Product Review: LugCup

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at cteel@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

What Is It: LugCup drink holder, a portable cup holder that attaches to suitcase handles, strollers, bikes, walkers, and more.

Price and Where to Buy: $19.95-$24.99 from LugCup.

Pros: Hands-free beverage transportation has become the American dream, and the LugCup fulfills that dream. Use the provided velcro straps to attach the cup holder to any handle, and it becomes an instant holder.

Cons: The straps don’t do a great job of holding the LugCup up. We tested it out on a standard carry-on rolling suitcase, and it occasionally fell or slipped. Once we finally got it tight enough, smaller cans slipped through the bottom. The website says to not use the holder with open containers if you’re using it on rolling luggage; it’s a safe bet that liquids will slosh out.

How it Rates:

Usefulness: 5/10. It’s tough to put on and we wouldn’t trust it to hold anything but a closed bottle. But if you need a hands-free way to transport a bottled beverage, it will get the job done.
Portability: 8/10. It’s small and lightweight enough that you could fit it in a purse or in luggage without losing much space.
Value: 5/10. Frankly, we think you’d be better off spending $20 on a nice foldable bottle that you can fill with hot or cold liquids and toss in your carry-on.
Durability: 4/10. The flimsy velcro straps don’t seem long for this world.
Cool Factor: 3/10. Imagine checking out a fit gym-goer who walks up to the treadmill, and then spends five minutes attaching a portable cupholder to the treadmill to hold his or her water bottle … not so cool.

Final Verdict: Unless you really need a cup holder on everything, the LugCup may not be for you. If you do buy it, use it with closed beverages only or risk velcro failure.

Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, durability, value, and “cool factor.” Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product. If you have any questions or comments concerning our reviews, or would like to suggest a product for review, please email us at editor@smartertravel.com.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.