Best Travel Coffee Mugs

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.

Pamela Vachon Contributor

Pamela is a freelance food and travel writer based in Astoria, Queens. While she writes about most things edible and potable (and accessories dedicated to those topics,) her real areas of expertise are cheese, chocolate, cooking and wine. She's a culinary school grad, certified sommelier, former bartender and fine dining captain with 10 years in the industry. When not sitting at the keys, she leads in-home cheese classes, wine tastings and cocktail demonstrations.

Expertise Wine | Cheese | Chocolate | Cooking

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 it wasn't as easy to 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.

Yeti is a trusted brand in insulation, making everything from large coolers to picnic wine tumblers. 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 leak-proof, although little more than a dribble escaped. (I wouldn't be packing it among my clothing, just in case.) 

Yeti has the widest variety where size and features are concerned, 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.

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 auto seal 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 auto seal 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.

In the spirit of full disclosure, this KeepCup mug isn't intended for longterm insulation, nor is its simple press-on lid designed to be airtight, 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.

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 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, this is also what makes it only nearly leakproof, as the twisting sip mechanism tended to loosen the lid at the base somewhat. 

The S'well line of tumblers looks, feels and operates 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.

Show more