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Black+Blum Insulated Travel Cup Review
Our review of the Black+Blum inulated water bottle highlighted just how good this bottle is in so many ways. From it’s good looks to how it feels in the hand. We think it may be overlooked because of its price but you get what you pay for right?
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Our Verdict
Pros
- Great plastic free cup – stylish design
- Keeps your drinks hot/cold for up to 5 hours
- One hand opening, 100% leakproof
- Great for the office, train, picnics etc
Cons
- A little expensive for a travel cup, although there are some good deals around.
- If dropped the bottle may dent due to being made from stainless steel.
- Realistically hand wash only as only the lid is dishwasher proof
Technical Details
Capacity
340 ml / 12 fl oz
Weight (oz)
225g / 0.49lbs
Dimensions
7.2cm x 7.2cm x 16.5cm / 2.8in x 2.8in x 6.5in
Available Colours
Slate, Orange, Ocean & Olive
Notable Materials
Stainless steel, silicone, polypropylene, nylon, POK, POM.
Manufacturing Country
China
Warranty Information
2 years (Black & Blum Warranty)
Full Review
Whether you’re commuting to the office or travelling across Europe the insulated travel cup from Black+Blum could easily become your travel cup of choice.
With 4 distinct colours to choose from, not only will you be able to express your personality, but you’ll also be able to enjoy keeping your drinks hot and cold for hours.
For this review, we opted for the orange variation however the other colours are just as vibrant and importantly all are BPA, BPS & BPF-free.
Opening the Box
The box itself is made from cardboard which of course is 100% recyclable and there’s a quick guide printed directly on the box. More detailed instructions on cleaning and how to take the lid apart can be found inside the cup itself.
We always find unboxing Black & Blum products a delight and although it’s not on par with opening your next iPhone, the feel of quality is definitely there.
The insulated coffee cup itself is made from beautiful brushed stainless steel which feels lovely to the touch. It’s nicely balanced and weighted both when empty and full.
Design and Materials
As with all Black+Blum products, the insulated travel cup is beautifully designed
The brushed stainless steel finish gives that all important subtle sheen and the discreet logo demonstrates quality to those that know.
The colour of the nylon lid really pops complimenting the metal cup and feels extremely strong and well made.
Turning the cup over reveals a silicone base in the same colour as the lid. This base ensures the cup will not slide on your office desk or table but importantly does not affect the overall stability of the cup itself.
We’ll come on to the features of the travel cup in just a moment but from a design perspective, it’s worth us highlighting that the cup can be used in two different ways.
The first is with the lid in place, a small spout allows for safe use whilst on the go. The second way is achieved by removing the entire lid. After unscrewing the lid and removing it from the steel cup a wide spout is revealed.
In our opinion, this is one of the best design choices Black+Blum made when producing this travel cup. For the user, it allows safe drinking whilst on the move but also a more cup-like experience when you are stationary such as sitting at a desk or in a meeting room.
Features & Use
We’ve already spoken a little about the lid and the wide spout but let’s take a closer look at the lid and how it locks, unlocks and is removed.
The insulated travel cup is as you’d expect 100% leakproof and part of that solution is the lockable lid. This feature ensures you can be confident when carrying the travel cup in a bag. To open the smaller spout you simply need to push down on the catch and twist to reveal the smaller drinking spout used when on the go.
Black+Blum claim that this action can be done one handed and whilst we’ve included this feature within our pros I would say that it does take a little practice to get it mastered. Even using two hands, it’s a simple action and a nice design.
The wide spout for drinking when stationary is revealed once the lid is fully removed. This is done by simply unscrewing from the main body of the cup. The smooth edge of the cup adds to the experience and feels natural to drink from.
The 2.8″ / 7.2cm diameter of the insulated travel cup is a perfect size when you consider the many uses for this product. From a backpack perspective the cup will fit in most if not all bottle holders and when it comes to transport the cup fits nicely in bicycle bottle cages and in car cup holders.
As with many insulated cups and bottles, the Black+Blum Insulated Travel Cup cannot be fully cleaned in a dishwasher. Only the lid can be placed in the dishwasher but I’d question the practicality of that. I think that most people would clean the lid by hand along with the cup itself.
Cleaning the cup is simple as you’d expect but the lid itself needs to be disassembled to get a thorough clean. Taking the lid apart can seem difficult at first but actually, Black+Blum has made it fairly simple.
Simply turn the lid over, pinch the retaining clip and push. This will allow the catch to be removed and the inner clasp to come away from the lid.
Simply reverse to assemble the lid once clean and dry.
A quick word of caution, being made from metal you should not use the insulated travel cup in the microwave!
One of the main features of the Black+Blum Insulated Travel Cup is the ability to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold.
The Black+Blum claim is that the travel cup will keep your drink hot or cold for up to 5 hours…. so of course we had to test it out.
As usual, we tested the cup in our controlled environment – a room where the air temperature was kept at a steady 21oC. We performed 2 tests, one with hot water and the other with cold.
After 5 hours the results were in.
The hot water had reduced from 92.3oC to 75.1oC reducing in temperature by 17.2oC – not bad at all.
The cold water had increased slightly from 5.6oC to 7.6oC, a rise of just 2oC – again, very good.
Therefore from an insulation perspective, the travel cup passed the tests with flying colours.
Overall we think the Black+Blum Insulated Travel Cup is a great investment. Although slightly pricey the cup is both stylish and made to a very high standard. It’s lovely to use and does what it was designed for, keeping hot and cold drinks insulated.
Experience Timeline
Initial Use
Condition: Excellent
- Unpacking pleasing, delight to drink from for the first time
- Kept my coffee lovely and warm during my commute to work
- Lid a little tricky to dismantle for cleaning
After 2 weeks of use
Condition: Good
- Disassembling the lid mastered
- One handed opening mastered
- Some very fine hairline scratches have appeared on the body of the cup
