If you drink coffee or tea regularly, a mug that can keep your drink hot for longer is a great idea. Especially if you are a “sipper,” and sip your drink over several hours. The Ember Mug2 and the Yeti Rambler both have pros and cons that you should consider before buying a temperature-regulating mug.
The Ember and the Yeti mug can keep beverages warm for longer than a regular mug. The Ember mug is a smart mug and can be controlled via an app. The beverage is kept warm with a heating element. A Yeti mug is not smart. It makes use of vacuum insulation. So which one is better suited to you?
In this blog post, I compare the pros and cons of the Ember Mug2 and the Yeti Rambler. I consider the heating mechanism, durability, price, available size, and color options. If you are considering one of these mugs, make sure to read on!
Ember Mug2 Vs Yeti: Technology
The Ember Mug2
The Ember Mug2 has a heating element that can reheat beverages and maintain their temperature. This heating element is battery-powered. You can keep it off the charger for up to 3 hours (depending on the type of mug). The larger the capacity of the mug, the shorter the battery life is.
The mug also comes with a charger (it looks like a coaster), on which you can keep your mug heated.
The mug will keep your drink at your selected temperature as long as there is power left in the battery, or while it is on the charger.
The problem with the charger is that liquids are not allowed to drip on it. This is not ideal when you are drinking a liquid.
I have also read many complaints where people report that the battery doesn’t last as long as the product promises.
In addition, the Ember Mug2 is a smart mug. You can connect it to an app via Bluetooth. In the app, you can set the temperature at which you want your coffee or tea to be. The app also lets you know when the battery is almost flat, and when your beverage is at the desired temperature.
Unfortunately, the app disconnects from the mug quite easily. You often need to re-pair the mug and your phone. This can lead to many frustrations. For example, if the app loses connectivity to your mug, the mug may stop heating your beverage.
Hopefully, updates to the app in the future will eliminate this problem.
If you keep your mug on the charger at all times, you can pretty much ignore the app.
And yes, you can keep the mug on the charger all the time. When the battery is fully charged, the power is automatically turned off.
The mug also turns off automatically after 2 hours if it is not moved during that time.
The Yeti Rambler
The Rambler is double-walled and is made of stainless steel. The vacuum between the two walls allows the mug to keep hot beverages hot for very long. It can also keep cold beverages cold.
Ember Mug2 Vs Yeti: Durability and Leaking
There have been many complaints of people chipping their ceramic Ember Mugs. The inner lining of the mug also scratches easily. It is recommended that you only use plastic (no metal) spoons to stir your beverages.
But the Ember Mug is leak-proof. It has a screw-on lid that won’t pop off in a bag, for example.
The Yeti Rambler is not leak-proof. The lid fits into the mug snugly, making it splash-proof. But if it tips over, your drink will spill out.
The Yeti mug is also very durable and built to last.
Ember Mug2 Vs Yeti: Price
The Ember Mug is significantly more expensive than the Yeti Rambler. The smallest Ember Mug costs around $100.
The Yeti mugs range from around $25 to $40. I think this is the Yeti’s top advantage: it is just so much more affordable!
Ember Mug2 Vs Yeti: Washing
The Ember Mug2 has to be hand-washed.
And even with careful hand-washing, many people have complained about chipping on the ceramic mug and scratching on the metallic inner of the mug.
It is suggested that you rinse your mug out when you have finished drinking your coffee. Otherwise, a small amount of leftover liquid (especially if it contained sugar) can cook onto the bottom of the mug. This will make it harder to clean.
You should also make sure that the mug is completely dry before putting it back onto the charger.
The Yeti Rambler is dishwasher safe.
Ember Mug2 Vs Yeti: Capacity And Colour Options
The Ember Mug2
The Ember Mug2 comes in three collections:
- The original Ember Mug2 is a ceramic mug. It is available in 10- and 14-ounce sizes and three colors (grey, white and black).
- The metallic Ember Mug2 is also available in 10- and 14-ounce sizes, and is available in copper, rose gold, gold, and stainless steel.
- The Travel Ember Mug is available in a 12-ounce size and is available in black.
Note that many people complain about their ceramic mugs chipping easily. The metallic mugs combat this, although there have also been many complaints about the lining of the metallic mugs peeling.
On the other hand, the ceramic coating prevents the metallic taste that many people dislike when drinking from a stainless steel mug.
The Ember Travel Mug is ideal for a commute or more adventurous travels. It has a leak-proof lid. The battery is advertised to last for three hours. And it has buttons that let you change the temperature of your drink without your phone.
You can also buy a car charger which costs around $50 if your trips are longer than 3 hours.
In addition, the Ember Mug also has an LED light that changes color. The colors indicate different states in the mug:
- A flashing colored light lets you know that the mug is charging
- A flashing white light lets you know that the mug is heating your beverage
- A solid red light lets you know that the cup needs to be charged
- A solid green light indicates that the mug is charged and ready to heat
The Ember Mug2 also lets you change the color of the LED light to suit your aesthetic.
The Yeti Rambler
The Yeti mug comes in several different shapes, including stackable mugs, travel mugs, and wine tumblers.
It is also available in a lot of different colors. Plus you have the option of personalizing the mug with custom words, monograms, or a logo.
Ember Mug2 Vs Yeti: Size
Ember Mug2:
- 10-ounce ceramic mug: 4.2 inches high, 4.3 inches wide (including the handle) and weighs 14.5 ounces when empty
- 14-ounce ceramic mug: 4.6 inches high, 4.5 inches wide (including the handle) and weighs 2.6 pounds when empty (which is quite heavy for a mug!)
- 12-ounce Travel Mug: 7.9 inches high, 4.14 inches wide and weighs 15.12 ounces.
Yeti Rambler:
The Yeti mugs range from 10 to 30 ounces. If you like a big cup of coffee, a larger Yeti is the way to go. The heights and widths of the mugs depend on the shapes.
The Travel Mug is shaped in such a way that the skinny bottom fits into a car cup holder very well.
Ember Mug2 Vs Yeti: Beverage Temperature
The Ember Mug can keep your beverage at a temperature between 120°F and 145°F. It is not good at keeping an ice-cold beverage cold.
The biggest difference is that the Ember Mug can reheat your coffee to a specific temperature. The Yeti mug can only keep your coffee at the temperature at which you put it into the mug.
And if your Ember mug is on the charger, it can keep your drink at the desired temperature for the whole day.
The Yeti mugs can keep your beverage hot or cold for between 6 to 12 hours. Ice can remain frozen for 24 hours.
But some people have reported that their coffee was only hot enough for 4 and a half hours. I suppose it depends on how hot you like your coffee!.
Ember Mug2 Vs Yeti: Warranty
Ember offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if the mug was bought directly from Ember.
There is also a limited one-year warranty for defects in materials and workmanship. But according to their Returns and Warranty page, “Ember does not warrant that the operation of the Product will be uninterrupted or error-free.” This doesn’t show much confidence in the product.
The Yeti Rambler comes with a five-year warranty.
Home Streamliner’s Take
Spending over $100 for a smart mug without the guarantee that the app will connect to it doesn’t sit well with me. The fact that the Ember Mug2 can reheat your coffee and maintain it at the perfect temperature is pretty cool. But I don’t think the price tag is justified just yet. Perhaps when the app is developed further and connection issues are sorted out, I will change my mind.
Or maybe I don’t take my coffee seriously enough.
But personally, the minimum of 4.5 hours of hot coffee that the Yeti mug offers is sufficient for me. But if you love your gadgets, by all means, try out the Ember Mug!
