The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

10 best reusable tumblers with straws

Sip in style with our selection of environmentally friendly carriers for your cold drinks 

Jess Denham
Friday 07 June 2019 17:01 BST

Thanks in large to David Attenborough’s eye-opening Blue Planet II, many of us are now determined to play our part in slowing the daily tide of eight million pieces of plastic pollution that kills one million seabirds and 100,000 sea animals and turtles every year, according to Surfers Against Sewage.

Plastic bottles can take 450 years to fragment into microscopic pieces, but never fully decompose, making the fact that almost 20,000 are produced around the world every second a major environmental concern. By 2050, it is predicted that there will there will be a higher volume of plastic in the oceans than fish, which many of us eat, posing the other major issue of human health.

It may seem that so much damage has already been done to our planet that our individual actions cannot possibly make a difference, but if we all made even the smallest changes to our habits and lifestyles, huge steps could be made towards a more sustainable future.

We all have to drink water - six to eight glasses a day is recommended - but those of us fortunate enough to live in a developed country where a tap is always nearby have little excuse not to take the short stroll to the nearest one and fill our cup up, rather than tossing it aside to clog up landfill or a dolphin’s stomach.

To make this a more tempting prospect, we’ve rounded up the best reusable tumblers with straws, because there’s simply something about a straw that makes drinking more fun. Said straws are all also reusable, and we’ve included a recommendation for a cleaning kit to minimise the need to replace yours.

Note that the majority of these are intended for cold drinks - poolside cocktails also count - and only one is leak-proof. They are meant for use in the office, at home, in your car or at the gym and many are design-led to inject a bit more joy into going green.

They’re all free from BPA (a chemical used to make certain plastics that can seep into drinks, possibly leading to an increased risk of health problems such as increased blood pressure, heart disease and impaired brain development in children) and have been thoroughly tested for durability, splashproofness, ease of drinking, versatility and, naturally, how good they look.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Contigo Shake and Go Tumbler with Straw, 530ml: £14.95, Amazon

What makes this tumbler our Best Buy is its ingeniously designed screw-top lid - a small flap of plastic beneath the straw hole snaps close when the included reusable straw is removed, fully sealing it with no leaks, even when we tipped it upside down, shook it, then carried it in our favourite designer handbag all day. The other stand-out feature is the silicone sleeve around the top, meaning you’re less likely to drop it while out running (or if you’re just clumsy like us…). The plastic claims to be shatter-resistant; we liked this tumbler too much to drop it on a hard floor to test this, but found it reassuringly robust to handle. The deep coral colour makes an uplifting, yet not unprofessional, addition to a stuffy office environment and holds just under a pint of liquid, minimising the risk of water cooler small talk with the boss. It’s well worth investing if you are after a practical rather than fashion-led choice, though with three other colours to pick from (bright green, deep purple and sky blue), it’s easy on the eye too. This winning tumbler fits in car drinks holders for use on the go and, unlike most others on the market, it’s dishwasher safe, too.

Buy now

Chilly’s Bottles Tumbler in Flamingo with Straw, 500ml: £28, Chilly’s Bottles

Trend-conscious design lovers will be drawn to the hot pink flamingos and tropical flowers options available in this range of summery tumbler. If you aren’t a millennial, or are simply sick of the sight of pink, fear not, for the style is bold and modern without falling into garish cartoon territory. The ideal companion for sunny days in the park, it is made from double-walled stainless steel and fulfilled its promise of keeping drinks cold from dawn till dusk. It can also be used for hot drinks but is less effective, keeping them cosy for up to six hours. Note that this tumbler is not leakproof (it never claims to be) but its BPA-free clear plastic lid suctions on and the slide on top covers the sipping hole when not in use, so you can carry it upright in a bag. It feels sturdy to hold and fitted snugly into the two car drinks holders we tested it in, though it is one of the chunkier models on this list. The removable stainless steel straw (angled like the single-use plastic ones you’re used to) comes in a black velvet bag along with a cleaning pipe for ridding it of any grimy residue in between uses. We love the ease of drinking through a straw while driving or at your desk, but beware using it with hot drinks as the steel conducts heat! If flamingos aren’t your thing, it comes in baby pink, rose gold, mint green, black, silver or avocado print, too.

Buy now

Kate Spade New York Lemons Insulated Tumbler, 600ml: £16, Trouva

You can take your freshly squeezed lemonade (or shop bought, we don’t judge) with you on the go in this cheery acrylic tumbler illustrated with watercolour lemons from fashionable US designer brand Kate Spade. It has a screw lid with a hole in the middle, cinema style, and comes with a bright yellow soft plastic straw for fuss-free drinking during long car journeys (it’s narrow enough to fit in most holders) or by the pool while topping up your tan. Rest assured that the whole thing is BPA, phthalate (a chemical that makes plastic flexible) and lead-free, ensuring your drink is free from nasties. Though not suitable for use with hot drinks, this tumbler is insulated to keep contents cold without condensation forming on the outside, though only for about two hours without ice. It’s a big cup - two of these will fulfil your recommended daily water quota of 1.2 litres and help you stay hydrated as the mercury rises. Brand addicts will be pleased to know that the iconic Spade logo (as in cards, not gardening!) is proudly displayed in gold near the bottom. It’s hand wash only, so keep it away from the dishwasher if you want it to last, and don’t put it in the microwave either. Though stronger, acrylic has similar properties to glass, so be careful not to drop it onto hard surfaces.

Buy now

Thermos Performance Cold Cup in Pink, 470ml: £18.27, Amazon

This tumbler is built by trusty brand Thermos for use with cold drinks only, but it does what it promises well enough for us to forget our coffee cravings anyway. Special vacuum insulation technology (in brief, an airless space between two stainless steel walls that stops outside warmth from getting in) means your drink stays refreshing for up to 13 hours, especially if you fill it with cold water for ten minutes first. Though ambitious, it proves a fair claim - our squash was still on the chilly side when we tested it for the stated time in a stuffy room - though of course, in reality, you’ll likely finish your drink much sooner. You can hold the cup without your hands freezing and there is no irritating condensation to wipe up after use, though keep it vertical, or empty, in your bag as the straw does not fold away and there is no sealable lid. Its tall yet slimline shape makes it easy to carry around the gym and it fits into smaller car drinks holders. If magenta is a bit loud for the office, it comes in professional matt black and stainless steel too, though we’d love to see some more eye-catching designs from Thermos soon.

Buy now

Sunnylife Ice-Cream Straw Tumbler: £11, Asos

OK, it’s a tumbler shaped like an ice-cream cone. It’s ridiculous. But it’s also the perfect novelty item to pop in your beach bag - you’ll end up drinking your daily water quota by lunch-time. Ethical Aussie lifestyle brand Sunnylife are the creative geniuses behind the eye-catching design, which comes with a cute striped straw that won’t fall out thanks to a thicker ring of plastic at the bottom. The screw-top lid closes tightly, though be careful not to tip it over or it will leak through the straw hole. Though nothing to write home about in terms of insulation, it is double-walled so your drink will stay cool for a good few hours in the shade. This one’s on the list because it is an easy winner in the fun stakes, and has taken up residence in our car drinks holder ready for road trips with the roof down. Prepare for cries of “I love your ice-cream tumbler!” and a flood of Instagram likes when you snap yourself with this in one hand, real ice-cream in the other.

Buy now

Klean Kanteen Insulated Tumbler in Sea Crest, 592ml: £24.95, Klean Kanteen

This mint green tumbler is part of a new range of colours from trusted UK brand Klean Kanteen, all with durable chip-resistant coats that keep them looking tip top for longer when accompanying you on adventures at home and away. Made from strong, double-walled stainless steel, its trademarked ‘Climate Lock’ vacuum insulation works wonders on your drink’s temperature, keeping ours cold all day and night - probably unnecessary but great should you forget to drink it. It’s an excellent choice if you also want a tumbler for use with hot tea too, as it keeps it warm for six hours, though remember that the lid is splash-proof, not leak-proof, and may dribble if it falls over in your bag. This tumbler does not come with a straw, but the Straw Lid Set it's compatible with can be bought separately for just under a tenner and includes a reusable steel straw with plastic drinking end to stop you burning your mouth (take note, Chilly’s), a lid with a straw hole and a pipe cleaner.

Buy now

Peach Blossom Personalised Monogram Drinks Tumbler, 450ml: £12.75, Not on the High Street

Office mug thieves will find it tricky to nick your tumbler when it’s got your initials on it. Personalisation can be tacky but we love the bold, modern look of this monogram and the choice of colours is huge: every shade of the rainbow, metallics and the sparkly “iridescent” that fans of the unicorn trend will love. If you’ve got a longer name, you can select up to four initials. The tumbler itself is transparent so you can easily see when you need a top up and it comes with a reusable straw, though you’ll need to clean this regularly as it can quickly get a bit mucky, especially if you’re wearing lipstick! Made of sturdy plastic, it has a screw-top lid that won’t leak if your drink splashes around a bit while you’re on the move on, but keep it upright as the straw hole is not sealable. It’s double-walled, but plastic does not keep drinks cool as well as stainless steel, so don’t expect yours to stay icy for longer than a couple of hours in the sun. We reckon this tumbler would make a unique gift for an eco-conscious student or colleague whose desk needs a pop of colour.

Buy now

Ban.do Deluxe Sip Sip Glitter Bomb Tumbler with Straw, 20oz: £16, Sue Parkinson

We’ve had ice-cream, lemons, flamingos and rainbows but no glitter…until now. It’s hard to resist giving this tumbler a good shake to get the sparkly stuff moving and, luckily, the candyfloss pink lid screws on tightly enough to prevent your drink from leaking everywhere - just be gentle or it will splash out of the straw hole. The silicone straw comes with the double-walled acrylic cup, which kept our water chilly for several hours before it warmed to room temperature. We have a love-hate relationship with glitter - love the look, hate the risk it poses to sea life - but it’s well-contained here so your conscience can rest easy. Keep it with you (empty, unless upright) in your bag and ask your favourite barista to fill it with iced-coffee for a morning pick-me-up.

Buy now

Rainbow Cup with Straw, 500ml: £8, Paperchase

This jazzy rainbow-print cup is a chance to indulge your inner child, because why should they get all the fun? One of the more Instagram-friendly options in our round-up, it is modelled on the kind of soft drinks takeaway cups you get at McDonald’s only, unlike those flimsy things, you can use this one again and again! The emphasis here is on the novelty factor and it ticks that box brilliantly, but for the bargain price tag, it’d be unreasonable to expect much more. The bubblegum-pink swirly straw adds an extra touch of fairground silliness but is a nightmare to clean (steer clear of milky drinks!) and neither straw, cup or lid are dishwasher, freezer or microwave safe. The lid screws on tightly but with no way of covering the straw hole, it is not leakproof, and though double-walled, the BPA-free plastic will not keep drinks cold for as long as stainless steel. In short, this cup is a top choice if you want to make drinking enough water more fun for you or your kids but don’t want to break the bank paying for the higher quality of others listed here.

Buy now

Ted Baker Tumbler & Straw in Rose Gold, 480ml: £23, John Lewis

This tumbler from luxury British favourite Ted Baker is another pricier pick on account of it being designed to keep drinks chilled for longer. It’s made from stainless steel and is double-walled and insulated to retain the icy temperature inside, which it did for a full day out of the house. The shiny rose gold makes a statement with metallics remaining a dominant interiors trend this year and dazzles in the sunshine. The Ted Baker logo is lasered on in a tasteful size at the bottom and the screw-top lid can be removed if you prefer to drink straight from the cup, though the steel is quite sharp. The clear polystyrene straw pokes through the middle (clear does show up grime the most, so make sure you clean it regularly) and is a great addition for sipping while on a long journey - the tumbler will fit in an average car’s drinks holder. The only downside to this sleek looking tumbler is the quality of its powder coating - it comes with a sticker wrapped around it and when we took it off, it left behind some small marks and chips. Knocks to the bottom from day to day use also resulted in the colour coming off around the bottom, so definitely keep it out of the dishwasher.

Buy now

The Verdict: Reusable tumblers with straws

These tumblers all have good looks but the Contigo Shake and Go ticks the practical box too, greatly impressing us with its leak-proof straw hole-blocking mechanism and bargain price for the quality. Kate Spade’s tumbler had us feeling all summery with its lovely lemon design and we rated the hefty 600ml capacity, while it’s hard not to smile at Sunnylife’s ice-cream cup, perfect for lazy holidays.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in