This is the premiere source online for unbiased reviews and comparisons of all the top french press travel mugs on the market today.
You are probably reading this page because you are researching french press travel mugs to buy for either yourself or for a loved one.
As you can expect there isn’t a ton of specs that set the various travel presses apart but the mugs do vary in price by a bit and there are a few brands that you may have never heard of before.
This website is not meant to sell you on anything – seriously – I have a passion for coffee, french press coffee in fact, and so my main goal here is to help answer your questions and help you decide if getting one of these things is even the right thing to do.
As you scroll down the page (this is a long page btw) you will find:
- Reviews – What I consider to be the best travel coffee presses on the market today
- Comparisons – Direct head-to-head comparisons of some of the best selling french press travel mugs
- Answers to FAQs – Many of the most commonly asked questions we get on this type of product
- Alternatives – We will finish up this page with our thoughts on why you might want to not buy one of these and instead try something different.
In my own home I make coffee many different ways, the french press method is one that I use a lot though.
I for one love the body that you get with good pressed coffee; you just don’t get that when you use a paper filter.
In my home I am partial to brewing in thermal french press pots that are constructed with vacuum sealed double walls. I don’t like to keep brewed coffee in the beakers for long after brewing though, instead I find the insulation of the french press keeps the water hotter during the 4-minute brewing process that it does using glass or plastic.
Using a travel mug french press however I have to keep the pressed grind in the mug while I drink the coffee so the plunger and filter screen become even more important.
Of all the travel coffee press options right now my three favorites are:
- The Espro Travel Press – (Amazon) (My Review)
- The Stanley Classic Vacuum Travel Press – (Amazon) (My Review)
- The Kohipress Kohi+ – (Amazon) (My Review)
For me these are great because they are well insulated and they filter well even when I’m tipping my mug back and forth between sips.
Of all the options the cheapest decent option of them all is usually The Zyliss Travel French Press Mug (My Review).
It’s shaped more like a standard coffee mug but the lid includes a basic press/plunger with filter screen.
If you don’t want to spend much and are fine with your travel mug being more coffee cup styled then give it a look.
But, before you go running off to buy anything lets dig into the detailed reviews I’ve drafted on all of the best options out there.
Full Reviews of the Top Rated French Press Travel Mugs
Below you’ll find all of the reviews I’ve put together on the best rated french press travel mugs sold today. The mugs found in this section include the following:
- The Espro Travel Press (Jump to the Review)
- The Bodum Travel Press in Stainless or Acrylic (Jump to the Review)
- The Amovee Travel French Press Mug (Jump to the Review)
- The Stanley Classic Vacuum Travel Press (Jump to the Review)
- The Kohipress Portable French Press Mug (Jump to the Review)
- The Zyliss Travel French Press (Jump to the Review)
This review section will grow as new models are introduced.
The Espro Travel Coffee Press (optional tea filter sold separately)
Espro has been making a really awesome travel press for a few years now. It’s simply called the Espro Travel Press but in 2018 they came out with a second version which is slightly larger and slightly lighter called the Espro Ultralight which may be a bit more in tune with what you are looking for.
You can see product specs and pricing here on Amazon.
The Travel Press:
https://www.amazon.com/Espro-Travel-Coffee-Press-Stainless/dp/B00UTO8YKU/
The Ultralight Coffee Press:
https://www.amazon.com/Espro-5116C-BS-Ultralight-Insulated-Stainless/dp/B011WTW618/
The Original Travel Press by Espro
The original press is very well made. It is somewhat expensive compared to all other travel french presses on the market but it is made with premium specs.
First of all it will keep your coffee hot! It’s got a very sturdy build with double wall vacuum insulation. Couple that with a well insulated “beefy” lid and you shouldn’t expect to have to replace this anytime soon.
The mug itself is on the smaller side as it only makes approximately 12 ounces of coffee at a time but if you like your french press coffee well filtered then this is as good as it gets!
All Espro french presses include the best filtration designs I’ve ever seen. They include multiple filter screens that are much tighter than normal filter screens found on the vast majority of french presses.
The filter can also be swapped out with a loose leaf tea screen if that’s more your style.
The Ultralight Coffee Press
In 2018 Espro starting production on a new style to compliment the travel press. The Ultralight was made to be a coffee press that was slightly larger but at the same time lighter yet still used the exact same filtration screens used in the original model.
The Ultralight Coffee Press is a bit taller, slightly more slender, weighs less, and includes a new loop cap so that you can use the travel mug much like you would a hydration bottle.
I’m usually all into the bulk and strength of the Espro brand but I do really like the extra size offered with the Ultralight and if I ever do set out on a hike I can bring coffee with me and then switch over to water later in the day without bringing more than one bottle!
A Note on Both Models
You’ll find both Espro coffee presses to be spendy relative to the other travel mug french presses on the market but overall they are super affordable compared to top of the line french presses and coffee makers you might use on a normal Saturday morning at home.
Both coffee presses also offer you the option of inserting paper filters into the french press plunger so that you don’t have to drink unfiltered coffee.
For some people the coffee oils are a turn off based on personal preferences or due to health concerns. Espro is the only brand that gives you this flexibility.
Here is a video demonstrating just how Espro and the new Ultralight work:
The Bodum Travel French Press
The Bodum Travel Press in Acrylic is a bit cheaper than the stainless steel version but other than the material is basically the same mug. The plunger and screen in fact is virtually identical.
You can see product specs and pricing for both versions here on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Travel-Press-Stainless-Coffee/dp/B008TYX1DW/
Here is a video on how the Bodum travel mug coffee press works:
The Acrylic Mug
The Acrylic version is made from BPA-free double-walled plastic. The double wall is not vacuum sealed however but merely insulated with an air-filled void. This of course means the mug won’t hold coffee hot for a very long time but that’s not usually a problem with mugs of this style.
The main problem that you find with this mug is not the insulative effect of the mug but rather the durability. Being made from plastic a drop that lands in just the right way could result in a crack.
You shouldn’t expect this mug to be spill or leak proof either. It will resist spills but don’t think about tossing it in your bag unless you are sure it will stay right-side-up the whole time.
This mug comes in a wide variety of fun colors but it can only be had in one size, 15 ounces.
The Stainless Steel Mug
If you want something slightly more durable and able to keep your coffee hotter longer (and you are able to shell out a bit more money) then the stainless steel french press travel mug from Bodum is a popular option.
It costs more for a reason though because this much is vacuum insulated between the stainless double walls.
Other than that the mug is identical.
More Notes Pertaining to Both Presses
Both options sport a built into the lid plunger that doesn’t come out when you drink from the spout and both lids are made from the same BPA-free plastic.
The biggest complaint I have with either of these two mugs however has to do with the plunger screen. It is a basic screen that you’d find in a cheap french press (which is fine) but the screen isn’t able to plunge to the very bottom meaning you can’t prevent water/coffee from sloshing around under the screen when pressed.
Because so much water can remain under the filter screen lots of sediment can slowly escape the filter and your coffee isn’t as pure as it should be.
Nevertheless, the two Bodum travel coffee presses are still a good buy because neither are overpriced and the brand has a quality reputation.
Stanley Classic Vacuum Travel Press Mug
The coffee press mug made by Stanley is a beast if you ask me. It’s hefty, large, heavy, and it should hold up for a long time under normal wear and tear.
It is also very capable at keeping your coffee hot for 4-5 hours if you want it too, and the fine mesh filter screen is better than most french press screens, although not quite as fancy as those made by Espro.
You can see product specs and pricing here on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Classic-Vacuum-Travel-Hammertone/dp/B00NONDBXI/
Unlike some of the mugs on this list the Stanley mug only comes in one color, the classic green and stainless look that is only found with this brand.
It also only comes in a 16 ounce size although if you take the filter and grind out and only used this as a travel mug it would be closer to 18 ounces.
If you are a fan of drinking your coffee through an easily accessible spout on the lid then this won’t be for you. The lid unscrews to reveal the drinking spout like the Espro Ultralight so drinking from it is kind of like drinking from a beverage or hydration bottle in that you have to have two hands free to get the job done.
I actually really like this mug as an option for french press on the go though because it is larger and cheaper than Espro-press mugs, it’s got a better filtration plunger than Bodum, it’s built way tougher than Zyliss mugs, and it operates like a standard french press unlike relative newcomers to the space like Kohipress or Amovee.
You can also see this video to see the french press in action.
Obviously this mug is only going to work for people who are looking for an easier one-handed drinking experience (al la push button spout like Contigo) so if you really want an accessible drinking spout then maybe look to the Kohipress or even the Zyliss reviewed lower on this page.
The Kohipress Portable French Press Mug
This in my opinion is kind of similar to the Aeropress but it doesn’t use paper filters. Instead it filters like a french press using an ingenious one-way valve to ensure you don’t over-brew your coffee.
The Aeropress on the other hand makes something similar to strong drip coffee because it typically brews through a paper filter. The super fine mesh screen on the Kohipress allows the desirable coffee oils to enter your mouth just like you would expect with french press coffee.
You can see product specs and pricing here on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/KOHIPRESS-Original-Portable-Insulated-Stainless/dp/B075F9XDY7/
In fact, most people like the Kohipress style of french pressing mostly because of the valve located at the bottom of the plunger.
Kind of like the Stanley plunger, the Kohipress plunger is huge and actually holds the coffee that you eventually drink.
At the bottom of the plunger is a filter screen that does a fantastic job at keeping sediment out of your coffee. It physically can’t go around the sides of the plunger and enter your coffee because there is no access to the holding chamber but through the screen.
Once you press the plunger down and the coffee enters your “holding tank” you never have to worry about over-extraction or over-brewed coffee because the one-way valve doesn’t let the water travel back and forth between the coffee chamber and the lower spent grounds chamber.
This is actually the only french press travel tumbler where I would be perfectly fine leaving my coffee in the mug with the spent grounds for hours at a time.
It never gets bitter!
The Kohipress is a small coffee brewer, only brewing 12 ounces at a time but it’s vacuum sealed double wall construction will keep your coffee hot for hours, it’s very well made.
The biggest complaint I have though is that the last bit of coffee never makes it out of the grounds into the drinking chamber so your 12 ounces of coffee is more like 10-11 ounces of drinkable coffee so it does seem to get drunk way to fast.
For those who like normally accessible drinking spout, this mug should not disappoint either.
This style of coffee press is pretty cool, there’s no doubt about that and the price isn’t too high either, it’s still usually a lot less than Espro but if you can’t stomach the higher price Amovee makes a very similar style press that sells for a lot less. Quality may be lower so it’s always a trade off.
Here is a demonstration video of how the Kohipress works:
Is the Kohipress one of the best french press travel mugs?
Yes, I think it is but it’s not my favorite due to it’s size, wasted last drops, and price tag. Paying near the top of the price range I feel like the mug should brew more coffee or not waste coffee… but that’s just me.
The Amovee Travel French Press Mug
Call me a skeptic but I don’t think this mug is any different from the Kohipress featured above. The stainless steel model is at least virtually identical. They both use the same design and are made with double walled thermal insulation and they are the same size, roughly 12 ounces.
This one is cheaper and some would contend isn’t made as well but for just a few bucks differences you might as well get the Kohipress. For a significant amount less however you can get the Amovee travel mug coffee press in plastic!
You can see product specs and pricing here on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/AMOVEE-French-Travel-Coffee-Tumbler/dp/B078M5GJ95/
The stainless steel version of the Amovee coffee press is only slighly cheaper than Kohi+ but the plastic version is one of the lowest priced travel presses available anywhere. It’s one of those things that I think would make a great buy for a friend or family member or even for yourself if you don’t care so much about long term durability.
My same complaints apply t this mug too. I think it’s too small and I don’t like how you can’t get to the last bit of coffee at the bottom but for almost half the price of the Kohipress the plastic version of this mug is one of the best french press travel mug options on the market today.
I dont have a video to show you demonstrating the AmoVee in action but seriously, its exactly the same as the Kohi+ featured above. Check it out… unless you really want to go budget.
If so the next mug is on this list not because it’s great but because it’s the best travel coffee press for the money IMO.
The Zyliss Travel French Press
aka the Cafetiere Hot Mug
This might be slightly surprising to legit coffee snobs but the Zyliss travel french press mug is a combo french press coffee mug that is actually quite popular despite the fact that there’s nothing really awesome about it.
This unit is not leak proof, it’s not vacuum insulated, it’s not extremely durable, it doesn’t make the best french press coffee, and it’s not “cool looking”.
What makes it a great option though is it’s price. It’s cheap and it does the job just fine for the vast majority of people.
You can see product specs and pricing here on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/ZYLISS-Travel-French-Coffee-Single/dp/B00F9ZTL6U/
Basically the Zlyiss mug is made of a PBA-free plastic and constructed with an air insulated body meaning the side walls won’t get hot to the touch and the coffee inside will stay hotter longer but but probably not more than 30-60 minutes.
The simple fact of the matter is though that if you are using this mug then you are probably using it at home or at work so long heat retention is simply not necessary.
The Zlyiss looks just like an over-sized coffee mug and it feels like something you’d be sipping on at the dining room table over the newspaper so it’s actually a really awesome option for entry level mug/coffee press combination devices.
The plunger that presses the grinds down is easy to understand and clean and although it’s not particularly innovative it works just like any other standard plunger you’ve ever seen or used before.
Take a look at this demo video to see how dead simple this “HotMug” is to use:
The Zyliss french press coffee mug is approximately 12 ounces but it is not tall and slender like the Espro Ultralight, rather it is short and wide.
For the price there’s no reason to give this thing less than a glowing review in my book.
Are There Others to Choose From?
Yes, of course there are other models out there.
Above I’ve reviewed what I believe to be the best values in this space but there are other models which are just fine too from many different price points.
Some of the alternative mugs you may want to review specs on include the following:
- The Steel Toe French Press Coffee Travel Mug by Planetary Designs
- The Double Shot 3.0 French Press Travel Coffee Mug by Planetary Designs
- The Presse Coffee & Tea Making Tumbler by Bobble
- The Commuter JavaPress by GSI Outdoors
- The Travel Mug Coffee Press by Mind Reader
In the future if demand is high enough I’ll fully review these products as well.
Now, on to the comparisons.
Our Most Popular Comparisons of Best Selling French Press Travel Mugs
The Espro Travel Press vs The Bodum Travel Press
In this article I thoroughly review the best sellers from Espro and Bodum. The differences should be clear and obvious to you after reading this article making it a lot easier to decide which is the better fit for you.
The Espro Travel Press vs the Ultralight Coffee Press
Espro has sold the Travel Press to much success since 2015 but in 2018 they released a very similar product called the Ultralight. Both are french press travel mugs and they use identical plungers but one is slightly more expensive than the other. If you wanna know the differences then check this article out!
Frequently Asked Questions
Our customers have lots of questions and we’ve done our best to categorize those questions and lump them together into a group of Q&A style blocks that are easy to follow. Scan the list of questions below to find out a few pertinent things that you may or may not yet know about making french press coffee in a travel mug or on the road.
1. Do French Press Travel Mugs Make Good Coffee?
I would expect anyone looking to buy one of these things to have plenty of experience making french press coffee at home already. You probably have made a ton of batches of the stuff if you are reading this.
As you probably know when making french press coffee the grind is pressed to the bottom of the carafe and then you either leave it in there while drinking a couple of cups or you pour all of the coffee out of the carafe into a serving carafe so as to not let the coffee over extract.
With french press travel mugs however you can’t very well remove all of the grind from the bottom of your mug after pressing it; if you could you wouldn’t need an all-in-one press/mug in the first place.
Most of the highest rated mugs however use dual filtration and/or extra fine filtration so as to keep more fine particles out of your cup and keep a tighter separation between the coffee on top and the pressed grounds on the bottom.
Even still the very nature of a french press mug almost assures you that your coffee will be more heavily extracted than standard french press coffee. The grind is there the whole time you drink and the repeated jostling of the grind at the bottom every time you lift the mug to your lips dictates the release of extra bitters and fines from the bottom of your cup.
I would argue that even the best travel mug french presses will give you coffee that is not as good as you would get from a standard unit you might own at home like a Frieling, Espro P7, or Bodum Chambord.
2. Are Travel Coffee Presses Hard to Keep Clean?
At home when I brew french press coffee I usually steep my grind for roughly four minutes then slowly press the plunger to the bottom before pouring all of my coffee out into a serving carafe.
Frequently the next thing I do is to start cleaning the french press before the oils have a chance to “bond” to the glass beaker or the plunger and filter screens.
When the french press is wet everything cleans off extremely easy, just dump spent grind into the trash or compost bucket and then rinse the components under running water. It’s fast.
When everything dries out however that’s when you have to soak, scrub and sometimes utilize the expertise of the nearest dishwasher.
Obviously, taking your french press on the go in the form of a travel mug means that when you finish drinking your coffee the grinds in the cup will stay there until you finally get back to a sink… that could be minutes or hours so yes, these things can be a chore to keep clean compared to your home coffee press.
I always advise people who are buying a french press travel mug to plan on leaving the last bit of coffee in the press so things stay wet and shake them around a bit periodically so that cleaning is a little easier later on when you finally get to it.
If you dump out the last water and let the inside of your filtration plunger/lid to dry out then cleaning can be a much bigger chore than you’d like to take on, especially when traveling or commuting to work or school.
Alternatives
Alright, so there are obviously a number of really well reviewed and best selling combo travel mug french press coffee makers but there’s way more options out there than even I outlined on this page.
I wanted to quick take a minute to go over some of the alternatives you have to making french press coffee in a travel mug.
Of all the options for making coffee on the road, traveling, camping, or whatever I am usually a big fan of using devices that are extremely simple, durable, cheap, and very good at what they do.
A Dedicated French Press & Thermos Can’t Be Beat
One of the most obvious options for making french press coffee for instance is to actually use a dedicated (small) french press and then pouring that coffee directly into a top of the line carafe, thermos, or tumbler.
Some of the best coffee presses on the market are those made by Coffee Gator, Freiling, and Espro.
If you are anything like me you probably like having two to three cups of coffee every morning. If so you will always find the combination brewer mugs to be too small.
When I travel I frequently take a 32 ounce stainless steel french press from Coffee gator and then after brewing I pour that coffee direct into my thermal coffee bottle to pour 2-3 large cups from over a few hours.
Moka Pots Plus Hot Water Make Awesome Americanos!
Another trick of the trade in my household (especially when I go camping or hiking) is to take a 3-6 cup moka pot and a large thermal carafe or beverage bottle.
A moka pot is a sturdy device that can last for a generation if you swap out the gasket every few years. It brews directly over an open flame and you can use regular ground coffee making it easy to plan for when traveling.
The coffee it produces is dosed like espresso and it’s just as strong as espresso so mixing it with straight hot water yields an awesome cup of coffee similar to an espresso based Americano or drip coffee.
Many travel presses over-extract your coffee so it’s common to transfer your french press coffee from the brewer to the cup anyway so this is a great option.
Don’t Forget About the Aeropress
Lastly I have to bring this up because many people don’t have any clue what an Aeropress is, even if they are avid coffee drinkers.
The Aeropress is a method of making coffee in single serve doses that is similar in strength to french press coffee but it is typically filtered through a paper filter disc.
The Aeropress is very affordable, it’s made of heavy duty, food grade plastic, and it will brew coffee direct into your cup.
If you heat water in a kettle or a stovetop, or an open flame all you do is fill the Aeropress chamber with coffee and water and then press the water through the filter into your cup.
It’s perfect for traveling and it’s even better than french press coffee for some people because it provides you a cleaner cup free of the vast majority of coffee oils that some people just don’t like or care for.
Most people who don’t like french press coffee don’t like the body (or sediment) in their cup and when you over-extract your coffee, which many low end travel mug coffee presses do, your coffee gets a bit too bitter anyway.
There’s no doubt however that an all in one brewer and mug is convenient so if you are adamant about picking up a combo coffee maker mug then make sure to read through all my reviews again.
I still think the Espro Ultralight is my favorite option in this category; it’s big enough to satisfy, you get all of the coffee it makes, it makes awesome coffee and it generally doesn’t over brew your coffee.
If you aren’t convinced though then make sure to check out the direct head-to-head comparisons of various mugs I’ve published to this site. You can find the main index tot hose comparisons here.