Top 5 compared
The best travel mugs
Coffee still hot when you get to work, with a lid you can sip from on the way.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
The top 5 at a glance
A travel mug is an insulated cup with a lid that seals, for taking coffee or tea out the door and drinking it on the way. Push-button and flip-up lids work one-handed on the move; slide-tops and lids you sip from all the way round feel more like an ordinary mug; bottle-style ones slip into a bag’s side pocket.
Every mug here is double-walled stainless steel and fits a standard car cup holder. Rinsing it with hot water while the coffee brews warms the steel first, so the coffee stays hot longer. The lid is the part that needs the most cleaning, as coffee collects round the seal, so rinse it as soon as the mug is empty.
What matters
- A lid that locks or seals shut, for riding in a bag.
- The maker’s hot-hours figure, to see if it lasts your commute.
- A lid that goes in the dishwasher, if not the whole mug.
- A capacity that matches your usual coffee order.
#1Contigo West Loop 3.0 Autoseal Travel Mug (473 mL, 16 oz)
$20–$30
Contigo’s Autoseal lid seals itself between sips, so the mug can roll around a bag or the car without spilling, and a button locks it shut. It holds 473 mL (16 oz), fits most car cup holders and has a hook inside the lid for a tea bag.
What owners say: Coffee stays hot for a long time and nothing leaks or spills, owners say, and they like the lock button; it travels well and cleans easily.
A closer look: Press the button to drink and let go to seal, then lock it before it goes in a bag. The lid opens right up for cleaning and goes on the dishwasher’s top rack, but the steel body is washed by hand.
- Seals itself between sips
- Tea-bag hook in the lid
Best for: Commutes and the car
- Capacity
- 473 mL (16 oz)
- Keeps hot (maker’s figure)
- Up to 11 hrs
- Lid
- Push-button, locks
- Dishwasher safe
- Lid only (top rack)
#2Zojirushi SM-KHE48 Stainless Mug (480 mL, 16 oz)
$30–$50
Zojirushi began in Osaka in 1918 making glass vacuum bottles, and this slim steel mug keeps its heat with the same vacuum between two walls. The flip-open lid fits tight and locks, so it can ride in a bag or purse, and the electro-polished steel inside resists stains.
What owners say: Owners find it keeps drinks hot all day without leaking, and like how easily it cleans and carries. The price and its durability split them.
A closer look: The lid flips open with one thumb, so it can be sipped on the walk to work. Wash it by hand rather than in the dishwasher. The wide mouth takes full-size ice cubes, so it works for iced coffee as well as hot.
- Opens with one thumb
- Takes full-size ice cubes
- Stain-resistant polished interior
Best for: Purses and work bags
- Capacity
- 480 mL (16 oz)
- Keeps hot (maker’s figure)
- 6 hrs, still 68°C (154°F)
- Lid
- Flip-open, locks
- Dishwasher safe
- No
#3Owala SmoothSip Slider Tumbler (355 mL, 12 oz)
$30–$50
A tumbler-style cup with a smooth, wide spout that feels more like drinking from a mug, and a slide-top that closes completely, so it’s leakproof. Drinks stay hot for up to six hours and cold for up to a day.
What owners say: Owners rate the no-leak lid, how well it holds the heat and the size, which suits coffee on the go and slips into a car cup holder; it cleans easily, though not everyone is sold on the price.
A closer look: At 355 mL (12 oz) it holds a small café order, so it suits a desk or a short trip more than a long day out. Close the slider all the way for travel; the lid can go in the dishwasher, but wash the cup by hand.
- Wide, mug-like spout
- Leakproof when slid shut
Best for: Sipping at a desk
- Capacity
- 355 mL (12 oz)
- Keeps hot (maker’s figure)
- Up to 6 hrs
- Lid
- Slide-top, no lock
- Dishwasher safe
- Lid only
#4YETI Rambler 12 oz Travel Bottle with Commuter Cap (355 mL)
$20–$30
A small steel bottle made for coffee: YETI’s Commuter Cap lets you sip from any side, a half-twist seals it leakproof for the bag, and the whole thing goes in the dishwasher. It slips into a car cup holder or a bag’s side pocket.
What owners say: Hot for ages, no leaks or spills, and a compact size that goes in the dishwasher win owners over. The price and how simple it is to use divide them.
A closer look: The bottle takes YETI’s other Rambler caps too, such as the Chug Cap, so it can double as a water bottle. YETI warns against fizzy drinks in it, and puts the cap on the dishwasher’s top rack with its gasket in the cutlery basket.
- Sip from any side
- Takes other Rambler bottle caps
Best for: Coffee on the go, bottle-style
- Capacity
- 355 mL (12 oz)
- Keeps hot (maker’s figure)
- –
- Lid
- Twist-to-seal cap
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
#5Thermos Icon Travel Mug with Handle (470 mL, 16 oz)
$20–$30
A travel mug with a real handle: Thermos’s Icon has a lid you drink from all the way round, a slide lock that makes it leakproof for the bag, and a non-slip base that sits quietly on a desk.
What owners say: It holds the heat for hours and seals without leaking, owners report, and it carries well. Size and cleaning are where views differ.
A closer look: The stopper inside the lid comes apart for cleaning, and the mug goes on the dishwasher’s top rack. The handle makes it easy to carry from the car with a bag in the other hand, and it doubles as an everyday mug at the desk.
- Drink from any side
- Non-slip, quiet base
Best for: Carrying by the handle
- Capacity
- 470 mL (16 oz)
- Keeps hot (maker’s figure)
- Up to 7 hrs
- Lid
- Drink-through, slide lock
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes (top rack)
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Contigo West Loop 3.0 | #2Zojirushi SM-KHE48 | #3Owala SmoothSip | #4YETI Rambler 12 oz | #5Thermos Icon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $20–$30 |
| Capacity | 473 mL (16 oz) | 480 mL (16 oz) | 355 mL (12 oz) | 355 mL (12 oz) | 470 mL (16 oz) |
| Keeps hot (maker’s figure) | Up to 11 hrs | 6 hrs, still 68°C (154°F) | Up to 6 hrs | – | Up to 7 hrs |
| Lid | Push-button, locks | Flip-open, locks | Slide-top, no lock | Twist-to-seal cap | Drink-through, slide lock |
| Dishwasher safe | Lid only (top rack) | No | Lid only | Yes | Yes (top rack) |
| Best for | Commutes and the car | Purses and work bags | Sipping at a desk | Coffee on the go, bottle-style | Carrying by the handle |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
