Just like last holiday season, everybody wants a Stanley mug this year. That's fine, except for a few issues: Those bad boys are pretty expensive for insulated travel tumblers; a lot of the people who want one already have one (or five); and 2.6 million Stanley mugs were recently recalled due to a potential burn hazard. Whether gifting a cup to someone else or broadening your own trendy collection, maybe it's time to start looking elsewhere.
Owala FreeSip
First up is my favorite tumbler of all time: the Owala FreeSip. I have a green and pink one, but regularly see dazzling color combinations in my travels. These trendy buggers are everywhere and I can't just attribute that belief to some weird Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, since they were everywhere before I even got my hands on one a few months ago. In addition to coming in all kinds of cool color combos, it's just a superior travel cup. It has a push-to-open lid that makes it very difficult to accidentally open or spill. Once open, you have the option of sipping through a spout or using an attached straw. The plastic loop around the lid also doubles as a carrying hook, which is how I've come to notice so many in the wild: People just clip them right on their bags. That makes them more convenient than the Stanley Quencher by a mile.
Owala also produces a more direct Stanley Quencher competitor in the form of an insulated tumbler that retails for $30.39 and has a 40-ounce capacity.
Contigo West Loop
I also like the Contigo West Loop. Contigo made the water bottle I had way back in college (because I could buy one with my Barnes & Noble employee discount). Contigo has withstood the test of time, creating mugs and bottles that feel nice in the hand, keep drinks at your preferred temperature, are easy to drink from, and aren't outrageously expensive.
HydroFlask Travel Tumbler
Next up is the tumbler from HydroFlask, which is also very popular. Personally, I only recently learned that HydroFlask is a brand name itself; my friends and I accidentally committed a bit of a genericide years ago, incorrectly calling any to-go tumbler a "hydroflask." As it turns out, that's a good sign, since—like when people use "Kleenex" to mean "tissue"—it implies brand trustworthiness and dominance. Reviews for real-deal HydroFlasks frequently hover around the 4.7-star mark and are based on thousands of ratings, so the general population agrees that this one keeps drinks the temperature you like them and is easy to tote around.
Brümate Era
The Brümate Era tumbler seals completely shut. It's not necessarily cheaper than a Stanley, but you're saving money and time by not destroying the inside of your bag in a freak spill accident. The Brumate Era even seals its straw completely. Yes, you can get little straw covers for the Stanley, but they're more decorative than effective. That's not true here. This is one tumbler that is truly spill-proof
Yeti Rambler
A Yeti 10-ounce Rambler is just $20. It's Yeti, so you know the insulation is top-tier; plus the lid is vacuum-sealed and the opening to the spout uses a magnet, so you can feel confident it won't spill all over you. Thanks to its size, you also know it'll fit in a cup holder, which is kind of a big deal and something at which Stanley Quenchers historically fail.
