Unless you live under a rock — or don’t have an Instagram account — you’re likely familiar with Stanley’s cult-favorite Adventure Quencher Travel Tumblers. The cup of choice among countless influencers, the Adventure Quencher was launched in 2016 by Stanley, a 109-year-old brand known for camping gear and rough-and-tumble outdoors accessories.
While an unlikely duo, Stanley and content creators are now a recipe for success that other brands are trying desperately to emulate: Today, the cup sells out within minutes of literally every single restock, thanks to influencers urging their massive followings to buy it the second it becomes available. Not only has the Adventure Quencher amassed a waitlist over 150,000 people long since its inception, but #stanleytumbler has more than 25M views on TikTok.
An early adopter of the Adventure Quencher, I’m here to say that all this hype is, in fact, worthy. As a product tester, I get a lot of items sent my way, from leggings and sports bras to toasters and water bottles. A couple of years ago, amid the sea of swag on my dining room table, the Stanley cup not only stood out and piqued my interest, but it quickly became my daily go-to.
Currently in stock at Amazon in a few colors, the Adventure Quencher is also in the news because it just got a new and improved sister cup dubbed the Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler, which just launched today in a new soft matte finish. Given my love of the original, I had to try out Stanley’s latest iteration and (spoiler) it’s really good. Here’s why.
It’s hard to improve on such a good thing, but Stanley’s done it with the Quencher H2.0 FlowState while managing to keep the price exactly the same ($20 to $45). Slightly tailored, the small changes make a big difference.
What we like about the original Adventure Quencher
What makes the cup oh-so-great? Well, for one, it’s enormous. Sure, it comes in 14-, 20- and 30-ounce formats, but everyone who’s in on the Stanley secret knows that the 40-ounce size — which has a trusty built-in handle — is the way to go.
And that enormity also lends itself to keeping me extremely hydrated. I’m a hyper-thirsty person anyways, but the Adventure Quencher’s huge size allows for less time refilling and more time drinking. If I refill it just twice in one day, I’m close to hitting The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s recommended 92 ounces a day consumption. The cup’s double-wall insulation also keeps beverages hot for seven hours and iced for two full days — seriously, it’s true, ice cubes stay intact for 48 hours.
Another detail I love is that despite its size, the Adventure Quencher has a tapered, slim base that fits into my car cup holder. This is big for me (and all the suburban moms who adore it), because I’m in my car a dozen hours every week driving my kids around, and having all the necessities in there (including water) is a must. More to know: If you’re not a straw person, no worries — the cup has a rotating cover allowing for three positions: straw, sipping spout or full-cover closure (more on that below).
And there’s the hype factor. It’s a simple equation if you think about it. Everyone wants the Adventure Quencher and it’s really hard to get. Strangers often come up to me while I’m running errands or sitting on the soccer field sidelines to ask a) if the cup is as good as people say and b) how I managed to get one. Point being: People notice this cup, they want to talk about it and, subsequently, they want one too. All the cute colorways — from neutral creams to bubblegum pink — also make the cups perfect for the ’gram. Oh, and I’d be remiss not to mention that it can be popped into the bottom rack of the dishwasher at the end of the day. (Though, full disclosure, I keep mine bedside for middle-of-the-night hydration!)
What we liked about the Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler
It’s hard to improve on such a good thing, but Stanley’s done it with the Quencher H2.0 FlowState while managing to keep the price exactly the same ($20 to $45). Slightly tailored, the small changes make a big difference.
That handle I mentioned earlier, for instance, is a key part of the original Adventure Quencher’s success — it’s ergonomic and makes carrying the large cup a breeze — and the Quencher H2.0 has a new two-toned “comfort grip” that lines the handle. Is this a necessary detail? No. Do I love it? Absolutely. Not only does it look great, but it also feels luxurious and helps me get a better grip on the handle. Oh, and the Quencher H2.0’s 30-ounce size comes with a handle, whereas the Adventure Quencher 30-ounce doesn’t.
The Quencher H2.0’s straw also got upgraded with a new silicone seal that wraps the straw base and aims to prevent spilling. Full disclosure: If you knock over your Adventure Quencher, water is going to flood out onto the floor. This new “splash-resistant” detail isn’t completely watertight, but it definitely slows the spillage down to a drip, which is about as good as you’re going to get with a straw tumbler-style cup.
And while this detail is invisible to the eye, I’m a huge supporter of Stanley’s commitment to sustainability, which is front and center in the Quencher H2.0 — the cup is made from material composed of 90% recycled stainless steel.
What we didn’t liked about the Adventure Quencher and Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler
There’s not much to be mad about when it comes to this cup. If I had to pick something I’d home in on the fact that neither of the Quencher cups is spillproof, making it a no-go for long-distance traveling. For instance, you can’t throw the cup in your tote as you would an airtight water bottle. When traveling this summer, I was without my beloved Adventure Quencher and, as a result, drinking way less water. It’s not often you miss a cup every day while you’re out of town, but that’s exactly where I was.
How the Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler compares to other cups
I’ve tried a ton of cups and water bottles over the years and the Quenchers are hands down my favorite, even over spillproof bottles, mainly because the Stanley cups’ straw design makes it super easy to be drinking on the go, whereas a water bottle requires unscrewing a cap or flipping up a spout — sure, that takes only a second, but it adds a preliminary step to every sip I take.
When compared to other cups with straws, the Stanley tumblers definitely win in the quality and design categories. The Reduce 40-Ounce Cold1 Insulated Stainless Steel Straw Tumbler Mug is a fan favorite at Target and it has a nifty sip-or-straw lid and a cheaper $25 price tag, but it doesn’t fit in standard cup holders, and while promising to keep water cold for 34 hours, I found ice melting after a few hours.
I’m a big fan of the Yeti’s coolers, chairs and beyond, but the Rambler 25-Ounce Stackable Cup is also inferior to the Quenchers due to its lack of a handle — which makes carrying it around cumbersome and stressful when my hands are full! — and a bare-bones lid that only accommodates a straw. (Editor’s note: Yeti recently launched a new Rambler Mug, which comes in 25- and 35-ounce capacities and does feature a handle.) If you want a spout/locked lid, you have to spend an additional $10 on the brand’s beloved Magslider Lid.
Bottom line
You can’t go wrong with either the Stanley Adventure Quencher Travel Tumbler or the newer Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler, but if I was forced to pick, I’d go with the new and improved Quencher H2.0 FlowState. The sealed straw spout and silicone-lined handle have me smitten, and the recycled nature of the cup makes it a feel-good, planet-friendly choice.
Editor’s Note: After social media users expressed concern that the Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler contains lead, the company confirmed that the toxic metal is used in manufacturing to seal the cup’s vacuum insulation and is covered by a stainless steel layer that protects consumers from exposure. Exposure is only possible in the rare case that the base cap of a Stanley cup comes off and exposes the seal. Read this article for further reporting on the topic.