How is a tumbler different from a travel mug(1)

How do you keep hydrated? One way is to use personal cups, like tumblers, to carry around enough water.

Introduction

Have you ever asked yourself, “How much water do I need in a day?” It’s a question that’s not as simple as it might seem at first. Of course, hydration is important, but there are a lot of different opinions about how much we need to hydrate ourselves within any given period. However, medical professionals generally accept that most people are not drinking enough.

Whatever the answer is for how much water you personally need, there is one type of strategy that many people have found incredibly helpful when trying to stay hydrated: having a dedicated container to use your daily water intake. With a personal water source, many people find it easier to remember to drink frequently enough, and find it easier to keep water close to them, wherever they are.

But what’s the best container to use for your personal water? Well, although there are many different possible solutions to this problem, one that we find especially helpful is a tumbler. Let’s talk about why that is.

What is a tumbler?

At its most basic, a tumbler is a cup. But not every cup qualifies as a tumbler. Other forms of drinkware like glass water bottles don’t quite work the same way. So what makes a tumbler different?

Tumblers are specialized cups intended for use with hot or cold beverages. They are meant to keep hot drinks warm and cold drinks cold, are normally made of BPA-free plastic, and come with an attachable lid and straw.

When you’re trying to stay hydrated, the tumbler’s advantages are pretty clear! As an easily-portable type of drinkware, a tumbler makes it very simple to keep your water with you in various situations, while still having the basic shape of a normal drinking glass, but the shatter-resistant nature of plastic. The lid and straw combination also help protect the liquid inside, while the tumbler’s double wall material insulates the drink inside to keep it at the temperature you want.

Does a tumbler keep drinks cold and hot?

While an insulated tumbler’s plastic and dedicated lid will help with both hot drinks (like tea or coffee) and cold drinks, tumblers are typically more effective for keeping drinks cold, especially if you include some ice cubes with them. Metallic cups, like the travel mugs discussed below, tend to be more effective for keeping drinks hot...but a tumbler will definitely keep things warmer than a normal cup, in any case!

Why is it called a tumbler?

The most common theory as to the origin of this name is that the original tumblers may have had a pointed base, instead of a flat bottom, making it impossible for them to stand on their own, and they were therefore sent tumbling. It’s unclear why this was the case, though perhaps it was a way of encouraging people not to leave their drinks lying around or remind them to drink more frequently.