Students are busy people. We’re always running from Point A to Point B with little time to stop. We go from class to class, class to work, and everywhere in between. It’s hard sometimes to catch a break to stop and eat or drink. As a result, many students end up buying coffee, tea, and other beverages on the go. Not only does this put a dent in one’s wallet, it also sucks for the environment. The used coffee cups, lids, straws, and stir sticks all end up in landfills contributing to an overabundance of garbage. One way that students can keep their cash, and help the environment is to invest in a good travel mug. This way you can make your first coffee or tea of the day at home (and save a little $$$), and then when you’re on your second…. or third…. or fourth cup of the day and you’re buying on campus, you can have it put in your travel mug that way you aren’t contributing to as many cups going into landfills.
Not all travel mugs are made equally though. Trust me, I’ve tested many (and have had many leak or fall apart) and found they just do not stand up to the test of student life. As a result, for me there’s a few must have qualities that go into a good travel mug.
1. Does it keep my beverage hot?
I make my coffee at home in the morning and then walk to school, which means that most of the time I don’t get to start drinking it until close to 30-45 minutes after it was first brewed. I need a travel mug that will keep my drink piping hot.
2. Is it easy to clean?
Most students do not have access to a dishwasher. So, when it comes to cleaning dishes it’s all done by hand. I like to make sure with my travel mugs that I’m able to scrub them well, and allow all the components to air out. That way the next time I put a drink in, there isn’t a funky smell. No one wants to get sick from mold, that’s just gross.
3. Is it leak proof?
I take my travel mugs everywhere, sometimes in my hand, sometimes in the water bottle compartment of my backpack, and sometimes in the interior pocket of my backpack. It’s all dependent on where I have room or what else I have going on. Which means I need a mug that I can trust. If I throw my mug in my backpack and it leaks all over my notes, or my computer, I’m done. Every student knows the fear of losing their notes, it’s not a fun time.
With these criteria in mind, I’ve been able to find some pretty good travel mugs.
1. Metallic Carry Travel Mug from David’s Tea
David’s tea knows how to make a good mug. Hands down their mugs are the best I have found to date. They fit all of my criteria and come in a variety of fun colours and patterns. This one in particular in nice because it features a handle on top for easy carrying. The other aspect that’s nice about David’s Tea products is that because they’re designed for tea (I still use mine for coffee though – don’t tell David) the majority of their products come with baskets built in for steeping tea on the go. These mugs are on the pricier side, but I believe it is a worthwhile investment.
2. Lock Top Travel Mug from David’s Tea
Alright, so David’s Tea gets a second mug on the list just because this one is mind blowing. The Lock Top Travel Mug not only has all of the features of the other David’s Tea Mug but also it keeps your drink hot forever*. With this mug, I have made coffee the night before and it’s still hot the next morning. This feature is especially great if you have early mornings where you don’t have a lot of time to get ready. As well, this one is my most trusted, if I’m putting any travel mug in with my notes it’s definitely this one.
*Not actually forever, this is an over exaggeration.
3. Aerie Thermal Mug
So, this next one is probably a little confusing. Like why would you buy a travel mug from a bra and underwear store. Honestly 90% of the reason I originally picked mine up was because it had a really cute saying on it. (We all have our flaws!!) For what it is this mug has been pretty great. I’ve now had mine for about 5 years and it’s still one that I use regularly. It keeps my drinks hot and it’s super easy to clean. Plus, they come with cute sayings, so they’re great for Insta photos. The one caveat with this one is that it isn’t completely leak proof. This is not a mug I would put inside my backpack or in one of the side compartments. This mug is for hand carrying only. All in all, though still a pretty great mug.
These are just some of my suggestions for travel mugs based on which ones have become my favourites over the years. Other places you can buy mugs are Tim Hortons, and Starbucks, just look around the checkout line. As well, Chapters has a wide variety of mugs. Mugs can also be found at Walmart and Winners/Homesense/Marshalls. One place that you wouldn’t typically think of for travel mugs but actually produces ones that are built to last is Canadian Tire, you can find them in their camping section. Hope these recommendations help you to find the best mug for you!
Happy Sipping!