Travel Mugs

Thermal Mug for Hot and Cold Drinks on the Go

A thermal mug can be hard to do without if you want to have a cup of hot coffee or tea on your way to work or out in nature, but a thermal mug can also be used to keep cold drinks cold.

If you, like many others, tend to buy a cup of hot coffee for the car when you commute to work, you can benefit from bringing your own thermal mug for the coffee, as it often keeps the coffee warm longer than a paper cup from the gas station.

Another advantage of using your own thermal mug is that it is significantly cheaper to make coffee at home than to buy coffee from a gas station or a café.

There is a very large selection of thermal mugs in different sizes, designs, and materials, but they also come in many different qualities.

With so many options, it can be challenging to find a thermal mug that actually can keep warmth or cold for longer periods while also being completely tight, so you do not risk the liquid leaking out of places where it should not.

You can, however, make some considerations before you begin the hunt, making this a bit easier to find the right thermal mug for your needs.

Below, we have gathered some things you can look for when searching for a thermal mug, so you can improve your chances of finding a thermal mug that meets your requirements and wishes.

4 Things to Consider Before Buying a Thermal Mug

Some thermal mugs are intended for specific purposes and can therefore keep a liquid cold or hot for shorter or longer periods, and thermal mugs come in a multitude of models and designs, which can be a bit overwhelming.

If you want to quickly filter down to the thermal mugs that are relevant for your needs, read on below, where you will get our suggestions for considerations you can make before buying a thermal mug.

#1 - Size of the Thermal Mug

The first thing you should consider when finding a thermal mug is how large the mug can be and how much it should hold.

The outer diameter can affect whether you can place the thermal mug in the cup holder of your car, so if you want the mug to fit in such a holder, you should be mindful of how large this diameter can be.

You might want to measure your cup holder in the car, so you know exactly what size mug can fit there.

You should also consider how much the thermal mug needs to hold; you can indeed find thermal mugs with different capacities, and if the capacity is not utilized, you risk that your coffee has to release too much heat to warm the remaining space in the thermal mug.

The thermal mug insulates so that warmth or cold from the surroundings cannot cool down or heat your cold or hot drink, but if there is too much wasted space in the mug, the liquid will have to release either warmth or cold so that the air in the mug reaches the same temperature as the liquid before the thermal effect becomes optimal.

Therefore, it can be worth considering whether you need a thermal mug with a smaller capacity or whether you need a bit more.

Thermal mugs can be found with capacities from about 0.2 liters up to about 1 liter, so there should be a good opportunity to find a thermal mug that matches your needs.

#2 - Model of Thermal Mug

Thermal mugs are available in many models, and some are more robust than others, making them particularly suitable for outdoor activities, where the thermal mug can withstand the impacts and shocks that may occur, while others are made for taking on the go, where the same external effects do not come into play.

When trying to find out which model of thermal mug suits you best, it is therefore a good idea to consider in what situations you will use the thermal mug.

If you just need the thermal mug in the car on your way to work or at the office, the model does not need to be extremely robust, but it can be a good idea to ensure that the lid fits well.

Some models have a lid that fits securely, but is not completely waterproof, and these are not suitable for carrying in a bag or a backpack.

If you need to take the thermal mug in a bag, for example when you are taking the train, the bus, or on a hiking trip, it can therefore be a good idea to ensure that the thermal mug can hold completely tight so that other things in the bag do not get wet.

If design is important to you, there are also models of thermal mugs made in beautiful designs, and you should, however, be mindful of whether the mug can hold tight.

If you primarily need the thermal mug for outdoor activities, it can be worth looking at models that are specifically designed for this purpose, as these often excel in keeping the liquid warm or cold for longer periods and are also more robust in construction.

#3 - Material of the Thermal Mug

Most thermal mugs are made of stainless steel, as this material is very suitable for creating the vacuum between two layers of steel, which generates the insulating effect in a thermal mug.

The stainless steel also has the advantage of being easy to clean and does not easily absorb flavors from the liquid.

The lid of a thermal mug is often made of hard plastic with some form of rubber seal that can ensure that the liquid does not leak out.

Some models of thermal mugs use rubber details on the outside, and in addition to being a design detail, this can also ensure a good grip around the mug.

However, there is often a significant difference in how thick the stainless steel is in the thermal mug and how much it can withstand, but the thicker the steel, the more the thermal mug often weighs.

For this reason, it is often the more robust outdoor mugs that utilize thicker steel, while the more refined thermal mugs tend to be made with a thinner layer of stainless steel.

#4 - Special Features for Thermal Mugs

When you are looking for a new thermal mug, you can consider whether you want the thermal mug to have any special features.

If you want, for example, there to be a handle you can hold or a particular type of lid, you should look for these features.

It may also be that you have specific requirements for how long the thermal mug should keep your coffee warm, as this can vary significantly from model to model, and you will often find an indication of how long a specific thermal mug is expected to keep your liquid warm.

There are different types of lids for thermal mugs, and therefore this can also be a feature that you look more closely at.

Some lids screw onto the thermal mug, just as you may know from a thermal carafe, and have a pressure mechanism to open and close for drinking.

Other lids simply press down over the thermal mug, as you know from paper cups, and others again screw down over the thermal mug and have a closure that needs to be flipped up to drink from the thermal mug.

Regardless of what you prefer in terms of special features, it can be reasonable to use some of these wishes as guides for which thermal mug you choose.