Dog owners, I’m looking at you.
If you’re a frequent walker — somebody who primarily commutes this way but possibly also someone who spends a good amount of time outdoors with a four-legged friend — you might be familiar with the extremely specific problem of having to figure out what the heck to do with your portable water or coffee container once that vessel’s contents have been depleted. Lugging it around isn’t such a big deal when it’s full of delicious coffee or an ice-cold beverage, but running errands with it definitely starts to feel like an annoyance once it’s empty, particularly if you’re also trying to manage an energetic pup.
I realise this is such a small thing, but frequently carting around an empty coffee mug on hour-long walks with my dog was one of the reasons I’ve considered investing in a collapsible cup for some time now. A couple months back, I noticed one in an aisle of my grocery store and very nearly grabbed it right then and there. But it seemed like such a silly indulgence, and I ultimately decided against the purchase at the time.
Reader, if you have been considering a collapsible cup, allow me to help you make the decision: Just get the dang cup.
I’ve recently been testing out a collapsible silicone tumbler from Hydaway, which I really like for several reasons. First, it holds 450 grams of liquid and it’s leak-proof, which is great and definitely more than I can say about the portable coffee mug I’ve had for years, which has lost its seal. I can turn it upside down, sideways, whatever — it does not leak so long as the lid is secure. Another issue I ran into with one of my regular tumblers is that the little openings for drinking often weren’t actually sealable (as was the case on the Yeti Rambler 280 gram Lowball I used to use). The Hydaway has a swivel lid to plug the top and avoid spills.
The cup also comes with a straw as well as a neoprene sleeve to protect against very hot or especially cold beverages. This one folds down into a 3 centimetre puck that neatly tucks into the included sleeve, and I found it easily fit in a jacket pocket or a small tote. As a bonus, it’s dishwasher safe. You’ll find them in red, powder blue, light grey, and black on Amazon, but Hydaway’s website also has newer Yukon, Cascadia, and Mojave vista designs as well. That one retails for about $33.
If some of these specific features are less important to you, you may be able to snag a variation of this concept for a little cheaper. Stojo makes a similar design that shaves a few bucks off of the Hydaway’s price, though I have not personally tried it. A cursory glance at “collapsible coffee cup” on Amazon turned up dozens of other spins on this concept as well.
All I’m saying is, consider a collapsible coffee cup. It’s a small thing that has improved my life, which means a lot these days. I don’t think you’ll regret it.