Travel Mugs: KeepCup vs SmartCup

Steadily gaining in popularity for their practicality and eco-friendliness, travel coffee mugs are now available in an infinite number of styles. Among these different choices are KeepCups and SmartCups by frank green. You've probably already seen them at your favourite independent coffee shops!

Shared Features

While both companies carry out awareness campaigns through the sale of their products, they understand that to succeed in their shared goal of reducing disposable cup waste, they must offer a product that is as aesthetically appealing as it is practical.

Several of these mugs’ features are designed to easily integrate them into everyday life; they can fit into most cup holders, as well as under espresso machines’ filter holders (in small and medium sizes).

This last feature is particularly interesting, because it allows you to have optimal coffee extraction right into your cup; since you don’t have to transfer the liquid from one container to another, you keep all that delicious crema. Similarly, the barista at your favourite café won’t have to do any transfers either, which makes their job easier and more efficient.

The KeepCup's integrated sleeve (made of silicone or cork) and the SmartCup's cylindrical shape also add to these products’ convenience. Another big plus is that they are both dishwasher safe! This is great if you use your cup every day, and we won't say no to a good wash every now and then. You should keep in mind, however, that if you want to put your SmartCup in the microwave, you’ll have to remove the metal spring that’s in the lid.

You only need to look at these two mugs to see that the design and quality are optimized in their manufacturing. This means that you’ll have to pay a little more for these products, but if you do the minimum to maintain them, they will last you for years.

The KeepCup

The company's goal is to increase the use of reusable cups to 40% for prepared drinks. Although this initiative is led by a brother and sister, the idea came about when the latter was warming her child's bottle. She thought about how wasteful it would be to give her child a disposable bottle every time, but realized that she was throwing away the equivalent in coffee cups.

She and her brother came up with the idea of creating travel mugs that would appeal to consumers and reduce disposable cup waste by eliminating the pain points that mugs currently available on the market have, such as their: size, materials, and appearance. They set out to design a product that would hold a specialty beverage as it is meant to be served, in a comfortable, ergonomic, and appealing design.

In addition to all the advantages listed above, the KeepCup can also be personalized with a logo. This not only makes it a great option for businesses, but also for companies looking for gift ideas for employees, to mark a special occasion, etc. Additionally, KeepCups are available in a dizzying number of colours (each of the cup’s elements is customizable).

The Frank Green Smartcup

Sporting a beautiful, sleek design, the frank green SmartCup is one of the most practical mugs on the market. It's completely airtight and features a snap button that offers enough resistance to stop the mug from opening accidentally. This is especially great for when you are on-the-go, and particularly when pothole season is in full swing.

The materials used also have interesting features such as a non-slip surface and a lining that doesn’t leave a lingering taste from your previous drink; you really only taste the coffee that’s in the mug! In addition, the container’s thickness keeps your beverage hot or cold for up to ten hours.

The frank green mug is also customizable thanks to a wide choice of colours. Although, you can't put a customized logo on it. Another cool thing is that you can order either the mug, or the lid, separately; this is great if you want to have more than one design or colour...or if you lose one of the two pieces.

Both mugs can be ordered online. Let's help the planet, one coffee at a time. Cheers!