Advertising & Marketing

What Size Logo Mug Should I Buy? Coffee Mug Sizes Explained

I Need a Logo Mug but I Only Speak Starbucks™. Help!

These days drinkware is a fashion accessory, sported with pride among beverage drinkers of all kinds—from students to teachers, movers and shakers to loafers and loungers, sports players to tailgaters. With the tumbler front and center in any crowd, it makes good sense to think of custom drinkware as a terribly cost-efficient billboard for your branding, delivering marketing impressions galore, all around town.

Customizing a mug or tumbler with your logo is a no-brainer. Pick a custom coffee mug or tumbler that’s right for the occasion and a color that suits your branding style, and distribute willy-nilly among your target audience. Easy! But wait…

What size? With a generation or two brought up on Starbucks sizing, it might be hard to know. Is an 8 oz. mug ridiculous? Is a 20 oz. tumbler unwieldy? Who’s to say? We’re here to help! Below we translate drinkware sizes into Starbucks speak, using a few of our favorites as examples:

The 8 oz. Mug: Don’t Be Ridiculous

Eight ounces corresponds to the Starbucks “short” size. It’s requested so infrequently that Starbucks has all but phased it out and we at Pens.com only offer one mug option in this size. What’s more, the mug we carry includes a spoon, which begs the question of whether an 8 oz. mug is perhaps more suitable for the oatmeal-eaters and baby food servers among your target audience…. Anyway, here it is:

Aztec Spooner Mug – 8 oz.

Tall Is the New Short

Moving on up, a 12 oz. mug size is equivalent to what Starbucks calls a “tall”. But don’t be fooled, as the “tall” is the smallest among their most commonly requested sizes. Check out these examples:

12 oz. Kappa Stainless Steel Tumbler

Europa Mug – 12 oz

I Just Want A Cup of Coffee!

To attach your messaging to a mug that most folks will find “just right” (oatmeal referenced above segues to Goldilocks, see that?), go for the 16 oz. This is equivalent to a Starbucks “grande” size. Two examples:

16 oz. Ree Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler

16 oz. Big Sur Travel Tumbler

Supersize Me (and My Logo)

The 20 oz. mug coincides with the Starbucks “venti” size. If you want to ensure your logo mug stands out from the other options in the cupboard, go for the 20 oz. It’s a luxurious size that says you’re serious about your cup of coffee or spot of tea. Check these out:

Himalayan Tumbler – 20 oz

Basecamp® Mesa Tundra Bottle – 20 oz

When Your Recipient’s Headed for a Desert Island

Okay folks, we’re stopping here (for now). Starbucks’ latest, the “trenta” size, clocks in at 31 oz. but is only available in cold drinks. Phew!

…But just in case your recipient needs a LOT of liquid on hand, at all times, without exception, check out these two, nearly larger-than-life options:

33 oz. Vacuum Thermos

Basecamp® K2 Tumbler – 30 oz.

Someone Didn’t Get the Memo

The standard size mug capacity in the US is still listed as 8-12 oz. However, one might conclude from coffee culture and Starbucks speak that this range could easily be updated to more like 12-20 oz. Until then, caffeinate often, promote shamelessly, and resist the lure of the trenta.

Karleen Wise Andersen

From marketing tips to product recommendations, I’m here to help small businesses be their best.

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