The 8 Best Travel Mugs of 2021

Best Overall, Small: Stanley Adventure Shortstack Travel Mug

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There are so many reasons we love this mug. Its petite, 8-ounce size makes it lightweight and easy to pack. It holds just a single cup of coffee, but that's plenty for most people and an advantage over some other massive canteens on the market. The innovative screw-top system ensures no leaks, combining both a drink-through lid and a second lid with a handle. The heavy-duty stainless steel body is durable, rust-proof, and BPA-free—not to mention it keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for hours. 

The company has a 100+ year history and supports many environmental programs including The Conservation Alliance, which unites companies for a day of environmental work, and Big City Mountaineers, which mentors underserved youth through wilderness expeditions.

Best Overall, Large: Klean Kanteen Insulated Mug with Leak Proof Café Cap 2.0

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Available in 16 and 20 ounces, this mug's double-wall construction keeps drinks hot for 14 hours and cold up to 40 hours, making it ideal for larger portions of everything from hot coffee to iced tea. The slim profile fits nicely in most car cup holders, and the cap is designed to be leakproof.

Klean Kanteen is a member of 1% for the Planet. Its headquarters is 100 percent solar-powered and 100 percent carbon-neutral, as certified by Climate Neutral, a nonprofit organization that evaluates companies on the basis of their output in the manufacture and delivery of products.

Best Leak-Proof: OXO Good Grips Thermal Travel Mug

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This attractive 12-ounce mug has a square shape that makes it easier to hold and open, and a rubber slip-proof ring near the top offers a solid grip. Made of double-wall steel, and it’s almost indestructible, even if dropped, and it holds heat well for eight hours. They also comment that you’ll need to screw on the lid tightly to ensure it stays leak-proof if you toss it in your bag.

The lid and sipping spout come apart for cleaning, but you’ll need to hand-wash all the parts; you may want to buy a bottle brush to reach down inside. OXO contributes 1 percent of its sales to environmental nonprofits such as sustainable food systems, cleaner air and water, and environmental education.

Best Ceramic: Ello Jane 18oz Ceramic Travel Mug with Slide Lid

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If you feel like plastic or metal transfers an unpleasant flavor to your coffee, this ceramic mug is the answer. The mug comes with either a wood or silicone base, which serves as a coaster, and the lid is dishwasher safe. (Generally, we are cautious about silicone use, but in this case, it's less concerning since the material is not in constant contact with the beverage.)

The friction-fit slider lid sits in place and doesn’t require threading like many other mugs. Plus, the ceramic material is stylish and offers the same feel and heat of cradling a mug at home. The company has partnered with H2OpenDoors, which installs solar-powered water filtration systems in communities with the least access to a safe water source.

Best Glass: Joco 8oz Reusable Joco Cup

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This stylish travel mug is made from sturdy borosilicate glass, like those clear baking dishes your grandma used to use. It’s artisan-blown, not made by machines, so it’s rather like drinking from your own piece of art. It’s splash-proof, not spill-proof, but they prefer glass over other materials because it doesn’t transfer flavors.

Available in 4-, 6-, 8-, 12-, and 16-ounce tumblers, the smaller cup is a great option if you’re a sipper, not a gulper, and like to warm up your coffee throughout the morning. All options come with a silicone lid and a silicone sleeve, which provides a nice grip. The company supports Take 3 for the Sea and a pilot program, Seabins, to clean up the world’s oceans.

Best-Extra Large: Yeti Rambler 24 oz. Mug with Standard Lid

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Do you drink ... a lot of coffee? This gigantic, 24-ounce double-wall mug will let you take along several cups of coffee for all-day sipping. Big plus: Both the stainless-steel mug and its lid are dishwasher safe. It comes with a standard lid, but you can purchase a magnetic slider lid to keep out debris. While it won’t fit in a standard car cup holder (the handle is too long) and it’s not leak-proof, we like its heft and durability.

YETI supports many organizations that celebrate the outdoors, including American Rivers, Ducks Unlimited, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

Best With Handle: MiiR 12oz Camp Cup

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This is the perfect sturdy steel cup for your work station or to use when sitting around the campfire. It’s reminiscent of the old-school speckled enamel camp cups (there’s even a model that looks like those vintage cups!), and it comes in every color of the rainbow. It holds 12 ounces in double-wall construction, which keeps drinks hot for six hours or cold for 12 hours.

Its exterior hard-shell powder coating makes it easy to grip. Since Miir was founded in 2010, the company has donated more than $1 million to projects that support clean water and a healthy environment. Each purchase comes with a trackable code so you can see how your dollars are being used to better communities around the world.