Best Travel Thermal Mug for Keeping Coffee & Tea Hot in 2022 | Comparison & Buyer’s Guide

A travel mug is not just a container holding liquid. First and foremost, it should be properly insulated, durable, and lightweight. Whether you are looking for the best travel mug for tea, iced coffee, or hot drinks, the first thing you should consider is what technology is used in the product. It should prevent leaks, keep your drinks hot for a long time, even in cold environments, and should be able to survive drops onto the floor.

Let's compare four trusted brands. Honestly, it is hard to say which of these travel mugs is the best. All of them have their advantages and are manufactured by trusted brands with a 100-year history in producing thermo-saving insulated products but differ mainly in style.

The Contigo brand is owned by Newell Company, an American worldwide producer of consumer products established as far back as 1903. Under the brand of Contigo, it makes travel mugs, water bottles, and kids bottles. Their products undergo thorough testing for quality, durability, and shock resistance.

The other manufacturer, Zojirushi, is a trustworthy Japanese brand. Founded in 1918, the company is well-known for its beverage dispensers, vacuum flasks, household and cooking appliances. Today, Zojirushi is one of the leading global producers in the field of temperature maintenance technologies. Its vacuum bottles have set the industry standard in insulation and are popular worldwide.

THERMOS® and Stanley® are another two world-famous trusted brands with a 100-year heritage. THERMOS® iconic stainless King Mug with a handle & classic military-style Stanley Twinlock Travel Mugs are good examples of leakproof & double-wall vacuum insulation technology embodied in different designs.

Best Travel Mugs Compared

Picking the right travel mug may be a stiff task. Below, we have rounded up the products that perfectly meet the core requirements: insulation, heat loss prevention, leak-proof design. The first one is the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug with a capacity of 16 ounces.

This well-insulated mug will keep your drinks cold or hot for up to six hours. Made from stainless steel, it has a SlickSteel finish inside, created by means of electro-polishing technology. As a result, the mug gets a smooth interior surface and is resistant to corrosion and stains.

The lid comes with a safety lock and fits tightly, ensuring proper heat retention. Thanks to its flip design, the lid opens easily with one hand. The mug is made with a wide mouth, so you can put full-size ice cubes there. You can drink directly from the mug, while the stopper is easily removed for cleaning. With a weight of just 9 ounces, the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug is compact and sleek. It is available in 8 colours, including lavender, champagne gold, emerald, cherry, and smoky blue.

Another option that we recommend is the Contigo Stainless Steel Autoseal West Loop Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug. Like the Zojirushi mug, this one is insulated, stainless steel, and has a 16-ounce capacity. But it is more popular and has gained as many as 85,000 customer reviews. The mug has an awesome slim design and comes in 39 different styles to choose from. You may pick a fantastic twilight shell style, elegant white marble or restrained latte colour.

And yet, the design is not the main selling point of this product. The mug is highly efficient and will keep your drinks hot or cold for hours. It uses autoseal technology to prevent leakage and spills as well as allows you to comfortably drink one-handed. With this mug, you do not need to worry about the unintended opening of the mug as it is equipped with a button lock. The product is also available in 20 and 24 ounces, with and without a handle.

Buyer’s Guide: Core Features

Now, let’s take a look at the most significant features of the best travel mug.

• Insulation. It is double-walled, vacuum-insulated mugs that retain heat best. This is because heat is transferred through conduction while a vacuum plays the role of a gap. In a vacuum, there is a small number of atoms to conduct heat, which is why a vacuum-insulated container remains hot for a longer time.

• Heat Loss Prevention. Even though your mug is well-insulated, heat can leak through the lid. For this reason, the lid size is an important factor to consider when buying your travel mug. We recommend choosing a mug with a narrower lid as it will lose heat slower. Wide-mouth mugs may be more convenient for some people but are not a good option in terms of heat retention.

• Leak-Proof Design. Nevertheless, the main function of the lid is to prevent leaks and spills. This is particularly essential for travelers who often put their mugs in a cup holder or a backpack while on the go. The most reliable mugs are the ones that seal automatically and require pressing the button to be opened. For instance, the leak-proof Contigo Travel Mug uses an autoseal technology and comes with a button lock.

• Material. The most common types of material used in travel mug production include stainless steel, plastic, glass, and ceramic. Out of these, stainless steel is the best option. It lasts longer than ceramic or glass and has better heat retention properties when compared to plastic. On top of that, stainless steel is better-suited for vacuum insulation. Some people dislike stainless steel containers because of their ability to retain unpleasant smells. To avoid this, go with a mug that features a non-stick interior coating. A good example is the

  Zojirushi Mug that features a SlickSteel finish interior created with the use of electro-polishing technology.

• Convenience. For people like drivers and bikers, ease of use is of great importance. A good travel mug should be easy to operate with just one hand, including locking and unlocking the lid. The small weight is another advantage. Your travel mug should be functional yet free of unnecessary elements. For example, a vacuum-insulated mug may come without a handle as the latter only adds extra weight.

• Capacity. Typically, travel mugs have a capacity of 15 to 16 ounces, however, there are smaller and larger options as well. Which volume is right for you depends on both your preferences and how much you drink. Some people prefer wider mugs because they are more stable, while others go for slimmer options because they are more comfortable to hold.

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