We tested top-selling unbreakable glasses—here's what happened
A godsend to the accident-prone
Credit:
Reviewed / Jonathan Chan
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There's one noise that always stops a party dead in its tracks: the shattering of glass. It’d be such a weight off our shoulders to just be able to hand a cup of wine to that one friend (you know who you are) and not have to worry about shattered glass everywhere. So we decided to find a solution by checking out unbreakable drinking glasses.
However, we found so many unbreakable glasses of different styles and materials online, we wondered which could really stand up the punishment of friends who talk with their hands or think they should break out a dance.
Being the inquisitive minds that we are, we purchased five unbreakable glasses, each made from a different material. We subjected each brand to a battery of tests, ranging from how easy they were to clean to how well they withstood us whacking them with a claw hammer. It was a rough and tumbler ride, testing these drinking glasses, but we think we got a good feeling about which unbreakable glasses are worth it.
The tests
We subjected the cups to a variety of tests to suss out their usability and durability.
• Taste test: After giving each glass an initial hand wash, we filled with water. When an hour had passed, we proceeded with a taste test, checking to see if the glasses impart any sort of flavor.
• Washing test: We washed each glass multiple times to see if we could notice any issues with cloudiness or tarnish.
• Drop test: We dropped each glass from table height onto a linoleum testing platform and an epoxy floor with embedded grit.
• Hammer test: Each glass had to face the hammer. We strike each three times with a rubber mallet and a claw hammer. After each test, we assessed the damage, looking for dents and scratches
While not realistic, hitting these glasses with a hammer was a good way to test their limits.
The winner: Vivocci Unbreakable Plastic Stemless Wine Glasses
The Vivocci glasses proved to be seemingly indestructible and easy to use.
The Vivocci turned out to be our favorite unbreakable glass. First off, without touching them, you can’t tell that they’re not made of glass, but rather a super durable plastic called Tritan. Our durability tests proved that the Vivocci glass is close to indestructible. Even after being smashed with a rubber mallet, a claw hammer, and being spiked into the ground, the glass still held water. The Vivocci isn’t just tough—upon closer inspection, we found that’s it’s also cleverly designed. When we dropped the glass multiple times from table height, we saw that it always landed on its bottom—the thickest part of the glass. Molding the glass like this also means that it’s tip-resistant.
Aside from being tough, the Vivocci is also extremely practical. Tritan does not contain BPA, it can withstand boiling-hot water, and it is easy to clean. We performed a taste test with all our cups by letting water sit in it for an hour before sipping. Our palates detected no sign of flavor transference. The only downside is that these glasses are on the pricier side of those we sampled. However, given how tough they are, we think they’re worth the money.
Get the Vivocci Wine Glasses (Set of 4) on Amazon for $24.95
Other unbreakable glasses we tested, ranked in order
FineDine Stainless Steel Wine Glasses
These stainless steel glasses were durable, but they had sharp lips.
While the Vivocci won us over with its looks and durability, we understand that some people want to eliminate plastic from their lives. That’s why the FineDine Stainless Steel glasses took second place in our roundup.
The FineDine cups are made from 18/8 stainless steel, the same grade used for forks and knives. Since these cups are made from the same material as your flatware, you can expect similar performance, both in the dishwasher and while using them. When we drank water from these cups, we detected no hint of metallic taste. What we did notice was the somewhat sharp lip of the cup—not a deal-breaker, but noticeable enough to be of concern.
Aside from a bit of discomfort, the durability test results were what prevented us from awarding the FineDine cups the top spot. These cups shrugged off an assault from mallets and hammers pretty well, but the drop test gave us some concerns. The cups ended up getting pretty scratched. Scratches won’t compromise these cups, but they make them unpresentable.
While resistant to dents, the FineDine glasses were susceptible to scratches.
For anyone who wants the clean aesthetic of stainless steel, these glasses are worth checking out.
Get the FineDine Stainless Steel Wine Glasses (Set of 4) on Amazon for $19.99
Godinger Wine Glasses Goblets
Acrylic didn't look or feel the best, but it was very durable.
When we first started doing research for this roundup, acrylic options came up time and time again. Searching through Amazon’s catalog, we found the Godinger Wine Glass Goblets. As a company, Godinger gets a B on Fakespot, so we decided to roll the dice. We found these acrylic goblets lightweight, reasonably durable, and taste-neutral.
Our testing showed that the Goldinger glasses can deal with normal tumbles and falls, but they broke during our hammer tests. (The seam down the side was the weak point.) As far as stemware goes, Goldinger makes a pretty solid product. However, based on our testing regiment, these goblets came up short.
Get the Goldinger Wine Glasses Goblets (Set of 4) on Amazon for $20.99
A29 Moscow Mule Mugs
We liked the look of these copper cups, but not the tarnish after a few uses.
Of all the cups on our list, these are the most popular, with well over 1,000 five-star reviews. Such high ratings persuaded us to get them in to test.
While they are the most beautiful cups we tested, they fell short in several tests. When we drank water out the mugs, we picked up a strong metallic taste. (We understand that these mugs are made for Moscow Mules and that ginger beer has a very pungent taste that could potentially mask it.) However, we also noticed that after the drinking test, the cup had already started to tarnish. While this is strong evidence of a cup made of 100% copper, it is a bit of a downer.
Copper is a soft melt.
This cup isn’t for day-to-day use. Keep it in the cabinet and only take it out for cocktail time.
Get the A29 Moscow Mule Mugs (Set of 4) on Amazon for $52.99
Brovino Silicone Wine Glasses
We found the silicone glasses to be difficult to use, but very mobile.
Rounding out our list are the Brovino silicone wine glasses. Entirely collapsible, these rubbery glasses come closest to unbreakable in our book. You could hit these glasses with a hammer all day and they’ll just bounce right back into shape.
But we had three major problems with these Brovino that placed them at the bottom of our rankings. First, they smell terrible out of the box. We soaked them overnight with a solution of water and baking soda just to make them remotely usable. During the drinking test, we still had to hold our noses just to take a sip.
The second issue was the actual usability. When we had other testers try the cups, multiple people accidentally squeezed too hard and caused a spill. Finally, its lightweight design may have been taken too far, as we easily knocked this cup over.
However, for people who go camping and need a collapsible cup, Brovina makes one that’s acceptable.
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