8 Travel Mugs That Won’t Leach Microplastics Into Your Coffee

Those harmless paper cups we take to go from the coffee shop? Not so innocent, perhaps. A recent article in the Journal of Hazardous Materials: Plastics reveals that disposable coffee cups may be leaching thousands of microplastics into our daily brew. 

The study examined cups made from or lined with polyethylene; even cups made mostly of paper require a moisture-proof (often plastic) lining to avoid being reduced to pulp when filled with coffee. It methodically exposed each cup variety to hot and cold liquid to determine when microplastics were being shed. According to the study, if a person consumed a 10-ounce cup of coffee every day from a plastic to-go cup, they could ingest 363,000 microplastics per year — to put that number in context, that’s roughly the size of a 3-pound bag of sesame seeds. Luckily, many top-rated travel mugs are lined with stainless steel or ceramic, which won’t leach microplastics into your coffee. Take one of the following eight top-rated mugs to your favorite coffee shop for plastic-free sipping (and you might get rewarded for it with a little discount at the cafe, too).

Shop Plastic-Free Travel Coffee Mugs at Amazon

We crowned this Yeti tumbler the winner of our travel mug testing because of its genuinely phenomenal insulation: It kept warm drinks piping hot and cold drinks frosty for 10 straight hours. The Rambler’s body is crafted from double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel, which not only holds heat, but also cleans up easily in the dishwasher.

Stanley’s slim 20-ounce travel mug will fit into even the smallest car cupholders or tote bag sleeves. But even more impressive than its slender shape is its ultralight weight, which we credit for its enhanced portability. This mug is crafted from Stanley’s special AeroLight spun steel, which clocks in 33% lighter than the brand’s signature mugs and tumblers.

Owala pairs an insulated steel tumbler with a sliding lid that’s completely leakproof. One shopper said that the Owala could be “upside down” in their bag and wouldn’t spill, while another praised the lid for keeping curious kids safe from hot coffee.

Fellow’s 16-ounce travel mug is an editor favorite for a reason: During testing, we were impressed with its splash guard, a steel insert that snaps into place and keeps scalding coffee from flooding our mouths while sipping. And it comes in 14 sophisticated colors, making it one of the prettiest travel mugs we’ve tried. Fellow also makes our favorite coffee canister, which has a vacuum seal to protect your coffee beans from light, heat, and moisture.

Taking espresso on the go can feel pointless in a cavernous mug, where it’ll slosh around and cool down too fast. Enter Yeti’s 4-ounce version. These petite cups are sized just right for a double shot or cortado.

Hydro Flask’s travel mug keeps your beverages hot or cold all day with its insulated steel interior. Its gently tapered shape is comfortable to hold, even for the smallest of hands, and we love that the steel inside doesn’t retain even a hint of flavor from yesterday’s coffee.

One of the perks of Simple Modern’s travel mug? Its clever 360° lid. It’s exactly as it sounds — simply press the center button down to open the lid, and sip from anywhere you like. We love that you can commute, hike, walk, and more while sipping on autopilot.

Not only does this set include one of Stanley’s convenient, insulated camp mugs, it also comes with a portable pour-over coffee maker. As long as you have hot water and coffee, freshly dripped pour-over while camping, at the office, or on a picnic is easy. And we love the stainless steel built-in filter for plastic-free brewing.