18 oz. Icon Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Mug vs Stainless Steel King Travel Mug: which is safer?

THERMOS Stainless Steel King Travel Mug is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Thermos 18 oz. Icon Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Mug

Thermos

18 oz. Icon Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Mug

PFAS grade

Excellent 95/100

Overall grade

Excellent 77/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

stainless steel exterior, vacuum insulation, stainless steel interior

Confidence

85%

PossibleNickel leaching from stainless steel

PossibleChromium leaching from stainless steel

ReportedThermal shock and seal degradation

Our pick

THERMOS Stainless Steel King Travel Mug

Thermos

Stainless Steel King Travel Mug

PFAS grade

Excellent 95/100

Overall grade

Excellent 83/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Stainless steel interior and exterior, plastic lid

Confidence

82%

PossiblePlastic lid polymer degradation

PossibleGasket/seal material composition

PossibleThermal shock stress on seals

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Nickel leaching from stainless steel, Chromium leaching from stainless steel and Thermal shock and seal degradation on the Thermos and not on the Thermos.
  • We flag Plastic lid polymer degradation, Gasket/seal material composition and Thermal shock stress on seals on the Thermos and not on the Thermos.
  • The Thermos is stainless steel exterior, vacuum insulation, stainless steel interior where the Thermos is Stainless steel interior and exterior, plastic lid, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More insulated travel mugs: see the full ranking