Stanley cups have become the new big thing in the water bottle industry. Everywhere you go there is a Stanley cup in site. Over 10 million cups have been sold in the past four years. Utah is one of the top state consumers of the Stanley cup along with Texas, and Arizona. But why are these cups so popular? 

For many people, they may have bought the cup because of not wanting to miss the latest trend or having FOMO. Social media has a huge influence on people’s daily lives, many people don’t want to miss the latest trends or be deemed as uncool. Other people bought the cup for the benefit of it fitting into a car cup holder. Some people may have also bought it to reduce the use of plastic water bottles or styrofoam cups from places like Swig, Guzzle, or Fizz. 

Many people at our school use them. Lani Firth, senior, said, “I like it because it helps me drink more water because it keeps my ice cold!” But there are also some negatives about Stanley. Brynlee Merrill,  junior, said,” I dislike that it can spill so easily. If you hold it the wrong way it starts to spill all over!” 

But as recent rumors have been spread about lead being Stanleys, people have started to worry, questioning if their new expensive water bottle was going to make them sick. As Tik Tok videos began to go viral of people testing if there was lead in their Stanleys, more speculation began to rise.  People started to frantically email the company asking if it was safe to continue to drink out of their tumblers.

So is there lead in your Stanley? The short answer is yes, but you don’t need to worry about it being toxic. Stanley, along with many other water bottle companies, use lead along with other metals to help create a vacuum seal that keeps your drinks cold or hot for as long as possible. At the bottom of your Stanley there is a little button. Underneath the button the company melts down lead and other materials to create a vacuum seal but according to the Stanley website, it says, “Rest assured 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.” 

The only way that the lead could contaminate your tumbler is if the button breaks, or falls out. If this happens, stop drinking out of your cup immediately.  Contact the company and they will offer you a refund or a replacement due to the lifetime warranty that is provided. 

Make sure that if you use Stanleys, or any water bottle, clean all the pieces  regularly to avoid mold and other germs. Clean them once a week by hand or in the dishwasher. Stay hydrated.