Do Bamboo Travel Mugs Keep Drinks Warm?

ByLouis Reading Time: 5 minutes

Recently, people have become more actively involved with protecting the environment. For many, this effort has included switching from single-use takeaway cups to reusable travel mugs. Yet, there are so many options for you to choose from, one of them being bamboo travel mugs. However, “do bamboo travel mugs keep drinks warm?” If you want to use your cup for coffee, this is undoubtedly a question you want to be answered.

Bamboo travel mugs do not have a double-walled lining and will therefore not keep your drinks hot or cold for extended periods. They have a lid to retain heat for a little while, but they are not quite as effective at keeping liquids warm as some other travel mugs.

If you consider buying a bamboo travel mug because it appears more environmentally friendly, you should think again. Bamboo travel mugs are not more environmentally friendly than ceramic or stainless-steel travel mugs. In addition, there are some health risks associated with them.

Why Do People Use Bamboo Travel Mugs To Keep Drinks Warm?

There is one main reason why many people buy bamboo travel mugs. It is because they are under the impression that bamboo travel mugs are more eco-friendly than other reusable mugs. However, this is not the case.

While bamboo is a sustainable resource, many of the processes involved in making a bamboo travel mug are not eco-friendly. The technique used in making bamboo travel mugs entails processes and chemicals that are not environmentally friendly.

Furthermore, melamine is added to make bamboo travel mugs. Melamine makes the mugs hard and durable. However, melamine is not biodegradable or recyclable. Unfortunately, many companies advertise bamboo travel mugs to be exceptionally environmentally friendly.

Some companies will spread outright lies, claiming that their bamboo travel mugs are biodegradable or recyclable. Usually, these companies will then also use this “fact” to blow up the price of their product. To be sure that you know what you are buying, it is best to read the materials that the bamboo mug is made of before you buy it.

The reality is that bamboo travel mugs are no better for the environment than ceramic or stainless-steel travel mugs. They are all great substitutes for single-use coffee cups, but if they break or are discarded, they contribute to landfill waste.

Why Shouldn’t You Use A Bamboo Travel Mug For Warm Drinks?

There are a few reasons why a bamboo travel mug is not suitable for keeping drinks warm. The first reason is that it is not lined with an insulator. It, therefore, has nothing to insulate the heat and keep a drink warm. As a result, it will not keep your drink warmer for a longer time than a single-use takeaway cup can.

You shouldn’t use a bamboo travel mug to keep drinks warm because bamboo travel mugs are made from bamboo powder and corn starch mixed with resin to make them hard and durable. Unfortunately, that resin is a combination of melamine and formaldehyde in most cases.

Melamine is a type of plastic often used to make plastic cutlery. However, melamine is not supposed to be used when temperatures are 158°F or higher. If melamine is exposed to these temperatures, it will start leaching into the beverage. In addition, it will cause the formaldehyde also to start leaching.

You certainly don’t want to be ingesting melamine or formaldehyde as they are proven to have some concerning effects on your health. Formaldehyde is also a carcinogen. Therefore, bamboo travel mugs are not suitable for holding warm beverages.

What Is Better Than A Bamboo Travel Mug To Keep Drinks Warm?

There is a never-ending selection when it comes to travel mugs. However, there are a couple that is a notch above the rest when you want to buy a mug specifically to keep drinks warm.

Your number one option would be an insulated hydro flask. Hydro flasks have been around for years, and there is a good reason for that. They work! The hydro flasks you can buy today are much more leakproof than their predecessors, though.

While hydro flasks are not the most attractive option for travel mugs, they do an excellent task of keeping your beverage warm. In addition, because they don’t have a lid top and screw wholly shut, they are more effective at keeping their contents hot.

Suppose you want something that looks a bit more stylish, but that can still do an excellent job of keeping your coffee hot. In this case, you can purchase an insulated stainless-steel travel mug. These mugs are widely popular. They are able to keep drinks warm for hours. They can also keep drinks cold for almost 24hours.

There are styles and brands to fit each person’s unique taste and budget. For example, stainless-steel travel mugs are a great option if you buy coffee regularly and want to keep it warm for a couple of hours.

The third option you have is a ceramic travel mug. These are not as good at keeping drinks warm as stainless-steel ones, but they also don’t leach harmful chemicals into your beverage. Ceramic mugs are dishwasher safe and microwavable, though, so this is the best option if you would like to heat something up or reheat your drink.

Ceramic mugs are somewhat more fragile and heavier than bamboo travel mugs or stainless-steel travel mugs.

Conclusion

Even though bamboo travel mugs look great and are marketed as the best option for a reusable travel mug, they are not suitable to keep drinks warm. They do not have sufficient insulation to keep drinks warm, and the melamine that is added to them cannot withstand high temperatures.

It is dangerous for your health to use a bamboo travel mug to keep drinks warm. Luckily, there are many other options to choose from. Hydro flasks and insulated stainless-steel travel mugs are the best mugs to buy if you want to keep your beverage warm.

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