insulated travel mug with handle

Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by consumers.

The payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.

We don’t recognize that sign in. Your username maybe be your email address. Passwords are 6-20 characters with at least one number and letter.

We still don’t recognize that sign in. Retrieve your username. Reset your password.

Forgot your username or password ?

Don’t have an account?

• Account Settings
• My Benefits
• My Products
• Donate Donate

Save products you love, products you own and much more!

Other Membership Benefits:

Suggested Searches

• Become a Member

Car Ratings & Reviews

2024 Top Picks

Car Buying & Pricing

Which Car Brands Make the Best Vehicles?

Car Maintenance & Repair

Car Reliability Guide

Key Topics & News

Listen to the Talking Cars Podcast

Home & Garden

Bed & Bath

Top Picks From CR

Best Mattresses

Lawn & Garden

TOP PICKS FROM CR

Best Lawn Mowers and Tractors

Home Improvement

Home Improvement Essential

Best Wood Stains

Home Safety & Security

HOME SAFETY

Best DIY Home Security Systems

REPAIR OR REPLACE?

What to Do With a Broken Appliance

Small Appliances

Best Small Kitchen Appliances

Laundry & Cleaning

Best Washing Machines

Heating, Cooling & Air

Most Reliable Central Air-Conditioning Systems

Electronics

Home Entertainment

FIND YOUR NEW TV

Home Office

Cheapest Printers for Ink Costs

Smartphones & Wearables

BEST SMARTPHONES

Find the Right Phone for You

Digital Security & Privacy

MEMBER BENEFIT

CR Security Planner

Take Action

Best Insulated Travel Mugs

Top cups that keep coffee hot, won’t leak or spill, and are easy to clean

An insulated travel mug lets you take your favorite drink, hot or cold, anywhere you go. And a good one feels like it was designed with your routine, and even you, in mind. It slips effortlessly into a cup holder and opens easily so that you can sip safely while keeping your eyes on the road. You arrive with a drink that’s still hot and appealing.

Unless you don’t. An insulated travel mug can also feel like a piece of over-engineered junk that leaks tepid coffee onto your lap and clutters your cupboards, collecting dust.

“One of the most interesting findings in our testing was that some of the really well-known brands, including Yeti and Starbucks, fell short of the competition,” says Bernie Deitrick, CR’s test engineer in charge of evaluating travel mugs. “In certain cases, we’d find that the mug would be beautifully designed and styled but would have something like a flimsy plastic lid that would allow the heat to escape, or liquid to spill.”

We run our tests to give you data-based comparisons. And with something like an insulated travel mug—which will live in your grip day after day—we realize that only you can decide what makes it great, whether that’s a leakproof design or one that fits in the slimmest of cup holders. Know that every mug here keeps drinks hot for at least a few hours; we sincerely hope that’s plenty long enough for your commute.

Read on for ratings and reviews of the 10 mugs we tested from Bubba, Contigo, Ello, Starbucks, S’well, Takeya, Thermos, Yeti, and Zojirushi. They’re listed below in order of their temperature retention score—how long they keep liquids hot.

You’ll also find details on how CR tests insulated travel mugs .

CR’s take: This slim mug is in a league of its own in terms of pure performance. It keeps drinks hot for an astonishing 13½ hours—6 hours longer than the closest competitor, earning a top rating of Excellent for temperature retention. The screw-on cap is easy to clean, with two removable gaskets. Our testers found the mug easy to open with one hand: Simply press a button on the side and the lid pops up so that you can drink out of the plastic spout. You can also lock the lid, a nice feature if you have young kids who are the type to tinker with a mug filled with scalding hot coffee. The slender design of the mug means it fits in cup holders in a variety of cars.

Specs: 16-ounce capacity, leakproof, cup holder-friendly, plastic interior, smooth lip, replaceable lid and gaskets, one-handed opening.

Buy at: Amazon , Target , Zojirushi

Specs: 16-ounce capacity, leakproof, cup holder-friendly, stainless steel interior, replaceable lid and gaskets, one-handed opening.

Buy at: Amazon , Bed Bath & Beyond , Home Depot , Kohl’s , Thermos , Walmart

Specs: 17-ounce capacity, leakproof, cup holder-friendly, stainless steel interior, smooth lip on cup, replaceable lid and gaskets, one-handed opening.

Buy at: Amazon , Bed Bath & Beyond , Best Buy , Takeya USA , Target

Specs: 16-ounce capacity, leakproof, not cup holder-friendly, stainless steel interior, replaceable lid, one-handed opening.

Buy at: Amazon , Bed Bath & Beyond , Swell.com

Specs: 20-ounce capacity, leakproof, cup holder-friendly, stainless steel interior, one-handed opening.

Buy at: Amazon

Specs: 16-ounce capacity, leakproof, cup holder-friendly, stainless steel interior, smooth lip on cup, one-handed opening.

Specs: 20-ounce capacity, leakproof, cup holder-friendly, stainless steel interior.

Buy at: Amazon , Bed Bath & Beyond , Best Buy , Target , Walmart

Specs: 16-ounce capacity, leakproof, requires large cup holder, stainless steel interior, smooth lip on cup, one-handed opening.

Buy at: Ello , Macy’s , Walmart

Specs: 20-ounce capacity, cup holder-friendly, stainless steel interior, smooth lip on cup, replaceable lid and gaskets, one-handed opening.

Buy at: Ace Hardware , Amazon , Dick’s Sporting Goods , Lowe’s , Yeti

Specs: 52-ounce capacity, plastic interior.

Buy at: Amazon , Bed Bath & Beyond , Sears , Walmart

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.

Sharing is Nice

We respect your privacy . All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story.

Trending in Insulated Cups

How Often Should You Be Cleaning Your Beloved Stanley Tumbler?

Does the Yeti Rambler Deserve All the Love It Gets?

How to Quit Plastic

Are you human?

Something made us think you are a bot, but don’t worry. Just press on the button below and we’ll get you back to your journey.

You might have received this message if JavaScript or cookies were disabled in your browser settings. Occasionally a plugin or extension may be at fault. If you would like to learn more, just reference Why Was I Blocked for more details.

FUNtainer Collection

• Shop All Bundles
• Last Chance

20% Off Bundles | Free Shipping on Orders Over $50

FREE SHIPPING

On orders over $50.

Icon Series

Stainless king collection, alta series.

16oz ICON™ MUG

When you need your coffee hot, or your water cold, look no further than the 16oz Stainless Steel Mug from the Icon™ Series by Thermos. From the Thermos™ vacuum insulation technology, to the Dura-seal™ drink lid that is leak proof when closed, to the Griptec™ non-slip base and handle, this mug is truly iconic. The Icon™ Series by Thermos is a celebration of what’s made us thrive for over a century: Meticulous design, thoughtful engineering, and a relentless desire to make people’s days easier. Make every sip worth savoring with this 16oz. Stainless Steel Mug. Hot, fresh-tasting coffee at every sip, wherever your day takes you.

Item Number: IS1002SN4

Checkout made easy with many options

• Thermos™ vacuum insulation technology for max temperature retention
• High quality 18/8 stainless steel
• Dura-seal™ 360˚ drink lid
• Leak proof when closed, variable flow when opened
• Easy to clean insulated stopper disassembles for thorough cleaning and increases thermal retention
• Equipped with Griptec™ technology for a quiet, soft touch, non-slip base and non-slip, soft touch, molded handle
• Fits most standard size cup holders
• Dishwasher safe (top rack dishwasher safe for added convenience)
• Height: 7.6
• Weight: 0.8 lb.
• Capacity: 16oz. (470 ml)
• Origin: China
• Item Numbers: Sandstone: IS1002SN4, Sunset Pink: IS1002SP4, Matte Stainless Steel: IS1002MS4, Glacier: IS1002GC4, Granite: IS1002GT4, Saddle: IS1002SD4

VACUUM INSULATED

Stainless Steel Construction

LEAK PROOF WHEN CLOSED

For Peace of Mind

GRIPTEC™ BASE

For added stability

STAINLESS STEEL CONSTRUCTION

With sweat-proof exterior

EASY TO CLEAN CAP DESIGN

Made with minimal parts that are dishwasher safe

LEAK PROOF (WHEN CLOSED)

Due to the Dura-Seal™ 360˚ Drink Lid

You may also like

Living up to the test

On orders above $50

Product Returns

CUSTOM PRODUCT PREVIEW