Investing in a high-quality coffee mug can be a game-changer in your daily routine. Keeping your hot coffee hot and your cold coffee cold will help preserve your drink’s optimal flavor throughout the day, so every sip is the best it can be. Selecting a coffee mug you like using also encourages you to make your own coffee at home, potentially saving you money down the road if you’re a daily Starbucks person; it can also help limit your environmental impact by reducing the number of single-use cups you consume.
Everyone’s coffee habits are different, so finding the right mug for you might take a little bit of searching. No matter the type of coffee consumer you are, however, there is a perfect mug for containing that incredible bean juice. Here are some of our favorite coffee mugs on the market today.
Editor’s Pick
Contigo West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug
Pros:
- Button-locked, “autoseal” lead is spill-proof and leak-proof, which saves your bag from any messes.
- The mug’s sleek form is easy to travel with, and its plethora of colorways makes it a stylish choice, whatever your taste is.
- Keep your hot coffee hot for five hours and cold coffee cold for about 12 hours.
Cons:
- The drinking spout isn’t the best-designed for drinking piping-hot coffee; you have to tilt the top a bit further than comparable mugs, which can potentially burn your lips.
Coming in more than 20 distinct colors, the Contigo stainless steel travel mug can be selected based on your style, but doesn’t sacrifice style for function. Its button-locked “autoseal” top is not only leak-proof and spill-proof, but it preserves temperature incredibly well; keep your hot coffee hot for around five hours and cold coffee cold for about 12 hours. The lid is also easy to clean to help preserve the longevity of the mug, and its form makes it a great choice for fitting in a common car cup holder.
Top Contender
YETI Rambler Stainless Steel 14 oz. Mug
Pros:
- The mug’s design takes a standard wide-handle mug and elevates it for the outdoors with added durability.
- Double-walled vacuum insulation is great for preserving your drink’s temperature.
- Easy to clean and a variety of no-fade color options helps maintain the mug’s quality over time.
Cons:
- The shape of the mug can be inconvenient for car cup holders; it’s also got some weight to it which may not be ideal for the elderly or disabled.
This durable, double-walled stainless steel camp mug from industry-leader YETI is a great mug for the outdoors or the office. The Rambler has a no-sweat design so it won’t ruin a desktop, and its insulation is built to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. BPA-free and dishwasher safe, it’s easier to keep clean than many comparable camp mugs. The mug comes in a dozen unique colors with a DuraCoat powder coating that keeps them scratching or fading over time.
Best Smart Coffee Mug
Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2
Pros:
- The tech of the mug is more than just a novelty; if you’re trying to control temperature, it does a great job of keeping your coffee just right.
- Smart notifications, LED lights, and the charging coaster are all fun ways to make your coffee drinking a more interactive experience.
- The mug can be hand washed, so there isn’t a risk of ruining the device if it’s dirty.
Cons:
- At its price point, the mug will be cost-prohibitive for anyone who isn’t looking for a new gadget to play with.
Look, not everybody wants everything to be “smart”, but for the section of people who want app control of everything, there is no better smart mug than the Ember Smart Mug. Using the corresponding app, you can control your coffee’s exact temperature right from your phone, and receive alerts when your drink has reached the perfect heat level. The smart LED lets you know when your drink is heating or cooling, and when the battery needs to be charged. The mug lasts for over an hour on a single charge, and can run indefinitely when set on the included charging coaster.
Best Travel Coffee Mug With Handle
Albor Triple Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler
Pros:
- The detachable handle and included metal straws put drinking convenience above all else.
- Triple insulation keeps your coffee at its perfect temperature.
- The tumbler’s leak-proof and spill-proof lid helps avoid any potential messes.
Cons:
- The push-on lid is effective for everyday carry uses, but if you’re using it for more rough transportation it may not be as sealed as other screw-on options.
This triple-insulated mug from Albor is built with the consumer in mind. Not only is the mug spill-proof and leak-proof, but it maintains temperature super well with its intense insulation (the third insulation layer is copper). What sets the mug apart, however, is its removable handle and included metal straws; you won’t need to sacrifice the convenience of transporting the mug in a car cup holder for the inclusion of a handle. Simply slide it on when you’re ready to drink. More than two dozen color options lets you pick the perfect model to match your mood.
Best Large-Scale Coffee Mug
Stanley Classic Vacuum Insulated Wide Mouth 64 oz. Bottle
Pros:
- The big selling point here is the size; at 64 ounces, you can fill more than five standard mugs of coffee.
- Stanley is a trusted brand for their toughness and durability, this rugged, rust-proof mug is built to last.
- Superior insulation and sealed screw top keeps drinks hot or cold for nearly 24 hours.
Cons:
- The large mug can be a bit unwieldy and difficult to transport, especially in car cup holders.
An individual travel mug can be a perfect option for those looking to have a couple cups of coffee when they get to the office. But if you’re someone who drinks a lot of coffee, or you’re supplying coffee for multiple people on a job site or during a camping trip, you’re gonna need a bigger boat. The Stanley 64-ounce (that’s two quarts!) mug is ideal for preserving larger quantities of your drink for a longer period of time. This durable mug can keep drinks warm or cold for up to 24 hours!
How We Selected the Best Coffee Mugs
Generally speaking, most people don’t need professional, outdoor-grade coffee mugs to get their beverage from their home to their desk. In fact, heavy-duty coffee mugs can be inconvenient if they’re too thick to fit in a car’s cup holder, or they’re unnecessarily heavy when carried in a backpack on public transit. While certain mugs may not be applicable for every situation, with the wide swath of mugs on the market, there is the perfect option to fit your needs, and usually at a reasonable price.
When we were assembling out list of the best coffee mugs, here were some of the key things we considered:
Insulation and Heat/Cold Retention
What good is a coffee mug if it doesn’t keep your hot coffee hot or your iced coffee cold? Most coffee mugs advertise some form of insulation designed for heat or cold retention, and some work better than others for different temperature levels. We tended to favor mugs with at least double insulation, which provides an interior layer and a thicker outer layer for holding in temperature. Ideally, your mug should be keeping hot drinks hot for a minimum of six hours, and cold drinks cold for about ten.
Leak-Proofing
Though it’s true that not everyone needs a mug capable of being thrown in the back of a pickup on the way to a campsite without spilling, some form of spill or leak-proofing is essential to avoid unnecessary messes in your bag or in your car. Even the sturdiest screw-on lids can have issues with leakage, especially when the mug is laying on its side. We tried to find mugs that, even if they’re not intended to be rugged outdoor gear, could handle a little bit of jostling or motion without making a mess.
Look and Feel
A coffee mug is as much an aesthetic accessory as it is a functional object. When something is an everyday carry, it’s important that it not only please you to look at, but isn’t uncomfortable to use. Some factors we considered in functionality were the presence or ergonomics of a handle, how the drinking spout is shaped, the weight of the mug. All of these factors contribute to general usability. As far as aesthetics, having choices in color was a nice feature, but generally speaking, the mug you choose should be appealing to you.
Tips for Picking the Best Coffee Mug
With millions of mugs out there from “World’s Greatest Dad” to programmable mugs you can set up using an app, finding the perfect mug for your purposes can seem like a daunting task. But luckily, because there are so many options, companies are constantly competing to design better and better options for keeping your coffee the perfect temperature and keeping it in the mug and not spilled all over your car’s console. Here are some tips for picking the best mug for you.
- Your Type of Commute: There’s nothing more frustrating than a cup or mug that doesn’t fit in your car’s cup holders. When choosing a mug, ensure that, if it has handles, the handles clear the holders. Or, try and find an option a removable handle or without handles altogether. Likewise, if you keep your mug in your bag on public transit commutes, try and invest in one with a more sturdy screw top to prevent spilling all over your belongings.
- How Versatile Does the Mug Need to Be?: You may not need your mug to be ready for the campsite if you’re just bringing it to work. But, if you’re someone who does need a mug that can handle more rugged terrain, try and find one that can handle both the rigors of everyday life and the toughness of the outdoors. Having to invest in multiple mugs can be unnecessarily costly, so try and find one that fits multiple roles in your life.
Recapping the Best Coffee Mugs
Investing in the perfect mug is more than just buying a thing out of which to drink coffee. A great mug can be an everyday carry, and an extension of yourself. That sounds slightly hyperbolic, but choosing something that suits your aesthetics and your needs as a beverage holder can be a fantastic decision, and it can lead to other changes in your life, from making the decision to brew more coffee yourself and saving money at the cafe, to reducing the waste you produce with single-use cups.
FAQs
How much is a coffee mug?
Coffee mugs run the gamut from cheap ceramic that’ll only set you back a couple dollars, to high-tech smart devices topping out at nearly $100. Generally speaking, however, travel mugs typically cost between $10 and $30.
What are the best coffee mugs?
With a market containing thousands of mugs from various manufacturers, it can be difficult to determine a definitive “best.” Leading brands in the industry with a track-record of satisfied customers are YETI, Thermos, Stanley, Contigo, and a number of others.
What is the difference between a coffee cup and a coffee mug?
Coffee cups and coffee mugs are essentially the same thing, with both being used to drink beverages like coffee and tea. The difference is that the designation of coffee mug tends to describe drinking vessels with a bit more heft and sturdiness to their design.
