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May 20, 2023

The 7 Best Travel Mugs for 2023 — Reusable Coffee Cups

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Enjoy your coffee no matter where you go.

I'm a firm believer that if we could leisurely drink our morning coffee or tea at home every morning, we would. However, sitting down and sipping from a warm mug thinking about what the day has in store is a far-off fantasy for the majority of us, who are typically running hastily out the door with coffee dripping down our hands from cheap disposable cups or leaky mug lids.

Your favorite mug for at home, with its ceramic construction and wide open top, doesn't stand a chance on your commute or rattling around in your bags and backpacks—you need a travel mug. Travel mugs get your drinks from point A to point B without spilling all over yourself or your belongings, and keep your coffee the right temperature.

Some are great for transporting to enjoy later, ideal for camping or hiking, and some are made for easy sipping on the go. All of them will keep you from knocking a full cup of coffee onto your work computer—and they’ll ensure your coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate, or mushroom powder) is always the right temperature. Plus, they’re reusable, which makes them a more environmentally friendly choice.

A good travel mug keeps your hot and cold drinks at the right temperature for longer than a ceramic mug as most are made with single- or double-walled insulation. Ideal travel mugs keep your drink at the temperature it was when you poured it in—sometimes to a fault. Daily use also means a decent amount of rinsing and washing, so note whether the travel mug is dishwasher safe or if it's recommended you wash it by hand instead. If you're sensitive to metallic tastes, you should go with an option that's ceramic-coated on the inside. Stainless steel typically doesn't hang onto tastes or odors, so you could use it a few times with just a quick rinse between uses, whereas ceramic mugs should be washed after each use to avoid that stale coffee taste.

These travel mugs have great insulation that’ll keep the contents hot or cold for at least several hours. We prioritized secure options that’ll prevent spills when you’re on your way to work or school. We considered what we use on the day-to-day, features we like and look for, as well as some pain points like lids that are spill- but not leakproof, or mugs that won’t survive a fall. Our final pool of products has options at varying price points that’ll suit different preferences when it comes to lids, openings, and cupholder compatibility to ensure there’s a mug you’ll enjoy using, even if you’re not using it in the comfort of your own home.

I've had this tumbler going on eight years now, and it's been my go-to for commuting to work by car and bicycle. I've dropped it on numerous occasions, but it's so sturdy it honestly it might outlive me. The slide opening is big enough to comfortably sip but small enough to hold back ice cubes. Mine is slightly dinged up, but its only obvious signs of wear are the old stickers on it—it continues to keep coffee hot and the lid still securely fastens even after all these years.

Washing is easy since this mug is dishwasher safe, but a quick rinse does the trick when I'm on the go. It's a great size to throw into your backpack after you finish your drink, but I wouldn't throw it in a bag when its full—the push-on lid can come off if it's jostled around and the opening isn't technically watertight—but I've never had an issue with spillage in a car console or in the cupholder on my bicycle.

Taste directly ties to smell, and the avid coffee drinker doesn't want any hinderance to their morning cup. The solution? A wide-mouth opening that gives you a nice whiff of what you're drinking before each sip.

Coupled with a ceramic-coated interior to stave off any odors, tastes, or smells from the cup itself, the 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 customers report the insulation lives up to its promises. 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.

A minimalist mug that'll fit in cupholders and the side drink pockets of your backpack, the Flip Traveler is leakproof and sleek, making it easy to tote around in-hand or stowed. The flip lid can be opened and closed with one hand, with lots of customers reporting the design “just feels good” to hold.

Its durable stainless steel construction holds up against scratches and dings and replacement lids are available if the watertight seal loosens over time.

It's recommended you hand-wash the mug but the lid is dishwasher safe. It's available in 12- and 16-ounce sizes for those who need a little extra coffee in the morning, and there are 11 different color options to choose from.

Kinto's tumbler stands out among others because it functions well and has a unique design. Half awake standing in line one morning at the coffee shop, I almost sacrificed my spot in line to ask someone where they got their mod travel mug. (This was before my first cup of the day, okay?)

I haven't bought my own yet, but holding it was as inspiring as holding a coffee cup can be. Function meets form, as expected from a Japanese home brand, with a leakproof screw-on lid for travel. The lid comes off in two parts so you can fill the bottle up and sip from it with ease, even with ice in your cup.

It's recommended you hand-wash these, but customers that have put them through multiple dishwasher cycles say they still look brand new. The double-walled insulation keeps contents hot or cold for up to six hours.

If you're one to mainline iced coffee—and a lot of it—then you might prefer a tumbler with a straw that'll keep your drink cold on the go. This stainless steel tumbler's large capacity and respectable insulation is ideal for cold drinks, and can pull double-duty as a water bottle.

It’s dishwasher-safe and fits a standard cup holder for convenience. The straw lid is spillproof and it comes with a leakproof flip lid if you need to throw it in a bag to take with you.

Stainless steel can be slippery and leave a metallic taste, but this silicone tumbler with a ceramic-coated interior eliminates both of those problems. It has a rubbery feel on the outside to give you a better grip and a sliding drinking lid for easy sipping. It fits standard cupholders and all of the components are dishwasher safe.

This rugged travel mug doubles as a thermos to keep drinks hot and cold and requires only the push of a button to open. The trigger-action lid is leakproof unlike most sliding lids that can pop their top if they’re jostled in just the right way. The sip opening doesn’t have a latch over it like others, so it truly is a single-button operation to open and close, making it convenient if you’re juggling belongings or kids.

These bottles are highly durable and rarely fail, but Stanley backs their products with a lifetime warranty nonetheless. Customers report the brand will give you a new lid if yours ever breaks or is faulty. Even better, it keeps contents cold for up to seven hours and iced for 30 hours.

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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