Stanley Cups Are Trendy on Social Media, but Are They Worth the Money?

Trends come and go just like everything else on the internet, but what becomes trendy can be unexpected. Similar to how Hydro Flasks were the "it" water bottle everyone had to have in 2020, a new brand has come along and claimed that throne: the Stanley cup (yes, like the hockey award). If you have been on TikTok on Instagram from 2022 onward, you might have noticed how this brand has been on everyone's feeds.

Online, moms enjoy the 40-ounce versions that fit snuggly in car holders. These tumblers seem to have developed into a status symbol and are flying off store shelves. You can even find people waiting outside Target and Starbucks stores in the early morning hours just for the chance to buy one. But are Stanley cups worth it, or is all of this hype just the right people finding out about them at the right time?

Fans of the Stanley cups love them, but here are two reasons why the average consumer might become a fan.

1. The volume of liquid they can hold
2. Temperature control

For one, these cups can hold a lot of whatever you put inside. While the Stanley brand makes cups of all sizes, the cup that has taken over the internet is the 40 oz. Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate. It's got a wide handle and a slimmer bottom that helps you take it in your car.

The tumbler is only moderately bulky and comes with a nice straw.

Secondly, temperature control is a needed factor for these kinds of cups. Customers need to know that their cold drinks will stay cold and their hot drinks will stay hot without being too uncomfortable to hold. Many brands do this well, but Stanley had some unexpected help marketing its cups.

On Nov. 15, 2023, TikTok user Danielle (@danimarielettering) posted that her car had caught fire the day before. In her video, most everything looks destroyed, yet her Stanley is unharmed, albeit extremely dirty. But then she reaches into what remains of her vehicle, takes her cup out of its cup holder, and shakes it. Even though the car was in flames and a day had passed, ice was still inside the tumbler.

Later, Stanley's president, Terence Reilly, hopped on the brand's TikTok account to respond. Not only did he agree to send her more cups, but also to replace her car. "We've never done this before, and we'll probably never do it again, but we'd love to replace your vehicle," Reilly said. He advised Danielle to check her DMs, and a month later, she posted another video with brand-new Stanleys in cup holders as she and her partner sat in their new car.

There are other features that Stanley fans seem to love like all the different colorways, and the easy hydration boost you get from carrying a Stanley around all day. In a review, NBC News said that the cup "encourages mindless sipping."

People love their Stanleys, and it's not all hype. A few people have popular videos organizing their collections, and some are rushing to get them at Target. But not everything is sunshine and rainbows with these huge cups.

NBC News and The New York Times said that carrying around a huge tumbler wasn't ideal, and it can only get more cumbersome the more liquid inside. The New York Times even called the cup "overhyped."

In a Reddit thread asking for opinions about Stanley cups, a deleted account mentioned that their wife has a few Stanleys they both use. They admit it's good but still too big, and a smaller cup would be more suitable for their lifestyle.

In another thread, users said that Stanley's leak "way more" than cups from competitor Yeti, and someone else pointed out that Simple Modern tumblers are "cuter," in their opinion.

Especially with all the brands on the market that do the same things in their own way, what's most important is to buy the product that works best for you and your lifestyle outside of whatever trends are happening.