RTIC Little Road Trip Tumbler
Stainless steel tumbler, no coating risk identified.
Primarily stainless steel with vacuum insulation, materials inherently unlikely to contain PFAS. Brand gives no PFAS disclosures, but product design poses minimal risk.
The better-graded swap
S'well
S'well Recycled Stainless Steel Explorer 24oz Green Jasper
80/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Stainless steel with vacuum insulation
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What RTIC Little Road Trip Tumbler is made of, ingredients and materials
The RTIC Little Road Trip Tumbler is constructed from food-grade stainless steel (typically 18/8 or similar austenitic alloy) with a vacuum-sealed air gap for insulation. Stainless steel itself is non-reactive with beverages and food; the vacuum layer contains no insulation foam, adhesives, or coatings known to leach hazardous chemicals. The double-wall design means no interior coating degradation risk, which distinguishes it from many cheaper tumblers that rely on plastic liners or polymer coatings.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Lid gasket or seal degradation
The silicone or rubber gasket in the lid can degrade with age, heat cycles, or dishwasher exposure, potentially releasing trace volatile compounds or allowing bacterial colonization if worn. This is a durability issue rather than an acute toxicological hazard but warrants periodic inspection.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Stainless steel leaching (nickel, chromium)
Food-grade stainless steel in neutral to basic beverage use poses negligible leaching risk. Nickel and chromium migration is only a concern with prolonged contact of highly acidic solutions at elevated temperature, which typical beverage use does not trigger.
Aluminum in solder or adhesives (if present)
Modern stainless vacuum tumblers typically use spot-welded seams rather than solder to join the inner and outer walls. No evidence of lead solder or aluminum-containing adhesives in RTIC's manufacturing is on public record; construction method appears sound.
Teflon-type coating or non-stick coatings on interior
The RTIC Little Road Trip Tumbler does not list a non-stick or Teflon-type coating interior coating in product specifications. Bare stainless steel interior is the standard; no fume risk identified.
Lead
RTIC tumblers typically feature screen-printed or powder-coated exterior graphics. No recalls or testing reports document heavy metal inks on this model. Exterior contact is low-risk, but avoid prolonged mouthing of printed areas.
Source, ATSDR ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
RTIC is a smaller direct-to-consumer brand with limited formal safety certifications or published material safety disclosures on their website. No major recalls specific to this tumbler model are on record with the CPSC. The brand does not publicly address PFAS in product marketing, which is typical for stainless steel goods but reflects a general communication gap; however, stainless steel composition itself does not inherently contain PFAS unless a proprietary coating were applied (none identified here).
How it compares in its category
Vacuum-insulated stainless steel tumblers are among the lowest-risk options in drinkware. They avoid the lead/cadmium concerns of poorly regulated ceramic glazes and the Teflon-type coating/aluminum leaching risks of coated metal or non-stick cookware. RTIC's design is functionally similar to higher-priced brands like Yeti or Hydro Flask; quality and durability vary, but material hazard profiles are comparable across this category.
If you buy it
Hand wash or use gentle machine cycles to avoid lid seal damage; avoid prolonged storage of acidic liquids (lemon water, vinegar) at extreme temperatures, as prolonged contact can very slightly etch stainless steel over years, though no toxicity results. Inspect the lid gasket annually and replace if cracked or discolored. Do not use in ovens or place directly on open flames. For longevity and to minimize any microscopic scale buildup, rinse with vinegar and baking soda quarterly.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 78% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- RTIC has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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More insulated travel mugs grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.