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See why.Wine Tumblers
Whether you’re at the beach or on your deck, a wine tumbler can keep your drink cold and spill-free. With so many options, which is best?
By Grace KellyPublished June 30, 2021.
Top Picks
See Everything We Tested
What You Need To Know
We tested eight different wine tumblers. Our top pick was the Swig Stemless Wine Cup (12 oz), which kept wine cold for almost 5 hours and had an impressively leakproof lid.
What You Need to Know
A glass of cold white wine on the beach is one of life’s simple pleasures. But it’s not so pleasurable if your chilled wine becomes tepid or another beachgoer throws a football at your glass and your wine soaks into the sand. Enter wine tumblers: sturdy, insulated cups that promise to keep your wine colder and safer than it would be in a wine glass—come hell, high water, or an overzealous beachgoer with a football. And even if you’re not braving the beach, our winning wine tumbler will keep bugs out of your wine on the back porch and make drinking chilled wine anywhere a pleasurable experience.
We tested eight wine tumblers, seven made of stainless steel, one made of borosilicate glass, and all but one equipped with lids. The lidded tumblers varied, with some that had only holes for sipping and others that had sliding pieces to cover the sipping holes. All but one of the tumblers we tested kept wine cold for hours (versus a standard wine glass, which kept wine cold for 40 minutes), but they differed in durability, how comfortable they were to hold and sip from, and how much they leaked. Most didn’t claim to be leakproof, though our winner did not leak at all. We also discovered that insulated tumblers make for fabulous ice cream bowls—perhaps not their intended use but still a good one.
What to Look For
- Slim, Straight Body: Some of the tumblers we tested were narrow at the top and flared out at the bottom, which caused our hands to slide down, fingers splayed, onto the wide base. This was uncomfortable to hold for any length of time. Look for tumblers with a slimmer, more even shape, rather than ones that get significantly wider toward the bottom.
- Smooth Exterior Surface: Counterintuitively, we found that the tumblers with granular, matte exterior surfaces were slicker and harder to grip than those with glossy surfaces, which were tackier and clung to our hands better.
- A Lid: Having a lid prevents losing an entire serving of wine should your friend’s dog jump on your lap or a strong gust of wind blow, so we recommend seeking out a tumbler that comes with one. Even better, find a lid that has a sliding tab that covers the sipping port—it prevents significant spills.
- Stainless-Steel Body: If you want to keep your wine chilled for hours, a stainless-steel tumbler is the way to go. Even the lidless stainless-steel tumbler we tested held its own against its lidded competition, keeping wine chilled for 3 hours and 20 minutes....
Everything We Tested
Recommended
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This insulated stainless-steel tumbler stood out with its slim shape and smooth but grippy surface. But its appeal didn’t stop there. The tumbler’s airtight lid was so solid that even when knocked over and thrown in a backpack, nary a drop of liquid escaped—an impressive feat. The only downside to the lid was that the vacuum seal made it somewhat difficult to remove, but it was a small price to pay for keeping every precious sip of wine in the tumbler. Testers also liked the lid slider that covers the sipping port; it opened smoothly and evenly. When tasked with keeping wine chilled, the tumbler succeeded for an impressive 4 hours and 30 minutes.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This tumbler was durable, with only a few small dents after we dropped it onto concrete. The lid slider was pleasant to use, with testers saying it was “really good and secure” and “excellent,” though the lid itself did leak a bit when we tipped the tumbler over. When it came to keeping wine cold, the insulated stainless steel did so for an impressive 4 hours and 30 minutes. While there was a lot to like about this tumbler, testers found the slight bulge at the bottom a little ungainly, and most found the slippery, granular surface made it a bit hard to hold.
Recommended with reservations
- Performance: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
The closest to a standard wine glass in terms of material and shape, this wine tumbler was an unexpected user favorite. Testers “loved the size and grippiness,” particularly the thin silicone sleeve that wraps around the cup, though it was difficult to remove and wash. The plastic lid wasn’t completely leakproof, but it did a decent job keeping wine in it when we knocked the tumbler over. The tumbler also did surprisingly well when dropped onto tarp-lined concrete—no cracks or scratches. But when it came to insulation, it was no better than a standard wine glass, with wine warming to 56 degrees in 40 minutes. While this is enough time to sip a cold glass of rosé on a hot day, we ultimately prefer stainless-steel models for keeping wine chilled for an extended period of time. Overall, if you’re looking for a cute glass with great grip that will keep your wine from spilling and don’t care as much about insulation, this could be the tumbler for you.
- Performance: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This insulated stainless-steel tumbler was nestled firmly in the good-but-not-great category. It kept wine cold for 4 hours and sustained only minor dents when dropped onto tarp-lined concrete. And with a lid and lid slider, it seemed to have it all. But a few things brought it down from great to just OK. Testers found the barrel-like shape “too big” and the smooth surface “extremely slippery.” Some also had issues with the plastic tab on the lid slider that bonked our noses when sipping. One tester summed the tumbler up well: “Pretty mediocre, but nothing explicitly wrong with it but ergonomics.”
- Performance: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1.5 stars out of 3.
Testers loved the petite size of this insulated stainless-steel tumbler, though the grainy surface texture and rounded bottom made it slippery to hold. Since the lid does not have a sliding cover to seal over the sipping port, it does leak when tipped over, and the base sustained significant cosmetic dents when dropped on tarp-lined concrete. It kept wine cold for 3 hours and 40 minutes—less than some other models—but that duration is still longer than you would likely need to drink a glass of wine.
- Performance: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This insulated stainless-steel tumbler was relatively comfortable to hold, winning compliments for the flat indents on two sides. But when testers started sipping, things got a little less pleasant. While many commented how smooth the sipping action was, others found liquid dribbling down their chins with each swig. “Loved the shape, hated the leaking,” one tester noted. To make sure that this wasn’t a fluke, we ordered another tumbler and had no leakage issues. This inconsistency, paired with a chintzy, loose-feeling lid slider, took this tumbler down a notch, though it did perform adequately in terms of insulation, keeping wine chilled for 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Not Recommended
- Performance: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
While Otterbox is known for sturdy phone cases, the brand’s insulated stainless-steel wine tumbler was disappointing. Testers disliked the slippery, granular surface that, coupled with a narrow top and very bulbous rounded bottom, made it hard to hold. And while it kept wine cold for a little more than 4 hours, since the lid didn’t have a slider portion to cover the sipping port, it was more prone to larger spills. Durability-wise, the tumbler sustained significant dents when dropped and didn’t live up to the brand’s reputation.
- Performance: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
This attractive, petite insulated stainless-steel tumbler was pleasant to use. But as one tester noted, since it doesn’t have a lid “it’s really just a cup.” Though it did a good job insulating cold liquids—it kept wine chilled for 3 hours and 20 minutes—the lack of a lid also proved to be its fatal flaw, since any jostling meant losing your drink.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
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