Whether you make coffee for yourself at home or pick it up at a coffee shop, a reusable travel mug is more than just a service to the environment: it is an act of self-care. It keeps your coffee hot, allowing you to savor it throughout the morning, expresses something of your personal style, and broadcasts to the world that you are an environmentally and economically conscientious member of society. Yes, a travel coffee mug can do all of that.
While a travel coffee mug isn’t necessarily a huge investment, $25 to $45 may seem like a lot to pay for portability and insulation, when the cracked, ceramic mugs you might otherwise drink from at home tend to be cheap vacation souvenirs or a mismatched set of hand-me-downs. To give you purchasing confidence for your small but important investment here, we’ve rounded up the best travel coffee mugs of 2023.
Best travel coffee mugs
Zojirushi
Admittedly, sometimes choosing the “best” model of a given product is a matter of extreme nuance, but in this case, it wasn’t even close. Zojirushi’s sleek travel mug was the top performer along every possible metric. After 5 hours, the liquid was still piping hot. The screw-on lid was infallible and yet easy to drink from, with a spring-loaded button that opens the lid, and a lock feature to prevent it from being jostled open when in the closed position. (Let it be a testament to my faith in these mechanisms that I put the Zojirushi full of coffee in an overnight bag along with my clothing for a train ride out of town.) Regardless of this additional measure of security, the slim design made it easy to operate one-handed while not risking control of the mug. For the aesthetically conscious, the Zojirushi stainless mug comes in a variety of sizes, colors, and patterns.
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Miir
Along the same metrics, the Miir Flip Traveler was the clear runner-up to Zojirushi. After 5 hours, it only had lost 10 degrees beyond what the Zojirushi had maintained, but this was a solid 10 degrees hotter than almost any other model on this list. Its screw-on lid also kept all the liquid inside the mug, even when given the roller coaster treatment. The “flip” mechanism is basically a plastic flap that covers and plugs into the opening for sipping. Because the modest flap is so successful at managing leaks, however, it wasn’t as easy to actually flip open one-handed, but then again there’s a lot less lid in your face when you go to take a sip. At half the cost of the Zojirushi, with several size and color options, this would be an excellent choice for those looking for a solid travel mug on a smaller budget.
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Yeti
Yeti is a trusted brand in insulation, making everything from large coolers to picnic wine tumblers. So it’s no surprise that its travel coffee mug offering is also a worthy investment. Its Rambler series mugs are shatterproof, and double-walled, with a twist and press-on lid which includes a sliding piece to allow you a sip.
While not as hot as the above models, the liquid in the Yeti was decidedly still quite warm after 5 hours. Overall, screw-on lids tended to be more leakproof in this lineup, so Yeti’s lid wasn’t perfectly so, though little more than a dribble escaped. (But I wouldn’t be packing it among my clothing, just in case.)
Yeti has the widest variety where size and features are concerned, however, offering hot mugs in 10, 14, 20, 24, and 30-oz options, in about a dozen colors, and being among the only brands here to offer travel mugs with handles. Yeti’s 20-oz Rambler also offers a tapered bottom with a high handle, formatted perfectly for your car’s drink holder.
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Contigo
Good news for the travel-mug curious, or those with a tendency to lose things like travel mugs, Contigo’s inexpensive West Loop model was also among the best performers on this list, and might be something you just find on the shelf at your local department store or pharmacy. Utterly leakproof, the West Loop was on par with heavy-hitters Yeti and S’well in its ability to keep coffee relatively hot. Its contour is also especially user-friendly, with a narrow neck that makes for both a solid grip and easy one-handed operation with an autoseal function that includes a button at the back of the bottle that reveals the opening for sipping on the lid. A locking mechanism on the lid keeps the hole closed even if the autoseal button gets bumped. Its colorful models are a little more expensive, but a basic black model will cost you little more than $15, making it one of the best value mugs on this list.
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KeepCup
In the spirit of full disclosure, this KeepCup mug isn’t intended for long-term insulation, nor is its simple press-on lid designed to be air tight, but just look at it! For those whose daily coffee beverages top out at 6 ounces, and aren’t meant to be sipped indefinitely, this glass number is the perfect vessel for a cappuccino, or other espresso drink, with a built-in cork band to serve as a heat sleeve, and an attractive glass cup that still allows you to witness your foam art. Additionally, unlike all of the other models here, it is microwave safe, which is another good way to keep your coffee hot for multiple hours.
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Hydro Flask
According to legend, the first people to climb to the peak of Denali did so with only a cup of hot chocolate for sustenance. While this move isn’t recommended, if your to-go coffee or other hot beverage is likely to be swinging from a backpack, Hydro Flask’s model with a top handle is an ideal choice. Hydro Flask is another brand whose products are known for top-performing insulation, and in fact this Hydro Flask model was second to the Zoshirushi in terms of its ability to maintain temperature. The screw-on top creates nearly leakproof conditions. The upper part of the lid twists easily to reveal the slot for sipping, however this is also what makes it only nearly leakproof, as the twisting sip mechanism had a tendency to loosen the lid at the base somewhat.
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S’well
The S’well line of tumblers look, feel and operate very similarly to the Yeti Rambler, even coming to within a degree of temperature variation after both 3 and 5 hours: not quite hot, but still quite warm, relying on double-walled insulation and a twist and press-on, vacuum seal lid. Also like Yeti, it is very nearly leakproof and perfectly easy to operate in one hand. While the S’well line of tumblers has far fewer size options than the Yeti, what it has in abundance is a large array of attractive designs, with several marble, geode, and wood finishes for a unique touch.
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How we tested travel mugs
A travel coffee mug must do at least 2 things extremely well: keep your coffee hot, and keep it from spilling all over your bag/car/desk. Additionally, matters of size, aesthetics, ease of cleaning, and one-handed operability may be factors to consider. Our list was assembled based on CNET’s previous picks, those that have been well-vetted by other review sites and appear repeatedly on best lists, and best-selling and consistently highly-rated models at major retailers such as Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyondle and Target.
Most travel coffee mugs claim to keep liquids “hot” for about 5-6 hours. To test this, I filled each of the models here with 170-degree liquid and measured the temperature after both 3 hours and 5 hours. Lids for travel mugs tend to fall in 1 of 2 camps, either some sort of threaded, screw-on mechanism or else a plastic and rubber twist/press-on lid that creates a vacuum seal. To test for leakproofness, I repeatedly upended each mug while full, looking for even a hint of a dribble.
Best travel mugs compared
| Zojirushi Stainless Mug | Miir Flip Traveler | Yeti Rambler | Contigo West Loop | Keep Cup | Hydroflask 16 oz | S’well Tumbler | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sizes, ounces | 12, 16, 20 | 12, 16, 20 | 10, 14, 20, 24, 30 | 16, 20, 24 | 6, 8, 12, 16 | 12, 16, 20 | 10,16 |
| Lid type | Screw top | Screw top | Twist/press on | Screw top | Press on | Screw top | Press on |
| Leakproof | Yes | Yes | Mostly | Yes | No | Yes | Mostly |
| Dishwasher safe? | No | Yes* | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Price | $52.49 | $24.95 | $35 | $14.95 | $31.95 | $32.95 | $30 |
Travel mug FAQs
Are travel coffee mugs dishwasher-safe?
It is mostly recommended to wash travel mugs and their lids in the sink with warm, soapy water. Of the models listed here, only the Yeti and Contigo give their full blessing as being dishwasher safe. Miir suggests that its Flip Traveler is dishwasher safe, but with an asterisk, recommending sink washing as a better practice as to not ruin its exterior. Zojirushi, Keep Cup, Hydro Flask and S’well all are marked as not dishwasher safe.
Are travel coffee mugs good for the environment?
All of the travel mugs included here are BPA-free, which is a highly chemically processed form of plastic. To that degree they are environmentally safe, and to the degree which they reduce the number of paper, plastic, and styrofoam disposable cups, they are extremely good for the environment.
