Stainless Steel Mug vs Rambler 24 oz Mug with Ceramic Lining: which is safer?
Rambler 24 oz Mug with Ceramic Lining is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Thermos
Stainless Steel Mug
PFAS grade
Excellent 80/100
Overall grade
Good 72/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
stainless steel, no stated coating
Confidence
85%
PossibleSeam or lid leachables
PossibleBacterial growth in valve/seal areas
Our pick
Yeti
Rambler 24 oz Mug with Ceramic Lining
PFAS grade
Excellent 85/100
Overall grade
Good 73/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
stainless steel exterior, ceramic lining interior
Confidence
72%
PossibleCeramic coating degradation over time
PossibleBacterial growth in crevices or damaged coating
PossibleThermal shock or fracture
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Seam or lid leachables and Bacterial growth in valve/seal areas on the Thermos and not on the Yeti.
- We flag Ceramic coating degradation over time, Bacterial growth in crevices or damaged coating and Thermal shock or fracture on the Yeti and not on the Thermos.
- The Thermos is stainless steel, no stated coating where the Yeti is stainless steel exterior, ceramic lining interior, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are 5 points apart, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers 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