UPDATE: Please read the update and the readers’ comments below. It seems the newer Stanley thermos does not hold up like the one in this review. Since moving their production over to China there seems to be a significant drop in quality.
Old Review:
After being disappointed with other brands of thermoses in the past, I really wasn’t expecting that much from the Stanley Thermos. I heard that they were tough, but I figured it was probably just a marketing gimmick. Boy, was I wrong!
I abuse pretty much all of my gear. From driving off with cameras on my back bumper to dropping gear down the side of a mountain, it was nice to finally have a product that could stand up to my abuse. I was really impressed with the strength of everything from the thermos handle to the handy little cup cap.
I brought a couple of Stanley Thermoses out to Sedona over the weekend, and after using them around the campground I am now a loyal fan! I was so impressed with them that I will be bringing them on all our future trips.
Why We Liked the Classic Stanley Thermos:
- Very tough – They stood up to all sorts of falls and even a few tumbles downs some rocks. I can see why people say that these things last a lifetime. The Classic Stanley Thermos stood up to pretty much any abuse that we could throw at it.
- Kept everything we put in them very hot. In fact, I filled the thermos up with boiling water at around 9pm and at 8am the next morning it was still hot enough to steep some tea. (The thermos was left out on a table in temperatures around 50 degrees)
- Very convenient. It was nice to have Hot water waiting in the morning without having to start the fire.
- The Lid is tough and doubles as a drinking cup.
- It was nice to see a company that still cares about quality. I have tried many cheap knock-off Thermoses in the past and I will tell you that none of them compared to the Stanley. We highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about adding thermoses to their camping gear. This is one product that you will not have to worry about replacing anytime soon.
Looking for a Stanley Thermos?
- Stanley 1.1Qt Classic Vacuum Bottle at amazon
Update: We have had a number or people write in with their own reviews which you can see below. The thermos we reviewed was from a couple of years ago and worked great for us. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case with newer models — you can read the hundreds of comments below. You can find more Gear Reviews in our Survival Gear Section and our Hiking Gear Section.
I too purchased a new stanley (made in china) and it will not keep my coffee hot. After about 2 hours it is only warm. I’m going to send it back to Stanley, but from the sound of it ,I will only get another POOR QUALITY THERMOS.
Everyone in my PA family goes deer hunting with a pre 2002 Stanley thermos made in Nashville and none of us have any problem with keeping our coffee hot all day long. My dad lost his, so I bought him a new stanley thermos, not realizing that they are now made in China! It’s garbage just like everyone else is on here is saying. So, I did some research, went on ebay and found a new/old stock 1992 944-DH. Advertised as never used and when I received it, I believe the description is accurate. It looked brand new. I was thrilled until I tested it. No good after 3-4 hours. I tried a variety of vintage stoppers but can not get it to stay hot. What would cause one of the good old USA Stanley’s to not work? How do they break? I’ve seen an exact duplicate (1992 944-DH) smashed by a 3-point hitch on a farm tractor and still keep coffee hot all day long. It’s seriously deformed and still works! I don’t get it!
I bought the liter size widemouth bottle and it never kept anything hot or cold so they sent me a brand new one. This thing sucks I put boiling water in and couldn’t even pick it up it was so hot on the outside of the bottle and walla an hour later coffee was cold as well. Never again Stanley
Once again worked well for a year now like warm at 10 o’clock cold lunch time.emailed them from uk still no reply 2 days later.Any suggestions for a good flask
hey everyone, great posts, lots of good info. i just recentely purchased a stanley new in the box from 1976. (ebay) i dont know when they started putting handels on them but this one doesnt have one. in the bottom of the box there is an order form for the handels from stanley, but no one answers the phone. stanely.com does not show them either. anyone know where i can get one? thanks
I do had an 80’s model that landed in the bottom of the duck boat too many time to remember. But 24 hrs later, whatever was left in the thermos was very drinkable. Fast forward to today and my one year old 2 gt, won’t stay way for 3 hours and that is taking it from my car, to my work truck and placing it near the heater.
This will be my last Stanley Aladdin!
last year preheated all parts 17 oz thermos , boiled soup, wrapped thermos in neoprene, put in insulated lunch bag, put into insulated lunch box, all of which were pre heated & it worked. 3 layers of heated insulation. It’s not even winter yet & it fails now. Thermos web site, “#’s on base….” do not match. $5.00 gaskets! $6.00 lids, black or green, who knows if it’s your your model or not. What a waste of money, now off to the landfill with the rest of their low quality products. They sure look nice though, as if it worked. Guaranteed to keep the food inside the same temp as the outside. why bother!!!!!!!!
bought a stanley thermos in 1992 worked great un till a year ago called stanley they sent me a replacement it just dont keep coffee hot so i bought a thermos brand tells you it will keep hot 24 hrs i put 200 degree water in it at 12:00 am put it outside in 38 degree temp. with 200 degree water in it 18 hrs later the water was still 160 degrees
shame on stanley,ill never buy any thing again from them.We need to quit having everything we use made everywhere but in the great USofA.It truly saddens me that the only thing available to be able buy chinese JUNK
LIKE ALL THE ABOVE MY NEW STANLEY IS USLESS I DONT WANT A REFUND WILL JUST BUY ANOTHER BRAND SHOULD HAVE KEPT MY BEAT UP OLD BOTTLE GOOD BY STANLEY
I’m 58 yrs old and grew up with Stanley thermos products and was please in all ways. My new 2years old stainless steel thermos is made in China and coffee stay warm NOT hot for 1 hour after that ice cold!! I even boil 2 cups of water and prime it before each use. Worthless!!
Believe me when I tell you that these 16 oz. thermos bottles are junk!! The first one kept my coffee hot for a few months. Then I noticed my coffee getting cold by 9 am. I filled it at 6 am after preheating the bottle twice. I even boiled my coffee in an attempt to keep my coffee hot. Called Stanley and they sent me a new bottle. That did the same thing right from the get go. Emailed them this time and was sent another bottle. Sameo,sameo. These are junk. My doc told me to cut down on the coffee, but I dug my old 32 oz. Thermos out and have used that again. It’s much heavier, but at least it keeps my coffee piping hot….it’s MADE IN THE USA!! ’nuff said.
I was looking for a thermos for my work with very good specifications and I found one the Classic Vacuum Bottle 2.0 Qt. – Hammertone.
By first filling with boiled water the outside of the bottle became very warm what will say the isolation is not good. after 2 hours I good put my finger in the water without burning myself.
They send me Junk and it is made in China it says on the bottom of the bottle. I have asked for a refund and send it back to the reseller
So be warned do not buy a Stanley thermos…
John Vos from the Netherlands
It’s a shame that such a good old american made product went the way of most manufacturers—-to China. I bought a thermos for a gift, never thinking to look for a point of origin. I just took it for granted that Stanley did not abandon us, and continued to make quality products, employing American workers. I probably would not have bought the thermos, knowing it was made in China. Too bad—-another product going down the tubes.
In shopping for Stanley products, I learned that Stanley has moved manufacturing to china. Shame on you STANLEY! I WILL NEVER BUY Stanley again!!!
We have owned nothing but Stanley thermoses for the past how many years – and yes – we have noticed such a HUGE difference with the last couple we purchased. NEVER again!!!! Recently the handle separated from the bottle itself and when washing it, I tipped the thermos up to drain the water and was literally sprayed with fine black dust that covered everything within a good foot and a half! The comments above state that China does not use charcoal for insulation, so WHAT do they use? This thermos clearly came from China and after reading the comments I am concerned about what my husband and I MAY have breathed in during this little episode and during cleaning. Does anybody have any idea what substance the Chinese factories use when putting THEIR product together?
Just read the above reviews and agree 100%.
I bought one and had it replaced and the second flask is as bad as the first.
I will never buy this crap again.
I had to get one for my girlfriend. I make her coffee everyday- and she has this shitty thermos that came free with some order of coffee- maybe from starbucks. It was a terrible thing. It would leak, I have to tape it down to make sure it stays safe for her travel. I’ve been researching the best thermos to get her- and this is it.
I found a mint condition one via ebay, made in Nashville in the 90s, I paid $70 for it.
As I write, you can find another mint condition aladdin 1qt thermos for $79 + #12 shippin- oh wait- that’s still being bid on. And there are also two poor condition ones, sold at $29 a piece, and some good condition ones for about $34.
2/1/12
I recently bought a 1923 stanley thermos. Yes it’s as heavy as a tank, even heavier than stanleys made during the 1970’s and 80’s. It has no external damage but will not hold temperature and gets warm on the outside when hot liquids are put into it.
I just bought a new stanley thermos, preheated the bottle per the instructions, put boiling water in it, capped it, waited 24 hours, then poured it over a thermometer. The temperature of the water was 125 degrees! It was still very hot!
Yes, the older thermoses were built heavier, but that still doesn’t mean you will always have a good one.
American made products used to be the best in the world.
By allowing cheap imports into our country, our manufacturing and our jobs have gone overseas, you can thank the people who passed NAFTA for that.
There are better thermoses on the market, but you get what you pay for.
I splurged on myself and bought a Stanley 16 oz. Have only used it around 5 times, every time it was cold in a few hours. I thought it was me, kept heating my coffee up hotter & putting boiling water in the thermos first, lid tighter each time….but still cold. Sorry to hear about the quality gone in what was a dependable product when it was made in US. I’ll try trading it in but don’t have much hope after reading everyone else’s experience.