The 4 Best Tumblers of 2025
We considered nearly 30 tumblers, from popular as well as lesser-known brands. And we narrowed our list to 12 to test, based on the criteria below:
Temperature retention: Double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel tumblers offer the best temperature retention, so we tested only those.
Lid design: Most tumblers include either a standard lid with a mouthpiece to cover the sipping port or a lid that has a straw. We preferred standard lids with secure sealing mechanisms and rubber gaskets (to keep the lid in place) and straw lids with a gasket at the straw’s entry point (to prevent leaking). We also tested tumblers with flip-straw lids, in which the straw mouthpiece can be pushed down to create a seal (when it’s not in use).
Ease of cleaning: We preferred tumblers that are dishwasher-safe. We also favored lids with removable sliders and gaskets, which allow for deep cleaning in the crevices, where gunk can accumulate.
Anti-slip measures: Most tumblers aren’t completely leakproof. The best way to keep all of the liquid inside your tumbler is to prevent it from tipping over. So we looked for tumblers with grippy rubber bottoms, to prevent sliding, but we didn’t disqualify any contenders lacking this feature.
Cupholder compatibility: There is no standard cupholder size among automobiles, but we looked for tumblers with slim or tapered bottoms that could fit in most cupholders, including those on gym equipment and strollers.
Multiple capacities: We tested tumblers that hold 20 to 24 ounces. Still, some people might want a tumbler that holds more (or less) liquid, so we took into account the variety of sizes each company offers.
Handles: Most tumblers with handles are larger-capacity drinking vessels, typically able to hold 30 to 40 ounces of liquid. Because we focused on smaller tumblers, we decided to exclude handled options from our testing.
Aesthetics: Tumblers have become an aesthetic statement (thank you, social media!). Because of this, we looked for options that come in a variety of colors and patterns, so they’d have a greater chance of appealing to a wider range of people.
To test the tumblers’ ability to keep beverages cold over time, we filled each one with ice water; then we measured the temperature with a smart-sensor thermometer over the span of 10 hours. We did the same test using boiling water, measuring the temperature at hour intervals over five hours.
To assess lid quality, we filled each tumbler with water and affixed its lid in place, sealing the sipping port with the lid’s mouthpiece, where applicable. Then we knocked each one over to see how much, if any, liquid seeped out.
We also took the lids apart, to see how easy it was to clean them; then we ran the tumblers, their lids, and any included straws through several dishwashing cycles, to assess how heat, water, and detergent would affect the separate pieces.
We used the finalists as our everyday tumblers, taking them along with us on errands, on walks, and to the gym to see how they fared out in the world.
