If you’re in the market for plastic mugs that look great and hold up to years of use, check out my reviews and top picks below before you go shopping. For over 15 years, we carried a nice variety of beer and beverage mugs in durable, dishwasher-safe plastics. Most of our lines (in fact, all) are now sold factory-direct on Amazon, so we no longer stock them here.
BUT… we can sure let you know what topped our list for style, durability and customer satisfaction over the years! In fact, I use several (Strahl! Clarus!) in my home even today.
Plastic Mugs by Strahl
Strahl is an all-time plastic drinkware fave of mine for its ultra-fine, crystal-like finish, good weight, and stellar performance. Strahl is a leader in plastic drinkware and the choice of many consumers, plus it’s found in top hotels for outdoor and poolside service, too. We carried the entire line for over 15 years, so I can certainly vouch for it. It’s now sold factory-direct through Amazon and there you can find all Strahl mug styles — the flared Design+ collection is one of my Top Style Picks.
Plastic Mugs by Clarus
This is a USA-made line that we love. It’s crafted in BPA-free Tritan plastic which, like polycarbonate, is virtually unbreakable. The entire Clarus unbreakable drinkware line is a great performer in the dishwasher, I don’t remember even one report of breakage in the 5+ years we carried it. Clarus has the distinction of being one of few lines that has a clear plastic coffee mug, too!
Plastic Mugs by Prodyne
Prodyne doesn’t make a wide variety of mugs but they really don’t need to — their 18oz & 20oz Forever Polycarbonate mugs were among our best sellers for the 10+ years we stocked them. The Forever Mug is super durable with a sleek, smooth-sided design. Since this plastic mug is made from polycarbonate, it does have a wash temperature threshold of 150 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Make sure you don’t use the high-heat sani-cycle if you have an Energy-star dishwasher with these — or really, any — plastic drinkware. Higher wash temperatures will damage nearly all plastics over time.
Insulated Plastic Mugs by Tervis Tumblers and Signature Drinkware
We carried both Tervis and Signature insulated plastic drinkware lines for several years. These brands are the only ones I would pay money for in the world of insulated drinkware because they stand behind their products for years after purchase. Both lines are made in the USA, and they each have great insulated mugs. Tervis offers a multipurpose size mug and Signature has slightly smaller coffee mug size that is one of my Top Faves.
Plastic Mugs by G.E.T. and Carlisle Foodservice Brands
G.E.T. and Carlisle are two of the world’s biggest restaurant and hotel plastic tableware manufacturers. We’ve been happy with just about every product we’ve handled from these factories and that’s really no surprise. This stuff is made to last for years in the busiest bars and restaurants – and it does. The one drawback is the products are hard to find sold by the piece. These lines are generally sold through restaurant suppliers by the case now that we no longer stock them. But if you’re looking for quantities, here are some good deals:
Most of these lines are available on Amazon at competitive pricing (and that wonderful Prime Free Shipping if you’re a member – which I love, btw!). I included links to all that I could find.
I’m developing quite a love/hate realtionship with Amazon! They nearly put us out of business by taking on most of the lines we spent years building up. BUT I sure love shopping there – they certainly know their stuff when it comes to filling orders. Not such a fan of their skimpy product details, though — I guess that’s where we fill the void since we personally test (and often adopt for our own homes) everything we carry or recommend.
Ah, well — if you can’t beat ’em… As always, let me know if you have any comments or product recommendations.
