10 Best Coffee Thermoses of 2022 - Top-Rated Coffee Travel Mugs

2022-06-18 08:44:11 By : Mr. Danny Yiding

Delish editors handpick every product we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page.

You take your coffee seriously, so shouldn’t you do the same for the vessel you drink it from? A nice coffee thermos can save you money by incentivizing you to make your own at home—and many coffee chains, including Starbucks, offer a discount if you BYO reusable cup. Plus, using a reusable coffee thermos isn’t just good for your wallet—it can also be good for the environment. According to an essay written by environmental expert Pierre-Olivier Roy, it takes “between 20 and 100 uses for a reusable cup to make up for the greenhouse gas emissions of a single-use cup” (depending on what it's made from). No matter your intentions, one thing is for sure: You can show off some personality and caffeinate on the go with a quality reusable cup. Whether you’re wondering what kind of thermos keeps coffee hot the longest or you just want to know the basics to look for, we’re here to help.

To perfect your at-home coffee regimen, check out our recommendations for the top coffee grinders and best drip coffee makers.

As one of the most popular vessels on the market for all-things drinkable, it should come as no surprise that there are a lot of coffee thermos options. But they're not all created equal—so we turned to our friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Their team of on-staff experts—which includes all types: engineers! data analysts! registered dietitians!—rigorously put everyday products to the test (and then more and more tests) in their New York City-based labs to determine which ones you can trust. When testing the best travel coffee mugs, the kitchen tech experts found that “a third of the mugs leaked or spilled, and a quarter failed to keep beverages hot for just 30 minutes”. They then assessed a wide variety of containers based on everything from ease of use and leakage resistance to durability and hot and cold temperature retention. (They even conducted multiple drop tests!)

Do you need more than just one measly cup of coffee to get you through your day? Consider the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug, which can accommodate up to 16 ounces of sweet, sweet bean juice and boasts a mouth that’s wide enough to make refills a breeze. The Good Housekeeping Institute loved this coffee thermos’ heat retention and that it “won't leak or spill a drop and keeps your coffee piping hot.”

Boasting a durable stainless steel interior, this BPA-free vessel is dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. The Zojirushi’s compact design also makes it easy to grip and takes up minimal space. Bear in mind, though, that the slim profile might be a bit too small to fit securely in some car cup holders.

You can’t find a better deal than the Juro Vacuum Insulated Tumbler, which boasts a 20-ounce capacity at no less than half the price of our other top picks. This BPA-free stainless steel thermos features a double wall and anti-sweat design and offers six hours of temperature retention.

The transparent flip lid has a tight seal to prevent your drinks from spilling—though the Good Housekeeping Institute remarked that the included reusable straw is “a little short and inconvenient to use.” This tumbler is dishwasher-safe, but it also comes with a cleaning brush if you prefer to hand wash.

Looking to treat yourself? With its vacuum-insulated, dishwasher-safe construction that’s as fashionable as it is functional, the luxe Thermos Sipp Travel Mug is sure to please. The screw-on, Tritan plastic lid has a built-in hook for your favorite green tea and loose-leaf infusers, plus a one-hand push button operating system, so you don’t have to go to the trouble of pressing the button every time you want to take a sip. And when that durable lid is closed, this 16-ounce coffee flask is fully sealed and will insulate your hot and cold drinks for up to five and nine hours, respectively.

During testing, this top-scoring tumbler “earned perfect scores for maintaining hot or cold liquid temperatures… and it completely resisted leaking and spilling and breaking when drop tested," said the Good Housekeeping Institute. "It was, however, easy to tip over, due to its height and light weight.”

We like its ergonomic plastic handle, which testers said was one of the most comfortable of all our recommendations, but Thermos also makes a handle-free option if that’s your preference.

Do you drink both coffee and tea throughout your day? If so, the Bodum Stainless Steel Travel Coffee and Tea Press may be just what you’re looking for—namely, its ability to make tea and French-pressed coffee anytime, anywhere! Simply add a few tablespoons of your favorite ground coffee or loose leaf tea, pour in up to 15 ounces of boiling water, fasten the lid, and then wait four minutes before pushing down the plunger.

No matter what you’re drinking, this thermos is sure to keep your beverages at the proper temperature for hours. Take note, though, that the Good Housekeeping Institute warned “this type of travel coffee mug isn't leak-proof, so keep it in an upright position,” because coffee grinds can escape if tipped over.”

With multiple size and finish options and a convenient twist-top lid, we think the insulated S’well Stainless Steel Bottle is, well, swell. Perfect for hot or iced coffee, this thermos performed well during the Good Housekeeping Institute’s tests, with the lab panel noting that “it earned perfect scores for maintaining both hot and cold liquid temperatures for 30 minutes and it completely resisted leaking or spilling.”

Though the bottle did dent during drop tests, the flask didn’t break and remained comfortable to hold and pleasant to drink from. Our only wish is that it was dishwasher-safe.

Channel your inner VSCO girl with the Hydro Flask Wide-Mouth Flex Cap Bottle, which boasts an ergonomic design that fits into most hands and cup holders. With a thin, comfortable lip and a BPA-free cap, this ultra-refillable bottle’s spill-proof lid simplifies sipping while on the move, making it the optimal coffee vessel.

In addition to its wide range of color options, the Good Housekeeping Institute loved that this 20-ounce tumbler’s double wall vacuum insulation “kept drinks hot or cold for hours.” The Hydro Flask is dishwasher-safe, but you’re better off hand-washing it in warm water with gentle dish soap, as high temperatures and some cleaning agents may cause discoloration on the outer coating.

If you’re looking for a mug-nificent coffee thermos, look no further than the reliable and durable YETI Rambler 14-Ounce Mug. Available in a wide range of colors, this BPA-free travel mug features a spill-preventing lid and graspable handle, which the Good Housekeeping Institute praised as “built to be big enough so that even wide hands can get a comfortable grip.”

It’s also dishwasher safe, but you’ll want to take care that the lid gets a proper cleaning to avoid any uninvited mold. Even so, you’re sure to feel right at home with your favorite brew in hand, whether you’re at a rest stop, coffee shop, or convenience store.

Sure, you may love your iced coffee, but who likes those watered-down dregs after all that ice melts? This may seem like a necessary evil, but with Zoku's 11-Ounce Iced Coffee Maker, you can enjoy a perfectly chilled brew and fill up that extra, ice-free space with more delicious java—talk about a win/win!

Similar to pre-freeze ice cream makers, this BPA- and phthalate-free flask’s design features an inner stainless steel container that you store in your freezer between uses. It's hand wash only, but we think the extra effort is worth it if you want to magically transform your freshly made hot coffee into your favorite cold beverage. In fact, the Good Housekeeping Institute found that the Zoku Iced Coffee Maker “chilled coffee in a few minutes,” which we think is a pretty fair trade in terms of convenience.

If you want a thermos that you can thrown into your bag without worrying about spillage, the Contigo Autoseal West Loop Stainless Travel Mug is for you. On top of offering optimal stability, this thermos automatically seals when you're not taking a sip, so it can't leak or spill. You will need to press and hold a button to sip, which can be tricky if you’re caffeinating on the go—though convenient if you have to make any sudden stops that might otherwise paint your car’s interior with coffee.

The Good Housekeeping Institute’s testers noted that “it works well at keeping drinks cold, less so at keeping them hot,” giving the Contigo average scores in temperature retention tests. However, this vessel scored high marks in cleanability—it’s entirely dishwasher-safe, right down to the lockable lid.

Whether you can’t stand the metallic aftertaste from stainless steel drinking vessels or you simply prefer the look and feel of a weighty glass bottle in your hand, there are a lot of benefits to using the JOCO Glass Reusable Coffee Cup. Because it isn’t made of metal, this 12-ounce thermos is both dishwasher- and microwave-safe, so you can easily reheat your coffee instead of going to the trouble of transferring containers or brewing a fresh cup.

That being said, much like any other glassware, the Good Housekeeping Institute warns that the JOCO Coffee Cup “can get a little hot to the touch,” so be sure to make good use of that silicone thermal sleeve and matching lid.

Insulation: There are a variety of travel mug types, but you want yours to be insulated enough that it maintains your drink’s temperature for an optimal period of time. Vacuum insulated tumblers can be considered the cream of the crop, as they can keep your drinks for up to 12 hours (!). They're usually made with inner and outer stainless steel walls, both of which work in tandem to create a vacuum that keeps heat in and air out.

Similarly, many glass options boast a double-walled design for this same purpose, but they don’t create a vacuum, so your drinks usually stay hot for about a couple of hours. Plastic containers, meanwhile, are typically cheaper than glass or stainless steel, but you get what you pay for—these options typically only keep your hot beverages hot for about an hour. That being said, the benefit of both glass and plastic vessels are that most are microwave-safe, so you can always reheat your coffee if you want to save a little extra cash. And if you’re the type whose veins are filled with 90% iced coffee, we have good news: Because heat transfers more rapidly than cold (not to mention, it helps that they often contain ice), these vessels are usually much more effective at maintaining cooler temperatures. In fact, some stainless steel bottles can even keep your iced Americanos frosty for up to a whole day… Though we don’t necessarily recommend drinking day-old coffee. TL;DR? If temperature is your top priority, a vacuum-sealed stainless steel thermos is worth the investment.

Lid: Your chosen coffee thermos’ lid can also have a huge impact on its ability to maintain your drink’s temperature and keep your coffee in the container instead of on your (usually white, because #MurphysLaw) shirt. If you want to sip your brew with ease, a traditional lid with a small spout or removable lid attached to a wide mouthed container may be ideal. However, if you have sensitive teeth or just want to keep those pearly whites both pearly and white, you might want to invest in a lid with a straw or just a straw—reusable, of course—to stick into your vessel and suck down that java. No matter which type you choose, the importance lies in their security: At the very least, you need a lid that prevents spills and leakage, but if you want to just toss your drink in your bag and run out the door without worrying about the contents of your bag getting soaked, a thermos with a lockable lid is your friend.

Cleanability: Investing in a dishwasher-safe coffee thermos offers the perfect combination of convenience and eco-friendliness. Finally, not to sound like a broken record, but “hand-wash only” really does mean hand-wash only. You may think you can get away with sticking your thermos in the dishwasher just once, but it can actually damage the integrity of your insulation—and a few minutes of inconvenience is worth much more than a lifetime of lukewarm coffee!