The Best Non-Toxic Travel Mugs

Finding a truly non-toxic travel mug or coffee thermos is no easy task! I’ve scoured the internet to find the best options, and weighed all the pros and cons. Choosing healthier options for products that you use everyday is one of the smartest ways to start switching to non-toxic products.

I’ve included several options that are plastic-free, which are the healthiest type of travel mug, in addition to some lower-tox options with less plastic for those needing the functionality that a plastic lid provides. Use this list to find the best non-toxic travel mug option for you!

Why You Should Avoid Plastic

The majority of travel mugs are made with plastic. Whenever possible, it’s best to avoid plastic, especially when it will contain hot drinks or food, because it can release microplastics, dyes, BPA, BPS, and phthalates into your drink (endocrine disruptors). The effects of these microplastics and other chemicals include, but are not limited to, chronic inflammation, endocrine disruption (hormonal imbalances), disruption to the gut microbiota, and immune-cell toxicity.

I recently heard about some research that showed black plastic kitchen utensils can contain high levels of flame retardants, due to the plastic being recycled from electronics that used flame retardants. For this reason, I pay special attention to avoid black plastic, although it should be noted that other colours of plastic are still harmful too.

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The Most Non-Toxic Materials for Mugs

The best materials to use for non-toxic travel mugs are glass, stainless steel, ceramic, and a newer option on the market– titanium. Glass is the most non-toxic material, because there aren’t any chemical leaching concerns with it (more on that below).

Titanium

A newer option on the market is titanium. Whether or not it is non-toxic depends on the grade of titanium. Titanium is sometimes alloyed with aluminum, which I wouldn’t recommend from a health perspective. Look for pure, grade 1 titanium to avoid aluminum. Linked in the next section below is an option that is said to be grade 1, pure titanium.

Glass

Depending on how you handle your travel mugs while traveling, glass may be a doable option for you. The only downside with glass is that it is more breakable. I’ve included fully glass options below, which is the most non-toxic type of mug. But, I’ve also included options that have other styles of lids, which allows it to be more leak-proof and not as breakable.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is the most travel-friendly non-toxic option since it isn’t breakable, however, the lids are almost always made out of plastic. I’ve been able to source a couple options without plastic lids, but the downside is that the lids are sometimes not fully leak-proof. Another downside is that some people say using stainless steel changes the flavor of their coffee (I really think this depends how long the coffee sits in the mug).

And one other thing to note with stainless steel is that it contains chromium and nickel, which can leach into your drink in small amounts. Nickel can be a problem for anyone who is really sensitive or allergic to it, although it is usually fine for most people. I actually do get allergic reactions to nickel on my skin from jewellery, but I still use stainless steel cookware and a stainless steel travel mug because, simply put, the pros outweigh the cons for me!

If you are concerned about the nickel in stainless steel, take note of the type of stainless steel that it is- 18/10, 18/8, or 18/0. The first number indicates the percentage of chromium and the second indicates the percentage of nickel, so choosing either the 18/8 or 18/0 types will be helpful. Note that the chromium and nickel content help provide more corrosion-resistance and strength to the steel.

Ceramic

One downside to ceramic is that the glazes can often contain lead and/or cadmium. Even the clay that ceramics are made from can, unfortunately, be contaminated with lead. Poor regulations and lack of independent testing for this make it hard for consumers to know whether it contains these heavy metals or not. For this reason, glass and stainless steel are preferred.

But, I still believe that ceramic is safer than plastic overall, because you don’t have to worry about microplastics or phthalates. I’d rather hope that the ceramic is heavy-metal free, plus know that it doesn’t contain microplastics and phthalates.

The Best Non-Toxic Travel Mugs I’ve Found

100% Glass Travel Mug- 16 oz

This glass travel mug is the most non-toxic travel mug I have seen to-date. It is fully glass, even the lid. Unfortunately, the mouth opening on the lid does not have a “cover” so it may not be the most convenient for travel. I love that it has the silicone sleeve on the bottom, which is not a feature that all glass travel mugs have. I also love that there are multiple colour options!

I tend to be a little clumsy and was scared that I would break this one too easily. If it weren’t for that, I definitely would have tried an all-glass model like this. I’m still hoping some day soon I can try it out!

100% Glass Travel Mug- 14 oz

This travel mug is also 100% glass, including the lid, and is slightly smaller than the option above. This is one of the less expensive brands that I have seen for an all-glass mug. I love that this one also has the silicone base on the bottom.

Glass with silicone lid or plastic lid

If you want glass, but also want something with less breakable parts, this option has a silicone lid. Joco also has other lid styles available on their website. I also love the fun colours that this one comes in!

If you’re wondering whether or not silicone is safe, check out my post here on non-toxic kitchen utensils. The short of the story is, silicone is usually safer than plastic, although high heat and extended exposure to heat should be avoided to reduce possible chemical leaching. Also, it depends on the grade of silicone.

And if you need the lid to be even more spill-proof, I like this option, but unfortunately the lid is plastic:

Titanium Mugs

This gorgeous mug is pure, grade 1 titanium, which is non-reactive, chemically inert, nickel-free (unlike stainless steel, for anyone who is very allergic), and more lightweight than stainless steel. What really appeals to me about titanium is that it is said not to alter the flavor of a hot drink or cause a metallic taste, which again, is not always true for stainless steel.

This mug is 100% uncoated titanium, including the outside- no paint or coatings are added! The colour occurs naturally from the titanium manufacturing, and there are other colours and sizes available! This is great because sometimes painted elements on mugs can contain lead or other heavy metals like cadmium.

The downsides to titanium are that it is quite expensive and doesn’t have quite as good of insulating properties as a stainless steel mug. Also, this one still has a plastic lid. If you do buy a titanium mug, make sure it is a pure, grade 1 titanium (99%+) and not mixed with aluminum (typically 6% aluminum).

Below is an additional titanium option that has a titanium tea infuser insert, so there is a lot less plastic! This one is also pure titanium (99%+), so it is not mixed with aluminum.

Stainless steel with ceramic lid

Most stainless steel mugs have plastic lids, but this one has a ceramic lid! (It does still have a silicone ring along the bottom of the lid though, as all travel mugs do.)

I purchased this one recently, and here’s what I think of it: The vent hole on the top is larger than I expected, meaning your drink can accidentally spill out through that hole easier than I was expecting (if you tilt the mug on its side a bit). This has made it a little less travel-friendly than I was thinking it would be. There is a cover for the sipping hole, but not the vent hole.

It works fine for “low-movement” activities, such as if you are just bringing it into the car to sip on, however, it doesn’t work well for me when it comes to say, going on a walk with my dog at the off-leash park (too much bending down causing it to spill). If they had been able to design it with a moveable cover for the vent hole like they did for the sipping hole, this would have made it so much more travel-friendly. Or, even if the vent hole were smaller (you can see it in the far right picture below)!

Ceramic-coated steel

If you are worried about stainless steel changing the flavor of your drink, ceramic-coated is a good option. This option by the brand Fellow is one of the best I’ve seen because the part that you drink from is actually stainless steel. The lid twists off, and then there is a stainless steel “splashguard” at the top. They also offer the same style with a carrying handle.

This one also comes in a lot of great colours!

This option is ceramic-coated stainless steel, but with a clear plastic lid.

Stainless steel with plastic lid

This type will be the most travel-friendly and leak-proof, and at the very least, has the benefit of reduced plastic by having a stainless steel body. If you currently use a fully-plastic coffee thermos or travel mug, this will be an improvement!

This style by Simple Modern has a flip lid instead of a slide lid, which is nice for being easier to clean. What I also like about this brand is that it has previously tested to be non-detect for lead, mercury, and cadmium (it wasn’t for the exact model shown below, but this shows a good track record for this company). Painted elements, like you will often see on the exterior of items, can sometimes contain lead and cadmium.

Below are two additional stainless steel options, both also with the flip-up style of lid that I much prefer over a sliding lid:

Well I hope these options have helped you find a new travel mug! Living healthier is not about perfection, but rather about doing the best you can with what you have and taking small steps toward improvement.

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