I Use My Self-Heating Coffee Mug Daily, and These Options Are All on Sale Right Now

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When the Ember mug was first released in 2016, I was skeptical that it was worth the high, three-digit price tag. Surely, a coffee mug with a heating element built into it couldn’t be that much better than an insulated thermos, right? But now that I have one, I can’t go back. If you drink a daily cup of coffee like I do, before Prime Day—and its competition sales from Walmart, Best Buy, etc.—ends, you owe it to yourself to snatch up a self-heating coffee mug.

Since it came out, Ember has earned itself a few competitors on the market, but to me, the original is still the best. This coffee mug, on sale at Walmart, comes in both a 10 oz. and 14 oz. size. Both cost roughly the same at the moment and come with a charging coaster. (It’ll still heat while not on the coaster, though, as long as it’s charged.)

As someone who loves to nurse a cup of coffee or hot chocolate over the course of a few hours, but who has gotten literally burned more than I’d like to admit while using a thermos, this has revolutionized how I drink coffee. It’s never too warm or too cold now, and it’s especially useful for drinks that tend to cool off fast, like hot chocolate. The catch is that you need to use the companion app to set your desired temperature, but for down-to-the-degree control, that’s a pain I’m willing to deal with. Plus, it pings me when my drink hits my desired temperature, which is convenient.

It’s admittedly not great for travel, but while Ember does make a thermos that uses the same tech as its mug, it’s not discounted right now. It’s also worth noting that, depending on how large you like your drinks, 14 oz. might not be enough for you.

Ember mug alternatives

Even with my testimony, I understand if the Ember Mug is either too fiddly or too pricey for you. In that case, try one of these alternatives.

The Nextmug is probably Ember’s biggest competition, and offers a similar experience but without an app. Like Ember, it’s a battery-powered mug with a charging coaster. Instead of an app, you’ll use a button on the mug to select between three temperature presets—warm (130 degrees), hot (140 degrees), or piping (150 degrees). There’s no degree-level control here, but if any of those presets sound good to you, you might like this mug better than Ember’s.

Or, you could instead pay a bit more to opt for the Nextmug Plus, which is the largest option on this list at 18 oz. of capacity. It’s great if you like a large cup, and as a plus, both versions of the Nextmug come with an extra charging coaster and a travel lid (it doesn’t close fully, but it’s better than nothing). Like Ember, Nextmug does make a thermos, but it is similarly not on sale for the moment.

Finally, there’s the Kepwam mug, if you’re looking for a budget option. Both the Ember and the Nextmug cost about the same right now, but this one is about half the price. On paper, it’s similar to the Nextmug, with three temperature presets and no app. Those presets are a bit unusual for my tastes—113 degrees, 131 degrees, and 149 degrees, but could appeal to you if Nextmug’s don’t. It’s also 16 oz., making it larger than either the Ember mug or base Nextmug, although it doesn’t come with a second charging coaster. On the plus side, it does include a removable lid with a latch that closes fully. This is not a big name product, if you couldn’t tell by the odd variation of “keep warm” it’s named after, although Amazon reviews consistently give it four to five stars.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs through Sunday, July 13 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.