Best Commuter & Travel Mugs
Tight fitted flip-open lid keeps beverages hotter or colder than travel mugs. Compact design takes minimal space while maximizing capacity. Stainless steel vacuum insulation keeps beverages hot or cold for hours.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Zojirushi SM-SA48-BA Stainless Steel Mug, Black, 16-Ounce. First, I don't write reviews often, but feel compelled to do so. It was my favorite cup as it kept my coffee hot and it was my only spill proof travel mug. Sure I have a dozen insulated coffee mugs, but none that I could put in a bag or throw on the leather seat of my Lexus and not worry about it spilling. Well, I dropped the Contigo cup shortly after purchase and it dented in the side pretty good, but its function was fine. After about six months it started leaking after another drop and the plastic threads of the lid cracked and could no longer hold a seal. A few months later I broke my thermal pitcher I pour my french press brew into immediately after extraction. So here I go to Amazon and similar story, I purchase a Zojirushi thermal pitcher and it was also a great product. The package arrived as expected with the two cups, I attached a picture with a soda can so you can compare the two products. As you can see in the pictures, compared to a soda can the Contigo is a bit larger in diameter and the Zojirushi is a little smaller. The mouth feel of the cup, the aroma of the coffee as you inhale through your nose taking that first air infused slurping sip. The best environment for this experience is a good warmed open ceramic or porcelain mug. The mouth feel of the mug, the openness as you tilt the mug to inhale the aroma, and the ability to sip with a slurping type sip where you take in a little air with the liquid to enhance your ability to taste the subtle rich notes of the coffee. Again, the flip lid seemed to be less efficient way than the Contigo, and maybe it is, but the advantages to coffee enjoyment are great. You comprimise on mouth feel, air exchange with the slurp and aroma of the coffee, but you get hot and spilless. No, you are not sitting on the porch with comfy clothes and sluping on a warm mug of deliciousness, but you are getting the best coffee drinking environment I have found in travel form. This is one of those stupid things, but I am so impressed and this is one of those products that has literally made my life a little more enjoyable and I appreciate it!"
"When I wasn't working, Jennifer and I would go hiking at the park, take road trips, sit up late and watch the stars. Original thought at my office is as pointless as a Libertarian vote, and my commute is like a scene from Walking Dead. I'm numbing myself to waste another eight hours at The Bad Place and fantasizing about replacing the painful vacuum of affection from She Who Cannot Read Oil Change Reminder Stickers with that new girl from logistics. Buy one now, or feel only the chill yearning for an early grave that poor life decisions and emotional complacency can reap."
"Great little cup but now we notice mold under the clip where you click to open."
Zojirushi SlickSteel Finish Stainless Steel Mug SM-KHE 36/48. Zojirushi's stainless steel vacuum insulation mug will keep your beverages hot or cold for 6 hours. These mugs have a stainless steel interior with SlickSteel finish. SM-KHE Travel Mug Features Beautiful Sleek design Stainless steel vacuum insulation keeps beverages hot or cold for hours Durable and sanitary 18/8 stainless steel interior with SlickSteel Finish SlickSteel Finish interior resists corrosion and repels stains Flip-Open lid with safetly lock prevents the lid from opening accidentally Tight fitted lid keeps beverages hotter or colder than travel mugs Compact design takes minimal space whilemaximizing capacity. Stainless steel vacuum insulation keeps beverages hot or cold for hours.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Temperature: I poured hot tea in it and was so busy I didnt drink it at school all day. Just for fun one time I tested it by pouring boiling water in it then 2 min later putting the cap on. I even accidentally left milk and coffee go a little stinky in here once and after a regular wash there was no smell at all. Also I like that when you tilt it to drink you dont get a Niagara Falls size gush of liquid onto your face. UPDATE February 2015 (posted as a comment but moved here for visibility): Original video poster here! Ive taken it on lots of plane trips, shoved it in various luggages/bins to travel, really abused it as far as a thermos goes. I don't take the whole thing apart every time- just give the parts a soapy soak/wash every few times then air dry and reassemble."
"Similarly, when I half fill the container with ice, I still have ice in that water 24 hours later. The lid cover gasket and stopper set, which together replace the 3 rubber parts in each mug, cost over $16! Usually when a product costs this much to begin with, the manufacturer makes parts available at a reasonable cost, or gratis."
"These mugs both claim to be good travel mugs, and keep the liquids hot/cold for extraneous amounts of time. -Easy to break apart and clean. -Doesn't emit heat on outside to burn hands. -Securely locks the lid. -Top easily screws on. CONS: -Small mouth. -Difficult to clean inside. -Lid springs open, but spring isn't strong enough to keep lid open. Will discuss later. Now lets talk about the Thermos Nissan 16-Ounce Stainless Steel Backpack Bottle, Smoke Color: PROS: -Large mouth for easy sipping. -Keeps liquids hot for good periods of time. -Larger mouth allows for easier pouring of liquids inside it. -Larger inside allows for easier cleaning. -Easy grip shape, but a little more difficult to fit in cup holders. CONS: -Lid does not lock securely enough. The Zojirushi mug does the same thing, however they rely on a weaker spring to keep the lid open, and then there's a notch at the end which will "lock" the lid open if it goes far enough. Both mugs do not emit heat on the outside of the mug, you'd never be able to tell if there was hot substances inside unless you opened it up which is good, it means they both attempt to keep the best amount of heat inside. Where the Zojirushi shines is that you can disconnect the lid from the top of the mug and clean everything, but the Nissan/Thermos does not...or at least I haven't been able to figure it out easily."
"This fake product feels cheap and I can see there is low quality."
Whether you're traveling via car, train, Horse drawn carriage, rickshaw or penny farthing (it's cool, you can Google it) this mug is the ultimate in convenience. Lend a hand - easy one-handed drinking with the push of a button; squeaky clean - easy clean lid completely opens for an Extra squeaky clean with no separate parts to take apart or misplace.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I know some people were complaining about that, but in the safety manual it clearly states that only the unpainted stainless steel bottles are dishwasher safe. - DON'T tilt the lid and THEN press the button to open the sippy cup or you'll get a face full of hot liquid."
"I burned myself because the coffee was too hot and/or I didn't know how to control the flow of liquid...? Hot coffee is hot and this product is designed to keep it hot for a long time (which it does better than any other competing product I have tried in 2 decades). The, err, "drinking slit" (sorry, unfamiliar with technical coffee kid nomenclature) is exactly the same shape and location as that on every take-out coffee lid everywhere on earth."
"Operator savvy enough to know that items at temperature can pressurize a well sealed container and to exercise a weensy bit of caution when going for that refreshing beverage- check. These things are practically indestructible and they don't hurl their contents and glass shards in a half acre blast radius when you drop one. On the topic of floors, we raised a family buying neutral and coffee colored carpet to hide the stains. Contigo frees us to buy the most gawdawful neon rugs that Big Lots can throw at us. I let the exterior soak in some thinner for an hour or so and voila a stainless one where a peeling blue one had been.Funny thing was the paint fell away but the Contigo brand name remained firmly emblazoned on the mug."
Best Lunch Boxes & Bags
Zojirushi SlickSteel Finish Stainless Steel Mug SM-KHE 36/48. Zojirushi's stainless steel vacuum insulation mug will keep your beverages hot or cold for 6 hours. These mugs have a stainless steel interior with SlickSteel finish. SM-KHE Travel Mug Features Beautiful Sleek design Stainless steel vacuum insulation keeps beverages hot or cold for hours Durable and sanitary 18/8 stainless steel interior with SlickSteel Finish SlickSteel Finish interior resists corrosion and repels stains Flip-Open lid with safetly lock prevents the lid from opening accidentally Tight fitted lid keeps beverages hotter or colder than travel mugs Compact design takes minimal space whilemaximizing capacity. Stainless steel vacuum insulation keeps beverages hot or cold for hours.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Temperature: I poured hot tea in it and was so busy I didnt drink it at school all day. Just for fun one time I tested it by pouring boiling water in it then 2 min later putting the cap on. I even accidentally left milk and coffee go a little stinky in here once and after a regular wash there was no smell at all. Also I like that when you tilt it to drink you dont get a Niagara Falls size gush of liquid onto your face. UPDATE February 2015 (posted as a comment but moved here for visibility): Original video poster here! Ive taken it on lots of plane trips, shoved it in various luggages/bins to travel, really abused it as far as a thermos goes. I don't take the whole thing apart every time- just give the parts a soapy soak/wash every few times then air dry and reassemble."
"Similarly, when I half fill the container with ice, I still have ice in that water 24 hours later. The lid cover gasket and stopper set, which together replace the 3 rubber parts in each mug, cost over $16! Usually when a product costs this much to begin with, the manufacturer makes parts available at a reasonable cost, or gratis."
"These mugs both claim to be good travel mugs, and keep the liquids hot/cold for extraneous amounts of time. -Easy to break apart and clean. -Doesn't emit heat on outside to burn hands. -Securely locks the lid. -Top easily screws on. CONS: -Small mouth. -Difficult to clean inside. -Lid springs open, but spring isn't strong enough to keep lid open. Will discuss later. Now lets talk about the Thermos Nissan 16-Ounce Stainless Steel Backpack Bottle, Smoke Color: PROS: -Large mouth for easy sipping. -Keeps liquids hot for good periods of time. -Larger mouth allows for easier pouring of liquids inside it. -Larger inside allows for easier cleaning. -Easy grip shape, but a little more difficult to fit in cup holders. CONS: -Lid does not lock securely enough. The Zojirushi mug does the same thing, however they rely on a weaker spring to keep the lid open, and then there's a notch at the end which will "lock" the lid open if it goes far enough. Both mugs do not emit heat on the outside of the mug, you'd never be able to tell if there was hot substances inside unless you opened it up which is good, it means they both attempt to keep the best amount of heat inside. Where the Zojirushi shines is that you can disconnect the lid from the top of the mug and clean everything, but the Nissan/Thermos does not...or at least I haven't been able to figure it out easily."
"This fake product feels cheap and I can see there is low quality."
Best Travel & To-Go Drinkware
Fresh Carry System cap design seals tight to hold carbonation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Originally, I couldn't justify spending this absurd amount of $ on a water bottle. But then he spent all day out in 90+ degree weather and came back incredibly enthusiastic, going on & on & on about how amazing it is. So I got another one for my teenager, who needed a water bottle, but doesn't pay much attention to mundane things like this. Even the straw lid (bought separately) is constructed so that it is much easier to clean than, say, a Camelbak. Flip top lid is also easy to use & clean, but the company warns that it is not watertight, and it definitely isn't - bottle must be kept upright, or it spills. 8) No BPAs (in case, after we've all been using them for years, "they" decide that HDPE 2 or other plastics aren't safe, after all.). (Ok, vacuum bottle - you can put other stuff in, but still...). 2) The screw on cap works great, but is not so convenient. The 40 oz is also quite tall; it overbalances in pockets made for water bottles (e.g. on all our backpacks. If you're drinking in a library, people will notice ;-). I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants a great water bottle."
"I'm wonder if there is different models or something I've shared photos I took off from Amazon... my original hydro flask has the logo that isn't filled in where all three new ones I bought have the all white filled in logo... is there different versions or what!?!"
"Hydro Flask is my favorite of the many insulated bottles that I own--and I own 4 Hydro Flask bottles."
"The bottle is very well made and does not disappoint whatsoever it keeps water cold forever and I mean that."
"I had a couple of prerequisites to the bottle I would end up buying: doesn't condensate, large enough, transportable, stylish, and keeps my drink cold. Outside in classes through the week at the University, the bottle kept Pepsi with no ice, cold for a solid day (so I'm example, from 9am till midnight still cold). I am very impressed and will be recommending this bottle to friends and those interested in a very solid Trusty bottle."
"BEWARE I don't think these are all authentic."
Best Water Bottles
Fresh Carry System cap design seals tight to hold carbonation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Originally, I couldn't justify spending this absurd amount of $ on a water bottle. But then he spent all day out in 90+ degree weather and came back incredibly enthusiastic, going on & on & on about how amazing it is. So I got another one for my teenager, who needed a water bottle, but doesn't pay much attention to mundane things like this. Even the straw lid (bought separately) is constructed so that it is much easier to clean than, say, a Camelbak. Flip top lid is also easy to use & clean, but the company warns that it is not watertight, and it definitely isn't - bottle must be kept upright, or it spills. 8) No BPAs (in case, after we've all been using them for years, "they" decide that HDPE 2 or other plastics aren't safe, after all.). (Ok, vacuum bottle - you can put other stuff in, but still...). 2) The screw on cap works great, but is not so convenient. The 40 oz is also quite tall; it overbalances in pockets made for water bottles (e.g. on all our backpacks. If you're drinking in a library, people will notice ;-). I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants a great water bottle."
"I'm wonder if there is different models or something I've shared photos I took off from Amazon... my original hydro flask has the logo that isn't filled in where all three new ones I bought have the all white filled in logo... is there different versions or what!?!"
"Hydro Flask is my favorite of the many insulated bottles that I own--and I own 4 Hydro Flask bottles."
"The bottle is very well made and does not disappoint whatsoever it keeps water cold forever and I mean that."
"I had a couple of prerequisites to the bottle I would end up buying: doesn't condensate, large enough, transportable, stylish, and keeps my drink cold. Outside in classes through the week at the University, the bottle kept Pepsi with no ice, cold for a solid day (so I'm example, from 9am till midnight still cold). I am very impressed and will be recommending this bottle to friends and those interested in a very solid Trusty bottle."
"BEWARE I don't think these are all authentic."
Best Water Bottles
Fresh Carry System cap design seals tight to hold carbonation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Originally, I couldn't justify spending this absurd amount of $ on a water bottle. But then he spent all day out in 90+ degree weather and came back incredibly enthusiastic, going on & on & on about how amazing it is. So I got another one for my teenager, who needed a water bottle, but doesn't pay much attention to mundane things like this. Even the straw lid (bought separately) is constructed so that it is much easier to clean than, say, a Camelbak. Flip top lid is also easy to use & clean, but the company warns that it is not watertight, and it definitely isn't - bottle must be kept upright, or it spills. 8) No BPAs (in case, after we've all been using them for years, "they" decide that HDPE 2 or other plastics aren't safe, after all.). (Ok, vacuum bottle - you can put other stuff in, but still...). 2) The screw on cap works great, but is not so convenient. The 40 oz is also quite tall; it overbalances in pockets made for water bottles (e.g. on all our backpacks. If you're drinking in a library, people will notice ;-). I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants a great water bottle."
"I'm wonder if there is different models or something I've shared photos I took off from Amazon... my original hydro flask has the logo that isn't filled in where all three new ones I bought have the all white filled in logo... is there different versions or what!?!"
"Hydro Flask is my favorite of the many insulated bottles that I own--and I own 4 Hydro Flask bottles."
"The bottle is very well made and does not disappoint whatsoever it keeps water cold forever and I mean that."
"I had a couple of prerequisites to the bottle I would end up buying: doesn't condensate, large enough, transportable, stylish, and keeps my drink cold. Outside in classes through the week at the University, the bottle kept Pepsi with no ice, cold for a solid day (so I'm example, from 9am till midnight still cold). I am very impressed and will be recommending this bottle to friends and those interested in a very solid Trusty bottle."
"BEWARE I don't think these are all authentic."
Best Growlers
Fresh Carry System cap design seals tight to hold carbonation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Originally, I couldn't justify spending this absurd amount of $ on a water bottle. But then he spent all day out in 90+ degree weather and came back incredibly enthusiastic, going on & on & on about how amazing it is. So I got another one for my teenager, who needed a water bottle, but doesn't pay much attention to mundane things like this. Even the straw lid (bought separately) is constructed so that it is much easier to clean than, say, a Camelbak. Flip top lid is also easy to use & clean, but the company warns that it is not watertight, and it definitely isn't - bottle must be kept upright, or it spills. 8) No BPAs (in case, after we've all been using them for years, "they" decide that HDPE 2 or other plastics aren't safe, after all.). (Ok, vacuum bottle - you can put other stuff in, but still...). 2) The screw on cap works great, but is not so convenient. The 40 oz is also quite tall; it overbalances in pockets made for water bottles (e.g. on all our backpacks. If you're drinking in a library, people will notice ;-). I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants a great water bottle."
"I'm wonder if there is different models or something I've shared photos I took off from Amazon... my original hydro flask has the logo that isn't filled in where all three new ones I bought have the all white filled in logo... is there different versions or what!?!"
"Hydro Flask is my favorite of the many insulated bottles that I own--and I own 4 Hydro Flask bottles."
"The bottle is very well made and does not disappoint whatsoever it keeps water cold forever and I mean that."
"I had a couple of prerequisites to the bottle I would end up buying: doesn't condensate, large enough, transportable, stylish, and keeps my drink cold. Outside in classes through the week at the University, the bottle kept Pepsi with no ice, cold for a solid day (so I'm example, from 9am till midnight still cold). I am very impressed and will be recommending this bottle to friends and those interested in a very solid Trusty bottle."
"BEWARE I don't think these are all authentic."
Best Sports Accessories
Make every beat count with Fitbit Charge 2—the all-new heart rate and fitness wristband built for all-day, workouts and beyond. PurePulse continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to better measure calorie burn all day.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found the Fitbit to be an incredible fitness device compared to the Apple watch. The fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score (V02 Max). Other features: Clearly the fitbit is not a smart watch, but the text and call notifications are great when you're working out and don't have quick access to your phone. Accuracy: Tie. I have no idea what the negative reviews are talking about (Maybe they received a defective device or have exceptionally hairy arms?). The apple watch is slightly more accurate when it comes to distance, and probably more suited for someone who runs at a competitive pace. I love watching my cardio fitness score change and keeping an eye on my resting heart rate overnight. Apple has a ton of 3rd party apps which are great, but it lacks the complete integration of the fitbit. I haven't decided which one I will be keeping yet, but if I were basing my decision on fitness alone, at a non competitive level, I would choose the fitbit hands down. There are other useful features that make the Apple watch appealing in my line of work, so I'll have to weigh those into my decision. The apple watch doesn't have the same coolness factor with regard to fitness, and really doesn't motivate me to workout anymore than my iPhone would. It is perfect for someone who doesn't care about tracking fitness goals, but wants to leave their phone at home during a workout. The ability to stream music, track distance with a built in GPS, and respond to text messages are wonderful. I have a 7 inch wrist and the large band fits me on the last 2-4 holes (keep it loose when not working out)."
"As a Blaze and original Charge HR owner, figured I'd try my hand at the newest Fitbit Charge 2. It replaces the original best selling Charge & Charge HR. Steps, Flights, Heart Rate, Calories Burned, Connected GPS (shows a little map post workout when tied to your phone, and yes, you need to bring your phone with you on walks/runs), and notifications (as of now, just texts, calendar alerts, and displays phone number of incoming calls). The Charge watch has been the workhorse of the fitbit line. Since you're familiar with the Charge already, let's go over some of the issues you may have experienced and highlights/common questions answered: 1) Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge. **If you had problems with your original Charge band bubbling, the ability to swap bands and how the tracker is connected to the bands should eliminate the issues you have experienced ** Obviously way too early to make a call on how the device will hold up, but given my experience with Blaze & Alta, this feels similar in build quality, if not better, and neither of those devices have suffered from bands falling apart on a wide scale. 5) Display is nice, 4x larger than the original Charge. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it. Some display day & date, and most have option to where when you tap the display it will cycle through stats (may display heart rate, date, steps taken, how far you are in your goals, your hourly movement reminders, etc). Yes, two of the watch faces are digital (numbers display, not hands) and have seconds displayed. There is no 3rd party support at this time such as facebook, instagram, etc (The Blaze watch will be offering these soon in next software upgrade, so I guess there is hope the Charge 2 will get those as well). Heart rate was spot on as it usually was with original Charge HR & my Blaze. Obviously some folks have trouble with them due to body hair and whatnot, but the sensors on Charge HR, Blaze, and now Charge 2 seem to be spot on. An issue I had with the original Charge was it getting "lost" when I hit higher cardio levels. CONS: - vibration is notably weaker than the original Charge. The Charge HR slowly scrolls texts and notifications to you, which can be annoying if you're used to the Blaze. They serve their purpose well though, and I can't ding it for this as it's a step up from the original Charge. The Blaze is their high end product at the moment, but the Charge 2 is a very close second. I'll happily answer questions as I did for when I originally reviewed the Blaze out of the gate, and edit this review to reflect common questions or any issues I face as I put the device through its paces in the coming days."
Best Camping & Hiking Hydration & Filtration Products
The LifeStraw Personal water filtration straw measures 9 x 1 x 1 inches and weighs 0.1 pounds; includes sealed bag for storage in backpack or survival kit. Removes minimum 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites, and filters to 0.2 microns; surpasses EPA filter standards.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"On top of one of the lower peaks, I drank from the most disgusting looking crevice filled with brown scum (see photo). Get one for your outdoor adventures, and one for your bug-out bag, which everyone should have in case of natural disaster (or apparently civil war, because the world seems to have gone mad)."
"In the past I always carried a General Ecology First Need XL water purifier and refilled nalgene bottles with it. When you're at high altitudes in the mountains this leads to longer "drink breaks" since you can get winded pretty easy while trying to suck up water through the LifeStraw."
"As soon as I got this thing in the mail I went straight to the nastiest, most contaminated thing I could find."
"UPDATE - 4-25-2016. After more than 3-years of numerous weekend and 2-week excursions, my very first LifeStraw would not produce anymore clean filtered water. I really don't know how many liters of water that was used, but I can say this....with the coffee filter attached to this unit it out last my friends LifeStraw more than a year. Now, I use a Portable Siphon Hand Liquid Transfer Pump with this unit."
"So I intentionally got lost in the wilderness with a couple friends with the LifeStraw in my pocket and nothing else. We were going to die of dehydration out in the redwood wilderness, huddled around a useless LifeStraw. So I grab a cup of water and dunk the LifeStraw into it, letting it soak for a few minutes. Frantically I call my friends and tell them how it wasn't a piece of junk and how we were just stupid guys who didn't read the directions."
"Link to video of review: [...]. Link to purchase: [...]. Tested it in 3 locations. 1."