The Best Glass Tumbler

Buying Guide

For those of you who seem to always be on the go, living a life that takes you from one event to the next, having the ability to carry your favorite water, tea or infused water can help you to feel fresh and hydrated. Tumblers are a great vessel for just this purpose. With a tight-fitting lid, a tumbler can be grabbed up or set down without much concern for spillage, and often times, there is a built-in straw that allows for easy sipping.

The market for tumblers is vast and highly competitive. One quick search for tumblers online will surely have your head spinning due to the immense amount of choices you’re faced with. That’s why it’s important to have a good idea of what characteristics you desire in a tumbler.

For the cleanest flavor and healthiest drink, you want to avoid using plastic cups or bottles to hold your water or other beverages. Even with safe BPA-free plastics, there is always a notable difference in taste when your water has been sitting inside the container for a while.

Glass is king in this area. A glass bottle or cup will not leach any plastic flavoring into your drink, meaning you can take your time sipping on it at your convenience. Glass is more brittle though, and we all know that it can be broken. Some products take this fragility into consideration by covering a majority of the tumbler with a protective finish.

If you think you might use your tumbler for having tea or even making your own fresh batch of fruit-infused water, there are great sets out there that have infusers and filters placed in the neck of the bottle.

Some models give you the option of putting tea leaves directly into a filter that sits at the top of the bottle and transfers those delicious flavors into the water as it surrounds the filter.  For infused water, simply put your fruits, fresh leaves or spices into the main body and place the filter on at the top. Then enjoy sipping directly from your colorful glass tumbler. 

With environmentalism at the top of mind for a lot of consumers these days, you can feel good knowing that there are glass tumblers made from entirely recycled glass. Some models have a somewhat retro look to them Their simple glass design could be perfect for a minimalistic look or for those who would rather not have the plastic coverings that the other products offer.

The shape of the glass tumbler can vary as well. Some come with a taper that is traditionally seen in many pint glasses or plastic to-go cups, giving the user a good chance of actually fitting it into a cupholder. Other designs opt for a more comfortable, lower center of gravity that makes the cup extra stable when sitting down. This feature can be very useful for those of us with pets or small children that seem to accidentally bump into every drink we ever try setting down. Look for a tumbler that uses the geometry of the glass to be more resistant to falls and, well, tumbles. 

• Straws are integrated into some tumbler lids, while other tumblers have lids that will need to be screwed off and on in order to drink. If you are certain that you want a built-in straw, you might use this as a factor to narrow down your choices. Just be aware that you’ll usually need to mix your drink beforehand and not directly in your tumbler.
• If you do want to mix your drink directly in your tumbler, focus on the tumblers that offer that. A stainless steel infuser or filter can fit inside the mouth of the bottle, but you’ll be shaking this bottle up more often, and you shouldn’t expect to also have the built-in straw in this style of a tumbler.
• Show your personality off by finding a tumbler that matches your favorite color or shares an inspirational image or quote. This is a chance to make a small statement through an accessory that you will be carrying around with you everywhere.