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The Best Tea Infuser Travel Mug (And Why Real Tea Lovers Need One)

By Mindy Fox

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I can hear my better half, Steve, now: “Do you really need a dedicated travel tea mug? Can’t you brew a cup of tea and then use any ol’ travel mug to take it on the go?”

Yeah, babe, you could. (And he probably knows what’s coming next.) But I like to have the right tool for the job, and there is good reason to be particular when it comes to a travel tea mug.

Sure, I could place loose tea leaves in a single-use paper steeper or basket steeper and use my favorite travel coffee mug for the job , but travel tea mugs are made with built-in tea steepers (ones that allow you to tightly close the lid while your tea steeps), which means no waste and a hotter finished brew. Plus, coffee mugs tend to take on coffee flavor over time. A dedicated travel tea mug helps keeps a serious tea drinker’s tea tasting pure and clean.

In my quest for the best travel mug to take my cuppa on the road, I sought out a leak-proof model that ranked high in the heat retention department . I also wanted a mug that was easy to grip and to drink from. And because it’s nice to have stylish gear, one that looked good, too. Here are my winning picks and how I tested:

The Very Best Tea Infuser Travel Mug: The Tea Spot Everest Tea Tumbler

The Everest’s double-walled, vacuum-sealed stainless steel insulation kept 22 ounces of tea hot and fresh tasting, and its screw down BPA-free top was terrifically leak-proof. I fell hard for its rugged adventure-meets-urban-chic look, and had a hard time deciding which of its four stylish colors I liked best.

The Everest also won my vote for smart design and functionality with an innovative screw-top and sipping mechanism that stay connected to the mug while you drink (which means when you remove the part of the lid that allows you to drink your tea, it won’t go tumbling down a cliff, through a subway grate, or down between that impossibly narrow space between the seat of your car and your cup-holding console).

The stainless steel steeper basket on this model provided ample room for water and tea leaves to mingle as my tea steeped, and its small holes kept fine leaves from passing into my tea, making a clean and full-tasting brew. The easy to grip exterior is much like that of the popular Hydro Flask water bottle so, if you’re a Hydro Flask fan , you’ll likely love The Tea Spot Everest, too.

The Everest fit well in a tote bag and was also comfortable to carry on the outside of a backpack, using a carabiner clip . And, like all of the travel tea mugs I tested, it can be used for iced tea as well as plain or infused fruit (aka spa) water.

Everest Tea Tumbler

The Next Best (aka Runner Up) Travel Tea Infuser Mug: The Tea Spot Voyager Tea Tumbler

The Voyager, also by The Tea Spot, won my runner-up vote. At 16-ounces, it’s a smaller mug than the Everest but that’s where most of the differences end. This mug kept my tea hot and fresh for 6 hours, and is fitted with the same type of high quality stainless steel steeper basket as the Everest. Its smartly designed leak-proof lid has a comfortable, easy to drink from sip-cup style and doesn’t require removing to use—simply press down on a pop top to drink, then press it again to lock the top into spill-free mode. With its sleek metallic, glossy finish and no loop handle (for carabiner or finger hold), this model is stylistically more ‘urban’ than ‘adventure’, but also, according to highly-rated reviews for both products, a bit more vulnerable to scratches than the Everest. It’s easy to grip and carries well in a tote bag or pocket of a backpack or gym bag.

The Tea Spot Voyager Tumbler

Other Brands I Tried:

Zojirushi travel mug with tea filter shocked me and my editor when this mug didn’t win over my other contenders. Though this darling brand of the product review world took the gold in our best travel coffee mug test and kept my tea even hotter than its competitors at 6 hours, it is designed with a problematic steeping mechanism. To use this mug, you place loose tea leaves inside and add hot water. A filter fitted at the top of the mug blocks the leaves from flowing out while you drink your tea, but, as any true tea drinker knows, for however long you travel with your tea, the tea continues steeping. So, whether we’re talking a few minutes post-ideal steep time or several hours, you’ll be drinking an over-steeped brew (not tasty!). (One reviewer on Amazon noted that tea leaves can be put into the strainer basket, steeped with the mug turned upside down, and then removed. But the basket is so small that, though this works with some tea leaf types, it allows neither ample space for leaves to mingle with water while steeping, nor enough room for large loose tea leaf varieties to steep.) The top, which is made up of multiple and functionally unclear parts (a pain to both wash and keep track of), must be entirely removed to drink the tea, which makes it awkward if not impossible to safely drink from on the go. Used as a canteen-style tea-steeping vessel (to pour tea from as soon as it’s steeped) or to keep tea that’s brewed in a bag or independently from and then transferred to the mug incredibly hot for over 6 hours, this is a great product, but as an on-the-go tea mug, it doesn’t cut the mustard.

The four remaining models I tested, the Uendure Glass Infuser Travel Mug , the Lotus Glass Tea Tumbler , the Pure Zen Tea Tumbler , and the Sacred Lotus Love Sacred Glass Tea Infuser Tumbler were constructed of glass and sell in the $25 to $28 range. None of them (even with easy-to-grip insulating neoprene sleeves complete with nifty loops for carrying) had heat retention capability that came anywhere close to that of my winning contenders, and, though they were sexy looking, they were too fragile for true on-the-go usage. (A note that came with one of the models warned that the glass “may break if you drop it, knock it, or bang it with a metal spoon”.) Their open top lids made for challenging drinking on the go. So, while these might be stylish for drinking at a desk (though you’ll have to watch your keyboard if the mug gets knocked over), they’re too fragile and not practical for real on the go use.

How I Tested

I brewed loose black tea in seven leading travel tea mugs. After brewing the tea, I removed the tea basket and took the temperature of each mug’s tea using a digital thermometer . I closed the lids tightly, then measured the temperature of each tea again after 1 hour, 4 hours, and 6 hours, recording the change in temperature at each interval.

In the breaks between temperature takes, I rolled my tightly closed filled travel tea mugs on the floor; turned them upside down, and gave them all a good shaking around to test for leaks. I took a look at how many parts came with each model and how easy they were to clean. I also considered sipping mechanism design, steeper basket quality (did the basket allow ample room for proper steeping), overall durability, and style.

The Takeaway:

The company Tea Spot makes the best tea infuser travel mugs—models that brew a great cup of tea and are easy to take on the go. Buy the Everest Tumbler for slightly larger capacity and a more rugged, outdoor-adventure-ready design. Buy the Voyager for a smaller travel tea mug that's perfect for urban commuters.

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The Best Travel Mug

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 and 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 version this guide. He covers travel and outdoor gear, including thermoses , ice cleats , and thermal underwear . 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’ve done the following:

• 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.
• We watched a mass of online videos on what other professional and consumer reviewers had to say about travel mugs.

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 . They also have wider mouths for adding ice cubes. Many also have straws for sipping 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.

Here’s what we prioritized when deciding which travel mugs to test:

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:

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).

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.

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.

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’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 .

It doesn’t keep drinks hot as long as our top pick does. 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.

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, and 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 battery-powered Ember Travel Mug 2 promises 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. 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.

Further reading

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

by Christine Ryan

The Camelbak Podium is affordable, lightweight, and perfect for packing.

Our Favorite Mugs

by Jackie Reeve

Our Wirecutter home team is passionate about the vessels they drink them out of. Here are the mugs we can’t get enough of.

How to Clean a Travel Mug or Water Bottle

Don’t want your coffee to taste like yesterday’s brew? Give your travel mug a good deep clean—and do the same for your insulated water bottle, too!

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

by James Austin

Our longtime favorite travel mug keeps drinks piping hot, and the nifty locking lid makes it virtually spill-proof.

• TeaMind Today® Blog
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Travel Mugs

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

By Kristi Kellogg and Meaghan Kenny

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 and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our 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.

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.

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The Best Tea Infuser Travel Mug (And Why Real Tea Lovers Need One) - Epicurious

by Mindy Fox for   Epicurious  

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

I can hear my better half, Steve, now: “Do you really need a dedicated travel tea mug? Can’t you brew a cup of tea and then use any ol’ travel mug to take it on the go?”

Yeah, babe, you could. (And he probably knows what’s coming next.) But I like to have the right tool for the job, and there is good reason to be particular when it comes to a travel tea mug.

Sure, I could place loose tea leaves in a single-use paper steeper or basket steeper and use my   favorite travel coffee mug for the job, but travel tea mugs are made with built-in tea steepers (ones that allow you to tightly close the lid while your tea steeps), which means no waste and a hotter finished brew. Plus, coffee mugs tend to take on coffee flavor over time. A dedicated travel tea mug helps keeps a   serious tea drinker’s tea   tasting pure and clean.

In my quest for the best travel mug to take my cuppa on the road, I sought out a leak-proof model that ranked high in the   heat retention department. I also wanted a mug that was easy to grip and to drink from. And because it’s nice to have stylish gear, one that looked good, too. Here are my winning picks and how I tested: 

The Very Best Tea Infuser Travel Mug: The Tea Spot Everest Tea Tumbler

The Everest’s double-walled, vacuum-sealed stainless steel insulation kept 22 ounces of tea hot and fresh tasting, and its screw down BPA-free top was terrifically leak-proof. I fell hard for its rugged adventure-meets-urban-chic look, and had a hard time deciding which of its four stylish colors I liked best.

The Everest also won my vote for smart design and functionality with an innovative screw-top and sipping mechanism that stay connected to the mug while you drink (which means when you remove the part of the lid that allows you to drink your tea, it won’t go tumbling down a cliff, through a subway grate, or down between that impossibly narrow space between the seat of your car and your cup-holding console).

The stainless steel steeper basket on this model provided ample room for water and tea leaves to mingle as my tea steeped, and its small holes kept fine leaves from passing into my tea, making a clean and full-tasting brew. The easy to grip exterior is much like that of the popular   Hydro Flask   water bottle so, if you’re a   Hydro Flask fan, you’ll likely love The Tea Spot Everest, too.

The Everest fit well in a tote bag and was also comfortable to carry on the outside of a backpack, using a   carabiner clip. And, like all of the travel tea mugs I tested, it can be used for iced tea as well as plain or infused fruit (aka spa) water. 

The Next Best (aka Runner Up) Travel Tea Infuser Mug: The Tea Spot Voyager Tea Tumbler

The Voyager, also by The Tea Spot, won my runner-up vote. At 16-ounces, it’s a smaller mug than the Everest but that’s where most of the differences end. This mug kept my tea hot and fresh for 6 hours, and is fitted with the same type of high quality stainless steel steeper basket as the Everest. Its smartly designed leak-proof lid has a comfortable, easy to drink from sip-cup style and doesn’t require removing to use—simply press down on a pop top to drink, then press it again to lock the top into spill-free mode. With its sleek metallic, glossy finish and no loop handle (for carabiner or finger hold), this model is stylistically more ‘urban’ than ‘adventure’, but also, according to highly-rated reviews for both products, a bit more vulnerable to scratches than the Everest. It’s easy to grip and carries well in a tote bag or pocket of a backpack or gym bag. 

How I Tested

I brewed loose black tea in seven leading travel tea mugs. After brewing the tea, I removed the tea basket and took the temperature of each mug’s tea using a   digital thermometer. I closed the lids tightly, then measured the temperature of each tea again after 1 hour, 4 hours, and 6 hours, recording the change in temperature at each interval.

In the breaks between temperature takes, I rolled my tightly closed filled travel tea mugs on the floor; turned them upside down, and gave them all a good shaking around to test for leaks. I took a look at how many parts came with each model and how easy they were to clean. I also considered sipping mechanism design, steeper basket quality (did the basket allow ample room for proper steeping), overall durability, and style.

The Takeaway:

The company Tea Spot makes the best tea infuser travel mugs—models that brew a great cup of tea and are easy to take on the go. Buy the  Everest Tumbler  for slightly larger capacity and a more rugged, outdoor-adventure-ready design. Buy the Voyager for a smaller travel tea mug that's perfect for urban commuters.

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Product Highlights

Press Stops Infusion

Splash Guard

Stays Hot or Cold

100% Leakproof

Makes Hot or Iced

Safe Materials

Meet the award-winning Stop-Infusion Travel Mug, designed by our tea experts so you can enjoy perfectly steeped hot or iced tea on-the-go.

Made with premium-grade, non-toxic materials, the Travel Mug contains a built-in press that tightly traps your tea leaves at the bottom of the mug to stop infusion. A wealth of thoughtful features and an eye on style makes steeping, drinking, and cleaning your new mug a true pleasure.

• Mess-free steeping on-the-go • Press stops infusion when pushed down • 100% leakproof design (Note: lid must be removed to drink) • Lead-free, BPA-Free, and Bisphenal-free • Splash guard for safe sipping • Comfortable tapered lip

• Superior double-wall vacuum insulation

• Stays hot or cold 12+ hours

• Powder-coated medical-grade stainless steel

• Press comes apart for easy cleaning • Non-slip base

• Works with ground coffee or tea bags (we won't judge)

Details & Specs

16 oz/470 ml (2 cups)

dimensions:

8.5" high X 3" diameter (27 cm x 7.5 cm)

mug materials:

Powder-coated medical-grade stainless steel

press materials:

Premium-quality Eastman Tritan (rigorously tested to be food-safe even in contact with boiling water), rubber seal

*LEAD FREE, BPA FREE, BISPHENAL FREE

Disassembles for easy cleaning with warm water and soap. Dishwasher not recommended.

30-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

You can always count on a great cup of tea, and us. If you have any questions or concerns after you receive your order, reach out within 30 days.

Or choose 4 interest-free installments

Sisassembles for easy cleaning with warm water and soap. Dishwasher not recommended.

Perfect Flavor, No Mess

Forget over-steeped tea, pouring steeped tea into a travel tumbler, or removing messy tea bags or leaves. Simply push down the press, and carry on. The press also works with coffee or tea bags. We won't judge.

Leakproof & Splash-Proof

Carefully engineered to prevent leaks, so you can throw it in your bag with confidence. (Remove lid to drink.) Our perfected splash guard means you're always safe to sip.

Use the top fill line when adding water for hot tea. Or, use the bottom fill line, then remove the top of the press and add ice to the inner chamber for iced tea. Stays hot or cold for 12+ hours.

Durable, Safe Materials

Powder-coated medical-grade stainless steel feels premium, looks great, and resists scuffs. Our press material is rigorously tested for safety, even in contact with boiling water. No leeching, no toxins.

Get It In a Bundle & Save

Stop-Infusion Travel Mug + your choice of tea

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Bundle the Stop-Infusion Travel Mug in your choice of color with 3 essential teas for your day. Caffeinated and herbal.

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Pair the Stop-Infusion Travel Mug with your choice of premium loose leaf tea. Choose caffeinated or herbal tea.

A ready-to-give gift in our premium gift box with gold foil details. Includes the Stop-Infusion Travel Mug and 2 top-rated loose leaf teas.

Add any 2 Stop-Infusion Travel Mugs to your cart, and we'll automatically apply a $10 discount. No code needed.

16 oz / 470 ml

Questions? We've Got Answers.

WHAT MATERIALS IS THE TRAVEL MUG MADE WITH?

It's critical that we use the very best materials, and that's what we did. The mug itself is made of medical-grade stainless steel, and the colors are powder coated to feel great in the hand, look fantastic, and last a long time. The press is made of a material called Eastman Tritan. This material is rigorously tested for safety and durability, even in contact with boiling water. It does not contain BPA.

HOW DOES THE TRAVEL MUG STOP TEA INFUSION?

The press inside our mug works very similarly to a French press, with some innovative upgrades.

When you push the press firmly all the way down, the leaves are trapped at the bottom of the mug. The tiny perforations on the bottom of the press prevent particles from escaping, and the flexible seal further prevents continued infusion.

HOW DOES THE SPLASH-PROOF FLOW CONTROL WORK?

This is a special feature, and just one of the ways we went above and beyond to make your experience better.

When designing the press, we included valves along the top. These valves are carefully sized and placed to limit the flow of liquid when the mug is tilted. That means that even drinking from the mug while in motion or tilting it for those last few sips, you get a smooth, controled flow. No water on your nose, no splashes down your shirt.

IS THIS TRAVEL MUG ACTUALLY LEAKPROOF?

Yes. Not only did we test this rigorously during development, but our customers have, too. We can confidently say that as long as you screw the lid on fully, your travel mug Will. Not. Leak. Throw it in your tote bag. Toss it in your backpack. Your laptop, passport, or anything else you're carrying will be safe and dry.

HOW LONG WILL TEA STAY HOT OR COLD?

You can expect your tea to stay hot or cold for over 12 hours. We constructed the Firebelly travel mug with double-wall vacuum insulation to make sure of it, and a quick scroll through the reviews will tell you it worked. We've even tested it against a leading competitor known for temperature maintenance, and the Firebelly travel mug maintained a higher temperature for longer every time.

HOW DO I MAKE LOOSE LEAF TEA?

First, add your tea leaves to the mug. We normally recommend about 1 tbsp. Next, add your warm water to the appropriate fill line – that's the top line for hot tea or the bottom line for iced tea. When the press is in an "up" position, the leaves can freely open and infuse in the warm water. When you push the press firmly all the way down, the leaves are trapped at the bottom of the mug, and infusion stops. There's no need to remove the leaves before you enjoy your tea, so no reason to make a mess while you're out. You can even put the lid on without fully pressing down the press so that you can steep on the go, and stop the infusion wherever, whenever.

HOW DO I MAKE ICED TEA?

It's a snap (that's a cold pun – we couldn't resist). First, add your tea leaves to the mug. We recommend using around double the normal amount of leaves you would use for hot tea. Use about 2 tbsp, or to your taste. Next, add your warm water to the bottom fill line inside the mug. Now, unscrew the lid on the press and add ice to the chamber. Put the lid back on. When you're ready to stop steeping, push the press firmly all the way down, trapping the leaves at the bottom of the mug and stopping infusion.

WHAT'S YOUR RETURN POLICY?

You'll enjoy a 30-day free returns period, so you can place your order with confidence. Just get in touch with our support team via email to start a return.

Our travel mug has been rigorously tested, and we stand behind the quality. If you believe you've received a damaged or defective mug, please reach out to us right away.

First, add your tea leaves to the mug. We recommend using around double the normal amount of leaves you would use for hot tea. Use about 2 tbsp, or to your taste. Next, add your warm water to the bottom fill line inside the mug. Now, unscrew the lid on the press and add ice to the chamber. Put the lid back on. When you're ready to stop steeping, push the press firmly all the way down, trapping the leaves at the bottom of the mug and stopping infusion.

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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.

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.

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These Are the Best Travel Coffee Mugs to Enjoy Your Cup of Joe on the Go

If you want to take your fresh home-brewed coffee on the road, you’ll need an excellent travel coffee mug.

Taylor Tobin is a freelance lifestyle journalist based in Austin, Texas. Her work primarily focuses on food and beverage recipes and recommendations.

In This Article

• Our Top Picks

Our Takeaway

How to pick the right travel coffee mug, common questions.

• Why Take Our Word For It?

All Recipes / Kristin Kempa

I’ll admit that I’m a huge sucker for takeout coffee. Visiting a hip indie cafe with artisanal roasts and spending $7 on premium cold brew counts among my guiltiest pleasures (and regularly wreaks havoc on my budget). But I’ve recently been trying to convince myself to be more financially practical, which motivated me to get serious about brewing coffee at home . With my collection of coffeemakers at the ready, I can now whip up a drip coffee, iced coffee , or latte in the comfort of my kitchen. But, because I need to travel with my morning java pretty frequently, a reliable arsenal of reusable to-go cups is a must-have. 

Travel coffee mugs come in countless sizes, designs, colors, and materials, and wading through the dizzying number of options can be overwhelming. Luckily, you can benefit from my long journey of testing, researching, and discussing travel mugs.

My Top Pick

Yeti rambler travel mug.

Why It’s Great: Made of sturdy stainless steel; leak-resistant; vacuum-insulated; dishwasher-safe

Grain of Salt: On the expensive side

I currently live in Austin, Texas, where YETI—one of our most prominent hometown brands—is practically a way of life. But even if I wasn’t geographically submerged in YETI culture, I’d still be a devoted fan of my YETI Rambler Travel Mug. The double-walled vacuum insulation keeps hot beverages' temperature consistent long after they go in the mug. If you’re like me and are accustomed to lower-quality travel cups that cool coffee at a rapid speed, be careful not to burn your tongue! 

The Stronghold lid arguably sets the YETI Rambler apart from its competitors more than anything else. This twist-on lid uses double magnets to stay firmly in place and keep your drink from spilling everywhere, which accident-prone folks (like me) will appreciate. YETI offers the Rambler Travel Mug in a variety of colors and patterns, and you can even get your mug customized or monogrammed. This resilient, dishwasher-safe mug provides everything that a discerning coffee lover wants in a travel cup. 

The Details: 4.8 x 7.4 inches; 20 ounces; 5-year warranty; magnetized Stronghold lid; dishwasher-safe

Best Budget

Contigo ssa100b01 camping hydration thermal bottle, 20oz.

Why It’s Great: Insulated; easy to carry; fits in a cup holder; leakproof; limited lifetime warranty

Grain of Salt: Not dishwasher safe

Quality travel mugs can get pricey, but Contigo–a reputable brand that specializes in mugs and water bottles–offers a 20-ounce insulated stainless steel mug that’s around $20. The Byron Travel Mug uses double-walled stainless steel to keep drinks hot for up to six hours and cold for up to 12, and the exterior coating allows you to get a strong grip. The narrow shape can tuck into a cup holder with ease, and the leakproof lid will keep the contents fully contained. 

I like to keep a less-expensive travel mug in my car for en-route caffeination purposes. The Contigo Byron feels like an excellent candidate since it’s less than half the price of the YETI Rambler, yet comes with many of the same perks in terms of insulation and leak resistance. The Byron’s sleek silhouette and intuitive design make it look and feel like a far more spendy mug, and because it can be ordered in numerous colors, it’s easy to find a Contigo Byron that suits anyone’s aesthetic preferences.

The Details: 3.2 x 8.5 inches; 20 ounces; limited lifetime warranty; SnapSeal lid; handwash only

Best With Handle

Brümate 16-ounce toddy.

Why It’s Great: Strong insulation; 100% leakproof lid; limited lifetime warranty; reasonably priced; dishwasher-safe

Grain of Salt: Handle can make it difficult to store in small spaces.

Some minimalists will tell you that a handle on a travel mug brings unnecessary bulk, but others, like Colby Cox, coffee roaster for Atlas Coffee Club in Austin, Texas, differ. “At home, I love a nice chunky handle on the side of my mug that I can slip my fingers through and palm the rest of the hefty mug,” he says. “But on a flight, road trip, or backpacking? That handle can and does get in the way of its ability to stow neatly for me.” Personally, I love a grippy handle, so I was glad to find a fantastic handled model in the BrüMate Toddy. 

BrüMate makes coolers, water bottles, and travel cups for cocktails and beers, so it stands to reason that they take temperature control very seriously. The Toddy features insulation so powerful that even carbonated beverages can maintain their fizz and coldness. The smooth exterior coating feels comfortable in the hand, and there’s no condensation to worry about. Add to all that, the handle can work for both left-handed and right-handed drinkers, the mug is dishwasher-safe, and the specially-designed lid is 100% leakproof.

The Details: 4.5 x 5.5 inches; 16 ounces; limited lifetime warranty; BevLock lid; dishwasher-safe

Best For Camping

Hydro flask 12-ounce travel mug.

Why It’s Great: Well-insulated and damage-resistant; smooth texture on exterior; limited lifetime warranty

Grain of Salt: Not machine-washable; handle could make it harder to store in small spaces

Camping mugs need to be compact and resilient, and the HydroFlask Mug delivers on both fronts. The 12-ounce model is lightweight, and the stainless-steel construction means that it can slide around in a camper or knock around in a rucksack with no fear of damage. The handle gives it that old-school camp mug flair, and the impressive insulation that HydroFlask is famous for will keep drinks hot or cold for up to six hours.

The handle and the smooth coating make this mug texturally appealing and stop the exterior from feeling hot or cold to the touch, which adds a kid-friendly flair. The lid presses into the mug’s opening smoothly and protects against leaks. Whether you’re using the HydroFlask Mug for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or an adult beverage, this cup is ideally designed for sipping and toasting by the campfire.

The Details: 3.53 x 4.55 inches; 12 ounces; limited lifetime warranty; press-in lid; hand-wash only

Best With Carrying Strap

Lars nysøm 13-ounce coffee mug to-go with strap.

Why It’s Great: Attractive design; vacuum-insulated; smooth exterior; fits in cup holders

Grain of Salt: Not machine washable; no warranty

If you love Scandinavian minimalism, the Lars Nysøm Coffee Mug will be the travel cup of your dreams. Clean lines, Instagrammable colors, and an attached wrist strap for easy carrying—this model has it all. The mug is vacuum-insulated with double walls, which gives it the ability to lock in hot temperatures for up to four hours and cold temperatures for up to eight. 

Shapewise, this mug fits into standard cup holders and nestles nicely into the palm. The wrist strap might seem like an unnecessary addition to some, but, because I’ve been on an early-morning hike and cursed the fact that I couldn’t enjoy my coffee while also keeping my hands free, I recognize the advantages. The Lars Nysøm Coffee Mug also benefits from a leakproof lid so your drink won’t go splashing everywhere as the mug swings on its strap, and the smaller 13-ounce model is an appealing lightweight option for active adventures.

The Details: 3.5 x 5.86 inches; 13 ounces; flip-top lid; 30-day return policy; hand-wash only

Best Design

Zojirushi stainless steel mug.

Why It’s Great: Vacuum insulated; leakproof top; sophisticated design

Grain of Salt: Pricey; the mug’s height can make it prone to tipping over

Sleek and svelte, the Zojirushi 16-Ounce Mug doesn’t rely on fancy bells and whistles, and it’s that focus on pared-down function that makes it so elegant. This Japanese-designed travel cup features both stainless steel and vacuum insulation, so no air will get the chance to mess with your beverage’s temperature. The flip top features a sealing clasp to erase any possibility of spillage, even if the mug falls from a decent height. 

Cupholders, bags, small office drawers, and cabinets—the Zojirushi Mug can fit just about anywhere. The lid includes several pieces and can therefore be a bit fiddly to clean, but users insist that a full-scale cleaning only needs to happen once every few uses—the mug can be easily and effectively rinsed in between. 

The Details: 2.9 x 9.1 inches; 16 ounces; flip-top lid; 5-year warranty; hand-wash only

Best Collapsible

Stojo collapsible coffee cup.

Why It’s Great: Lightweight and collapsible; comes in appealing colors; includes a straw; microwave safe

Grain of Salt: No warranty; silicone doesn’t insulate as strongly as stainless steel; includes several small pieces that could get lost

As someone who spent many years living in a tiny studio apartment with hardly any cabinet space, I know firsthand the value of items that can collapse into small packages and slip into a small nook or fully-loaded drawer. The Stojo Travel Cup, a silicone mug that squishes down flat when it’s not in use, is an ideal choice for coffee drinkers with limited kitchen real estate or space in their bag.

Not only is the Stojo Travel Cup dishwasher safe, but it’s also microwaveable. When it’s collapsed, it has only a 2-inch diameter, so feel free to stow it in your glove compartment, your office desk drawer, or even your pocket. The silicone feels pleasant in the hand and effectively locks in heat and cold. The Stojo Travel Cup also comes with a temperature-resistant sleeve and a reusable straw for cold brew drinkers.

The Details: 4 x 6 inches; 16 ounces; slide lid; 30-day return policy; dishwasher safe

Best For Cold Drinks

Fellow carter cold tumbler.

Why It’s Great: Beautiful aesthetics; ceramic coating keeps metallic flavor out of the drinks; strong insulation; straw included

Grain of Salt: Not dishwasher safe; short warranty

Iced Coffee Squad, rejoice: Fellow designed its Carter Cold Tumbler with you in mind. These chic stainless-steel travel mugs are streamlined for maximum chill and efficiency. The three parts (the mug itself, the lid, and the straw) fit together in a smooth line, yet the mug nestles comfortably in the palm, The slightly rounded base settles well in a cup holder, and the fairly narrow straw promotes slow and easy sipping. 

The insulation will keep drinks cold for more than 18 hours, while the ceramic coating over the stainless core prevents any metallic flavor notes from getting into your coffee. Spills are halted in place by the tightly-locked lid, and that narrow straw comes in handy again by stopping liquid from rushing out of the cup if it tips over. Plus, the color range feels very modern and stylish; the Fellow Carter Cold Tumbler is as much a fashion accessory as it is a practical tool for on-the-go drinking. 

The Details: 3.25 x 11.13 inches; 16 ounces; twist-on lid; 30-day limited warranty; hand wash only

For the best combination of powerful insulation, durability, and versatility, the YETI Rambler Travel Mug is our top choice (and is worth its slightly-higher price tag). For a more budget-friendly alternative, snap up the Contigo Byron Travel Mug , which delivers double-walled stainless steel and impressive leak resistance. 

When determining the size of your ideal travel coffee mug, it’s important to consider your general coffee-drinking habits, along with your preferences for take-out coffee. Do you always order a Venti when you head to Starbucks? Or are you more of a single-espresso-shot person? Larger mugs (16 ounces and up) can be beneficial for those who like to caffeinate in a big way (or those who like to nurse the same beverage throughout the day), but they’re also more difficult to transport and store than smaller models. 

“I usually trend toward drinkware that can handle at least the biggest coffee drink I usually buy,” says Cox. “If you only ever drink 16 oz lattes, then it’s a little over-the-top to get a 30 oz mug. But a 16 oz mug will happily handle my weekend bad-boy iced latte just as readily as [it will] an 8 oz cappuccino… with some extra head space. This can look a little goofy if you’re bringing a pint glass to the counter for a double espresso, but that decision is between you and your self-confidence.” When in doubt, err on the side of a larger cup.

A travel mug’s overall ability to maintain beverage temperature rests in large part in the effectiveness of its lid. Lids also stop unfortunate coffee spills, which is an invaluable quality when you need every sip of morning java you can get. That’s why lids with powerful lock structures warrant higher prices; they’re an investment in your long-term coffee-drinking experience. For instance, the YETI Rambler Travel Mug’s lid uses magnets to seal onto the mug, so there’s no need to worry about slippage. On the other hand, less-expensive mugs and lighter-weight mugs often come with lids that seal decently well but may include more pieces or lack a fail-safe latching mechanism. 

If you plan to use your travel mug in more stationary situations (like at your office), you may not require ultimate sealability. But those planning to take their mugs on long road trips, on hikes or bike rides, or camping should prioritize the lid’s fit and its leakproof capabilities.

While just rinsing your travel mug with water after each use can be an acceptable shortcut (temporarily, at least), you’ll eventually need to give your trusty coffee cup a good cleanout . If you value efficiency and don’t want to deal with hand-scrubbing, then you’ll want to prioritize a dishwasher-safe model. Just be aware that many dishwasher-friendly mugs still have some restrictions; specifically, they often recommend that you wash the mug (or at least the lid) on the top rack.

Mugs that are hand-wash only aren’t a dealbreaker for everyone, but, because they do require an extra time investment (and may require special tools like straw brushes), make sure that you’re willing to put in that effort if you choose one of these models. 

Finally, keep in mind that mug lids may include rubber gaskets, which, according to Cox, are responsible for the water-tightness. “These gaskets should be removed and cleaned regularly, a habit most people neglect,” he says. “Most of the time, it’s just one gasket; but in some models, there may be several specialized gaskets that have to go in the right place, and there’s a definite right-side-up and upside down. Neglecting to clean these gaskets on a regular basis can lead to the development of mold and other colonies of mean nasties with serious health implications.”

What’s the difference between “leakproof” and “spill-proof”?

Mug manufacturers have a vested interest in emphasizing their product’s ability to stop spills in their tracks, but their specific choice of words can carry different meanings. If a mug advertises itself as “leakproof,” that “means that the mug is meant to be assembled in such a way that liquids physically cannot permeate the barrier created by the combination of container and lid,” says Cox. “Fill it up and flip it upside down; if zero (and I mean zero) liquid runs, it’s leak-proof, plain and simple.”

A more mild version of “leakproof” is “leak-resistant,” in which the lid will protect against most leaks but can’t guarantee a 100 percent prevention rate. And “spill-proof” means that, should you knock your travel mug over or drop it on the ground, the lid won’t pop off and cause the liquid to spill everywhere, but smaller leaks from jostling are still possible.

Are all travel coffee mugs vacuum-insulated?

The short answer to this question is “no.” For a mug to be vacuum-insulated, it must have double walls with a layer of air-free empty space in between, which instigates the vacuum seal and prevents air from entering or heat/cold from exiting. The result is premium temperature control for your beverage.

For many, it’s worth picking up a vacuum-insulated travel mug, which tend to be more expensive than their non-vacuum-insulated counterparts. “Yes, it’s worth the hype,” says Cox. “While they certainly cost more than their non-insulated counterparts, but frankly, the extra cost is nominal, especially when one considers the lifespan of those vessels. Seriously, go ask your dad or your dad’s dad about his Stanley cup. The technology is not new, but it has certainly improved in terms of temperature stability, market availability, and processing efficiency.”

Can travel mug materials absorb flavors and odors?

Certain materials are more prone to picking up errant tastes and smells than others. Silicone, for instance, is a softer material that’s more prone to absorption.To minimize your risk as much as possible, focus on a stainless-steel mug, as this material is famously impervious to flavors and odors. However, stainless steel can sometimes impart its own metallic taste to drinks. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, consider a stainless-steel mug with a ceramic coating, like the Fellow Carter Cold Tumbler.

Why Take Our Word For It? 

Taylor Tobin is a freelance lifestyle journalist who focuses on food & beverage recipes and recommendations. She’s a self-confessed coffee fiend whose recent journeys into the world of home coffee brewing have left her with a cabinetful of travel mugs and a lot of opinions on the subject. Her work has also been featured in Southern Living, HuffPost, Business Insider, Eater, Simply Recipes, Wine Enthusiast, Thrillist, and Apartment Therapy.

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Who Really Invented the Moscow Mule and Why Is It in a Copper Mug?

An East Coast vs. West Coast battle we're ready to settle.

MarkHatfield / Getty Images

The Moscow Mule’s most famous component isn’t an ingredient, it’s the copper mug that traditionally holds the simple cocktail of vodka, ginger beer, and lime. It’s the mug’s burnished sheen that set the drink apart in the early days of the cocktail revival when vodka-based drinks were considered passé. 

The mug is the very reason the Moscow Mule exists in the first place. Where this began is up for debate, however. 

While some people trace the post-Prohibition cocktail’s origins to Los Angeles, others insist the drink was created in New York City.  

“It kind of comes off as a Biggie vs. Tupac, East Coast vs. West Coast kind of argument,” says Gina Hoover, bartender and consultant for CURE in New Orleans. “But I’m not surprised at all why the argument exists. If you ask an American to name five drinks, 90% will probably name the Moscow Mule as one of the five,” she says. “If you’re a city, and a drink has that kind of power, you’d naturally want to take credit for it.”

There are shared traits to each city’s tale. Both pin the drink’s creation to 1941, a relatively modern date compared to other cocktails with convoluted beginnings. They also stake claim to some of the same players, including a struggling-at-the-time vodka brand that’s now a household name. The theories part ways from here.

New York: Three guys walk into a bar…

According to the New York theory, the Moscow Mule stems from Midtown Manhattan’s Chatham Hotel. 

A Los Angeles-based beverage executive named John “Jack” Morgan was in town to promote his own Cock ‘n’ Bull ginger beer, a product that shared a name with the Hollywood bar he also operated. 

He was hanging out with a couple of industry folks — John Martin, president of the now-defunct G.F. Heublein & Brothers distillery and distributor, and Rudolph Kunett, president of Hublein’s vodka division, Smirnoff. After a couple of drinks, the trio wondered what would happen if they combined vodka, ginger beer, and a squeeze of lime juice. Deliciousness ensued.

They named their creation the Moscow Mule. Shortly thereafter, they purchased 500 copper mugs embossed with the phrase “Little Moscow.”

Los Angeles: Pick one

There are two Los Angeles origin stories to consider. 

Morgan and Martin show up as in the first account. Instead of Kunett, they’re joined by Sophie Berezinski, a Russian woman living in Los Angeles, struggling to find buyers for the 2,000 solid copper mugs she designed. 

The story goes that one day, she stumbled upon the Cock ‘n Bull bar, where Morgan and Martin were hanging out and trying to figure out how to move their ginger beer and vodka, respectively. The trio met, brainstormed, and the drink was born. 

“I just wanted to clean out the basement. I was trying to get rid of a lot of dead stock. It caught on like wildfire.” — Wes Price, head bartender, Cock ‘n’ Bull

The second theory may be more logical as it comes directly from Cock ‘n’ Bull’s head bartender, Wes Price, and may be a familiar tactic to anyone who’s had experience running a bar. 

In a story published in the Wall Street Journal in 2007, this new theory arose with a quote from Price claiming that he had invented the drink to try to clear ginger beer bottles out of the Cock ‘n’ Bull’s basement. 

“I just wanted to clean out the basement,” said Price. “I was trying to get rid of a lot of dead stock. It caught on like wildfire.”

While this comes close to being proof, it’s still just a claim with nothing concrete to back it up.

Which one’s right?

The drink first showed up in print in 1942, when Inside Hollywood gossip columnist Edith Gwynn mentioned the Moscow Mule as the “craze in the movie colony.”  

An account of the Moscow Mule’s New York origin story from influential food writer Clementine Paddleford would appear in the New York Herald Tribune in 1948. However, Paddleford’s piece mentions a quote from Morgan and references how Los Angeles kept the drink alive after the drink stalled. It’s plausible that Gwynn’s proclamation could be about the drink’s resuscitation instead of its creation.  

Such messiness is expected when it comes to old-school drinks. 

“It’s the same with pretty much any older cocktail,” says Brynn Smith , bar director for Bar Next Door in West Hollywood. “You’re never going to find anything that’s the equivalent of someone going ‘Hear ye, hear ye, here’s the origin story.’”

“When you look at the style of the Moscow Mule, it makes no sense that it would originate in New York. A story about the creation of a drink with vodka, ginger beer, and lime fits much better in Los Angeles.” — Brynn Smith, bar director, Bar Next Door

While the drink’s beginnings are technically up for debate, Los Angeles still has a much better claim to the Moscow Mule’s origin story. This is largely due to the drink itself, which has more in common with the fruity, refreshing drinks of Los Angeles' then-fledgling tiki bar scene than the spirit-forward cocktails typically created in the Big Apple.  

“When you look at the style of the Moscow Mule, it makes no sense that it would originate in New York,” Smith says. “A story about the creation of a drink with vodka, ginger beer, and lime fits much better in Los Angeles.” (It should be noted that Bar Next Door is across the street from where Morgan’s Cock & Bull once stood.)

Of course, the Moscow Mule’s refreshing deliciousness provides the legs needed for the debate to continue. 

This brings the conversation back to the copper mug. Its ability to keep a drink cold longer than glass made it an essential part of the drink for decades. These days, modern techniques like using better quality ice and chilled ingredients make the drink less dependent on the mugs. Bar Next Door, for example, serves their Mules in a glass. Still, there is respect for the mug’s role in the drink’s rise to prominence.  

“Overall, the mug these days is a show pony,” says Hoover. “But historically, it’s the reason the drink works.”

That’s true whether the drink originated on the West or the East Coast. But it was likely the West Coast. Sorry, New York.

Related Articles

Tricky brainteaser challenges YOU to guess correct number of mugs

• This mind-boggling puzzle by Furniture at Work contains an assortment of mugs  
• Can you guess the correct answer as to have many mugs are clustered in image?
• READ MORE: Can you spot the odd fish in 30 seconds in this tricky brainteaser?

Finding the perfect mug for your hot drink can be tricky - and this mind-brewing puzzle is just the same. 

A new brainteaser is challenging viewers to see how quickly they can count all the coffee mugs in a picture - but do you possess the skill to beat the record time? 

A spokesperson from Furniture At Work said such brainteasers are an excellent way to take time out during the day and keep your mind stimulated.

Speaking to The Scottish Sun , they said: 'Taking a break from your working day is incredibly important for wellbeing, and we wanted to provide something to make that all-important tea or coffee break a little more interesting and exciting.

'To make it even more fun, we wanted to lay down a challenge to try and beat our record times.'

The picture in question shows many vessels perfect for holding an early morning cup of coffee or tea, and the challenge is to count how many you can see. 

The average time to find all the mugs and crack the puzzle is 2 minutes and 47 seconds. 

However, you'd need to have laser eyes and unparalleled analytical skills to beat the record of 1 minute and 54 seconds. 

In the busy image, an assortment of mugs are spread out and clustered on top of one another.

Each feature a unique pattern, designed with flowers, spirals, hearts, spots and stripes in a variety of dark brown, green and white colours. 

However, a layer of difficulty is added to the brainteaser, as each mug is the same light brown shade, with only a number of handles painted in differing shades of white, dark brown. 

Have you managed to guess the correct number of mugs in the puzzle? If so - well done, your analytical skills are unmatched - now, go ahead and brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea to celebrate your sharp eye.

However, if you're still struggling to conclude how many there are, don't worry, as we reveal the answer below. 

The answer to the mind-bending puzzle is 57 mugs. If you were close, give yourself a pat on the back, as this was an especially difficult one to solve!

Fancy another challenge? This tricky brainteaser challenges holiday-makers to put their observational skills to the test by finding three broken suitcases - but can you locate them in seconds?

Created by PayingTooMuch, the summer-themed puzzle raises the importance of travel insurance, which can cover accidents, cancellations and damage to luggage.

With this in mind, creators at the travel insurance company have designed a mind-boggling brainteaser that requires challengers to find three distinct pieces of broken luggage.

However, this seemingly simple puzzle is no easy feat - as only those with laser-sharp vision can locate the damaged suitcases in under 30 seconds. Click here to find out the answer if you can't spot them!