I was in search of a "perfect" travel mug to use with a variety of cup holders on my bicycle handlebars. I got tired of paper and plastic cups burbling over and even blowing away during my rides.
I generally don't drink my coffee drink during my bike rides, at least not in the same way I would grab a plastic water bicycle water bottle during a ride. Usually, I'm just transporting a coffee drink and trying to keep it hot (or cold), or I may stop to take a sip.
There was competition! I ordered a total of seven 16 oz insulated mugs to compare. Here's a quick breakdown with ASIN numbers so you can easily look them up on Amazon:
B0039SLSU6 Thermos: Best fitting, and heaviest weight by far (i.e. highest material quality). Unfortunately encumbered by an overly complex lid design that proved problematic out of the box, and looked difficult to clean.
B07S1Y48TP Lasting Coffee: Second best fitting. Meh quality. Threaded lid only twists on 1/4 turn and "pulls off" with only 1/8 twist. Prickly plastic barb on the lid. Cheap flip lid with plastic "molded in" hinge and lock.
B007RTXJHS Trudeau Maison Journey: Fit was OK and I was pleased with the sealing mechanism, but decided the handle got in the way and wasn't suited for this purpose.
B077FZ5CZC Rubbermaid: Flip lid similar to Lasting Coffee, a little fat for my handlebar holder.
B07J1J6JTM MIRA: Very similar to Lasting Coffee, too skinny -- was concerned it would slip through one of my handlebar holders
B081TK4C72 Farberware: Way too fat to fit. Described as a screw-on lid but was actually a press-on lid.
The bicycle handlebar holders I'm using include an "industry standard" PDW Bar-ista drink holder (B003Z80J6E), a generic aluminum ring-style similar to the PDW, and the Delta Cycle holder which is narrower, and more similar to a water bottle cage with a silicone band pulling the two wings of the cage towards each other.
The threaded-on lid takes a full turn to secure. The primary seal is a molded silicone skirt style seal that expands out to meet the inside of the mug (well, actually, it's slightly oversized and reduces in to follow the contour of the wall). The seal is removable for washing.
The flip-lid pivots on a stainless steel, sprung hinge, and the trigger to open it also pivots on a sprung hinge and does not rely on bending plastic to latch / unlatch. The mouthpiece seat is stupid-simple squishy rubbery plug that just stops up the large drink hole, very similar to a baby pacifier. And then there's the lid lock, which is just extra protection against the lid flipping open.
Two unappreciated features are the flip-lid has a detent so that, if it's pushed open all the way, it stays put and doesn't wiggle around, and the drink spout is great for controlled pouring into a proper ceramic coffee mug.
Measurements: This mug starts at 68mm diameter at the base. It steadily tapers up to 76mm, before widening to the final 82mm diameter at the widest part. The mug portion without lid is 171mm tall.
This works well to keep my coffee hot, and it doesn't drip when held upside down. Cleaning is very easy as all parts that are normally exposed to the drink are exposed. There are no hidden mechanisms like on my Contigo travel mugs or the Thermos mug I mentioned above.
Lastly, I was unfamiliar with the Zojirushi name when I purchased this mug, but I came to learn (from product literature and further reading online) that it's a reputable company that's been manufacturing vacuum insulated containers since 1948, headquartered in Japan with manufacturing in Thailand. That helps to explain why the material quality is so high compared to the others (hinges and seals), but also why it was the second costliest travel mug of the seven.
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This Item  Zojirushi Travel Mug, 16 oz, Cherry Red | ![Zojirushi (ZOJIRUSHI) Water bottle direct drinking [One-touch open] Stainless mug 600ml Navy SM-SF60-AD](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31-SgyCF6DL._AC_.jpg) |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | -43% $27.50 List: $48.00 | $26.50 | $54.20 | -41% $31.99 List: $54.50 | $30.30 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Leak proof | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Easy to drink from | ||||||
| Sold By | — | weeea2 | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Tokyo Japanese Outlet | Amazon.com |
| material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| capacity | 16 ounces | 600 milliliters | 300 milliliters | 480 milliliters | 20 ounces | 12 fluid ounces |
| cap type | Flip Top Cap | Flip Top Cap | Flip Top Cap | Flip Top Cap | Flip Top Cap | Flip Top Cap |
| care instructions | Machine Wash, Hand Wash Only | Hand Wash Only | Hand Wash Only | Hand Wash Only | Hand Wash Only | Hand Wash Only, Machine Wash |
| weight | 0.69 pounds | 231 grams | 0.25 kilograms | 0.56 pounds | 0.67 pounds | 0.5 pounds |
Reviews with images
Great Mug
I didn't see any reviews so I thought I would add one. If you're interested in this model the SM-YAE48, I'm guessing you've had good experience with one of the previous models. I have use the older model SM-KHE48 (slicksteel version) for about 3 years and have loved it. The last update of this mug added a teflon coating so I didn't buy it. This new one does not have any coating - just the polished "slicksteel".It's a little different design, where the lid does not come apart. It's one piece, only the rubber gasket seal on bottom and rubber stopper in the flip cap come out. The older version came apart which made it easy to clean. In spite of not being able to take apart this version, there doesn't seem to be areas that will be difficult to clean. This lid sits in the thermos, the older version screwed on top of it.The one part I don't like in this and the previous versions is that there is an indentation on the very bottom inside that seems to attract stains along the edges after awhile. Would be better if the bottom were smooth.Overall, it's wider and more stout than previous versions - it fits in the cup holder better on my vehicle. Keeps coffee hot all day, doesn't spill - lid has a pretty bullet proof lock. The lid opens all the way back (further that 180 degrees) so the stopper never hits you in the nose while drinking and you can still see while driving. Great mug - $20 better than the previous version? ...probably not, unless having your mug not rattle around in your cupholder is all that important to you. The older one's run around $30... so if this drops to maybe around $40 it would be a nice upgrade. Overall great mug though.
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Top reviews from other countries
Alejandra S.C.
Buen producto
Reviewed in Mexico on November 5, 2021Color: Cherry RedVerified Purchase
Ms. F. Liu
Great travel mug, keep coffee hot for hours
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2022Color: Cherry RedVerified Purchase
