Stanley cups are sweeping across the world, becoming the new craze of water bottles. Their wild popularity across social media and myriad of vibrant colors available to purchase have made them a necessity on many shopping lists. However, the many risks of these cups raise the question; are they worth it?
To consider the positives of the Stanley cup, they encourage drinking a lot more water. Due to their massive size, they hold up to 5 cups of water. If someone were to drink 2 full Stanley cups full of water every day, they would intake more than the minimum recommendation of water per day (8 cups). Water is a necessity to live, and people rarely get the amount of water suggested by doctors. Having a water bottle that effectively encourages people to develop healthy habits is incredibly beneficial and worth taking into account.
Additionally, the aesthetics of the Stanley cup are very positive as compared to certain other water bottles. The wide range of fun colors adds to the appeal and recognition when people all across the globe see and use their Stanleys.
The water bottles are also able to fit into cup holders due to the shape and smaller bottom This gives them an advantage in terms of convenience in day to day life.
Owner of a Stanley, Payton Anderson ’25 says, “I like the way it’s a normal cup but can hold a lot of liquid and has a handle with a straw and lid, which makes it easy to take places and leave in the car cup holder.”
Despite the unique up sides of the Stanley, it comes with dangers that have the potential to be life-altering. According to an article recently published in the NYT, the Stanley company has admitted that their cups contain lead, a gene- altering and disease-causing metal. The lead is encased within the bottle, but a small break could cause the lead to get to where the water is. Other water bottles like HydroFlasks and Nalgene do not have this issue.
Reitta Roberts ’26 does not own a Stanley, and recently found out about the lead in them. She explains, “I wouldn’t want to own one knowing they could release lead if barely dented, I drop my water bottles all the time, and I wouldn’t want to buy something that could end up hurting me.”
There’s also the danger of bacteria entering the straw that’s only sometimes covered by add ons that must be purchased. If someone doesn’t have a cover to the straw, it has the potential to make them incredibly sick.
Even though the water bottle provides some benefits, the dangers outweigh this due to the health risks. Other water bottles out there, while less trendy, exist with additional benefits and no lead with built in straw covers. They’re also almost always a fraction of the price.
The point of this article is not to encourage people to throw away their Stanleys, but simply to be more cautious of the products they’re consuming and the dangers that exist when they’re used on a regular basis.