The range of travel tumblers, mugs, cups and bottles has grown considerably over the past few years. Items that used to be extremely popular even a couple years ago are no longer in very high demand.
Probably the biggest change to come about in this sector of swag items is the introduction of vacuum sealed drinkware items (like YETI) that keep your beverages hot or cold for hours. These items, of which there are many varieties, are by far in the highest demand.
So here is an overview of about any type travel drinkware (things like ceramic coffee mugs and glass tumblers will be covered elsewhere) available with some brief pros and cons. We are dividing them into two categories for simplification: single-wall and double-wall.
Single Wall Drinkware
Sport bottles – These seem like they have been around since the dawn of humans. They are inexpensive and are not designed to keep beverages cool for long. Still great for races, sport practices, games, etc. Many sizes, styles and colors available.
Stadium cups – These also seem like they have been around forever. They come in various sizes and colors. Some are designed to change colors when a hot or cold beverage is poured into them. There are two basic kinds – fluted (with the ridges on the side) and smooth. Great for parties, picnics, weddings, reunions, concessions and other events.
Party cups – These came out a few years ago as a knock-off of the (is it famous or infamous?) red solo party cups. Some are cheap and thin plastic, some are a much thicker and firmer polypropylene material and yet others are double-wall also. They are also available in various sizes and colors. Great for same uses as stadium cups but a definite upgrade.
Tumblers – There are inexpensive single-wall tumblers like these, which are very similar to stadium cups but have a straw and lid, and are typically translucent colors like these. There are also double-wall versions of these.
Govino – These are very popular for nicer events where wine is being served. There are other plastic and plastic-type material ones but the thumb notch on the Govino ones sets them apart and gives you a better grip on your beverage.
Double Wall Drinkware
Double wall tumblers with straw – So these are very similar to the ones mentioned above. They are a harder acrylic material. If you are wondering what is the use of having double walls if it doesn’t help keep beverages hot/cold a long time, it is because they can keep warm liquids from burning you and they do not “sweat” and leave rings on surfaces.
Tervis Tumblers – Before the vacuum sealed double wall tumblers became so popular a couple years ago, Tervis tumblers were the thing. They became popular in college bookstores because the embroidered logos between the two walls were high quality. They are also popular because they are virtually impossible to break. They are made of a material called Tritan. You can find knock-offs of the same material at less expensive prices. Tervis tumblers have no properties to keep your beverages hot or cold for a long time, but they are also good for not leaving rings of moisture on surfaces.
Double wall tumblers – These are the double wall tumblers that were popular before the vacuum-sealed ones became popular and sometimes look very similar to the YETI-type ones described below. However they do not have the hot/cold properties the vacuum sealed ones do. They are much less expensive though and still offer the benefits of other double wall tumblers described above.
Vacuum sealed double wall tumblers and bottles – So at the time this article is published these are BY FAR the hottest drinkware item in the swag industry. I am actually not sure if YETI was first with these but they certainly did the best job building their brand. There are too many other brands to mention that work every bit as good as YETI and cost much less.
There are actually two versions of these. The ones that keep your beverages hot/cold the longest are double wall, vacuum sealed and have a copper lining. The other version has all those same properties except the copper lining. These still keep your beverages hot/cold for hours but just not as long as the copper-lined ones. There are many shapes and sizes of both the tumblers and the bottles.
Double wall wine tumblers – These are much like the tumblers and bottles described just above but are designed for use with wine (there are similar ones short like these that are good to use with the single serve coffee makers).
I'm sure there are some other types of drinkware I left out but this is a pretty good overview!