Best Travel Mugs Reviewed and Rated for Quality

In a Hurry? Editors choice:
 Contigo SnapSeal Jade
Test Winner: Contigo SnapSeal Jade
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Most people have a morning commute or travel to other destinations that could use a good travel mug. A solid travel mug would be an invaluable resource for such individuals to help carry their morning coffee or various teas.

The best travel mug may be challenging to find. However, if you take time to look for great qualities, it is undoubted that you would be satisfied and still come across the within your budget.

Consumers can easily hold and drink from a good travel mug while on the move. It shouldn’t leak even if you place it in your bag when not drinking from it. Most of all, a good travel mug is one that would retain the temperature of the beverage stored inside whether cold or hot.

The following are examples of well-selected and useful travel mugs consumers could choose from at any given point in time.

Standout Picks

1. Hydro Flask Travel Mug
The Hydro Flask mug is made of stainless steel. It is vacuum insulated with a double wall to help keep your favorite beverage either hot or cold depending on the requirement for a prolonged period.
Amazon Link
2. Contigo SnapSeal Jade Travel Mug
If you need a leak-proof travel mug that is easy to clean, handle and would last you the time, this particular travel mug is what you could purchase. The mug keeps beverages hot for at least seven hours while the cold beverages stay cold for at least 18 hours.
Amazon Link
$46.90
3. Zojirushi SM-SA60-BA Travel Mug
The outer shell of this travel mug is made of plastic while the inside part of the mug is made of stainless steel. It is easy to clean when you need to use the mug for storing different beverages in the shortest time possible.
Amazon Link
$31.99
4. Thermos Stainless King 16 Travel Mugs
It gives a cool feeling when you touch the surface with hot beverage contained in the mug. The mug is easy to wash with soap and clean water. You would also rinse it with clean water after use and it would be sparkling clean and ready for subsequent use.
Amazon Link
5. Atlin Tumbler Travel Mugs
The mug is designed with quality material that would not leave you worried about being poisoned with toxins that may result from the material in which you keep your beverage. Even if you wash the mug, it would retain its shape and glitter.
Amazon Link
6. STRATA CUPS Camera Lens Coffee Mug
The Camera Lens Coffee Mug is the ideal gift for an avid photographer. It is fashioned to resemble an SLR camera lens. Accurate detail models include the focus rings and aperture. The mug has a screw-on lid equipped with a sealable opening for travel.
Amazon Link
$19.95
7. YETI Rambler 20 oz Travel Mug
This travel mug is designed with a sliding lid that makes it easy to access the contents of the mug. The mug has a magnetic locking mechanism that helps keep the contents of the mug intact when you are on the move.
Amazon Link
8. Simple Modern 22oz Slim Cruiser Tumbler
Simple Modern is a mug with no whistles and bells. The simple design has a 22-ounce capacity. It does not sweat and contains in BPA. The mug is vacuum insulated and fits most cup holders. The Premium Cruiser comes with a closing flip lid and two straws.
Amazon Link
9. YETI Rambler 14 Ounce Travel Mugs
The mug is designed with a soft outer structure that improves grip while at the same time making it a comfortable mug to carry when driving, hiking or cycling. The mugs surface grip is comfortable and it prevents your hands from sweating when you hold the mug for prolonged hours.
Amazon Link
$53.89
10. Ziloes Travel Mug
The mug is well insulated to keep your beverage hot for more than 6 hours and your cold beverage cold for 26 hours. The mug can be used for a number of purposes including storing coffee and ice tea.
Amazon Link
$59.90

Criteria Used for Evaluation

Insulation

Insulation

A useful travel mug is one that is vacuum insulated and double walled. A vacuum insulated travel mug would provide you with the best heat retention for your beverage. The vacuum element prevents heat from being discharged to the outside environment at a fast rate thus helping to keep the contents of the mug hot.

Heat Retention

The travel mug that you select should be able to retain the hot or cold temperature of your most favorite beverage for as long as possible and as stipulated by the manufacturers. It has been discovered that most heat in travel mugs is lost through the lids of the mugs. As such, the travel mugs with the largest lids lose heat much faster than the ones with the smallest lids. The smaller the lid, the better the heat retention quality of the travel mug.

Durability

Durability

A proper travel mug would not dent, break or start leaking after you accidentally drop it from a reasonable distance. Similarly, a proper travel mug would retain its coating or paint after you wash it as per the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

Stainless Steel

A majority of travel mugs that you would find available in the market today are made from ceramic, stainless steel, glass, and plastic. However, in choosing the best type of travel mug, you should select the one made of stainless steel.

The travel mug made of stainless steel is more durable than the one made of ceramic or glass. Also, the travel mugs that are made from stainless steel retain heat better than the travel mugs made of plastic material.

The stainless steel mugs have the best vacuum insulation system, and this guarantees that your hot cup of tea or coffee would remain as hot as you would want it to with a travel mug made of stainless steel. The top-ranking travel mugs are the ones designed with a vacuum insulator, travel mugs made of stainless steel and with a double wall.

The notion that travel mugs with interiors made of steel would affect the taste of your favorite beverage is not true. Most travel mugs with an interior and exterior that is made of stainless steel are acquired with electro-polished interiors that make them less likely to have the strange flavors and odors that most of us fear in travel mugs with stainless steel interiors.

Effectiveness

Spill Proof

A proper travel mug is one that you would place in your bag or a mug holder it would not leak. The best travel mugs are the ones sealed on two levels. The first lock should cover the sipping port while the second lock should seal the lid of the mug tightly to prevent it from turning open when not in use.

For instance, some mugs are pushed open with the press of a button, and they lock automatically when the button is released. This automatic lock mechanism helps prevent your mug from spilling the beverage inside when you accidentally knock over the travel mug.

Ease of Use

Easy to Use

The best travel mug is one that you would find easy to use. For example, in a situation whereby you may need to take your beverage while cycling or driving you would need a mug that is easy to use since you would require both eyes to concentrate on the road ahead and a single hand to operate the steering wheel.

The mug you select should be one that is easy to open and close even with a single hand. A practical travel mug in such a case is one that would not block your view when driving. Most all, a viable travel mug is one that you would easily disassemble when you need to clean it.

Handle Free

Handles are an unnecessary requirement on travel mugs because most travel mugs are vacuum insulated thus making them much safe to handle by holding the mug’s body without the fear of being burned. Mug handles only add to the bulkiness of the mug thus making the mugs challenging to fit in cup holders and in some cases in your backpack.

Size

Size

Regardless of the size that you select, it should be light in weight thus easy to carry.

Our Top Picks for the Best Travel Mugs

1. Hydro Flask

Where to buy
Amazon Link
1. Hydro Flask Travel Mug
Amazon Link

The Hydro Flask mug is made of stainless steel. It is vacuum insulated with a double wall to help keep your favorite beverage either hot or cold depending on the requirement for a prolonged period.

Design

This travel mug is designed with the highest quality stainless steel material. The mug is coated with a high-quality material that gives it the glossy look. The exterior coating also prevents consumers’ hands from sweating when holding the mug.

Vacuum Insulated

The double walled vacuum insulated steel material would help keep your beverage hot for up to 6 hours from the time it is kept in the mug. The cold drinks would remain cold for 24 hours.

Cost and Value

This mug has a lifetime warranty, which is a guarantee of the durability of the product. Only quality products are ascribed a lifetime warranty. If you need value then this is the travel mug to acquire.

Amazon Link

2. Contigo SnapSeal Jade

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$46.90
2. Contigo SnapSeal Jade Travel Mug
Amazon Link

If you need a leak-proof travel mug that is easy to clean, handle and would last you the time, this particular travel mug is what you could purchase. The mug keeps beverages hot for at least seven hours while the cold beverages stay cold for at least 18 hours.

SnapSeal lid

The travel mug has a single leak-proof lid. As long as you would ensure that, you do not use cleaners that have bleaches, abrasives, chlorine and other harsh chemicals in cleaning this travel mug, the mug would serve you for the longest duration.

Vacuum Insulation

The vacuum insulation feature of the mug help keeps beverages hot for up to 7 hours. However, the cold drinks are kept cold for as long as 18 hours.

Cost and Value

The mug has a comfortable sleeve that is easy to handle with a good grip. You would only need a single hand to drink your coffee with maximum comfort. The body of the mug is easy to clean and it can fit perfectly on most cup holders. The mug is affordable and of good quality for the price.

Amazon Link
$46.90

3. Zojirushi SM-SA60-BA

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$31.99
3. Zojirushi SM-SA60-BA Travel Mug
Amazon Link

The outer shell of this travel mug is made of plastic while the inside part of the mug is made of stainless steel. It is easy to clean when you need to use the mug for storing different beverages in the shortest time possible.

5-year warranty

The travel mug has a five-year warranty a time within which you would be provided with an alternate mug in cases whereby you would have problems with the heat retention capacity of the mug.

Vacuum Insulation

The vacuum insulation feature of the mug helps maintain the temperature of beverages stored in the mug for hours.

Cost and Value

The lid of the mug can easily be disassembled to allow for easy cleaning of the mug in readiness for subsequent usage. This mug has a compact design that takes up minimal storage space while allowing more room for storing your beverage. It has a lid lock that would prevent your drink from spilling out even when you keep the mug in your bag. Regardless of the price at which the mug is sold, this is the best mug you could ever bargain for.

Amazon Link
$31.99

4. Thermos Stainless King 16

Where to buy
Amazon Link
4. Thermos Stainless King 16 Travel Mugs
Amazon Link

It gives a cool feeling when you touch the surface with hot beverage contained in the mug. The mug is easy to wash with soap and clean water. You would also rinse it with clean water after use and it would be sparkling clean and ready for subsequent use.

Durable

This travel mug would last you the time. It has a handle that you could hold onto when using both cold and hot beverages. It has a 16-ounce holding capacity.

Leak-proof

The lid of the mug is well sealed with a drink lock that guarantees that the contents of the mug would remain inside when you are not drinking your beverage.

Cost and Value

If you need a leak-proof quality travel mug that you would find at an affordable price, the Thermos King mug is what you are looking for. The mug is made of stainless steel material on the inside and outside that would last you the time.

Amazon Link

5. Atlin Tumbler

Where to buy
Amazon Link
5. Atlin Tumbler Travel Mugs
Amazon Link

The mug is designed with quality material that would not leave you worried about being poisoned with toxins that may result from the material in which you keep your beverage. Even if you wash the mug, it would retain its shape and glitter.

Sleek Design

This mug is made of pure stainless steel material. The mug is designed with a very good grip that makes it comfortable when in use. This would help you stay hydrated wherever you go.

Tough Material

The structure of the mug is built with strong stainless material. It has a huge capacity that can contain 30 ounces of liquid while at the same time fitting perfectly into a mug holder in your car.

Cost and Value

This mug has a two-layer insulation structure that helps keep your beverage hot or cold regardless of the temperature of the surrounding. The lid of the mug is transparent to allow the user to follow up on the contents of the mug by knowing the quantity of the beverage still left in the mug. For its price, no sound minded person would hesitate to acquire this particular travel mug for his or her daily use. Besides, the stainless steel material of the mug guarantees the durability of the travel mug.

Amazon Link

6. STRATA CUPS Camera Lens Coffee Mug

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$19.95
6. STRATA CUPS Camera Lens Coffee Mug
Amazon Link

The Camera Lens Coffee Mug is the ideal gift for an avid photographer. It is fashioned to resemble an SLR camera lens. Accurate detail models include the focus rings and aperture. The mug has a screw-on lid equipped with a sealable opening for travel.

Construction

The stainless steel interior insulates beverages. Drinks are kept hot or cold in the mug. The interior transforms the mug into a convenient thermos. Stainless steel does not leach chemicals.

The exterior is made of food-grade plastic. This item is a super bundle that includes two lids and a spoon. One lid is a no spill lid. The other is retractable. The last thing you need in your morning rush is for your coffee lid to pop off. The screw-on lid won’t budge.

Multipurpose

If coffee is not your thing, the mug is a multipurpose item. There are those who enjoy wrapping their hands around a warm coffee cup. Others prefer smoothies or cold drinks. Those choices stay cool under the sealed lid. The mug is a wonderful conversation starter.

Cost and Value

The super detailed, high-quality camera lens appearing item is a coffee mug. You will be delighted by the fun and quality of the mug. It will turn heads when people observe someone drinking from it.

The manufacturer is 100 perfect confident in the product. A full refund or replacement is offered for any reason a customer is not completely satisfied. The price of the mug falls in the middle range of travel mugs. Customers have commented that the mug works well for a price they don’t mind paying.

Amazon Link
$19.95

7. YETI Rambler 20 oz

Where to buy
Amazon Link
7. YETI Rambler 20 oz Travel Mug
Amazon Link

This travel mug is designed with a sliding lid that makes it easy to access the contents of the mug. The mug has a magnetic locking mechanism that helps keep the contents of the mug intact when you are on the move.

Quality

This mug can easily be cleaned with the dishwashing detergents without interfering with its quality. It is designed in such a way that your hands would stay dry for as long as you would be holding the mug.

Durable

The mug is coated with a painting that would not easily fade, crack or peel off for as long as you would use the mug. The mug is designed with a soft sleeve on the exterior that makes the mug very comfortable to use.

Cost and Value

The mug is well designed with a strong stainless steel casing that ascertains to the durability of the mug while helping to keep your beverage hot or cold for as long as you would desire. The mug would fit perfectly into a standard mug holder. With just a few dollars derived from your budget, you would be able to acquire this spectacular travel mug.

Amazon Link

8. Simple Modern 22oz Slim Cruiser Tumbler

Where to buy
Amazon Link
8. Simple Modern 22oz Slim Cruiser Tumbler
Amazon Link

Simple Modern is a mug with no whistles and bells. The simple design has a 22-ounce capacity. It does not sweat and contains in BPA. The mug is vacuum insulated and fits most cup holders. The Premium Cruiser comes with a closing flip lid and two straws.

Design

The Simple Modern Cruiser is a vacuum insulated and double wall tumbler. The technology keeps beverages cold or hot for hours. There is no need for coasters or koozies. The reusable travel mug never sweats or is warm to the touch. The small base allows the hand to wrap around it comfortably. The lid and the straws are toxin-free polypropylene. The straws fit through the flip lid opening. Premium gauge 18/8 stainless steel is used in making the cup.

Other Features

Stainless steel does not leave a metallic taste in the mouth and will never rust. The cup is powder coated in a choice of fashionable colors. A durable powder coating gives the container a vibrant and textured finish. The texture is smooth with some underlying roughness.

Pushing in the top of this tumbler creates a splash-proof seal. The flip top should be open when placing the lid on the tumbler or with hot liquids. Pressure can cause the seal of the lid to break. Use the straw to prevent loss of temperature or debris to get into the tumbler.

Cost and Value

Like all Simple Modern products, the tumbler is reusable which reduces landfill waste. It is designed to make life simple and empowers the user to have a positive environmental impact. Customers say it is a great product overall for the price.

Amazon Link

9. YETI Rambler 14 Ounce

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$53.89
9. YETI Rambler 14 Ounce Travel Mugs
Amazon Link

The mug is designed with a soft outer structure that improves grip while at the same time making it a comfortable mug to carry when driving, hiking or cycling. The mugs surface grip is comfortable and it prevents your hands from sweating when you hold the mug for prolonged hours.

Durable

This mug is made of tough, quality material that enables consumers to use it for as long as they desire. Consumers need to maintain the mug properly as instructed by the manufacturer if they need this mug to last the time.

Comfortable

The handle of this travel mug is wide thus making it a piece of comfortable equipment to be used by individuals with wider hands. The gripping point of the mug is fitted with soft material that maximizes comfort during use.

Cost and Value

The color of the mug is of Dura-coat design, which means that it would not easily be scratched or fade when cleaning or during the entire period of use. The double wall insulation feature of the mug helps keep the contents of the mug in their right temperature for as long as you may wish for drinks that you would need to take after only a few hours. Your drink would remain hot until your last sip.

Amazon Link
$53.89

10. Ziloes

Where to buy
Amazon Link
$59.90
10. Ziloes Travel Mug
Amazon Link

The mug is well insulated to keep your beverage hot for more than 6 hours and your cold beverage cold for 26 hours. The mug can be used for a number of purposes including storing coffee and ice tea.

Design

The mug has a double wall insulated construction that retains the temperature of your beverage. The handle of the travel mug can easily be removed to provide the consumer with maximum comfort during the period of use. The mug has a slide opening that can fit your drinking straw and an extra opening that you can sip your drink from if you do not prefer using a straw.

Quality Artisanship

This mug is made of the best quality material that guarantees the durability of the product and its reliability. The stainless steel parts and quality plastic parts provide you with safe drinking equipment that you would trust with your drink.

Cost and Value

This mug would give you value for your money. This travel mug is a comfortable gear for everyday use whether you plan to use it when driving, hiking or biking. You would acquire the mug with a cleaning brush, a tall straw, and is acquired as a set of eight tumbler pieces. The handle of the mug makes it very comfortable to use and convenient. Besides, it is sold at an affordable price rate.

Amazon Link
$59.90

Sources

  1. The Traveler's Zone, Tips for Selecting the Right Travel Mug,
  2. Be a Good Earthling, Use Travel Mugs,
  3. Thermos, Care & Use of Travel Mugs,