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A Thermos travel mug sitting on a table next to a cooler. Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Best Travel Mugs of 2026

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A Thermos travel mug sitting on a table next to a cooler. Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

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1
Editor's Choice Product image of Zojirushi SM-KHE48
Best Overall

Zojirushi SM-KHE48

Currently
Unavailable

Besides retaining temperature well, it holds 16 ounces. A trim build means it easily fits in cup holders. Only drawback: Not dishwasher safe, but the top disassembles, making cleanup a breeze. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent temperature retention
  • Easy to carry

Cons

  • Not dishwasher safe
2
Product image of BrüMate Era 40 oz.
Best Large Capacity

BrüMate Era 40 oz.

Currently
Unavailable

The BruMate Era tumbler is an exceptional 40 oz. tumbler with its spill-proof design and excellent temperature retention. Read More

Pros

  • Fantastic temperature retention
  • Spill-proof lid
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Can't use without straw
3
Product image of Contigo Handled Autoseal Travel Mug with Easy-Clean Lid
Best With Handle

Contigo Handled Autoseal Travel Mug with Easy-Clean Lid

Currently
Unavailable

With nearly leak-proof technology, the Contigo Autoseal Travel Mug now includes a smartly designed handle which sits at the top of the mug and doesn’t interfere with placement in car beverage holders, or bag pockets. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent temperature retention
  • Includes a handle
  • Autoseal technology guards against leaks

Cons

  • None that we could find
4
Product image of Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug, 16 oz.
Best for Hot Drinks

Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug, 16 oz.

Currently
Unavailable

Includes a stainless steel build and a handle, but it's a bit heavy and bulky, and while the lid's robust, it’s a two-handed effort to open. Read More

Pros

  • Durable
  • Vacuum insulation keeps drinks warm

Cons

  • Bulky
  • Difficult to open its lid
5
Product image of Contigo Autoseal West Loop, 16 oz.
Best Leakproof

Contigo Autoseal West Loop, 16 oz.

Currently
Unavailable

The original Contigo Autoseal won us over on an 8-hour car trip by keeping coffee piping hot from start to finish thanks to the double-wall vacuum insulation, and its nearly spill-proof Autoseal technology. Read More

Pros

  • Comfy grip
  • Long-lasting temperature retention
  • Nearly leak- and spill-proof

Cons

  • Lid difficult to clean
  • BrüMate Era 40 oz.

  • Fellow Carter Cold Tumbler

  • Acera Honey Bee Travel Mug with Crystals

  • Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler

  • Yeti Rambler 14 oz. Mug

  • How We Tested

  • What Should You Look For In A Travel Mug?

  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

  • Best Large Capacity BrüMate Era 40 oz.
  • Best With A Straw Fellow Carter Cold Tumbler
  • Prettiest Acera Honey Bee Travel Mug with Crystals
  • Best Stainless Steel Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler
  • Best for Cold Drinks Yeti Rambler 14 oz. Mug
  • How We Tested
  • What Should You Look For In A Travel Mug?
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

The Rundown

  • Our favorite travel mugs are the Zojirushi SM-KHE48 and the Thermos Stainless King Travel Mug, 16 oz..
  • The Zojirushi SM-KHE48 excels in temperature retention and portability, keeping drinks hot or cold for extended periods.
  • The Thermos Stainless King offers superior heat retention and durability, making it ideal for keeping coffee steamy throughout the day.

Whether your beverage of choice is water, hot coffee, or an iced latte, most of us rely on some kind of rejuvenating beverage to get us through the day.

Since our days are often punctuated by meetings, errands, stressful commutes, and/or kids' soccer games, our hot and cold drinks frequently accompany us wherever we go. So beyond a water bottle, what's the best way to keep your drink of choice at its perfect temperature? Enter: The best travel mugs and tumblers.

Portable and generally easy to clean, travel mugs and tumblers get bonus points if they can fit in your car's cup holder. We shopped around and bought popular travel mugs and tumblers from brands like Stanley, Contigo, Hydro Flask, Yeti, and old favorite, Thermos. We then tested and scored them keeping in mind things like spillage, heat retention, and ease of care.

The best travel mug we tested is the cult-favorite Zojirushi SM-KHE48 —it is a standout in multiple areas. If you're a coffee devotee, try the best travel mug for hot beverages Thermos Stainless King (available at Amazon), an OG and the travel mug that had the best heat retention of the ones we tested.

However, there are many great travel mugs and tumblers in our guide—read on to find your fave!

Zojirushi travel mug
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
A pink 40 oz. tumbler sitting on a wooden table against a brick background.
Credit: Reviewed / Samantha Mangino

The Era tumbler is unbeatable with its cold retention and spill proof design.

Best Large Capacity
BrüMate Era 40 oz.

BrüMate’s Era is an exceptional answer to the trendy 40 oz. tumbler. With a balanced design and built-in straw, there’s a lot to love about the Era tumbler, but the lockable lid design is what sets it apart from the rest.

The top of the tumbler slides to lock and unlock. When unlocked, you can sip freely. When locked, it’s totally spill-proof, but you can’t sip from the straw. The inside of the tumbler is insulated stainless steel. and the straw comes in two parts, the bottom half is stainless steel and slides into the lid, while the lid itself has a silicone straw attached to the top.

Beyond its impressive spill-proof design, it also has incredible temperature retention. It keeps drinks very hot, so they stay steamy. Plus, ice cubes don’t melt after hours in the BrüMate Era.

BrüMate Era’s tumbler is superior to the popular Stanley tumbler because it offers better insulation, keeping drinks hot and cold for longer, and is reliably spill-proof, while the Stanley has quite a bit of leakage.

The biggest downside to the Era tumbler is that you can’t use the tumbler without the straw, which makes it difficult to use with hot liquids. The Era tumbler is available to pre-order now, so there will be some delay between when you purchase and when it arrives.

Pros

  • Fantastic temperature retention

  • Spill-proof lid

  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Can't use without straw

A gray travel mug with a handle against a blue background.
Credit: Reviewed / Contigo

This leak-proof travel mug from Contigo has a convenient handle for easy carrying.

A man driving a tractor holding a Thermos coffee mug.
Credit: Thermos

For piping hot coffee from 9-to-5, go with the Thermos travel mug.

A silver travel mug on a purple background
Credit: Reviewed / Contigo
On the left, the Fellow Tumbler
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

The Fellow Carter Cold Tumbler is your iced coffee's new best friend.

Best With A Straw
Fellow Carter Cold Tumbler

While we also love the 40-ounce Stanley tumbler for the days when you need to tote around a lot of liquid at once, we think the 16-ounce Fellow Carter Cold Tumbler is a better all-around choice for bringing with you on a walk around the neighborhood.

It lacks a handle like Stanley offers, a trade-off for being smaller and more lightweight, making it easier to manage. We also love that this insulated travel mug includes a hard straw, which has a notch underneath the lid that keeps it from sliding around when you take a sip.

It is spill-resistant, though not completely leakproof when turned on its side or upside down. The tumbler's sturdy design does a good job of staying upright and it also fits in most cup holders. It comes in six different colors and you can pay a little extra to personalize it with your name.

This Fellow tumbler isn't dishwasher safe, so you'll need to take the time to clean it by hand.

Pros

  • Keeps drinks ice cold

  • Spill-resistant

  • Fits in most cupholders

Cons

  • No handle

  • Hand wash only

Buy now at Amazon

A blue travel mug and a white travel mug and lid on a purple background
Credit: Reviewed / Thermos
A white Stanley Quencher Tumbler sitting in the grass outside.
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

The Stanley Quencher is ultra popular, and it totally lives up to the hype.

A silver travel mug on a white background, next to a silver mug in a fall setting with steam coming out
Credit: Reviewed / Atlin
A tan hand holds a peach water bottle on a purple frilly background
Credit: Acera
Prettiest
Acera Honey Bee Travel Mug with Crystals

Without question, the Acera is the most attractive travel tumbler we’ve tested. The hexagon design with gold bees and crystals is more like a work of art than a travel mug. This particular design comes in five colors and holds just over 12 ounces. However, we’ve got a few bones to pick.

The ceramic tumbler features double wall insulation. In our tests, we found that it performed better at keeping cold liquids chilled versus heated liquids hot. During our 30-minute heat retention test, with the lid on, the tumbler lost 40 degrees. While it was still hot enough to drink, this isn’t a tumbler you can count on for long term heat retention.

Additionally, when filled with a hot liquid, the outside of the mug becomes hot to the touch over the course of our tests, and we couldn’t pick it up for more than a few seconds at a time.

While everyone’s budgets are different, the cost for this travel tumbler is higher than most—and certainly any in our guide by a long shot. The MSRP is $188—enough to buy yourself a coffee maker, a bag of coffee, and our favorite travel mug. It comes nicely packaged in a mint green gift box, making for a nice gift if you want to spend it on a friend or loved one.

Finally, the tumbler is hand-wash only, making it more of a challenge to clean than others in our guide. It also is quite delicate, so it’s possible it could chip or break easily if dropped or bumped against another hard surface.

While this tumbler is absolutely gorgeous, it’s very hard to justify the high price point, especially given its performance with hot drinks and delicate design.

Pros

  • Attractive design

  • Good cold retention

Cons

  • Delicate

  • More expensive than others

  • Hot to touch with heated drinks

A silver travel mug open on a counter
Credit: Bobble
Two white men push coffee mugs together
Credit: GSI Outdoors
A white woman holds a white cup with a blue band
Credit: Copco
A white woman's arm grips a travel mug in a car's cup holder
Credit: Hydro Flask
Best Stainless Steel
Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler

The Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler features double insulation and is made from pro-grade stainless steel. Its 40-ounce capacity allows you to drink from all day long, but in our tests, this tumbler doesn't keep drinks as cold as Hydro Flask water bottles. If you drink quickly, this won't be a problem, but if you want your liquids to stay chilled for more than several hours at a time, the Stanley tumbler in this guide is a better option.

Given the large size, it can be a bit difficult to hold when full, but the handle makes this easier (though it lacks a comfort grip like the Stanley tumbler has). It also fits in most standard size cup holders.

One gripe we have is that the lid on the Hydro Flask tumbler is not as secure as others in our guide. It does not screw into place, like the Stanley tumbler. Therefore, if you drop it or it tips over, the lid may pop off, resulting in a spill.

Because of the included plastic straw and lid design, which features a flexible, built-in straw in the top portion, you don't want to use it with hot liquids. However, when paired with cold liquids, the straw is easy to drink from.

We wish the built-in straw extended all the way down into the cup and didn't stop at the lid, so it could be one collective piece. In its current state, a separate straw attaches to the underside of the lid, which is just one more thing to keep track of.

Pros

  • Large capacity

  • Easy to clean

  • Fits in most cupholders

Cons

  • Lid does not secure

  • Temperature regulation not as impressive as others

Three blue travel mugs with handles in a line
Credit: Reviewed / Yeti
Best for Cold Drinks
Yeti Rambler 14 oz. Mug

Yeti benefits from a great deal of brand loyalty. And we’re not immune to its appeal. But with so many travel mug options on the market, we don’t quite see the upsides of this one—unless you like really cold beverages over long time frames.

This Yeti Rambler’s ability to keep a cold drink cold over time is outstanding and beat the rest of its competitors in our tests, with zero loss of temperature over 30 minutes. We also definitely like that it’s dishwasher safe.

Unfortunately, the Yeti Rambler’s shape and size detracts from its appeal. It doesn't really fit in cup holders or bags due to its chunky shape. We tested the 14-ounce Rambler, but the same can be said for its 10-ounce and 24-ounce varieties.

The plastic top (which is hard to remove) doesn’t actually close, either. So, there’s no way to keep liquids from sloshing out of the perennially exposed opening.

Instead, we’d recommend Yeti’s 20-ounce Rambler tumbler style, which can be expected to provide similar temperature retention yet offers a better shape and cup holder compatibility.

Pros

  • Premium insulation

  • Powerful magnet lock feature

  • Dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Doesn’t fit in cupholders

  • Not leak proof

Buy now at Amazon

How We Tested

The Tester

Three testers have taken on travel mugs and tumblers for this guide. Freelance food writer Sarah Zorn tackled our original batch, and she, like many busy professionals, almost exclusively functions on coffee. She maintains that she often mainlines it when scuttling back and forth on the subway or hunched over a computer. As such, having a mug that keeps her drink hot or cold while tapping at keys for extended periods of time is of utmost importance to me.

Reviewed’s home editor Rachel Murphy tested our most recent batch of travel mugs and it's no wonder she's an expert on what keeps beverages at their best. When she's not testing smart home gadgets and garden hoses, she's dealing with four kids, including newborn twins. For her, hot coffee is an essential part of the day.

Samantha Mangino, Reviewed's home staff writer also contributed to testing and writing for this guide. She's tested everything from steam irons to flower bouquets. Hydration is essential for her, and she always has a water bottle or tumbler within reach.

The Tests

We alternately filled each mug with hot and cold beverages, measuring the temperature to start, and then checking it again every 30 minutes or so for the course of two hours.

We also took each mug for a test run throughout an entire day, analyzing how comfortable they are to hold, how easy they are to drink out of, how snugly they fit into a backpack or car holder, how portable they are, how likely they are to spill when jostled or turned upside down, and how easy they are to clean—either in the dishwasher when possible, or using a bottle brush.

What Should You Look For In A Travel Mug?

Travel mugs should be comfortable to hold, effectively retain temperature, able to be safely stashed in a beverage holder or bag, and keep hot (or cold) liquids securely contained, so they don’t slosh all over your shirt. The same certainly can’t be said of flimsy, disposable, heat-leaching paper or Styrofoam cups.

Travel mugs should be well insulated—vacuum insulated stainless steel is preferred—so they can keep your coffee tasty and hot, from your first sip to your last (even if your mug ends up sitting on your desk all day). They should have securely locking lids, so they can be carried pretty much wherever or in whatever without incident; even inside your bag.

They should feel comfortable in your hand, which is largely subjective—some people prefer a handle, while others appreciate a slim bullet shape or ergonomic curve. Finally, they should make your life easier, instead of more difficult. This means, ideally, all or most elements of the mug are dishwasher safe, or otherwise simple to clean.

Why Buy a Travel Mug?

A reusable cup is much better for the environment than disposable ones. It's also a money saver over time—imagine how much cash you’d save, carrying your own coffee instead of buying it at a coffee shop day after day?

Unlike a regular coffee mug, a travel mug is also meant for, well, travel, whether you’re driving cross country, camping in the woods, or merely cramming yourself in a rickety train each morning on the way to work. Many will work whether you prefer hot or cold beverages.

How to Clean a Travel Mug

If you’re lucky, the whole darn thing can be thrown onto the top rack of a dishwasher, although this feature is rare. More often than not, you’re going to have to get a bit hands-on, especially with the lid. Even when it comes to the body of your travel mug or tumbler, there’s ample opportunity for water to leach between the layers of insulation, which can lead to mold.

If your mug has a rubber seal, you’ll definitely want to pop it off and hand wash it, giving it a good scrub and rinse with soapy water. You can let the lid and body sit in soapy water as well, to allow the cleanser to reach all of the crevices before scrubbing and rinsing them out.

Some travel mugs come with their very own mini brushes for accessing hard to reach places, although spare toothbrushes (reserved solely for this purpose of course) or even Q-tips can do the trick.

If you’d just as soon avoid soap, white vinegar and baking soda are both natural cleansers. Distill one tablespoon of vinegar in warm water, for a solution that’s excellent for soaking and scrubbing, or make a paste of equal parts water and baking soda, for attacking especially grimy spots.

Meet the testers

Sarah Zorn

Sarah Zorn

Contributor

Sarah Zorn is a food writer, cookbook author, and product tester for Reviewed, Wirecutter and the Food Network. She regularly contributes to outlets such as Saveur, Esquire, and Civil Eats, and has very much passed her food obsessions down, as her beloved rescue hound, Rowdy, regularly deglazes his kibble bowl.

See all of Sarah Zorn's reviews
Rachel Murphy

Rachel Murphy

Editor, Home

@rachel_murphy

Rachel Murphy is Reviewed's home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.

See all of Rachel Murphy's reviews
Samantha Mangino

Samantha Mangino

Staff Writer, Home

@

Samantha Mangino is a self-proclaimed homebody. Conveniently she is a home staff writer at Reviewed, covering cleaning, appliances, furniture, and home furnishings and décor. She knows her way around a house and has tested everything from furniture, sponges, steam irons, to Legos. She’s always on the hunt for the latest internet trends and wants to help make your home cleaner and cozier.

See all of Samantha Mangino's reviews

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