I Tried a Bunch of Stanley Cup Lookalikes so You Don't Have To

Whether you’re a devotee of the pre-bedtime TikTok scroll or you’re just, well, a human who perceives the outside world, you’re probably familiar at this point with Stanley cups, the near-comically large water tumblers known officially as Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumblers. Since spiking in popularity a few years ago (largely thanks to social media), they’ve become ubiquitous: On a recent stroll around the Condé office, I spotted more Stanley cups perched atop my colleagues’ desks than I could count on one hand.

Just straight to our favorite tumblers

If bright colors are your priority: Owala 40 oz. Tumbler and Corkcicle Cruiser Insulated TumblerFor the person toting their tumbler around town: Brumate EraFor the trendy traditionalist: Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate TumblerThe budget pick: Simple Modern Trek TumblerFor the minimalist: S’well Tumbler XLOther tumblers we liked

But here’s the thing: Stanley isn’t the only company making 40-oz. tumblers with handles and straws anymore. In fact, they’ve become a pretty standard offering from most of the big names in hydration, including many of our favorites and the three brands who won our sister publication Epicurious’s best water bottles testing.

So how does the competition stack up to the viral original? After putting nine Stanley-esque cups to the test, I can confidently say that they all did a great job at keeping my water cold and my body hyper-hydrated, and they are all compatible with most cup holders—an important factor for you car-driving folks out there. That said, differences like material, leakiness, washing instructions and color options ultimately separated the tumblers I was excited to use from the ones I don’t think I’ll reach for in the future. But those differences also mean that the ideal tumbler for me may not be the ideal tumbler for you—so read on to find the best option for every kind of hydration head.

How I tested 40-oz. tumblers

I evaluated these tumblers according to a number of factors that can be boiled down to design and drinking experience, cold retention, and leakproof capabilities.

Design and drinking experience

How comfortable is the tumbler to hold? Does it come in fun colorways or patterns? Does it spark enough joy sitting on my desk to make me—a person who is chronically averse to drinking water—excited to hydrate?

Cold retention

To test this, I filled each tumbler with an equivalent amount of ice and water. After 6 hours, each model I tested had done an adequate job at keeping its contents cold.

Leakproof capabilities

One of my major gripes with my own Stanley cup has always been how much it leaks: Accidentally knock it off your bedside table and you’ll be left with a massive puddle of water to clean up. To test tumblers for their leakproof capabilities, I filled each one to the brim and turned them 180 degrees, and then completely upside down, noting how much water leaked out of the straw and cap.

You may know Owala for its FreeSip water bottles, which have also gotten their fair share of TikTok fame over the past few years. Owala bottles are known for their cute colorways and namesake 2-in-1 lids, but did you know it also makes a 40-oz. handled cup? If creative color combos are your thing, you’ll love their take on the XL tumbler. Like the FreeSip, it has a multifunctional lid: This one features both a straw and a small opening for sipping (which slides shut when not in use). An indented handle makes it extremely comfortable to hold. I noticed practically zero leaking when I turned it on its side, and even when flipped over, it leaked less than most of the competition.

Note that only the lid is dishwasher-safe, so you’ll need to hand-wash the cup itself. Other than that, there wasn’t much to complain about with this tumbler—and I’ll add that it was far and away the most complimented cup out of all the ones I had sitting on my desk while writing this story.