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A good vacuum bottle (something most people call a thermos) will hold enough coffee to last the entire day at a job site, and it will keep your drinks hot to the final cup. Spill Proof Tumbler
Compared with smaller travel mugs, food thermoses, or tumblers, a thermos holds more, so you can sip throughout the day or share with others.
After comparing 32 thermoses and testing 17, we found that the Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle 2.5 QT was the easiest to hold and pour from, and it kept drinks hot for hours.
Thanks to its handle, this thermos was the easiest to hold and pour from. It has a leak-proof cap that holds a cup of coffee or tea, and it’s dishwasher-safe (if you can fit it in the machine).
This smaller, less expensive thermos keeps drinks almost as hot as our top pick, but it isn't dishwasher-safe.
This thermos, which holds 35 ounces, is small and light enough to fit in a compact commuter bag. It’s not dishwasher-safe, however.
Thanks to its handle, this thermos was the easiest to hold and pour from. It has a leak-proof cap that holds a cup of coffee or tea, and it’s dishwasher-safe (if you can fit it in the machine).
Among the thermoses we tested, the Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle 2.5 QT stood out for its durability, reliable heat retention, and ease of use (especially considering its size). We found this vessel to be the simplest to hold and pour from, thanks to the wide, sturdy handle, which swivels out from the bottle and also folds down (so the thermos takes up less space in a bag).
The Classic Legendary thermos kept drinks hot for more than eight hours, and it survived our drop tests. Despite its large size, this thermos still fits in most backpacks, and it won’t leak while it’s in there. You can also get the bottle in a 2-quart size, if you want something a little smaller, and it comes in two colors.
This smaller, less expensive thermos keeps drinks almost as hot as our top pick, but it isn't dishwasher-safe.
Stanley’s Adventure To-Go Bottle 1.1 QT insulates almost as well as the Classic Legendary Bottle, but it holds about half as much. However, it’s also about half the price. The Classic Legendary and the Zojirushi SJ-JS10 both kept drinks a little hotter, but our testers found that the Adventure To-Go vessel kept drinks warm enough over a full day.
The Adventure To-Go thermos lacks a handle, but because of its smaller size, it really doesn’t need one. It’s not dishwasher-safe, though. This thermos is available in five colors, as well as in a smaller, 25-ounce size and a larger, 1.4-quart model.
This thermos, which holds 35 ounces, is small and light enough to fit in a compact commuter bag. It’s not dishwasher-safe, however.
For a slimmer thermos without a handle, we like the 35-ounce Zojirushi Stainless Bottle SJ-JS10. It’s less than half the size of the Stanley Classic thermos, yet it still holds about four cups of coffee while also fitting into a backpack or tote. The Zojirushi bottle kept drinks hot even after eight hours, and it is fully leakproof.
If you want something that holds more than our favorite Zojirushi travel mug but is still small enough to throw into a messenger bag, we think this model is the best option. We also like that it’s available in two colors.
When it comes to portable beverage containers, we’re spoiled for choice. We’ve tested food thermoses, travel mugs, water bottles, and tumblers, and it can be difficult to determine which bottle is best for which task.
Thermoses have a higher capacity than other types of insulated containers. And they often come with a handle or a strap (so they’re easier to carry and pour from) and have removable caps that double as cups (which are easier to drink from than the mouth of a large bottle).
A thermos may be right for you if you’re sharing hot drinks with other people, you don’t have access to a fridge or microwave to store or reheat foods, or you just want to cut back on trips to the office coffee maker. If you’re looking for something that holds just one or two servings, though, the thermoses in this guide will be overkill.
The food thermoses we’ve reviewed are smaller and lack a built-in cup. Travel mugs and water bottles are designed so you can toss them in a bag and drink on the go. Tumblers are geared toward car commuters and have lids that don’t seal but often have a spot for a straw.
The original writer of this guide, Jordan McMahon, reviewed products including fanny packs and productivity apps for Wirecutter.
Trey French updated this guide in 2023. He gained an appreciation of high-performing insulated drinkware while spring camping in Colorado, when the temperatures dropped below freezing. Before coming to Wirecutter, Trey reviewed running shirts, jackets, socks, sunglasses, hats, tights, shorts, and other gear for Treeline Review.
We decided which thermoses to test by looking at the most popular options on Amazon and on REI’s website, as well as at models from well-known companies, including Thermos, Stanley, and Zojirushi. We’ve focused specifically on vacuum bottles that have the following features:
After calling in the models that fit those criteria, we tested each thermos, focusing on the following:
Thanks to its handle, this thermos was the easiest to hold and pour from. It has a leak-proof cap that holds a cup of coffee or tea, and it’s dishwasher-safe (if you can fit it in the machine).
All of the thermoses we tested kept drinks hot over the course of a long day, but the Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle 2.5 QT stood out in almost every way. (It comes in two colors: green and black.)
It’s the most comfortable to hold and pour from. We liked the Classic Legendary Bottle’s handle the best, compared with the handles on all of the thermoses we tested. It’s wide and sturdy enough that you can grab it without the bottle wobbling. Unlike the body of the Zojirushi thermos we tested, this bottle’s body isn’t totally smooth: The bumpy texture provides some grip, so you can hold the thermos more firmly, even if you aren’t gripping the handle.
It’s big yet still packable enough. The Classic Legendary Bottle is large—just over 15 inches tall and 5 inches wide. But because its handle swivels to the side, the thermos easily fits in an average-size commuter backpack (though you might not have a lot of space for your lunch or a coat). When this bottle was full, it weighed 8 pounds—but we don’t think it would be too heavy for most people to lug around. If you want something smaller, though, this bottle comes in a 2-quart (64-ounce) version and a 1½-quart (48-ounce) version (which has a less comfortable, harder-to-grip handle).
It has a simple, large cup and a secure stopper. The Classic Legendary Bottle has an outer cap that doubles as a cup, and it has a screw-top stopper that seals the thermos shut. In our leak tests, the two parts stayed securely closed, but they easily twisted off when it was time to pour ourselves a drink. The cap holds nearly one cup (about 8 ounces) when filled to the brim, so you don’t have to refill too frequently.
It’s great at insulating. In our heat tests, the Classic Legendary Bottle kept hot water hotter for longer than any other thermos we tested. When the bottle was placed in a 72-degree Fahrenheit room, out of direct sunlight, the hot water it contained dropped from 202 degrees to 180 degrees Fahrenheit over eight hours. That’s still sufficiently hot for coffee, tea, or any other warm beverage, whether you’re spending the day tucked in an office cubicle or out on a construction site.
It’s tough and leakproof. In our drop tests, the Classic Legendary Bottle barely dented, suffering no punctures, chips, or other serious damage to the body or cap. Most of the thermoses we tested held up similarly well, but because of this bottle’s rugged aesthetic, it still looked good with minor denting. And even after being dropped, this thermos didn’t leak any water.
It’s easy to clean. Unlike our other picks, the Classic Legendary Bottle is dishwasher-safe, though it may be tough to fit in smaller units. Because the bottle is tall, it can be hard to reach the bottom to scrub it, so we recommend using a bottle brush.
Its warranty is more generous than most. The Classic Legendary Bottle comes with a lifetime warranty covering manufacturing defects; this warranty goes far beyond the five-year warranty on thermoses from Zojirushi, maker of our also-great pick.
This smaller, less expensive thermos keeps drinks almost as hot as our top pick, but it isn't dishwasher-safe.
If you like the look and feel of the Classic Legendary Bottle, but you want something smaller (or less expensive), we recommend the Stanley Adventure To-Go Bottle 1.1 QT. (It comes in four colors, including white and black.)
It insulates almost as well as our top pick. Although the Adventure To-Go Bottle doesn’t keep liquid hot for as long as either the Classic Legendary Bottle or the Zojirushi SJ-JS10, its water measured a still-respectable 172 degrees Fahrenheit after eight hours. And the Adventure To-Go is usually about half the price of the Classic Legendary and the Zojirushi.
It’s more portable than our top pick. The Adventure To-Go Bottle holds 1.1 quarts of liquid (35 fluid ounces), less than half the amount the Classic Legendary Bottle holds. Compared with the Classic Legendary, the Adventure To-Go is also shorter and narrower: 12 inches by 3.375 inches. (The Adventure To-Go is similar in size to the Zojirushi SJ-JS10, and it’s less expensive, but it’s also heavier.)
It’s easy enough to use, even without a handle. Unlike the Classic Legendary Bottle, the Adventure To-Go Bottle doesn’t have a sturdy handle (which is what helps our top pick pour so well). But we found that thermoses holding less than 1½ quarts don’t need a handle. The Adventure To-Go has the same textured outer coating (which helps you grip the thermos when pouring) as the Classic Legendary.
The cap and stopper rival those of our top pick. Like the Classic Legendary Bottle, the Adventure To-Go model has a metal cap with a (smaller) plastic rim; it’s also insulated. You do need to loosen or remove the stopper to pour, which you don’t have to do with the spout on the Zojirushi SJ-JS10. But the Adventure To-Go cap holds a cup of liquid, versus the Zojirushi’s ⅔ cup, so you won’t have to refill as often.
You’ll need to hand-wash it. Unlike the Classic Legendary Bottle, the Adventure To-Go is not dishwasher-safe. But if you use a bottle brush, it’s easy to reach the base of the thermos. Also, the Adventure To-Go is made of only three simple pieces, plus a removable silicone seal, so there aren’t any challenging places to reach.
It’s not quite as tough as our other picks. When dropped, the Adventure To-Go and the Zojirushi SJ-JS10 both sustained about an equal amount of denting and scratching along the base and the rim. The Adventure To-Go’s lid was dented, however, while the Zojirushi sustained a light scratch.
But it does have a lifetime warranty. Like the Classic Legendary Bottle, the Adventure To-Go has a better warranty than the other thermoses we tested.
This thermos, which holds 35 ounces, is small and light enough to fit in a compact commuter bag. It’s not dishwasher-safe, however.
We recommend the Zojirushi Stainless Bottle SJ-JS10 for commuters who want to carry more hot liquid than a traditional travel mug holds and who don’t need to drink on the go. It comes in a simple stainless steel finish, as well as in seasonal colors.
It keeps liquids almost as warm as our top pick. After eight hours, the water inside the Zojirushi bottle had cooled to 177 degrees Fahrenheit—just 3 degrees cooler than the water in the Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle. (The only other bottle that performed better than the Zojirushi on temperature was the Stanley Legacy QuadVac, which we dismissed for other reasons.)
But its size is more manageable. The Zojirushi thermos holds 1.1 quarts of liquid (35 fluid ounces), substantially less than the Classic Legendary Bottle holds. And compared with the Classic Legendary, the Zojirushi is also shorter and narrower: 11¼ inches by 3¼ inches. Our testers found it was easy to fit this bottle in a small backpack or messenger bag. Because the Zojirushi bottle is fairly slim, it’s easy to grip, and even though it lacks a handle, pouring from it wasn’t a problem.
The spout is the most user-friendly. The Zojirushi bottle’s stopper has a push-button spout, which, unlike the stoppers on the Stanley bottles, remains attached to the mouth of the thermos when you pour—so you don’t have to deal with an extra loose piece. But the Zojirushi vessel’s shallow cap holds about ⅔ cup of liquid when full—less than the caps on the Stanley bottles hold.
You’ll need to hand-wash it. Unlike the Classic Legendary Bottle, this thermos isn’t dishwasher-safe. And it’s more tricky to clean than the Adventure To-Go because of all the moving parts in the stopper. Here, too, a bottle brush may help with getting it completely clean.
It’s durable enough and doesn’t leak. The Zojirushi thermos sustained a few dents when we dropped it, but there was no structural damage to the bottle. Its lid, despite being plastic, didn’t crack. By contrast, the plastic cap of the GSI Outdoors Glacier Vacuum Bottle’s lid lost a large chunk after one drop (though the stopper and the bottle itself remained intact). Also, the Zojirushi bottle didn’t leak in our tests, and we would feel confident carrying this thermos in a bag along with workout clothes or even a small laptop.
It pours a bit slowly. Some Amazon reviewers have noted that the Zojirushi bottle’s spout has a tendency to dribble, but we didn’t experience this ourselves. Its small spout dispenses a controlled pour a little more slowly than our other picks.
It has a decent warranty. The Zojirushi thermos has a five-year warranty against manufacturer defects—so it falls far short of the lifetime guarantee for our other picks.
For any thermos, check the manual or the manufacturer’s site to see whether it’s dishwasher-safe. (The dishwashing process can damage some bottles’ vacuum insulation or the seal between the lid and the bottle.)
If you’re hand-washing a thermos, a good bottle-cleaning set will let you reach into the narrow opening. The best bottle-cleaning set we’ve found is the OXO Good Grips Water Bottle Cleaning Set, which has brushes of multiple sizes held together by a ring, so you won’t lose them.
You should also clean the cap and the stopper, as well as the bottle itself. You can soak the parts in hot, soapy water and use brushes to scrub the nooks and crannies.
Some thermoses—including our also-great pick, the Zojirushi SJ-JS10—have a silicone seal that can retain smells. To remove the stink from silicone, many experts recommend burying the thermos in fresh baking soda for two days. Marguerite Preston, senior editor on the kitchen team, has a better (and quicker) solution: Bake the silicone pieces in the oven. For a step-by-step description of her method, adapted from a thread she saw on Reddit, see our advice on cleaning travel mugs.
The Stanley Legacy QuadVac Thermal Bottle 1.5 QT was better at insulating liquid than every thermos except for our top pick. This model suffered deep dents during our drop test, though. And when the cup’s metal lining meets the metal rim of the thermos, it produces a loud, abrasive sound.
The all-metal Klean Kanteen 32 oz TK Pro Insulated Thermos was especially loud when dropped. The cap was often too difficult to take off because it’s too easy to over-tighten. The Klean Kanteen also didn’t insulate as well as our picks.
The Thermos 40oz Icon Beverage Bottle offered average durability and insulation, but the stopper was easy to mis-thread, and throughout testing we struggled to seat the cup securely after drinking.
The Miir Tomo 33oz has a rigid handle, which makes it hard to put this bottle in a backpack. It scored at the low end of our insulation tests, and the squared-off handle was uncomfortable to hold. It’s also difficult to tell whether the push-button, 360-degree lid is opened or closed.
The Stanley Master Unbreakable Thermal Bottle 1.4 QT was the bulkiest thermos we tested and also the most expensive. Its handle doesn’t collapse, so it’s not easy to stuff this vessel into a backpack or bag. It sustained more drops without serious harm to the body than the other models we tested, but we don’t think it’s worth the cost, unless you need something extraordinarily rugged.
The GSI Outdoors Glacier Vacuum Bottle has a plastic cap, and it cracked the first time we dropped it. This model has also been experiencing supply-chain shortages.
The Thermos Stainless King kept liquid as warm as our picks did, but the Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle’s handle was more comfortable to hold and easier to snap into place.
This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.
Trey French is a staff writer at Wirecutter covering outdoors gear. A trail runner, backcountry skier, and long-distance backpacker, he has reviewed gear for Treeline Review and advised wilderness travelers on lightweight backcountry equipment at Katabatic Gear. He resides in California’s Eastern Sierra, where scenic desktop backgrounds are born.
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