The Stanley Quencher, also known as a Stanley cup, is a reusable stainless steel tumbler that comes in 14, 20, 30, 40, and 64 US fluid-ounce sizes, introduced by Stanley in 2016. It became popular as a result of influencer marketing campaigns on social media, particularly TikTok.
History
Stanley introduced the Quencher tumbler in 2016.[1] In its initial years, the Quencher struggled to make a significant impact.[1] In 2020, Terence Reilly joined Stanley as its new president. Reilly engaged with Ashlee LeSueur, co-founder of Buy Guide, who had discovered the Quencher in 2017 at a Bed, Bath, and Beyond store. Impressed by the product, she became a supporter, gifting it to friends and recommending it to her followers, which resulted in increased interest.[1] As a result the company decided to continue production and released the quencher in more colors.[1][2]
In 2020, the Quencher became the brand's top-selling product, a position it has retained ever since.[3][1] It is Stanley's most popular item among female customers. It has increased Stanley's annual sales from US$70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023.[1][2]
Country Gold Stanley
On November 14, 2023, Stanley released a limited-edition gold version of the Quencher in partnership with the country music star Lainey Wilson.[4][5]
Starbucks x Stanley Quencher
In December 2023, Stanley introduced a Valentine's Day-themed quencher, the Starbucks × Stanley Quencher, exclusively at Target stores in the United States. Some customers camped out at stores, while others were reportedly "nearly coming to blows or otherwise overrunning the store."[6][7]
In May 2024, the Sunset Gradient Starbucks x Stanley Quencher was introduced, which features bright metal gold and pink colors.[8][9]
Floral Stanley quenchers for Mother's Day 2024
For the 2024 Mother's Day, Stanley released tumbles in pink with a floral design.[10][11]
Criticism
In 2022 and 2023, some TikTokers reported that the tumbler may contain lead and may result in lead poisoning. The company released a statement reading, in part, that "no lead is present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product."[12][13] In February 2024, Stanley's parent company faced two lawsuits accusing it of intentionally misleading customers about the tumbler's lead-related risk.[14]
Although reusable water bottles have been praised as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bottles, the trend of collecting and showing off collections of Quencher tumblers has raised concerns about whether they are better for the environment when they are used infrequently or collected.[15][16]
The New York Times's Wirecutter blog reviewed the Adventure Quencher tumbler in 2022[17] and the Quencher H2.0 FlowState tumbler in 2024. The reviewer praised the cups' insulation and appearances, but criticized their lids for being prone to leaking. Wirecutter ultimately recommended similarly sized cups from other companies as less spill-prone alternatives.[18]