Contigo Travel Mug
My feelings about travel mugs have always been, “You can have your coffee, but you can spill it, too.” Travel mugs of course keep your coffee much safer than a regular mug would, a spill is inevitable. The Contigo travel mug promises to change that.
The Contigo West Loop travel mug features an autoseal lid and double-wall vacuum chamber to not only keep your coffee warm, but keep it off your lap as well. It’s made of BPA-free plastic and stainless steel., and holds 16 ounces of your favorite coffee or tea. According to the manufacturer the Contigo travel mug fits in almost every cup holder, but who knows if they tested it in those tiny European cup holders or not.
Because you must press the button at the top of the mug to open the chamber, the West Loop is completely leak proof. CoffeeKrave hasn’t had a chance to test this technology, but it looks reliable. Anyone who’s spilled coffee all over themselves on the way to work knows how important this spill-proof feature is.
The Contigo travel mug is made of stainless steel, but Contigo does not recommend putting the entire unit through the dishwasher. You can place the lid in the dishwasher, but you must handwash the chamber. This is a bit of burden if you use the West Loop on a regular basis, especially if you don’t have a sink readily available. That being said, from my experience stainless steel is a much better choice of materials for a travel mug than plastic. Plastic tends to absorb taste and odor, even after repeated washing. You really don’t want to taste last week’s coffee, trust me. Wash the plastic lid as soon as possible after every use to avoid this. The stainless steel design of the Contigo should be much more durable than any plastic mug as well.
As far as price is concerned, the Contigo West Loop is a little pricey at approximately $25. This is a much better travel mug than most, however. You’re going to pay a price premium for the spill-proof technology and stainless steel design. The Contigo Travel Mug shouldn’t need replacement as often as a plastic travel mug, and did I mention I mention it will keep coffee out of your lap? This is obviously a good product for commuters and students, but everyday coffee drinkers might find it useful as well. A number of colors are available.
I have a Contigo West Loop. I rave about it all the time. It is completely spill proof. I have actually demonstrated this to friends by holding it upside down and shaking it. I put it in the dishwasher all the time. The only “damage” is the color comes off, so buy an unpainted one if you’re going to put it in the dishwasher.