If you primarily want an insulated cup to drink coffee from, we think a sealed and better-insulated travel mug is a smarter pick than a tumbler. If you really want the best insulation possible to keep ice frozen all day long (or if you want to keep small amounts of liquid nitrogen, or something similar), a sealed narrow-neck bottle is still your best bet. That popularity also means that accessories (like this handle) will actually be designed to fit this cup. The Hydro Flasks performance and aesthetics make it the winner. The real difference is between the tumblers and the water bottle: because the vacuum-sandwich stainless steel walls provide the most effective insulation, the wide lid of a tumbler is a real liability. GearJunkie, like most sites, only passes a verdict on the YETI. Again, the design is nearly the same as the Hydro Flask: a metal straw fitted with a bent silicone mouthpiece. (This model has since been discontinued.). Cleaning these tumblers and lids was easy, even by hand. What is a tumbler and how is it different from a cup or a glass? For most people, a vacuum insulated tumbler will do just fine. The chart below models the results for easy comparison. Weve tried it on the larger version, and its awesome: secure, easy to remove and clean, and fitted with a flexible silicone mouthpiece to prevent soft-palate jabbing. What really makes these guys stand out is the extra stuff. You could buy them on the websites of the manufacturers, or at your local Walmart, or on eBay, or pretty much anywhere else. In our research, we saw so many variations of the ice test, we were a little surprised that there wasnt some kind of consensus. Its not clear exactly what the issue is, since the basics of the mechanism seem the same, but the Pelican lid always dribbled a stream of water when we turned it upside down. You can usually hold this cup upside down, or even leave it sitting on a table upside down, and not see more than a few drops. We independently review everything we recommend. Tumblers, because of their insulation mechanism, can keep your drinks as hot or as cold as they were when you poured them in for a long while. We found that the RTIC 30 Ounce Tumbler gives you all the same insulation performance and better leak-proofing at less than half the price of the best-known YETI Rambler. The RTICs lid is surprisingly secure, given the competition. The infamous Caution HOT! coffee served by McDonalds is between 195 and 205 F. Coolers Like YETI: Our Top 10 Favorite Cheaper Options, Yet Amazing Quality, Cyber Monday Cooler Deals 2021 Best Sales Guide for Coolers, New Years Cooler Sales 2021 Find the Best Holiday Deals Here, Yeti Vs Hydro Flask The Battle of Drinkware Giants, Revo Cooler Review Checking Out Revos Party Barge, Best Beach Cooler Reviews The Hot Temperatures Are No Match For These. We selected representatives from a range of prices to see if insulation quality really changes when you buy a $40 tumbler instead of a $16 tumbler. We concluded that trying to test these hyper-scientifically wasnt very practical. The magnetic slider is more convenient than a flip-up stopper, but it doesn't make this cup leakproof. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Starbucks is recalling millions of stainless steel straws, How a $20 Tumbler Helps Me Drink More Water (Its All About the Straw), What to Bring to an All-Inclusive Tropical Resort. Your coffee mug, so long as it does not have a handle, is a tumbler. However, the best in terms of design, quality, and brand reputation has to be YETI. (The size we tested, which held 20 ounces, has since been discontinued, and the larger, 30-ounce size is on clearance.). But the aesthetics are why people love this thing. Copper insulation is really vacuum insulation, but with copper lining on the vacuum-facing sides of the inner andouter walls. This keeps your drink hot when it is cold and cold when it is hot. Does it have a splash guard or straw integrated into the lid? So, the ideal setting for an insulated tumbler is on a hot afternoon where you want to keep your drink insulated, but youre more worried about convenience more than spills. But it did poorly in insulation tests. Does it have anti-skid traction on the bottom? You can buy a thermos or a giant insulated water bottle, of course, but those arent easy to sip from. We started lower than brewing temperature and filled each tumbler with 180-degree hot coffee (no creamer). The outside is sweat proof, making for a much better grip. It doesnt come with as much color variety as some of the other tumblers on this list, but it has a great design. Extra-hot drying cycles will make the metal expand and contract, so theres some risk to every mug, but the biggest problems are usually with color coatings and glued-on plastic pieces. Of the two brands that are trying sliders, YETI is fairly successful, while Pelicans lid is a hot mess. If it has a handle, it is not a tumbler. Please refer to our Privacy & Affiliate policy for details. However, we found the most technically functional lid designs don't matter a whole lot to the average person longing for hydration. Ozark Trail Tumbler is very simple in design, with a stainless steel exterior that comes in a variety of vibrant colors for those with different tastes. *At the time of publishing, the price was $34. Base diameter: Do you need to keep your tumbler in a car cup holder? This slim, powder-coated tumbler fits easily in hands and cup holders, and thats why we love it. Now, were going to preempt this before we go too far and just say that we already think the best tumbler brand out there is YETI. Weve returned to ORs Summer Market every year since, monitoring developments in the tumbler field (among others). Mizu Tumbler: Available only in stainless or black uncoated metal, this model performed at the lower end of our insulation tests. But it seems clear that one trip through the washer wont destroy the insulation if you find a week-old smoothie in the back of your truck. Pelican is a company that makes quality flight cases for sensitive equipment, and in many ways theyre like YETI: a small company who established a niche with a specific product, then started building a brand around it. Find more information in the About Us section. The reply: Although the dishwasher will not affect the insulation property of the flask, high temperatures along with some detergents may discolor the powder coat. Orca is another brand we love for the variety they offer when it comes to color. You may ask, Why do I need a tumbler? Well, what weve discovered in talking to our readers is that there isapparentlyinfinite curiosity about what to carry a beverage in. In addition, they all come in different capacities. But if youre just looking for the functionality of the classic SOLO party cup with the benefit of better insulation, the double-wall stainless steel vacuum-insulated tumbler checks all the right boxes. If it has a curved side, then it is not a tumbler. The lid is made of Tritan polymer, and the gasket is made of silicone. (The raw data had a difference of four degrees Fahrenheit in starting temperature. At hour five, the Reduce, Mizu, and EcoVessel contained liquid. The steel on the outside is 18/8 stainless steel, the lid is Tristan, and all of the materials are BPA-free. Its not only effective at its job but also beautifully designed like all other YETI products. The vacuum in between the walls keeps your drink protected from the ambient temperature in the surroundings. That may seem overly dramatic, but unlike other, straighter designs, our testers tended to set the Zoku aside. It is our policy to make every effort to respect the copyrights of outside parties. Youre going to get a decent variety of colors to choose from, but thats something weve come to expect from most brands. It works just as well, whether your drinks are hot or cold, and lets you enjoy anything from your coffee to your wine. If you want the easy-filling and easy-sipping convenience of a tumbler, YETI has the same performance drawbacks as the other brands. All the materials are BPA-free, and the steel on the outside is 18/8 stainless steel. The type of insulation is vacuum insulation, which will keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold. If youre willing to pay, YETI does give you a slide-open spout thats less annoying, though you run the risk of dribbles and drips. By hour four, the Corksicle was the first to have its contents fully liquified and the Coleman was on the verge. We spoke to the designers and manufacturers of each and asked a lot of questions: Does it fit in a cup holder? And it took second place in our heat retention test, bested by a single degree in temperature, so it will easily keep your coffee hot for the duration of your commute. Most brands have taken this into account, however small unattached parts may not be simple to disassemble and reassemble (and may have a tendency to disappear). Since so much of what made one tumbler preferable over another had to do with how it felt in-hand, we thought it was worth recommending for those (and there were several at our campfire dinner) who wouldnt be caught dead holding a less-than-100-percent-burly drinking vessel. The small amount of coffee it holds compared to the large lid surface means its only going to keep your coffee hot for about 45 minutes, but compared to six minutes for an open-top ceramic mug for some people this is exactly what theyre looking for. How many size options? YETI didn't invent this category, but they made the 30-ounce insulated party cup into a must-have accessory for cold refreshment. We pulled our fast-to-heat-up-on-the-inside black sedan into the parking lot in front of the 7-Eleven in downtown Salt Lake City. Which may explain why it has since been discontinued. Tumblers have straight sides and no handles. RTIC gives you all the insulation of the other brands and better leak prevention than anyone else. CamelBak has an interesting contender in the KickBak, and it fared well in Wirecutters insulation test, but customer reviews of the lid are scathing so we skipped it. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. How many color choices? If you're picky enough about durability or insulation that a budget model is a turn-off, you should probably check out a travel mug or thermos anyhow. However, this article is mostly about what other options there are in the market and what makes them a good choice, especially if the YETI Tumbler is not in your budget. The price of this tumbler is high, and it doesnt keep your drink any hotter or colder than others. Improving the insulation of a tumbler without making the lid area smaller is like adding better insulation to your house while the doorways and windows are sealed with plastic sheets. If you want your insulated tumbler to look like a Big Gulp, this is the way to go. Brushed stainless steel looks great even if it gets scratched, and theres nothing that will peel off after a few years. Ozark Trail is a relatively new brand on the market, specializing in just about everything coolers, from hard coolers to soft coolers to drinkware (we reviewed the Ozark Trail coolers before). The insulation is vacuum insulation so you know your liquids will retain their temperature for a decent amount of time. Its 2 ounces smaller than the Hydro Flask and doesnt have an insulated lid, which could account for it not holding heat as well (just speculationthere are too many things that could affect performance for us to make a call). The one category YETI manages to squeak ahead of some competition is in spill prevention. Your average glass is a tumbler. The 8 Best Portable (Countertop) Ice Makers. There are 3 main types of tumbler insulation out there: The double-wall on an insulated tumbler is very important. We use the word tumbler a lot without taking a moment to think about the meaning. Given the number of outright contradictions weve seen over our years researching vacuum-insulated products, were not surprised by either answer. An all-inclusive resort doesnt include everything, so Wirecutters travel staffers have picked out the things you really need to relax. Perhaps the most important consideration when it comes to recommending a bargain-priced tumbler is availability: Ozark Trail, Zak! Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement. Pelican Travel Tumbler: A top performer in insulation, plus we really liked the splash guard on this lid. Its just a very big vessel, too burly (like, way burlier than the Yeti) for most. All 15 sat in the front seat of a black car on the roof of a downtown parking garage, where the internal temperature topped out at 112 F. Basically identical to our top pick, except for a slightly wider taper (it feels more like a pint glass) and grippier color-coating. We took our four tumblers and our top-performing insulated water bottle and filled them all with 28 ounces of hot water. We also added the results from an old test of the Thermos Sipp 16-ounce travel mug to this chart for comparison. YETI didnt technically invent this category of drinkware (similar insulated travel mugs have been around for a very long time), but they created a new market with big 30-ounce tumblers targeted at outdoor enthusiasts who loved their coolers for camping and tailgating. This doesn't include the lid, however, which you'd have to hand wash. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. That said, you can also buy most of them at Amazon. It can be a little overwhelming to find the right tumbler in this case. Camelbak Kickbak Tumbler: The hot and cold retention was really good, but the two-sided flip lid on the Camelbak was polarizing. There are over 20,000 listings on Amazon for insulated tumbler. YETI is the undisputed brand king, with a tumbler thats now even more popular than their ultra-rugged (and expensive) coolers. If the Slurpee turned to pure liquid, its tumbler was out. Painted, coated or brushed finish: Color coordination is a nice benefit of painted or powder-coated tumblers, but theyll show signs of wear eventually. Learn more. We prefer those to the plain stainless-steel tumbler, because those get uncomfortably hot to the touch if left in the sun. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. The outer part of the inner wall is coated with copper, making it even better at retaining the temperature of the drinks you put on the inside. This is the best kind of insulation if you want to maintain the temperature of your drink for extra-long periods. That said, get ready for an exciting review! With the closest watering hole slightly out of range for a quick dip, we opted for a tried-and-true American classic insteadthe 7-Eleven Slurpee. The testing conditions were different (starting temperature was lower, and we didnt test for as long), but weve normalized the starting point on this graph so the sample intervals line up. Longer at what temperature? If you or the person youre buying for already have a Hydro Flask water bottle, buying a matching tumbler for use around the house is a nice touch. It is also BPA free, with 18/8 stainless steel body. If you get one, and want to clean it, read our detailed guide on how to clean the Yeti Rambler. Our favorite tumbler is Hydro Flasks 22-ounce. ORCA Chaser Cup is a pretty expensive tumbler, and there is a good reason why: It uses copper insulation. Can it meet an entire days worth of needs as a singular vessel: sunrise coffee, mid-morning smoothie, ice water with lunch, afternoon lemonade with the same ice, sunset beer, evening cocktail, nighty-night tea? No matter what your style is, you can choose from any of the many colors and enjoy expressing your style with your coffee mug. We filled each tumbler with water and turned them upside down to see if any of the stoppers actually prevent leaks. It is one single unit. Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. It has a wide lip so drinking isnt a problem and also stands at 7 5/8 inches high. Finally, we emailed the company to ask if it was dishwasher-safe. Every 30 minutes for 3 hours, we measured the internal temperature with a digital probe thermometer. As you can see, there are a lot of options on the market, and your choice ultimately depends on your tastes and preferences. The differences between the mugs seemed smaller and smaller as we got used to them. If you dont like the flip-up lid or if you dont like supporting imitation products, the YETI Rambler has an updated lid thats pretty good at keeping drinks inside without sticking a flap in your nose. The RTIC 30-Ounce Insulated Tumbler is the best bargain in this lineup, and its our top pick overall. The straw is a surprising necessity for iced drinks or smoothies to prevent sloshing. Basically, you have a copper coating on the outer part of the inner wall, which prevents the transfer of heat from the interior of the tumbler. The lids are simple and easy to clean, but they offer far less insulation than good travel mugs. It is a very general definition. If you dont want the flip-cap to stick up into your face when youre drinking, the older version of the RTIC with no stopper is going to be just as good at insulating your drink. As the tumbler is the ultimate car-going vessel, either for commutes or on road trips, we concluded that three hours of retention for hot and four for cold was plenty. It doesnt sound like much time, but that lets you brew your morning joe, dump it in your cup, sip it while you dress, get you into traffic and arrive at the office with your cup still piping hot. Look closely at what youre buying, though: Many tumblers are made with a few different lid styles if you look for them. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Our control Slurpee in the standard 7-Eleven plastic cup lasted about an hour, while the insulated counterparts were continuing to hold form at approximately 50 percent the original density into hour three. That means youre getting a leak-proof lid to keep your drink inside the tumbler and also to help with the insulation. Subscribe now for unlimited access. So you already know who the undisputed champion is in this match. All the materials are also BPA-free, and the stainless steel on the outside is 18/8 grade stainless steel. The EcoVessel 16-ounce tumbler issuperb in all ways from insulative performance to hold ergonomics and lid sealing, but we thought it was just too small. Every tumbler out there promises to keep your drink cold or hot for an insane number of hours. After leaving 16 insulated tumblers full of Slurpee in the front seat of a hot sedan, were convinced the Hydro Flask 22-ounce tumbler is the best for most people. bestcooler.reviews is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Learn more here. Whatever the ambient temperature, the temperature of your drink is likely to hold out for impressively long periods. What is it made out of? Zoku 3-in-1 Tumbler: Our testers were really affected by the roundedperhaps voluptuous?shape of this tumbler. When it comes to buying from renowned brands, such as YETI, RTIC or Hydroflask, we'd recommend buying from their own stores, as they tend to introduce new colors, versions, or accessories more rapidly than other brands, and their official stores are the first ones to feature those. It was a design that solved all sorts of issuessplashing, straw accessyet some testers said they hated flipping lids. YETI tumbler comes with the trademarked YETI MagSlider, which uses magnetism to protect your drinks from spilling. Size: The most popular tumblers hold around 30 ounces, and among the friends and coworkers who use them daily, that was unanimously the preferred size for sipping cold beverages or ice water. The same goes for price changes. The major difference between the conventional tumbler and a cup is the handle. Wirecutter, as always, provides some in-depth testing, and Saving Freak compares the costs and benefits of the various copycat brands. By comparison, most tumblers will spill some of your drink when you tip them sideways. If you really want the color options and tapered form factor theyre offering, they do have a straw lid option that might be better at stemming the flow of sticky drinks in case of an accident. It retains both heat and cold only for as long as you need to get from one place to another and lets you sip easily while on the move: its the ultimate commuter vessel. Youre going to be proud of walking around with this tumbler, and your friends are sure to envy you. Pelican Travel Tumbler: A top performer in insulation, plus we really liked the splash guard on this lid. We read and watched dozens of YETI tumbler reviews and comparisons to narrow the mile-long list down to four of the best insulated tumbler cups. The Arctic Tumbler uses standard vacuum insulation and will keep your hot drinks hot for up to 6 hours and your cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours. We then checked on the heat loss for the next six hours, and again at 12 hours. We feel like thats enough to bump it to runner-up status but still keep it a great option, as 140 F is still comfortable to drink according to the National Coffee Association). A wider profile makes the Yeti feel at home on the farm, construction site, or at camp. Otterbox Elevation 20: Although it holds only 20 ounces, it feels massive in the hand. The coffee in our cups was cold in 20 minutes. Hydro Flask gives you nothing to work with for spill prevention. We do extensive research and hands-on testing, so you can trust the products we recommend. The Ramblers slide cover actually stops most (but not all) leakage and only lets drops escape. The basic lid that comes with the tumbler is claimed to be designed for good insulation, but without even a stopper to keep heat from circulating in and out it doesnt make any difference. Second, the RTIC has a flip-up spout stopper that actually keeps your drink inside, even if you turn it upside down and shake it. Daniel is a Canadian farm boy who grew up to be a nerd with a literature degree and too many hobbies to count. We checked the progress of melt every hour without opening the lid to verify there was still some bit of slush in the tumbler. While a travel mug is still designed for easy-access sipping, many tumblers dont have any kind of stopper at all to slow down your sipping pleasure. Their sleek-looking tumblers are no exception here. Our control Slurpee in the standard 7-Eleven plastic cup lasted about an hour, while the insulated counterparts were continuing to hold form at approximately 50 percent the original density into hour three. The best choice in tops have an all-in-one integrated lid that closes completely and can accommodate a straw. One thing youll notice about these tumblers is that many of them look similar. Like insulated water bottles and travel mugs, an insulated tumbler will keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. Learn more here. Over the past year, weve offered guides to water bottles, hydration packs, wine glasses, coffee mugs, and more, and still we get questions about things like tumblers (hence this guide) and growlers (a jug for beer; weve got a guide to them, too). All in all, it is a beautifully designed and well-performing tumbler from a strong brand. Coleman Brew Insulated Steel Tumbler: We wanted to love this design, as it fit well in the hand and had a rare, no-skid bottom. It was in the exact same group of finalists in our cold tests as the Hydro Flask, though it didnt do as well at keeping heat; after 2 hours the coffee was 139 F, 13 degrees cooler than the Hydro Flask. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. What were more interested in in this chapter is the insulated tumbler, which is a very special kind of tumbler. It has a sweat-free exterior which keeps your grip strong and also ensures you dont get burnt or frozen based on whatever drink is inside your tumbler. We walked the floors of the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show, an annual event where hundreds of brands showcase their latest innovations, and picked up every tumbler on display, 18 in total. A tumbler, in general, is any glass or cup that has straight sides, coming with neither a stem nor a handle. We decided to test only the 30-ounce tumblers in this review, since theyre the most popular and represent a type of drink carrier thats really different from a 16-ounce travel mug. It works a lot like a house with a double-wall. Check out the Rambler tumbler at YETI.com >>, Related article: The 10 Best YETI Tumbler Alternatives. In most ways, these products serve an identical purpose for most people: They maintain temperature, and theyre convenient to sip from (no screw-top like an insulated water bottle). At Wirecutter we love tea and coffee, so its no surprise were passionate about the vessels we drink them out of. Even while suffering through 112-degree heat, we found the insulating value between most tumblers to all be effective (they can all keep your drink hot or cold for a few hours). Its a hefty price tag, though: The straw lid was a $13 accessory for a $40 tumbler when we checked. After more than 60 hours of research and testing, and many dropped glasses, we think the durable Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar is the best all-purpose drinking glass. We ultimately decided not to repeat an ice test because the insulation performance is so clearly demonstrated by a hot-water test. When it comes to features, these guys really go out of their way to give you value for your money. Hydro Flask is a brand renowned for making top quality products to rival the likes of YETI. (Infrared thermometers are also often used, and those only read the surface temperature of the water, not the temperature of the whole bath.) The only thing that truly mattered to most was hand feel. With that in mind, a lot of things we use every day are tumblers. Even the fact that the Hydro Flask tumbler has no seal to keep steam in made only a tiny difference in the test. In our travel mug tests, we went as far as putting the mugs into a spin dryer to see if they would leak in the most extreme circumstances. The choice between a travel mug and an insulated tumbler is a tricky one. Experts agree: Drinking water is good. If you know someone who actually wants a YETI, the price difference is worth it. The steel on the outside, as would be expected of a top-quality insulated tumbler, is 18/8 stainless steel. That pocket of air acts as insulation, preventing heat from escaping the inside of the house, and also preventing cold from seeping in. Whats Inside tried to do a controlled test, but wound up destroying one of their samples. The vacuum insulation also stops that slippery condensation from forming on the sides and leaving a puddle on your furniture. In many ways, the Pelican Traveler hits the optimal price to performance ratio in this lineup, but that doesnt make it the best buy. True to the Yeti image, the Yeti Rambler 20-ounce tumbler feels ultra-utilitarian, due to a wider body shape than our top picks. The 30-ounce size was bigger than our testers preferred for a morning cup of coffee, but for keeping hydrated (or keeping a rum and coke chilled) its just about perfect. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. But four times colder than what? We chatted up a dozen people (or more) over dinner around a campfire, and they all agreed the Hydro Flask is easier to hold and more pleasing than any of the other 16 models we looked atand this really mattered to tumbler devotees. We spent a month using the best insulated tumblers side by side with water bottles and travel mugs. The outer wall can be made of anything, from stainless steel to plastic to glass. Last update on 2022-08-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. Hydro Flask offers a lid with an integrated straw for its tumblers. A good place to start is to know about the different types of insulated tumblers on the market and how they work. Check out Hydro Flask tumbler at Hydroflask Store or read our YETI vs Hydro Flask comparison for more details. The slide-cover lid isnt as good at sealing against leaks as YETIs lid, though. Drinking something cold poolside on a scorching-hot day is a perfect example. 2022 Your Best Digs - All rights reserved. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). Don't put this in a bag with a laptop, but if you knock it over it's not going to dump your drink. So weve been talking about coolers, whether hard or soft, for a while now and we thought we should look into doing a matchup for some other kind of insulated product.