The Best Coffee Travel Mugs [In 2023]

You need coffee travel mugs to get your day going. If you’re travelling a lot, or you want to take coffee with you without spending money at the coffee shop, you want a travel mug.

You don’t just want a unit that can carry the liquid, though. You also want a mug that can keep hot drinks hot, or cold drinks cold, for an extended period of time.

On top of that, a good mug can be well insulated, easy to clean, and spill-resistant. That puts it way ahead of traditional paper coffee cups.

What you’re looking for is a blend of quality and value. Here, we’ve rounded up the best coffee travel mugs on the market today.

From small form mugs with handles to larger mugs that hold more liquid, there are many solid options to choose from.

Hydro Flask Travel Mug

Overview

If you’re looking for a smaller travel mug, the Hydro Flask gives you the feel of a regular mug with its handle. The insulated lid is not leakproof, but the mug will be able to keep your coffee hot for a while.

The mug is constructed with food grade stainless steel, keeping your coffee tasting fresh every time, without leaking in flavour from past drinks.

The rubberized finish also makes the mug more comfortable to hold, and the design is sturdy.

Overall, the Hydro Flask is a solid choice if you don’t need your mug to adapt to an active lifestyle. What you’re looking at is the type of mug you can carry around the house with more spill protection than a regular mug.

The Hydro Flask suits this purpose perfectly because of its small capacity. It’s less for on-the-go traveling purposes, and more for carrying inside and outside.

Bodum, Coffee Maker Travel Press

Overview

What if your travel mug was also its own mini French press? Following our brewing guide for Cafetiere/French Press systems, you can prepare a 444ml single serving of coffee, plunge it down, and take it with you. The grounds stay at the bottom so you can sip on your coffee like with any other mug.

The plunger lid is spill resistant and the double-wall plastic build keeps your coffee hot for hours. You can also use the French press system to make loose leaf tea.

By the way, this isn’t the only option available when it comes to portable coffee makers. Have a look at our top 10 picks for the best travel coffee maker devices to weigh all the options, if this is something that interests you.

The disadvantage of a mug with a French press capability is that adding cream and sugar is a chore. Once you’ve pressed the grounds down, there’s no way to remove the lid to add extra ingredients without lifting the plunger back up. Your most convenient option is to drink your coffee black in this case.

Ello Jones Stainless Steel Travel Coffee Mug

Overview

If you’re an active type, you want a mug with a leak proof lid. That’s where the Ello Jones mug comes in.

This slender stainless steel design fits nicely in cupholders and keeps coffee hot for up to 5 hours. Cold drinks stay cold for 10 hours.

Overall, you’ll be impressed with the sturdy build quality and the sliding lid. The mug itself is truly a sight to behold. It’s simple, yet elegant and not overstated.

The build material does tend to give drinks a funny taste. It’s advisable to deep clean your mug with vinegar and multiple washes with soap and water to alleviate this.

The Ella Jones mug is also hand wash only, which means you won’t be able to throw this in the dishwasher with your other dishes.

Tru Blu Stainless Steel Coffee Mug with Lid

Overview

If you don’t mind the cup not being cupholder friendly, the Tru Blu Stainless Steel Coffee Mug is a solid alternative to its more expensive Yeti counterpart.

Don’t let the lower price scare you off. The Tru Blu is capable of keeping your hot beverage at the perfect temperature for hours with its vacuum insulation. The easy grip matte powder finish also makes this comfortable to hold.

Since you get two for the price of one, you can give one mug as a gift while keeping one for yourself. Invite a friend or family member to join in the fun!

On the downside, this mug is too big for some cupholders, so it’s for carrying around with you in the house or workplace, and not necessarily for taking on a drive.

AZFUNN Insulated Coffee Cup with Leak Proof Lid

Overview

Here’s a travel mug that feels like one of those sleeved paper cups you’d get at a coffee shop, only more deluxe. A powder matte finish, combined with a rubber sleeve, gives you a good grip, reducing the risk of spilling.

With a generous 350 ml capacity, you can take a generous helping of coffee with you anywhere. Since it takes on the appearance of a traditional paper coffee cup, you can get that coffee shop feeling every time you use this mug.

Unlike paper coffee cups, the AZFUNN  has the same quality of insulation as other travel mugs, meaning the cup won’t feel scalding hot on the outside.

Hot drinks only tend to stay hot for about 2 hours, which isn’t that big of a deal if you finish your drinks in less time than that. However, it may be a problem for those who leave their coffee for long periods of time. This may not be the best choice if you want your coffee to still be hot after 6-8 hours.

Bodum 11068-01 Vacuum Travel Mug

Overview

This stainless steel design with a rubber band wrapping around the mug gives you a good grip every time.

The double wall insulation keeps your drink at a consistently hot temperature while being cool to the touch outside. Best of all, the 11068-01 comes in a rainbow of colors.

Unfortunately, the lid is hard to clip on and off. This mug is also more susceptible to leaks than other mugs on the list. In all fairness, the manual does mention that the mug is not leakproof and should be kept upright.

That said, it does hold up surprisingly well when held upside down. It’s mainly rigorous activity, and difficulty of getting the lid on all the way, that increases the risk of leaks.

Milu Thermo Mug Insulated Cup Coffee & Tea Mug

Overview

If you want an easy-to-clean mug, you’ll appreciate that the lid in this unit can be taken apart and cleaned from the inside out. It even comes with a cleaning brush!

For those who like to carry extra coffee or tea, you’ll also appreciate that the Milu Thermo Mug comes in both a 370 ml and 450 ml version. Either way, the design with a rubber grip is perfect for travel. The pear-shaped design on the mug also works great for gripping.

On the downside, even though the lid can be taken apart, it can still seem daunting to clean because of all the parts inside. It is also susceptible to minor leaking.

One thing we really like is the Milu Thermo Mug comes with replacement seals. This asset can really help extend the life of any travel mug.

Umite Chef Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Travel Tumbler Mug

Overview

This mug holds a sizable amount of liquid, making it perfect for all-day drinkers. Impressively, the Umite Chef mug can also keep cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours.

So go ahead, try our Iced Mocha Recipe and take it with you in the car. The mug has more than enough room to fit an entire batch. It even comes with a metal straw, so you can sip like you’re at a coffee shop anywhere you go.

Hot coffee drinkers won’t be disappointed either, as hot drinks will stay hot for up to 7 hours, while the outside of the mug remains cool to the touch.

Like the Milu, the Umite Chef also comes with a brush. This can be used for cleaning out the reusable straw, or getting to the hard-to-reach bottom area of the mug.

Contigo Thermal Bottle Thermalock Travel Mug

Overview

This thermos may look a bit like a camera lens, but it can hold an impressive 1.2 liters of liquid and keep it hot or cold for more than 30 hours.

The main advantage to the Contigo is that it carries an entire day’s worth of coffee. The lid doubles as a drinking cup if you’re on the go. Or you can bring some coffee to that office picnic and it will stay piping hot!

With 360 degree pouring and a 100% leakproof design, the Contigo Thermalock Travel Mug is perfect for backpacking. You can take an entire pot of coffee and have enough for yourself and anyone that tags along on your hiking adventure.

Keep in mind that, as noted, this is not really a single serve coffee cup (unless your daily serving of coffee really is that big). It’s essentially a thermos, but it’s one of the best thermos units we’ve come across thus far.

Coffee Travel Mug Buying Guide

How to Choose the Right Capacity

You want a mug that can carry the right amount of liquid or fit everything you need. When you shop, it’s critical to pay attention to capacity.

If you’re into larger servings, you want something big like the Umite Chef Tumbler (at 900 ml). If this is overkill, there are mugs of many different sizes, like the small form Hydro Flask (350 ml), or the middle-of-the-road Simple Modern (680 ml).

One factor to help you decide which size you need is how much caffeine per day you should have. Check out our guide on how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee and use that insight as you shop around.

Check for Thorough Insulation

Virtually any travel coffee mug you come across will have some form of insulation. This is critical because those who are on the go will be carrying drinks with them for extended periods of time. You want your coffee or tea to still be hot after leaving it for a few hours.

Most mugs are capable of this, although the quality of insulation varies a bit.

Decide Upon the Type of Lid

Lids are also different on coffee travel mugs. Some twist on to help seal in the liquid, while others snap on and off for easy removal. Be prepared for a slightly daunting cleaning experience with some lid designs.

What About Straws?

A few travel mugs come with a reusable straw. This is handy for stirring, or if the lid has a small hole which is hard to drink from. If your mug doesn’t come with a straw, you could always get one. In fact, we’ve rounded up the 10 best reusable straws of the year 2021 if you need help picking one!

As you carry your new travel mug around, your friends and loved ones will be bound to notice.

Don’t leave them out, why not buy them their own travel mugs as well?

Alternatively, if you’re still looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a coffee-loving family member, we’ve gathered coffee-related gifts in case you need some inspiration.