hot drinks piping hot for six hours. The unique feature of this mug is its lid. When you’re enjoying your coffee, all you need to do is slide the moving part of the lid back and forth. There are no rotating parts to break or line up. There’s a tight clip seal on the lid when you need it to stay put.

Zero worries, reliable insulation, and a lightweight design that holds a lot of coffee . That’s pretty much the dream! This insulated travel coffee mug also comes with a lifetime warranty. All in all, the Juro Stainless Steel Tumbler offers incredible value for a bargain price.

Best for : Those who’d rather keep their coffee and their pocketbook safe from spills.

Buyers guide: Finding the best travel coffee mug for your life

Your life, your daily rituals, the specific needs you have as you move throughout your day: They’re all as delightfully unique as you are . Therefore, the coffee mug that you use to help bring you comfort and energy needs to be special, too . Luckily, there are many different types of mugs, features, and accessories that you can choose from.

We’re here to help make yours an informed choice with this helpful guide. When you’re looking for your ideal travel coffee mug , keep the following features in mind.

The insulation : One of the primary reasons you purchase a travel coffee mug is to keep your drink at an optimal temperature. Make sure that your coffee mug can handle both warm and cool beverages, and that it has enough insulation to keep your drink hot — and your hands safe.

best travel coffee mugs commute luxe digital

The lid : Your travel coffee mug can’t spill — that’s a must. When you’re considering your purchase, keep the anti-spilling tech in mind. Some coffee mugs have locking features on their lids. Others might slide open with the twist of your hand.
The washability : You’ll be drinking from your mug daily, so you’ll need a way to make sure that your cup is freshly clean and safe quite often. If you prefer using a dishwasher, check to make sure that your travel mug is dishwasher safe. If not, just examine it to see if it’s easy-clean or if you’ll need to purchase a special bottle brush to sanitise it.
Sip vs. straw : Think about the way that you like to enjoy your coffee. Would you rather a sipping lid, or would you prefer at least the option of a straw? Remember, you can use your travel coffee mug for hot or cold beverages — and sipping iced coffee through a straw can be simply divine. However, if that’s not a feature you would use, a straw could be just another thing that you have to regularly clean.

best travel coffee mugs joco glass cups luxe digital

Hot vs. cold: If you do plan on using your travel coffee mug for both hot and cool drinks, make sure you purchase one that is engineered for both —there are some that are better for hot drinks, and others that are better for cool ones (that reduce condensation on the exterior surface, for example).
Size: Lastly, pick a coffee mug that has a volume you can work with. The very point of having a travel coffee mug is so you don’t have to refill it too often. Think about your consumption needs and pick one that’s large enough to give you a satisfying amount of your favorite beverage — without it being too bulky for you to comfortably carry it around.

Frequently asked questions about the best travel coffee mugs

The best travel coffee mugs are the ones that you use the most! Think about your daily life and what you need — a handled coffee mug, one with a straw, or one with an airlock lid. The one with features best suiting your life will be the best travel coffee mug for you. (We like the Zojirushi Insulated Mug , however, for just how good it is at regulating temperature!)

The Zojirushi Insulated Mug keeps coffee hot the longest. Zojirushi is used industry-wide for coffeeshop thermal needs, so, if you’re looking for professional-level insulation, that mug is the way to go!

The best thermal mug is the S’well Stainless Steel Traveler . It keeps hot drinks hot and cool drinks chilled for long periods of time…and it has the different color options to ensure that you enjoy your mug as an accessory, too.

Stainless steel coffee mugs are safe when you can be sure that the company is using the right type of stainless steel. If you see that a mug uses food-grade, performance-grade, or medical-grade stainless steel, you can be sure that they’ll be safe to use.

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Striking superlatives

Best leak-proof travel mugs for hot and cold beverages

A ttempting to sip on a leaky cup of coffee is a humbling experience. Drippage and staining are inevitable - not ideal on the hectic morning commute.

Carrying reusable cups and mugs should be a simple solution, and reduces waste as you enjoy your morning brew. Some coffee shops even offer discounts for doing so. But, let’s face it, many of these vessels simply do not work as well as they should.

We’re not quite sure what the paper-plastic Pret coffee cups have that sustainable travel-friendly options don’t, but the latter are rarely trustworthy, especially when wearing white.

Thankfully, the new boom of water bottles (credit to Stanley) which has been zealously pioneered by TikTokkers has brought about a renewed interest in portable travel mugs. This means more colours, more designs and crucially, less leakage.

Brands including Nespresso, Chilly’s and Thermos have produced travel mugs for caffeine-fuelled days that don’t run the risk of ruining your outfit. Whether taking one with you on a long car journey or braving the bustling tube, you can rest easy knowing your cuppa isn’t ending up on you or the poor person next to you.

Given that Brits drink approximately 100 million cups of coffee per day , the potential for spillage is high. Ensure every single drop of Joe stays firmly inside its container by investing in one of the best leak-proof travel mugs below.

Stanley AeroLight Transit Leak-Proof Travel Mug, 350ml

From TikTok sensation Stanley, the AeroLight Transit Leak-Proof Travel Mug will ensure no dripping takes place as you serenely sip. The handy item, which comes in a variety of colours, keeps your drinks hot for up to four hours, cold for up to six hours and chilled for up to 20 hours when ice is added. Does it really work? Yes - the seemingly endless rave reviews speak for themselves.

Buy now £31.99, John Lewis

Joseph Joseph Sipp Coral Travel Mug with Hygienic Lid, 340ml

An affordable pick for coffee and tea lovers, Joseph Joseph’s Sipp travel mug offers a smart, leakproof design that’s set to become your closest companion. A hygienic flip-top cap covers the cup when not in use, while a non-slip grip provides an element of safety. Say goodbye to single-use cups and hello to your new, dry travel mug.

Buy now £15.00, John Lewis

Contigo West Loop Autoseal Travel Mug, 470 ml

Sealed and leakproof, Contigo’s attractive travel mug is a must-have. Available in a slew of tempting tones, the piece comes complete with auto-seal technology which secures between sips to prevent leaks and spillage. What’s more, a lid-lock prevents the auto seal button from accidentally being pushed while on the go - so no more mid-commute leaks. It keeps hot drinks warm for up to five hours and cold drinks cool for twenty. Once you’re done, pop it in the dishwasher ready for the next day.

Buy now £24.63, Amazon

Chilly’s Original Coffee Cup, 340ml

Pick your favourite colour and let the Chilly’s coffee cup do the rest of the work for you. The piece features double-walled insulation to keep hot drinks piping for hours and is made from durable, high-grade stainless steel that preserves the flavour. Pour your hot or cold thirst quencher inside and head out with ease. Note, the cup is not suitable for the dishwasher.

Buy now £24.00, Amazon

Royal Doulton Coffee Studio Travel Mug, 350ml

Discover your inner barista with Royal Doulton’s porcelain travel mug. Shaped like a tall glass, it can hold a generous 350ml capacity and comes with a black lid to make it easy to stay hydrated whilst on the go. Safe for dishwasher cleaning and microwave use.

Buy now £29.99, Royal Doulton

SANTECO Travel Coffee Mug 350ml/500ml

Available in two generous sizes, SANTECO’s mint green travel mug will make a great gift for those with a fast-paced lifestyle. The brand guarantees no sweating, leaking or spilling thanks to the double silicone gaskets that are applied on both the lid side and the flip clip. Made from 100 per cent eco-friendly stainless steel, the attractive sipper will keep hot drinks warm for up to six hours and colder tipples chilled for twelve. Pop in your bag and be on your merry way.

Buy now £19.99, Amazon

Nespresso TOUCH Travel Mug, 345 ml

If your Nespresso machine is one of your most treasured possessions, you might want to get a snazzy travel mug to match. The sleek urban design will keep your 345ml of coffee warm without transferring heat to your hands. Measures a total of 16cm high and is dishwasher-friendly.

Buy now £26.77, Amazon

Dycietx Travel Mug, 380ml

Flood your senses with the taste of silky coffee as you wander to work while armed with the Dycietx Travel Mug. The inexpensive mug adopts a double-walled vacuum stainless steel insulation design to keep drinks hot, plus a super safe leak-proof screw lid with a premium silicone sealing ring, which tightly secures your drink. Use it time and time again thanks to the non-slip base which prevents wear and tear. Dycietx is offering 380ml for under £10. Sounds like a bargain to us.

Buy now £8.99, Amazon

Thermos 101834 Stainless King Travel Mug, 470ml

The Thermos 101834 Stainless King Travel Mug is a bit of a beast. Stay hydrated with a whopping 470ml liquid capacity for hydration wherever you go. The handle provides users with an easy grip, while a durable stainless steel interior and exterior, featuring a Drinklock sealing lid, keeps spillages firmly at bay.

Buy now £30.00, Amazon

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Road Trip Essentials: The Best Tech and Gadgets, According to Experts

The experts at Good Housekeeping have tested and reviewed some of the best travel electronics and tech gadgets on the market. Here are some of the picks that will make your next road trip more memorable.

More Road Trip Gear: Best Driving Sunglasses | Best Travel Luggage | Road Trip Toolbox

Our Top Picks

Best Travel Portable Coffee Maker

Cera+ portable electric coffee maker.

Best Travel Wi-Fi Hotspot

Verizon mifi 6620l jetpack 4g lte mobile hotspot.

Best Travel Dash Cam

Garmin dash cam 57.

Best Travel Gadget Cooler

Koolatron thermoelectric iceless cooler and warmer.

Best Travel Gadget Radar Detector

Escort max 360 mkii radar and laser detector.

Best Travel Action Camera

Gopro hero9.

Best Travel Electronics Organizer

Bubm electronics organizer.

Best Travel Gadget for Portable Power

Anker 325 power bank.

Best Travel Gadget Charging Cord

Rolling square keychain charger cable.

Best Travel Mug

Ember travel mug.

We all have our own ideas about what tech we need and which gadgets and devices we enjoy, so the Gear Team could have simply thrown together a list of some of our favorites. But Good Housekeeping has been testing and evaluating products for over a century, and its testing has become an industry standard. So we hit up our colleagues over at the Good Housekeeping Institute to make sure we weren't missing anything.

Relying on the expertise of the Gear Team and the testing acumen of Good Housekeeping, here are some of the Best Travel Gadgets and Tech for your next road-trip adventure.

Note: Road & Track has paraphrased Good Housekeeping 's findings to reflect our purposes here; we have omitted some of the Institute's non-automotive selections and included other products more suited for our car-loving audience.

The Best Road Trip Gadgets & Tech

Don't settle for whatever truck-stop cup of joe you come across while on the road. The CERA+ portable coffee maker will allow you to indulge your inner coffee snob wherever you are. It can perform cold or warm brews, and its rechargeable battery allows you to make several cups, no matter the type of coffee you choose.

Wi-Fi on your road trip can be a game changer. For those who lack the luxury of integrated Wi-Fi found on many newer cars, the Jetpack allows Verizon customers to connect up to 15 devices to their personal Wi-Fi network in more than 200 countries. During Good Housekeeping’s testing, the battery showed impressive all-day life. As a plus, it includes an extra USB port for charging other devices.

Dash cams can be a fantastic tool for recovering damages, beating tickets, or recording incredible situations. The Garmin 57 mini dash cam takes the functionality up a notch with a Swiss Army knife–like list of features. It can record in 1440p and features incident detection, forward-collision and lane-departure warnings, and a cool option that lets you turn hours of driving into a time-lapse video. Best of all, it measures just about 1.0 by 2.0 inches.

Staying hydrated and keeping your appetite at bay while on the road can be tough if gas-station jerky and drive-thru fare aren't your thing. Koolatron 's thermoelectric cooler and warmer plugs into your vehicle's 12-volt outlet and keeps the contents as cool as 40 degrees Fahrenheit and as warm as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The 18-quart version can hold up to 23 standard soft-drink cans; the much larger 45-quart version is ideal for families.

Even if you don't consider yourself much of a speeder, having an additional layer of protection against hefty fines is a wise move. The Escort MAX 360 will keep you covered, just in case you lose track of your speed over hours of cruising. It's loaded with features, including dual antennas for increased range, 360-degree awareness, an easy-to-use app, and many more we don't have the space to list here.

GoPro has been offering compact action cameras since 2004, and the HERO9 is perfect for road-tripping. It's durable and waterproof up to 33 feet, allowing you to take it with you just about anywhere. It shoots in 5K so you're guaranteed sharp, high-quality memories once your trip is over. GoPro also offers an array of accessories for attaching it to a helmet, your chest, your car—even a toddler.

Keep your wires and other small gear organized with this neat-looking organizer from BUBM . It comes in ten different colors, and the testers at Good Housekeeping loved the compact fold-flat shape and zipper enclosures.

Charging ports can be a point of contention in cars and trucks, particularly when a family is on the road for extended periods. This Anker portable battery will help nip back-seat fisticuffs in the bud. The 20,000 mAh Li-ion battery allows you to charge up to two devices at a time via dual USB-A ports, and it can be recharged through either its micro-USB or USB-C ports.

Rolling Square's keychain charger is the perfect accessory to keep alongside your keys or in your glovebox. It offers multiple outputs and inputs including USB-C, USB-A, micro-USB, and even a lightning port for your iPhone. It complements the Anker portable battery above very nicely.

When you're on the road for hours on end, a warm beverage can be key in getting your body's motor started and keeping it going. This travel mug from Ember won't just keep your beverage warm, it will keep it exactly the temperature you prefer. The temperature can be controlled from an app on your phone, and its two-hour battery life can be extended by placing it on its charging coaster.

Apple AirTag

Many are already familiar with the invaluable functionality that Apple 's tiny tracker provides. It can be used to track anything from your valuables to your luggage and even your car, right from your phone. It does require you to use Apple's digital ecosystem, but its overall functionality could just be enough to convert Android users. Its one-year battery lifespan makes it an easy set-and-forget tool.

JACO ElitePro Digital Tire Pressure Gauge

Before and after long drives, it's important to keep tabs on your tires, as they are the only thing keeping you and your family on the road. Investing in a quality tire pressure gauge is key, especially if you drive an older car that doesn't come equipped with a tire-pressure monitoring system. JACO 's gauge is calibrated accurately to professional ANSI 2A standards and offers a full lifetime warranty.

Leatherman Wave Plus Multitool

If you don't already carry a good multitool, it's about time you do. The Wave Plus from Leatherman is a handy everyday tool for popping bottle tops, tightening screws, opening packaging, and a plethora of other odd jobs. Out on the road, it's great for small inconveniences and quick fixes, such as replacing burnt-out bulbs, tightening hose clamps, or whatever other mishaps may arise.

DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone Bundle

This DJI camera drone will elevate your ability to log your road-trip memories. When you're no longer limited to the ground, the photo and video opportunities you'll realize are pretty vast. The GH Institute testers loved that it can fold away into a compact carrying case and lauded its sharp picture quality. The included Fly More Kit opens up the potential to capture professional-quality aerial shots of your car ripping through the twisties. It includes spare batteries, chargers, parts, and more.

DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Gimbal Stabilizer

The DJI Osmo gimbal is a nice piece of kit to keep handy if you’re even remotely serious about capturing solid images of you and your flock while out on the road. Even if you're solo-tripping, it's an excellent way to capture photos or videos of your car in action. During testing, the gimbal held the phone stable and has a nice feature that allows it to rotate in a single sweeping motion. The magnetic clamp attaches easily to almost any phone.

Reliefband Classic Wristband for Motion Sickness

Lots of us are burdened with the unfortunate affliction known as carsickness. This can get pretty messy on long drives, particularly if you have little ones prone to nausea. The Reliefband is a drug-free remedy to general motion sickness. If it really works—and most users claim it does—it's definitely worth it.

Bose QuietComfort OverEar Headphones

If you plan to spend many hours in a packed car, you will inevitably be met with conflict when everyone disagrees on what to fill your collective ears with. These noise-canceling cans from Bose provide a convenient solution, allowing your passengers to escape to their own audio reality for a bit. Testers found them very comfortable over extended periods and really appreciated being able to switch between Quiet and Aware modes to filter outside noise.

Caveat: No matter how tempting it may be to drown out the world around you, and despite settings that allow you to control ambient noise, we don't recommend over-ear cans like these while driving. Opt for a pair of AirPods or earbuds , if you must—but be advised, state laws vary on their use behind the wheel.

How do I determine which items are essential to my trip?

A good rule, particularly with gadgets, is if you can't name around two-thirds of the buttons on your device, you probably won't use it (or at least to its fullest potential). Carry only what you might need and use.

I'm new to road-tripping. Will all these gadgets be daunting?

Some gadgets like a DJI drone can indeed have somewhat steep learning curves. We recommend trying out your gadgets at home to familiarize yourself with their features and controls. Apps are a requirement for some gadgets, so having those pre-loaded onto your phone can save time and hassle.

Can I buy stuff on the road?

Lots of gear can be a hassle to keep track of, so sometimes it is more efficient to forgo some of the less essential pieces and just pick them up as you need them. Rechargeable electronics are a great solution—they keep working and alleviate the need to carry around or purchase extra batteries.

Why Trust Good Housekeeping ?

The Good Housekeeping Institute has been testing products and providing expert reviews and advice on all types of travel gear in their labs, from luggage trackers and noise-canceling headphones to drones and mobile hotspots. The gadgets chosen for this list were evaluated by product testing analyst Selina Tedesco and updated by media and tech reviews analyst Olivia Lipski .

Why Trust Hearst Autos?

Hearst Autos combines the talent, resources, and expertise of three of the largest, most influential automotive publications in the world. We get our hands on each and every product we test. Most are purchased; some are supplied by manufacturers. If we're unable to test a product or category ourselves, we'll sometimes turn to noted experts such as the Good Housekeeping Institute .

Hearst Autos doesn't need to game SEO algorithms for traffic or promote lousy products to earn a buck. We're far more concerned with our legacy, our reputation, and the trust that our readers have in Autoweek , Car and Driver , and Road & Track to deliver honest opinions and expert evaluations. Read more about our product testing and evaluation process here .

The Assistant Commerce Editor for Hearst Autos, Justin Helton is an enthusiast with a passion for heavily depreciated autos and a penchant for philosophical debate. As a lifelong Manhattanite, he has mastered the ins and outs of classic car ownership in one of the least car-friendly cities in the world.

Rachel Rothman was the chief technologist and executive technical director of the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 15 years , overseeing testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also managed GH's research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems.

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Put-in tours

Original tour agency in moscow and st petersburg..

Onboard a Soviet van!

Welcome to Russia!

We are Sergey and Simon, a Russian and a Frenchman, both passionate about Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and classic cars. Together, we have created Put-in tours. Our goal is to help you experience Russian culture off the beaten path. Join us onboard our classic Soviet van and let’s get rolling!

In Moscow we offer you a city tour to discover most of the city in an original way as well as a night tour to admire the lights. Our pubcrawl is ideal to explore Moscow’s night-life and have fun. If you are craving to discover Russian culture, come impress your senses during our monastery diner or join our 100% Russian Banya Excursion . The latest will also bring you to Sergiyev Posad and it’s famous monastery!

For the most extreme travellers, our shooting tour will deliver your daily dose of adrenaline whereas our tank excursion will let you ride a real tank and shoot a bazooka.

We also offer help to receive your visa , safe and multilingual airport transfers , as well as organisation services for team-building events or bachelor parties .

All our excursions (but the monastery diner) happen onboard our Soviet military vans and can be covered by our professionnal photographer or videographer.

In Saint Petersburg

We welcome you in Saint Petersburg onboard our Soviet van to discover the imperial city with our city tour and night tour .

Continue your discovery in style! The adrenaline lovers will like our shooting tour which brings 3 Russian weapons to the tip of your trigger finger.

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At Put-in tours, we put you in our classic Soviet vans to go explore Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Russian culture off the beaten path. Discover our Moscow city guided tour, visit Moscow by night, join our banya & Sergiyev Posad excursion, visit and dine in one of Moscow's oldest monastery or even Luzhniki stadium, before you party on our famous pubcrawl! Original and atypical tours : Shoot AK47 and a bazooka after riding on a tank with our tank & bazooka excursion ! Extreme tours: Fly a fighter jet in Moscow onboard a L-29 or L-39 aircraft!

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12 Best Low-Carb Pasta and Noodles You Can Buy Online

According to nutritionists and professional chefs, these pasta alternatives are the best of the best.

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.

Best Prebiotic Pasta

Zenb yellow pea pasta.

Best High-Fiber Pasta

Thinslim foods impastable low carb fettuccine.

Best Two-Ingredient Low Carb Pasta

Chickapea organic chickpea pasta spirals.

Best High-Protein Pasta

Explore cuisine organic edamame & mung bean fettuccine.

Best Chickpea Pasta

Barilla chickpea rotini.

Best Nut-Based Low Carb Pasta

Cappello's almond flour spaghetti.

Best Wheat Pasta

Goodwheat single ingredient wheat pasta.

Best Butternut Squash Pasta

Green giant butternut squash veggie spirals.

Best Hearts of Palm Pasta

Palmini hearts of palm linguine.

Best Spaghetti Squash Pasta

Solely organic dried spaghetti squash.

Our Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen food editors and registered dietitians in the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab tested over 50 pasta and noodle alternatives to find the best low-carb pasta brands to add to your pantry.

If you're wondering what you can use in place of noodles for a low-carb diet, any of these top-ranked options can be a good substitute for regular pasta. "If you’re diabetic or watching your carbohydrate intake, low-carb pasta alternatives can be a great mealtime option that gives a similar taste and texture as the real thing without excessively spiking blood sugar levels," says Stefani Sassos , M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., director of the GH Institute Nutrition Lab. "They can also be a convenient way to incorporate more veggies, legumes, fiber and protein into your diet." The Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab analyzed low-carb pasta alternatives for their nutrition facts, ingredient lists, taste, texture, cooking times and more. Our top picks have about 30 grams of net carbs or less, although some clock in at slightly higher than 30 grams. Our picks prioritized high-fiber and high-protein content which contribute to the satiety of each low-carb noodle. Our experts favored picks that had minimal ingredient lists with favorable texture and taste profiles.

Below our reviews of the best low-carb noodles and pasta alternatives, you'll find more information on how we selected the best low-carb noodles, plus tips on what to look for while shopping.

What makes this legume product unique is that it's made from 100% yellow peas and not the usual chickpeas or lentils. While this choice has one of the highest amounts of carbs on our list, these noodles still have much fewer carbs than traditional pasta. They deserve a shout-out for the high amount of fiber and protein per serving. Y ellow peas are also a good source of prebiotics which act as the food for probiotics to work their magic and boost good gut bacteria.

The key to preparing this pasta is to not overcook it because it can get mushy. Also, keep in mind that quite a bit of foam can form on the surface of the pasta water when cooking, which is normal. Our testers reported that this pasta has a great flavor when paired with sauces.

Our experts are fans of this low-carb pasta because of its super clean ingredient list. At only five ingredients, two of which are fiber sources (from oats and wheat), this noodle is extremely high in fiber , which will keep you full for longer and reduces the risk of blood sugar spikes. Impastable low-carb pasta also makes a variety of shapes, providing lots of versatility to pair with a number of pasta sauces.

When cooking, be sure to keep a close eye on the noodles as they can get mushy quickly. These noodles are also higher in sodium than other picks, so choose sauces that are lower in sodium and be cautious when seasoning. If you are not used to consuming large amounts of fiber, start slowly to avoid digestive issues such as gas and bloating and make sure you are drinking enough water — at least eight cups per day — to avoid constipation.

Made with only chickpea and lentil flour, this low-carb gluten-free noodle is a great source of plant-based protein, with 13 grams per serving. Finding alternative sources of protein is important for those who are eating a vegan diet or cutting back on animal-based sources. While it is lower in fiber than other options, its lower carb count means it still clocks in at under 30 grams net carbs.

Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine

Made with two simple ingredients, organic edamame and organic mung bean flour, these noodles are a nutritional powerhouse with 24 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber per serving. Although they make a great choice for diabetics and those following a keto diet, they can be enjoyed by anyone. They cook quickly and are sturdy in texture with a good consistency that doesn't fall apart, according to our testers. They have a great flavor.

Straight from Italy's market-leading pasta maker, this high-fiber chickpea pasta is lower in carbs and is made with only one ingredient: chickpeas. It contain eight grams of fiber, both soluble and insoluble, and is a rich source of potassium. These noodles are available in four shapes and sizes, they have a slightly earthy taste and stay intact while cooking. Our experts loved this versatile pick, exclaiming it was the "best of all the chickpea pasta we tested in terms of taste and texture."

Find these almond-based noodles in the freezer section of your grocery store. The brand, which also makes delicious gluten-free pizza bases , is a favorite of both the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen and the Nutrition Lab for its top-notch simple ingredient list and mild flavor. Rather than using a grain or bean base, this pasta is made with almonds, so it is both gluten- and grain-free. While it is higher in sodium than other low-carb pastas, pairing with a low-sodium sauce will help to balance out the flavor and salt levels of this pick.

Cited by our experts as being the best tasting of all the low-carb noodles and the most similar to traditional white pasta, GoodWheat pasta is made with one ingredient, durum wheat semolina. A disadvantage of the high fiber semolina is it that does take longer to cook at around 14 minutes. GoodWheat is both high in fiber and protein and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. It can be enjoyed with a variety of sauces and toppings. It is also United States farm grown, non-GMO and kosher certified.

A favorite with our experts because of its single uncomplicated ingredient — butternut squash — these veggie spirals are also a GH Nutritionist Approved Emblem -holder. They are super convenient because peeling, prepping and spiralizing a butternut squash can be very tough. These spirals are certified gluten-free and a great way to add more veggies into your cooking repertoire. Keep them in the freezer then throw them into a skillet for a meal base in minutes. While they have a different texture from the more legume- and grain-based options, you're getting a full serving of veggies or more in every serving. If you're looking for another veggie option from Green Giant, our experts also loved Green Giant's Zucchini Veggie Spirals .

You probably have seen these noodles pop up on your social media feeds as they have been gaining popularity due to their versatility and low-calorie profile. Made from hearts of palm, these noodles make a great base for any red sauce dish. They don’t get mushy and remain al dente, holding up well to any topping. Fans describe the taste as being similar to artichoke hearts, with a slightly earthy taste and fibrous texture. Our experts agree that the slight flavor of hearts of palm dissipates with a great sauce.

If you don't have the 45 minutes it takes to prepare spaghetti squash , these noodles are a super easy stand-in and take only five minutes. Use that time saved to make an incredible pasta sauce . Like a lot of other picks on this list, Solely pasta is made from only one ingredient: organic dried spaghetti squash. These low-calorie noodles can be used in place of almost any pasta recipe and with one portion you're getting one serving of vegetables. While our experts — even the picky ones — loved the taste and hearty texture, the only downside is that one box better serves two to three people instead of the stated four.

Simply Nature Edamame Spaghetti

These spaghetti noodles from GH Nutritionist Approved Emblem -holder Simply Nature at ALDI are made with only organic edamame. They contain a ton of natural fiber — 13 grams — so our experts recommend a bit of extra time when cooking to soften them up. This pasta will likely foam when cooked because it is releasing a combination of proteins and carbohydrates, so keep an eye on them while preparing. They taste great, but we recommend adding a splash of olive oil after cooking to prevent sticking.

Brami Curly Macaroni Pasta

Lupini beans form the base of this high-protein noodle. While traditionally found as gently pickled and jarred, Brami also blends this ingredient (native to the Mediterranean and North Africa) with semolina durum wheat to create a tender and nutritious pasta that our tasters adored . Clocking in at 31 g net carbs, it's slightly higher than some of our picks, but the box also boasts 6% of your daily dose of iron and potassium per 2 oz serving.

How we chose the best low-carb pastas

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we are always testing food products and nutrition-related services in every category, from healthy snacks and supplements to food subscription boxes and meal delivery services . Our experts are committed to bringing you the best of the best when it comes to quality, performance, flavor, nutrition and more.

Our registered dietitians and GH Test Kitchen pros evaluated dozens of pastas and pasta alternatives for this story, focusing on ingredient lists, fiber counts and protein content. We also took into account cooking times, texture, taste and overall food quality. Our top picks consider a wide variety of dietary preferences, from high-fiber and high-protein options to gluten-free and soy-free offerings.

What to look for when shopping for the best low-carb pasta

When choosing a low-carb or alternative pasta, start by considering what you want to achieve:

✔️ Reduce carbs: If your goal is primarily about reducing your carbohydrate intake, you might want to consider some of the veggie or shirataki noodle options on this list.

✔️ Increase fiber: If your goal is to increase your fiber intake, legume-based pasta could be a great place to start.

✔️ Flavor: If you are looking for a mouth-feel similar to traditional pasta or are dealing with picky eaters, we recommend wheat pasta which provides a more familiar experience.

It's also important to note that low carb doesn't always mean healthiest. "Carbs aren’t the enemy, and the quality of the carbs we consume is just as important as the quantity," Sassos says. When picking carbs to eat, choose ones that are nutrient-dense and complex that will fuel your body. "These include fruits and veggies, whole grains and legumes," Sassos says. "Plus, these foods naturally come packed with nutrients like fiber and even protein which can help stabilize blood sugar levels."

What type of pasta is lowest in carbs?

"Vegetable-based pastas, such as zucchini noodles or hearts of palm noodles, tend to be lowest in carbs and calories," says Sassos. "They are also packed with nutrient-dense vitamins and minerals and are naturally gluten-free. Shirataki noodles and kelp noodles are also quite low in carbs and calories."

Can pasta be no carb?

Not technically but these veggie-based noodle options, like zucchini noodles and shirataki noodles, are your best bet if you're aiming to cut back on carbs and maintain a low-carb diet. "Some may have as little as five to 10 grams of carbs per serving," says Sassos. Also important to note: low-carb options aren't always the most nutritious. "While a low carb pasta may fit into your diet plan, it’s not always a more nutritious choice. A bit of nutrient-dense, complex carbs from a fiber-rich pasta can be both a filling and satisfying option," she adds.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

As a dietitian and low-carb pasta enthusiast coming from an Italian background, Amy Fischer , R.D.N., is an expert in the field of healthy pasta. She has worked as a recipe developer for several food companies, and she also has extensive experience in the commercial side of the food business.

Becca Miller is the associate food editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she researches and writes about food. She has taste-tested dozens of noodles to find the best of the best, including low-carb pastas and gluten-free noodles. She considers herself a pasta connoisseur and is always on the hunt for the best noodles to buy and new sauce recipes to try.

While researching this article, Amy and Becca worked closely with Stefani Sassos , M.S., R.D.N., C.S.O., C.D.N., the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab. Growing up with a family in the restaurant business, Stefani is an avid home cook who relies on low-carb, high-protein pasta alternatives several times a week to make nutrient-dense dinners for her family.

Amy (she/her) is a registered dietitian with the Nutrition Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute , covering nutrition- and health-related content and product testing. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Miami University of Ohio and a master's degree in clinical nutrition from NYU. Prior to Good Housekeeping , she worked at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City as a cardiac transplant dietitian. She has authored numerous chapters in clinical nutrition textbooks and has also worked in PR and marketing for food company start-ups.

Becca Miller (she/her) has been working in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen since 2018, where she researches and writes about tasty recipes, food trends and top cooking tools. She graduated from NYU with a liberal arts degree focusing on creative writing. She makes killer scrambled eggs, enjoys a glass of un-oaked chardonnay and takes pride in her love of reality television.

Stefani (she/her) is a registered dietitian, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, where she handles all nutrition-related content, testing and evaluation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from NYU. She is also Good Housekeeping’s on-staff fitness and exercise expert. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family.

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2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring, Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya. Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya. This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war. The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station, and change onto the 3/Blue line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya. Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar. One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

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The 50 best coffee shops and best cafes in Moscow

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1 Coffeemania

2 Nude. Coffee & Wine Bar

3 One Teaspoon

4 david b. cafe, 5 starbucks.

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6 Coffee Bean

7 coffeemania, 8 cafe pushkin, 10 i love cake, 11 double-b, 12 bar bq cafe, 13 chernyy cooperative, 14 camera obscura coffee, 15 shokoladnitsa.

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17 Coffee Piu

19 bosco café, 20 restoran mandarin. lapsha i utki, 21 coffee house, 22 tehnikum, 23 conversation cafe, 24 scramble, 25 starbucks.

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26 Upside Down Cake

28 cezve coffee, 29 bosco bar, 30 double b, 31 starbucks, 32 ziferblat, 33 black milk, 34 table one cafe, 35 ladurée moscow.

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Explore nearby places

Likino-Dulevo
Ivanteyevka
Orekhovo-Zuevo
Semyonovskoye
Ivanovskoye
Rumyantsevo
Dzerzhinsky
Sovkhoz Imeni Lenina
Dolgoprudny

All related maps of Moscow

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Map of Marfino
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Map of Putilkovo
Map of Razvilka
Map of Khimki
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Map of Sovkhoz Imeni Lenina
Map of Dolgoprudny

Moscow throughout the year

Moscow in January
Moscow in February
Moscow in March
Moscow in April
Moscow in May
Moscow in June
Moscow in July
Moscow in August
Moscow in September
Moscow in October
Moscow in November
Moscow in December

Looking for day-by-day itineraries in Moscow?

Get inspired for your trip to Moscow with our curated itineraries that are jam-packed with popular attractions everyday! Check them out here:

1-Day Moscow Itinerary
2-Day Moscow Itinerary
3-Day Moscow Itinerary
4-Day Moscow Itinerary
5-Day Moscow Itinerary

Best cafes in nearby cities

The best coffee shops and best cafes in Mytishchi
The best coffee shops and best cafes in Khimki

Best attractions in nearby cities

Top things to do and attractions in Khimki

Best restaurants in nearby cities

Where to eat: the best restaurants in Mytishchi
Where to eat: the best restaurants in Khimki

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COMMENTS

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The Best Travel Mug for Coffee and Tea Enthusiasts Fellow Carter Move Mug. Courtesy of Fellow . View On Amazon View On Fellowproducts.com $21. The Fellow Carter Move Mug is designed with coffee enthusiasts in mind. Its heat and cold retention was second only to the Zojirushi and the inner chamber of the mug is ceramic-lined for a neutral flavor.
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Restaurant. Bosco Café is a supermarket located in the heart of Moscow, Red Square. The cafe and store are popular with locals and tourists alike for their unique atmosphere, great menu, and beautiful hydrangeas. Bosco Café is also home to a piano on Saturdays from 2-4pm where guests can enjoy live music.

How CR Tests Insulated Travel Mugs

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The Best Travel Mug

Everything we recommend

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

Buying Options

Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug (16 ounces)

OXO Good Grips Water Bottle Cleaning Set

The research

How the Zojirushi mug has held up

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Meet your guides

Further reading

This Inexpensive Water Bottle Is Meant for Cyclists, But It’s Great for Travelers, Too

How to Clean a Travel Mug or Water Bottle

Our Favorite Mugs

We’ve Recommended This Travel Mug for a Decade. It’s Still Going Strong.

The Best Travel Mugs to Keep Drinks Hot or Cold

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

Best Overall

A Close Third

A Classy Paper Cup Replacement

An Eco-Friendly Option

Camp Classic

For Coffee Purists

For Camping

Honorable Mentions

Avoid These Travel Mugs

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Coffee Talk

The 12 Very Best Travel Mugs

In this article

What we’re looking for

How to clean

Best travel mug overall

Best travel mug for cappuccinos

Best travel mug for iced coffee

Best travel mug for commuting

Best travel mug with a handle

Best less expensive travel mug with a handle

Best travel mug with a replaceable lid

Best no-leak travel mug

Best travel mug with open hole lid

Best customizable travel mug

Best glass travel mug for brewing tea

Best stainless-steel travel mug for brewing tea

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Best travel coffee mugs in 2024 — tested and rated

Best budget and durable

1. MiiR Flip Traveler

2. Stanley Classic Trigger Action Travel Mug

3. Hydro Flask Coffee with Flex Sip Lid

4. THERMOS Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug

5. Yeti Rambler

6. Ember Temperature Control Travel Mug

7. Teabloom

8. bioGo 16 oz Reusable Coffee Cups

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

10. Ello Campy Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

11. Ello Jane Ceramic Travel Mug

How we test

How to choose the best travel mug

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

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

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Best Travel Coffee Mugs of 2024, Tested and Reviewed