I drink tea all day long, and on the mornings when I have a long commute, I relish a cup of tea to keep me energized and hydrated. The Chuester UpCup 14oz Travel Mug is a great way to carry my tea on the go and enjoy it all through the day.

The UpCup is made of double walled glass, and I found that it keeps my tea warm for a decent length of time. This is important to me: my office’s runs on the cold side and tea that I brew in a regular mug gets tepid fast. If I brew a cup and then get immersed in a lengthy e-mail, sometimes I end up not getting a single hot sip off of a tea brew. With the UpCup, tea stays warm for long enough that I can linger over a cup and enjoy it hot. The outside stays tepid to the touch so it isnt uncomfortable. Its not 100% cool but it is in keeping with the heat distribution of a comfortable china mug or insulated thermal mug.

The mug has a nice grip to it, which is important in a travel mug and especially important in a glass travel mug. I don’t tend to travel light so being able to hold my purse, briefcase, and not have to be ginger with the mug is nice. Another appealing feature of the mug is the opening on the lid. I find that drinking tea out of a travel mug to be a frequently cumbersome experience when the opening is too narrow. The opening on the UpCup is wide enough to take a nice slow slip without a gush of hot tea in your mouth or an annoying sputter.

I am impressed that the mug doesn’t retain taste: I can use it for coffee and then wash it out and not have any lingering coffee or cream taste when I use it for a nuanced white tea.

This mug is amazing for blooming teas: those lovely bundles of tea that unfurl into a colorful flower when they brew. It’s a shame to just admire the bloom for a moment and then toss it. Since it’s made of glass, you can leave the bloom in the mug to admire. Since most blooming teas have several brews in them, you can just add more hot water to the mug and enjoy both the taste and the view of the bloom in your mug. The fact that the mug comes in pink and mint, two colors that compliment the beautiful, subtle colors of fine teas, is a lovely added bonus.

I also love the fact that the mug is chemical free. Part of why I drink tea is for is the many health benefits. It doesn’t make sense to negate the benefits with BPA or other health hazards, so I can enjoy my tea far more knowing that I’ll be getting the health benefits of the tea but not the risks that come with other travel mugs.

I am very impressed with the Chuester UpCup. It is attractive, highly usable, and works great for a mobile lifestyle.

Find the Chuester UpCup at http://www.chuester.com.

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and I was compensated for my time and effort, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.