We Tested 11 Highly Recommended To-Go Coffee Mugs To Find The Best One

We're big (huge!) fans of coffee in the office and arrive each morning with steaming cups of drip, espresso, and Bulletproof. The only problem was: None of us were entirely satisfied with our to-go mugs, which either leaked, burnt our fingers, or were difficult to clean or sip from. When Leslie lost her favorite mug, after years of daily use, she and Jess decided to band together into the Mug Researching Dream Team they were destined to be and finally find the perfect one. After posting dual questions to Instagram, they each collected your top recommendations and purchased several to end the quest for the perfect to-go mug. After vigorous testing and probably way too much caffeine, we've finally found a favorite coffee mug, including our favorites for every situation. Cheers!

Mug: Portable Ceramic Porter Mug in 'Blush' ($25 on Amazon)

This mug is fantastic for a few reasons, the first being that it comes in a beautiful matte ceramic (it's made by the same company that makes my lunch bowl, so I already know I'd love it and selected blush). While I wouldn't necessarily feel comfortable taking it out of the house (for fear the top would come off), it's the perfect at-home or "walk the dog in the morning" mug: The lid kept my coffee warm, it was the only mug wide enough to fit the immersion blender I use to make bulletproof coffee, and it's deceptively large (it fit the 1.5 cups of coffee I brew each morning). The only downside is it gets scuffed easily, which comes off with elbow grease but isn't something I've noticed happening on my bowl of the same material. - Leslie

Mug: Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug, 16-Ounce, Matte Gold ($29 on Best Buy)

This mug-amazingly-does not spill! 🤯 The locking mechanism made me feel secure enough to literally throw it into my purse on its side, without the fear of it leaking (make sure the lid is screwed on tight first). It also kept my coffee hot for hours, and is pretty! Win-win-win. - Leslie

Mug: Stojo Pocket Cup ($14 on Amazon)

As someone who travels quite frequently, this is my ideal portable cup. When I'm away from home, I'm looking for something compact and easy to throw in my carry on, and I think this is the best on the market. While I love that it's collapsible, my one caveat is that the silicone doesn't keep your beverage warm for long, so you have to enjoy your coffee rather quickly. I bought it in the prettiest millennial pink (very cupcakes and cashmere!) and already look forward to taking it on my next vacation. - Jess

Mug: Contigo AUTOSEAL Transit Stainless Steel Travel Mug, 16 oz, Matte Black ($16 on Amazon)

Considering the fact that this mug is half the price of the Zojirushi, it's a fantastic deal-but it does come with some drawbacks. First of all, I don't love the design of this mug (it feels a bit too sporty). The tiny cap is also nearly impossible to clean (I just ran hot water through it and prayed), and the only way to drink from it is by pressing a button on the side, which was a little hard to use especially while driving. Not ideal, but also totally functional and keeps coffee hot! - Leslie

Mug: Ello Campy Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug ($17 on Amazon)

There's some witchcraft happening with this mug: When they say it's vacuum-insulated, they mean it. To really put it to the test, I used it with hot and cold coffee: My pour-over that I made around 8:00 a.m. stayed warm until after 3 p.m., and my ice that was leftover from a cold brew remained intact without completely melting until 6:15 p.m. And it's virtually spill-proof. Pretty magical if you ask me. - Jess

Mug: Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug, 16-Ounce, Matte Gold ($29 on Best Buy)

This mug is fantastic. After some healthy deliberation, Jess and Leslie agreed the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug is the best on this list (followed closely by the Ello Campy Mug), for its all-around performance: It's easy to clean, keeps coffee hot, fits 16 ounces of coffee, and doesn't spill. What more could a caffeine-loving gal want??

Byta 20 ounce in 'Navagio' ($34 on Byta): This mug is sleek, comes in a variety of beautiful colors, and kept my coffee warmer than I thought it would, but it's also far from spill-proof (the top fits snugly in, but there's no lock or screw on it so it could easily pop off). It's sleek, but the deal-breaker for me, in addition to its spill-ability, is that the mug is metal, so I couldn't microwave it after my coffee had gone cold. - Leslie

SOMA Double Walled Ceramic To-Go Tumbler in 'Pearl' ($34 on Food52): I purchased this mug because I wanted to try one really beautiful, splurge-worthy (if impractical) mug, but I was sorely disappointed for a few reasons. The mug is gorgeous, but it's also weirdly heavy, and the walls are so thick it couldn't fit my 1.5 cups of coffee I make (for reference, the Porter mug looks much smaller, but fit 1.5 cups no problem), but my coffee still got cold. It's also difficult to drink out of because of the grooved rim. To end on a positive note: The two-tone matte glaze is beautiful and I love the wooden cap. But I wouldn't recommend this mug. - Leslie

Contigo AUTOSEAL Transit Stainless Steel Travel Mug, 16 oz, Matte Black ($16 on Amazon)
Soma Double Walled Ceramic To-Go Tumbler in 'Pearl' ($34 on Food52)
Kinto Travel Tumbler in 'Small' ($29 on Amazon)
KeepCup Reusable Coffee Cup in 'Toughened Glass' ($27 on Amazon)
Ello Campy Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug ($17 on Amazon)
JOCO Glass Reusable 12oz Coffee Cup ($22 on Amazon)
Portable Ceramic Porter Mug in 'Blush' ($25 on Amazon)
Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug, 16-Ounce, Matte Gold
Stojo Pocket Cup ($14 on Amazon)
Byta 20 ounce in 'Navagio' ($34 on Byta)
Simple Modern 20oz Voyager Travel Mug Tumbler w/Clear Flip Lid & Straw ($16 on Amazon)