We Tested a Bunch of Insulated Thermoses to Guarantee Steaming Hot Coffee and Ice-Cold Water

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Call it a thermos, travel mug, or insulated water bottle—there’s no substitute for these multipurpose containers when you want to keep your food and drinks extra fresh. They’re durable, less prone to leaking, and well-insulated for locking in ideal temperatures. Whether you’re providing the bevs for your group camping trip, preserving a hot cup of soup for the summit, or sipping a steamy cup o’ Joe during your morning commute, an insulated thermos might be your next favorite companion.

The Best Insulated Thermoses

• Best Overall: OtterBox Elevation 36-Oz Growler

• Best Best for Meals on the Go: Stanley Adventure to Go Insulated Food Jar

• Best for Camping: Stanley Legendary Classic Vacuum Insulated Thermos

• Best for Packed Lunches: Thermos Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Food Jar

• Best for Coffee: Zojiruishi Vacuum Insulated Thermos Mug

What to Consider

Ideally, a thermos is a purchase that’ll last you through every camping trip, day at the office, and picnic for years to come. Here are some tips to help you find the right insulated container that’ll keep contents hot, cold, or a little bit of both.

Insulation

The two main types of insulation used for insulated food containers are foam and vacuum insulation, but the latter is the standard for most thermos brands (originally, “thermos” referred only to the brand Thermos, but it’s since become a general term for vacuum-sealed mugs and bowls).

Vacuum insulation uses a double-wall construction that creates a gap between the thermos contents and the exterior of the container. It stops hot or cold air from getting in or getting out, and will keep your snacks and drinks at the right temperature for much longer than a single-wall, non-sealed container.

Based on our in-house testing and research on top contenders, we chose to only include thermoses that have vacuum insulation in our recommendations.

Durability

If you plan to bring your insulated container on hikes or long treks, durability is an important factor to consider. A thermos made with materials like stainless steel is more likely to be able to handle some bumps and dings without damaging the exterior or the thermo-regulation capabilities. (Keep in mind that some thermoses have plastic lids or additional attachments, which may not be able to handle a tumble or repeated drops.)

Features and Practicality

Maybe you don’t think you need any extra bells and whistles on your insulated thermos, but they can be convenient and user-friendly. Features like a lid cup can save you additional kitchenware on your next camping excursion, and a pouring spout can prevent you from having to unscrew the entire lid to share refreshments.

Some include a collapsible spoon or spork in the lid, which is handy for eating on the go. Though these extra features aren’t a necessity, they can make your life a little easier and contribute to the versatility of the thermos.

How We Selected and Tested

We sought out thermoses from reputable companies like Stanley, Yeti, and Hydroflask, and selected based on the most popular and well-received options from consumers. We focused specifically on vacuum-insulated containers for maximum temperature retention. We also kept in mind the range of purposes the thermoses could serve, from casual coffee drinking to a packed lunch to hydration on a full-day excursion.

We got a feel for the thermoses and evaluated based on features, durability, and leak-proof capability. We also did a deeper dive with some of the insulated containers by performing hot and cold temperature tests. We let them sit with 190-degree Fahrenheit water for 24 hours to see how well they retained heat, and did the same with 46-degree water to see how well the water maintained its chill.

Based on our testing and initial impressions, we’ve compounded the following list of the best thermoses and insulated food containers that will keep your favorite foods and beverages fresh for hours on end.

Elevation 36-Ounce Growler Thermos

The Elevation is an impressive thermos with strong thermal retention and a good lineup of accessories that give it an edge over competitors. Otterbox has an entire system of lids that work with this bottle, including an easy-flip (but not as water-tight) sipping lid, a robust thermal lid like you might see on traditional thermos, and a cocktail shaker top that performed reliably on a week-long vacation.

The screw-top has a great handle and is easy to open and close. It’s not the easiest to sip out of on the move, but we’ll overlook it thanks to the impressive insulation for hot and cold liquids. The bottle’s hearty construction showed no wear after we banged it around in the car, threw it into packs, and plunked it downs on counters.

The Elevation strikes a rare balance between superb insulation and ease of use that made it a stand-out.

Read Full Review

Adventure to Go Insulated Food Jar Thermos

Appropriately named, this thermos from Stanley is great for tasty lunches at the office or on a camping trip. The insulated lid doubles as a food bowl, and there is a spork attached so you don’t have to bring along additional dishes and silverware.

Reviews Editor, Kevin Cortez, has also stored cold beverages in the thermos and appreciates how well the liquids kept their cool. “I’ve poured plenty a cold brew in this thing, and I’ve seen it hold ice for at least seven hours,” he says.

The thermos is made up of three pieces, so it's easier to clean and also offers space for storing dry foods without them getting soggy.

"My biggest qualm is that the spork isn't long enough to reach the bottom of the jar, which forces eaters to pour the contents into a larger bowl or use the lid as a tiny cup," Kevin says. "But overall, this little guy rules, and it's super useful on camping trips or long commutes where you've just gotta eat in the car. Just don't expect it to fit in your cup holder."

Legendary Classic Vacuum Insulated Thermos

The Legendary Classic thermos from Stanley has been a pillar of durability, reliability, and an iconic camping style since 1913, and little has changed today.

The model we tested has that distinct army-green, stainless steel exterior, which feels incredibly sturdy (albeit heavy), and more likely to handle some rough tumbles. The small lid doubles as a cup, and the secondary cap has a twist-and-pour stopper so sharing beverages with others is a breeze. We liked that you can determine the speed of pour depending on how tight you screw on the stopper, and heat retention is impressive. We let hot water sit in the thermos for hours, and there was still plenty of steam released when we unscrewed the cap.

The thermos is on the clunkier side, but the attached carrying handle makes for easier transport, and overall it's a great option for group outings.

Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Food Jar Thermos

Buying lunch at the office everyday can start to add up, so bringing food from home can be an efficient and cost-effective alternative. If you don't have easy access to a microwave or prefer to eat at your desk, an insulated food jar will keep your meals at the proper temperature until you're ready to dig in.

All throughout middle and high school, the Stainless King thermos was a lunchtime staple for Amber, our digital content producer. It comes equipped with a full-sized metal spoon, a vacuum-sealed stopper, and a secondary lid that doubles as a bowl.

We love how those extra touches add functionality and versatility, making this thermos an easy addition to a backpack or lunch bag.

Vacuum Insulated Thermos Mug

The unicorn of travel mugs is one that combines the drinking convenience of a sipping lid with the thermal efficiency of a screw-top. This ultralight Zojirushi model comes pretty damn close to that ideal. We like that the lid is also leakproof and disassembles easily for deep cleans, though you’ll need a brush to reach beyond the bottle’s narrow opening.

As for its insulation chops, the SM-SE36 outperformed the next best travel mug in our hot test by a whopping 14.2 degrees and most other options by 20 degrees or more. It’s still not on par with bottles that have traditional thermos lids, but the tradeoff for a user-friendly lid was worth it to us. Our coffee and tea poured from the spout quickly, though the flow wasn’t very steady. A minor irritant, but a smoother stream is about the only thing that could make this otherwise excellent mug better.

Rambler Insulated Thermos

Yeti’s Rambler is great for morning joe, since the HotShot Cap lid is the best for coffee that we tested. While we had to use two hands to open it—one to hold the thermos, and the other to pinch and twist the lid’s interior rim with thumb and index finger—we loved how easy it was to drink from.

In addition to the HotShot Cap, the Rambler bottles are compatible with five other lids. Among them, the chug and MagDock caps stand out. Both provided a narrower drinking top that prevented spills, while not restricting the flow rate too much. The chug cap features a large handle that was comfortable to carry, while the MagDock has a smaller cap that attaches to a magnet on the side of the lid so you don’t lose it. Another big plus here is that this bottle (and all Rambler drinkware) is dishwasher-safe.

Adventure To Go Insulated Travel Thermos

The Stanley Adventure has a classic thermal design, with a cap that screws into rather than over the bottle’s mouth, and a cup cover. This means it’s far from easy to drink from on the fly, like in the car on your way to work. It’s anything but convenient, and there are no alternative lid options. But with that inconvenience comes Stanley’s hallmark performance: exceptional insulation of both hot and cold beverages. And what really makes this bottle stand out is that you get those stats for a very affordable price.

So if you’re looking for something to take soup to work or to enjoy a hot toddy, then this bottle is your friend. It has the same rugged (read “heavy”) construction that has made Stanley bottles the standard across generations. And while it won’t break anytime soon, if you lose it, a replacement won’t cost that much.

You Might Also Like

• The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Painter’s Tape

• The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere

• Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?