Prosthis is a perfect balance between travel mug and thermos. it keeps your coffee pipin'' hot until 2:00 in the afternoon or thereabouts (your milage may vary). I can drink directly from the mug, but seal it up completely and not worry about leaks (in theory). Fits perfectly in a cup holder. Meets all my needs for a mug, the lid is super insulated.
ConsIt requires the prowess of a US Marine field stripping his rifle to take the lid apart. It''s like 4 different rings and pieces with rubber seals throughout, I like to impress friends by putting on a blindfold and putting it back together.
....but the big problem with the mug, the afore mentioned rubber seals are not great, or require constant attention/cleaning. My mug leaks between several of the rings in the lid assembly, I''ve tracked it down to a particular rubber seal. So, this mug is otherwise perfect for my needs, but it constantly will drip onto my shirt when drinking.
I contacted Stanley about this, and the GREAT customer service immediately asked me for my address and sent another one, free of charge, but now I have two Stanley mugs that both drip in the exact same manner.
Stanley thermoses have been a part of our family for generations, going back to my great grandfather. Stanley has a reputation for ruggedness and high-quality, and this Stanley Outdoor 16 oz. Vacuum Drink Bottle lives-up to that reputation. First of all this mug is a vacuum flask, just like Stanley''s thermoses. Vacuum flask technology is the best technology for preventing thermal attrition (keeping your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold). Other travel mugs do not employ this technology because it is more expensive but the results are well worth it. I enjoy my coffee very hot and my water ice cold. When I received this I tested it and found that it kept my coffee nice and hot (not lukewarm) for over 10 hours! As for cold, it had ice in my ice water in it after 30 hours before I just drank it so I could use it.
The entire bottle is stainless steel. It is double-walled, with a vacuum between the steel walls. The screw-on top seals very nicely and is made of a very strong plastic, it seems very solid. In fact, I mistook the base of the cap for steel because it was so solid. The base of the cap has a clip tab attached to it that can attach to backpacks, etc.. The cap assembly can be easily taken apart to thoroughly clean it.
When I first received it, and began using it, I took it for a jog with me. I noticed that as I sloshed my water around inside, a little splashed-out and I thought it was defective. I later realized that the bottom part of the cap assembly wasn''t screwed tightly when it was shipped to me and after I screwed it tightly, the mug sealed perfectly and works like a dream!
Drinking through the top is easy and convenient. With a turn of the outer ring of the cap, the outer ring rises above the inner orange hub about 1/16 of an inch and the liquid flows freely not just a little trickle like some travel mugs. This is great when you''re really thirsty from activity. The top is designed so that you can drink from any side you want to, which is really nice. I also like that it is labeled with a U.S. capacity of 16 ounces and not some metric liter garbage that no one uses here. It fits nicely in anyone''s hand, even if your hands are small (see circumference below).
Here are some specifics on the mug that I wish Amazon/Stanley would have given, so I will:
Height: 9-1/4 inches
Diameter: 2-13/16 inches
Circumference: 8-4/5 inches
Composition of mug interior: Stainless Steel
Composition of mug exterior: Stainless Steel
Composition of Cap/Top: Plastic/Polymer
Thermal Attrition Resistance: Vacuum
Empty Weight: 1 pound, 0.4 ounces
Liquid-Filled Weight: 2 pounds, 1.2 ounces
Maximum Capacity (Volume): 1 Pint (16 fluid ounces or 1/8 Gallon)
Country of Origin: Made in China (not USA, sadly).
Cleaning Method: Hand Wash Only [Not Dishwasher Safe]
Not Microwave Safe Do Not Microwave
Guarantee: Lifetime Guarantee
I have posted 10 pictures of the mug at various angles and pictures of the lid and how it works that were not posted when I bought it, so you can see what I wanted to see before I bought it.
Although I own many Stanley thermoses, this is the first of Stanley''s new Outdoor series that I have bought. I must say that I am impressed with the quality of the bottle and innovativeness of the design. It is definitely a mug that can be used not only in offices and commuting to work, but also on the job where ruggedness is required and out on the trail. The only drawback I see is that it is made in China instead of the U.S.A. Personally, I''d happily pay double the price for one that was made in U.S.A. In any case, a good Stanley product is worth the investment. Stanley''s famous Lifetime Guarantee is legendary and when you see how solid and well-built this product is, you can see why Stanley can offer such a great guarantee. I am so happy with this bottle that I am going to ask for another one for my birthday so I''ll have two one for water and one for coffee.
Buy Stanley Outdoor Vacuum Drink-Thru Bottle 16 ounce/ 473ml Now
First, the good: this is a really well-built bottle, and holds a temperature for a long time. Also, the enclosed literature claims the bottle has a lifetime warranty also nice. However, even after a couple weeks of use, the plastic lid still gives off a weird, plasticy smell. Hopefully it''ll go away, but it''s currently kinda annoying to drink delicate teas in.
Read Best Reviews of Stanley Outdoor Vacuum Drink-Thru Bottle 16 ounce/ 473ml Here
I ordered 3 of these (1 for each member of our family), hoping they were 1/2 as great as their description. WOW -was I amazed!!! I made tea at 7:30 a.m., put it in my mug and went to work. I had the top of the mug(orange part)in the "open" position, so I could sip all morning at my desk and at Noon, my tea was still PIPING HOT! I couldn''t believe it! I know it is a little bit of an investment, but TOTALLY worth the price! The mug fits in the drink holder of my car bonus! It is a little heavier than your typical "to go" coffee mug, which my husband loves (heft=quality in his book). LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!! Also fast & free shipping love that, too!
Want Stanley Outdoor Vacuum Drink-Thru Bottle 16 ounce/ 473ml Discount?
Expensive for a vacuum bottle is it worth it? Here''s my take: the design appears to be excellent, though it took me a while and several disassemblies and reassemblies of the complicated lid to figure out how to use it and clean it. As advertised, it closes with a secure click and appears watertight. It does a fine job keeping hot things hot, cold things cold. But it''s made in China -not known for high-quality consumer goods -and at this price, I might have expected Japanese, European, or even USA manufacture. So I''m looking skeptically at this complicated lid mechanism and wondering how long it''ll last. Now here''s the hooker it has the lifetime guarantee, meaning that -like certain other consumer goods of high-quality manufacture (think Sears Craftsman tools or Jansport packs) -you can send back the defective part at any time and get a free replacement. So my bet is that this is the new corporate strategy for higher-end consumer goods make ''em in China but offer to replace parts as they give out, and it''ll still be cheaper for the corporation than having them manufactured someplace where workers get a fairer share. That said, as of right now I''m happy with it.
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UPDATE: after several months'' using this bottle almost daily, I''m upgrading its rating. I''ve finally got the lid figured out. It has performed perfectly, it never leaks, it''s actually easy to clean once you''re comfortable with how the parts fit together. I suspect that the people who report its leaking have it assembled incorrectly. I''m very pleased with it and plan for it to be the last Thermos-type bottle I ever buy (assuming I don''t lose it).
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SECOND UPDATE (9/23/10): Answer to lead question is no, it won''t last. The plastic part which threads the cap into the bottle has disintegrated. It has had no more stress than regular daily use. I will say that I called Stanley''s toll-free number, got a human right away, and they are sending a replacement cap without any fuss, no return or receipt required. So I''m downgrading the rating; if you want to use this thing for the long haul, be ready to call for a replacement cap every 6-12 months or so.
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THIRD UPDATE (11/4/10): So today the replacement lid broke again, it was the main part of the lid, the one with the handle attached, and again a small part of the plastic just disintegrated this time it comprised the edge of one of the locking tabs, so it won''t lock anymore and therefore is useless. I''ve called for another replacement lid, but this is getting old. I''ve downgraded my rating again.
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FOURTH UPDATE(11/15/10): Third replacement lid in place, and now the vacuum is apparently gone cold iced coffee warms up in about an hour. I''m going to request a replacement, but as of now I''m downgrading its rating as low as it''ll go. BEWARE THIS PRODUCT! A HIGH-PRICED, POORLY-MANUFACTURED FAILURE.
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It''s great except you need to tighten the bejesus out of the cap or else it leaks lightly. I''ve had a couple incidents of a wet backpack and front seat of the car. Otherwise, I take this thing everywhere and it''s fine.
