marvel contigo travel mug

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I’m a shopping editor & this travel tumbler is the only spill-proof mug i trust in my bag — it’s on sale now.

by Alicia Kort

Alicia Kort

E-Commerce Writer

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Five years ago, I had one of the most disastrous commutes of my life. I had put a travel mug into my Kate Spade bag and trusted that it would stay closed — you probably can see where this is going. After getting off the subway, I checked my bag and was horrified to see that coffee was just openly sloshing around the bottom of my purse, staining it forever. I’ve blocked the clean-up from my memory. After that incident, I put my travel mug into the trash and swore off mugs for commuting for the next four years. But the Contigo Autoseal West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug piqued my interest a few months ago. With more than 108,000 reviews and 4.7 stars, I decided to give this best-selling tumbler a shot. After all, buying coffee at the office is expensive. I snagged this mug on sale during the holidays and regret nothing.

Out of an abundance of caution, I carried the mug with me in my hand the first few times I commuted with it. I then did some vigorous testing — flipping it up and down, sloshing it side to side and placing it upside down for a period of time. Not one drop of liquid escaped.

That is obviously the best feature, but the autoseal feature is also unique. By pressing the autoseal button along the front of the mug , you release the lock at the top of the mug, so you can take a sip of your beverage. When your hand isn’t actively pressing the autoseal, it stays locked. That means you don’t have to worry about it tipping over and spilling on your desk, because you decided to risk it all by taking the lid off your travel mug.

This mug also is temperature-regulating. It keeps drinks hot for up to five hours and drinks cold for up to 12 hours. As someone who sips on her coffee all day long — it’s not unusual to see coffee in my cup at 4 p.m. — I can say that both my hot coffee and iced coffee stayed totally drinkable despite how slowly I drank them.

The only downside that it’s difficult to clean the lid. I don’t have a dishwasher, so I hand wash it with both a brush and sponge.

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• Glassware & Drinkware

Contigo Autoseal West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug Review

A seriously great mug for commuters

Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Autoseal Lid

The Spruce Eats / Suzie Dundas

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

Bottle isn’t dishwasher-safe (the lid is, though)

If you’re an urban commuter, you’ll love the anti-spill, single-hand operation of Contigo’s West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Autoseal Lid. 

Editor’s Note (September 2023): We originally published our review of this Contigo Stainless Steel Travel Mug in 2019. While we’ve tested numerous travel mugs since, we routinely revisit previous picks to make sure they’re still up to our standards. With the Contigo's excellent performance and affordable price, it remains one of our favorite travel mugs .

• Competition
• Final Verdict

We purchased the Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Autoseal Lid so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

If you like to sip coffee or tea on your way to work—and you’re all too familiar with the horror of spilling a hot drink all over your desk or your laptop—you’ve probably looked into  travel mugs . Specialty travel mugs, such as the Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug, have lids to prevent drips and spills. In addition, they're typically designed to keep liquids hot for much longer than a standard mug. To see if Contigo's West Loop mug delivered on its promise of being leak-free and temperature-maintaining, we put it to the test for a few weeks. Read on for everything we discovered. 

Design: Pretty sophisticated, actually 

While the outward appearance of the Contigo West Loop is pretty standard for a travel mug, there are a handful of welcome features hidden within. The mug is vacuum insulated, meaning that it’s comprised of two layers of stainless steel, and the space between the layers has been voided of air, leaving an empty channel that doesn’t conduct heat well. This technology allows the mug to keep drinks hot (or cold) for so long and explains why the mug doesn’t burn your hand when filled with hot liquids. Contigo calls this their Thermalock system and claims the mug can keep drinks hot for up to seven hours.

In our testing, the Contigo performed even better than promised. When filled with hot coffee, the mug maintained high heat for roughly three hours. Though the coffee slightly cooled after that, it was still warm enough to drink for another three to four hours. When filled with ice water, the Contigo kept it cool enough to maintain the ice cubes for 12 hours. Even 20 hours later, when we checked back in, the water was still very cold. 

The Contigo performed even better than promised.

The mug’s most sophisticated features are hidden in the lid, though. Rather than having a flip-top, there’s a small hole with Autoseal technology. This means the hole stays closed unless the user presses and holds the lid’s button. This technology worked extremely well in our testing. The lid has a second lock that can be depressed to add even more assurance against spills. This lock prevents the spout button from accidentally being engaged. With this lock engaged, we filled the mug with coffee and carried it around in a bag all day without any leakage.  

In terms of downsides, there are only a few minor issues. Firstly, the 20-ounce size is a bit wide for smaller hands to hold comfortably. Secondly, the lid’s complex construction is made of plastic pieces and springs, which has us wondering how long it’ll be able to withstand heavy use—especially if tossed in a backpack or backseat. Finally, we found that the sipping spout would occasionally splash a few droplets of our drink when unlocked—but this almost always happened if it had been bumped around beforehand. 

Material: Stainless steel and BPA-free plastics

The Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug is designed with double-wall stainless steel and a BPA-free plastic Autoseal lid. A few reviewers reported issues with the exterior paint chipping or flaking, but we chose the stainless steel version, so we didn't test that particular issue. 

Cleaning: A bit complicated for a mug

Unless you’ve chosen the unpainted stainless steel version of the mug, it’s not dishwasher safe. However, the lid can be washed in the dishwasher, provided you put it on the top rack. 

If you’re washing the Contigo by hand, be prepared for a bit of inconvenience, as it comes with specific washing instructions. To wash the lid in the sink, you must submerge it thoroughly in hot, soapy water for around 10 minutes before washing and rinsing it by hand. Contigo suggests that you give the mug a thorough washing immediately after each use. However, if purchasers are anything like us, that won’t always happen; you can simply run the mug underwater in an office sink during the weekdays. We found that a thorough daily rinse was enough to remove any stains or coffee grounds, but it’s worth noting that Contigo does not recommend this as it could lead to build-up or mildew. 

If you’re washing the Contigo by hand, be prepared for a bit of inconvenience.

The locking mechanism built into the lid is somewhat complex, but fortunately, Contigo designed the parts for easy cleaning. There’s a small tab on the underside of the lid that pulls up, providing easier access to the parts inside the lid.  

Price: Very affordable

The Contigo travel mug is available in 16, 20, and 24-ounce sizes. Each will run you between $20.99 and $30.99, depending on the size and color. Making a small investment in one of these mugs and  making coffee at home  is a financially savvy move for those trying to avoid the cost of daily Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts runs. 

Contigo West Loop 2.0 Stainless Steel Travel Mug vs. Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

The  Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug  is pretty comparable to the Contigo. It retains heat for just as long as the Contigo and is cooler to the touch when filled with a hot beverage. Though it doesn't boast Contigo’s Autoseal technology, the Zojirushi mug has a flip-top and is equally leak-proof. It’s also available in various colors, from smoky blue and lavendar pink to champagne gold and stainless steel. It only comes in 12- and 16-ounce options, so if you’re looking for a larger capacity, you may want to go with the Contigo. 

An all-around winner. The Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Autoseal Lid is a great option for coffee lovers—especially those who drink  20 ounces (or more) each morning. With a leak-proof design, superior insulation, and one-hand operation, it’s well worth it for those on the go.

• Product Name West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Autoseal Lid
• Product Brand Contigo
• MPN 70121-AMZ
• Price $20.99
• Weight 0.79 lbs.
• Product Dimensions 3.0 x 9.0 in.
• Color Earl gray, dark plum, passion fruit, matte black, stainless steel, blue corn, chard, beige/latte, radiant orchid, Biscay Bay, bright lavender, violet
• Material Stainless steel and BPA-free plastic
• Warranty Limited lifetime guarantee (excludes regular wear and tear)

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Vacuum flask . Encyclopedia Britannica .

Food and Drug Administration. Bisphenol A (BPA): Use in food contact application .