Contigo SnapSeal Stainless Steel Coffee Mug
The Contigo SnapSeal stainless steel mug is available in six contemporary colors that just have the best names: grayed jade, gunmetal, matte black, monaco (a steel blue), stormy weather, and vivacious (sort of a magenta red). There are three sizes available: 16 oz., 20 oz., and 24 oz, however not all of the colors are available in all three sizes. I have two of the 20 oz. mugs in the gunmetal color. The 20 oz. mug still holds plenty of coffee without being unwieldy to hold with one hand.
I bought my first Contigo mug four years ago and a second a couple of years later so that I didn’t have to wash my lone mug every night. They’re both still in great shape and I use on or the other every day.
While Amazon’s prices change on a regular basis, at the time of this writing these mugs are about a $1.50 cheaper than they are at Target. Amazon’s color selection for this style was also better.
I was hesitant at first to put a travel mug full of coffee inside my briefcase bag that I use to keep my laptop, phone, and planner. Neither one of my mugs has ever leaked inside my bag. The only thing you need to be careful of is accidentally flipping up the pop-up tab on the lid by tossing the mug into your bag or pushing it down at just the right angle against something hard like the corner of your laptop. The seal on both the lid and the pop-up tab are both otherwise very secure. The “SnapSeal” feature leaves no doubt that you’ve closed the lid before you put it into your bag or purse.
One of my favorite features is the rubber grip. It’s perfectly oriented to provide a secure one-handed even when it’s wet. The grip hasn’t discolored or deteriorated in the least bit since I’ve had these.
You’ll want to hand wash the main part of the mug. I flip up the tab on the lid (in order to keep the seal clean) and send just the lid through the dishwasher once in awhile.
Bearing in mind that I use this mug almost every day of the year and that it spends considerable time in my briefcase bag, some of the protective coating on the stainless steel has started to wear off on the exterior of the mug, specifically on the bottom. Fortunately it just chips off rather than peeling so it’s not too unsightly. The actual metal underneath is just fine.