I’ve been a staff writer on Wirecutter’s kitchen team since 2016. Since then, I’ve reviewed an array of tabletop items, including wine glasses, dinnerware, and flatware, along with other kitchen equipment. I’ve also written about the pros and cons of tempered and borosilicate glass. To date, I’ve researched hundreds of drinking glasses online and in person at retail stores or showrooms, and I’ve tested over 50 in our Long Island City, New York, test kitchen.

In addition to my own testing, I’ve interviewed a number of glass experts over the years to learn more about how glassware is made and what makes a great drinking glass.

Durable bistro glasses: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers

There’s no doubt the Duralex Le Picardie Tumbler has endured as a staple on family tables and at French bistros for decades due in part to its design. A Wirecutter pick since 2014, this glass’s faceted sides and gently contoured shape make it a pleasure to hold, and the slight flare of the lip adds a touch of elegance. It’s a more refined drinking glass for everyday use (James Bond thinks so too).

It’s also the second-most durable glass we’ve tested. In our drop tests, the Picardie Tumbler sustained 13 drops onto a hardwood floor and eight drops onto a marble slab from a height of 3 feet. For comparison, the Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler we recommend survived 20 counter-height drops onto a marble slab and one drop onto a concrete floor.) That’s still pretty impressive for something made of glass—even durable tempered glass. The tumbler is available in lots of sizes and colors too—we like using the smaller sizes for sipping espresso, juice, cocktails, or wine.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Some older versions of the colored Picardie Tumblers were coated in a colored film (the only remaining cups with a coating are the frosted and yellow versions). For now, we’d recommend purchasing the colored versions directly through Duralex, since some retailers may still be selling back-stock of the older, coated glassware, which quickly becomes scuffed up.

Key specs

• Material: tempered glass
• Available colors: amber, marine, sapphire, gray, plum, green, and blush
• Available sizes: various sizes from 3 to 17 ounces
• Where it’s made: France

You may also like: Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glasses, Luminarc Working Glass, Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler, Fable Glassware Set, Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses

Cheaper bistro glasses: Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glasses

Although a smidge less refined than the Duralex Le Picardie Tumbler, the Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glass is another timeless bistro-style tumbler that was among the most durable glassware we tested. Made of tempered glass, these tumblers were originally developed for bar use. These cups weren’t quite as durable as the Picardie Tumbler or the Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler, but they still survived 13 consecutive counter-height drops onto a wood floor. However, when testing on a marble slab, the Rock Bar glass broke on the fifth consecutive drop (whereas the Kähler tumbler never broke after 20 consecutive drops on marble—and even survived one drop onto a concrete floor).

These glasses nest easily and compactly: When two 12.5-ounce glasses are stacked, they measure just under 7 inches tall, even though each glass is a little under 5 inches tall. The defined ridge around the perimeter of the glass allows one to gently perch on top of another without getting jammed, unlike other glassware we tested.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Rock Bar glass has a thicker lip than the similarly designed Picardie tumbler, and some of our testers found it less refined and elegant.

Key specs

• Material: tempered glass
• Available colors: clear, ice, peach, and mint
• Available sizes: 7.25, 9.5, 12.5, 13.25, 16.25, 21.75 ounces, and shot glasses
• Where it’s made: Spain

You may also like: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers, Luminarc Working Glass, Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler, Fable Glassware Set, Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses

Big glasses for guzzlers: Luminarc Working Glasses

If you’re fond of drinking from jars but want something a little more classy, the Luminarc Working Glass is a great alternative. The faceted sides and rolled lip can level up your drinking experience while maintaining the practicality and informality of a wide-mouth Mason jar or Bonne Maman jam jar. They’re a great option if you want a larger capacity so you don’t have to refill your glass as often. One tester who owns these glasses said they are her go-to tumbler for drinking iced tea on a hot summer day.

With a diameter of 3.75 inches, the Working Glass was the widest glass we tested, which is why our testers with larger hands preferred it. The 21-ounce glass weighs just over a pound, making it the heaviest glass we recommend. The Working Glass comes with plastic lids (sold separately), which are handy if, say, you can’t finish your smoothie and want to cover and save it for later. These glasses could even double as food storage containers for salad dressings or as a vessel for holding utensils—they’re wide and heavy, so they don’t tip over.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Working Glass was among the most polarizing glasses in our lineup. The heavy weight and wide diameter of the glass were simply too uncomfortable for many of our testers with smaller hands to hold.

Though large and heavy, this glass isn’t tempered, so it’s not as durable or resistant to thermal shock as the other faceted drinkware we recommend.

Key specs

• Material: soda-lime glass
• Available colors: clear
• Available sizes: 14 and 21 ounces
• Where it’s made: United States

You may also like: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers, Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glasses, Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses

Thin and lightweight: Hawkins New York Essential Glassware

The colorful Hawkins New York Essential Glassware was a favorite among our testers. The glasses are very thin with simple, clean lines that give them an elegant look. They also stack well due to their subtle tapered design.

Our testers loved the color offerings of these glasses (we tested and found them to be a true colored glass, rather than coated). The medium glass (12 ounces) was deemed a perfect-size water glass by many of our testers. The large glass is great for iced coffee or tea, while the small glass makes a great juice or wine glass. The color options lend themselves to mixing and matching, so you can create your own aesthetic. You can also get a pretty matching pitcher—though, with no handle, it required two hands for us to pour, especially when slippery with condensation.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Essential Glassware is quite thin and somewhat fragile—some online reviews indicate that they’re easy to break if not treated with care—so we wouldn’t recommend them for kids. If you like colored glassware but want something more durable and substantial in weight, we’d opt for the Duralex Le Picardie Tumbler, the Kinto Hibi Tumbler, or the Our Place Night & Day Glass.

One of the glasses in this collection had a little imperfection on the rim of the glass. Also, the biggest glass in this collection (3.5 inches in diameter) was slightly too wide for some of our testers with smaller hands.

Key specs

• Material: borosilicate glass
• Available colors: clear, blush, amber, green, blue, and smoke
• Available sizes: 6, 12, and 20 ounces
• Where it’s made: China

You may also like: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers, Kinto Hibi Tumbler, Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses, Our Place Night & Day Glasses

Heavier and tapered: Kinto Hibi Tumbler

The Kinto Hibi Tumbler has a lovely tapered silhouette that makes it stand out on a table. Often glasses with narrower bases are liable to fall over, but since the Hibi bases are weighted, the cups are surprisingly stable and feel great in the hand. According to Kinto’s website, Hibi, which means “day to day” in Japanese, was designed to be a “timeless basic for the everyday table.” One of our testers noted that their contemporary design feels far more intentional than a run-of-the-mill tapered tumbler you’d find at a bar.

Our testers liked the muted tones in this collection, which aren’t quite as saturated as other sets we considered. If you like the look of colored glass and want something thicker and heftier than the Hawkins New York Essential Glassware, we’d opt for these (or the Duralex Le Picardie Tumbler or Our Place Night & Day Glass). The Hibi Tumbler would also look great alongside the Kinto Porcelain CLK-151 Collection we recommend in our guide to the best dinnerware.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Unlike the Hawkins New York Essential Glassware, these glasses are made from soda-lime glass, so they’re not ideal for drinking hot beverages.

We noticed some tiny air bubbles (known as seeds) here and there throughout the glasses, though not as much as in the Our Place Night & Day Glasses. These minor flaws aren’t a dealbreaker, just something to know before purchasing.

Key specs

• Material: soda-lime glass
• Available colors: clear, blue, green, brown, and purple
• Available sizes: 220 mL (7 ounces) and 350 mL (12 ounces)
• Where it’s made: Thailand

You may also like: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers, Hawkins New York Essential Glassware, Our Place Night & Day Glasses

Retro-style tumblers: Bormioli Rocco Line Water Drinking Glasses

The Bormioli Rocco Line Water Drinking Glass is simple, durable, and reminiscent of drinkware you might find at a 1950s diner—it also reminded some of our testers of Depression glass. We’re particularly fond of the electric blue tumbler, which looks dazzling on a table. It turns an ordinary glass of water into a delightful drinking experience—think the magic potion from Death Becomes Her (video). The color is also inherent in the glass, unlike some colored glassware we tested, which was coated in a film that we could scrape off.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at them, but the ridges of the Line glass are on the inside of the cup, so the exterior is smooth to the touch. It’s an unexpected design detail that many of our testers appreciated.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Unlike the other Bormioli Rocco glasses we recommend, these aren’t tempered, which makes them less resistant to thermal shock and more likely to break if they take a tumble.

It may be more difficult to clean syrupy drink residue from the internal ridges of these glasses than from a glass with a smooth interior—especially if not cleaned right away. But we had no issue washing them in the dishwasher or using a bottle brush when cleaning by hand.

Key specs

• Material: soda-lime glass
• Available colors: clear, blue, and lilac rose (the 13.25 ounce only comes in clear)
• Available sizes: 9.75 and 13.25 ounces
• Where it’s made: Italy

You may also like: Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler, IKEA Vardagen Glass

Refined, ridged glassware: Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler

The Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler is the most resilient glass we’ve ever tested. It was the last man standing—impressively, it survived 20 counter-height drops onto a marble slab and never broke. It even survived one drop onto a concrete floor, which no other glass we’ve tested has been able to do.

Aside from its durability, it’s also a sophisticated drinking glass with ridges on the exterior of the glass (unlike the Bormioli Rocco Line glasses we recommend, which have ridges on the inside). The angular ridges resemble cut crystal and provide a good grip. We appreciate that the ridges don’t extend all the way to the top of the cup, so the glass is smooth where it meets your lips. All glassware has some minor imperfections, but the Kähler tumbler has very few. It’s well made and feels sturdy and balanced in your hand.

Made of tempered glass and blown into molds by machine, the Kähler tumblers were designed by Norwegian product designer Hans-Christian Bauer for Kähler, a notable Danish ceramic brand founded more than 180 years ago. The designer’s name is etched into the bottom of the glasses (instead of molded into the glass)—an extra detail that makes these tumblers feel a bit more special.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

While the green-color version of this glass is pretty, the color is just a coating. Since this coloring will eventually flake off with repeated washings, we’d only recommend getting the clear version of this glass. Also, this glass is only available in one size (12.5 ounces).

Hand-washing is recommended for these glasses. (The manufacturer claims they can be washed in the dishwasher as long as the temperature doesn’t exceed 131 °F, but many dishwasher temperatures exceed that, so we’d avoid it.)

Key specs

• Material: tempered glass
• Available colors: we only recommend the clear glasses, but they are also available in green
• Available sizes: 12.5 ounces
• Where it’s made: Turkey

You may also like: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers, Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glasses, Bormioli Rocco Line Water Drinking Glasses, Fable Glassware Set, Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses, IKEA Vardagen Glass

Thin but surprisingly durable glasses: Fable Glassware Set

Thin glassware is not known for its durability, but the Fable Glassware Set is an anomaly. These wafer-thin glasses are surprisingly durable—by far the most resilient of the thin glasses we tested—so if you’re a bull in a china shop but still want delicate-looking glassware, these are for you.

In our drop tests, the Fable glasses didn’t survive as long as the thicker, tempered Kähler, Duralex, or Bormioli Rocco glasses we recommend, but they sustained seven tumbles onto a hardwood floor from a height of 3 feet—which is pretty impressive for such a thin glass (for comparison, most regular soda-lime glasses broke on the first impact). However, unlike some tempered glasses we tested, they weren’t able to survive even one drop onto a marble slab. That’s still a reasonable tradeoff since they’re so thin.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The biggest drawback to these glasses is that they don’t stack, so they take up more room in a cupboard. (If you’re after thin, stackable glasses, check out the Alessi Glass Family Water Tumbler.)

The glasses are expensive, but according to William LaCourse, PhD, an expert on chemically strengthened glass with 30 years of experience, the process for treating glass with an ion-exchange process is quite lengthy, which likely contributes to its higher cost.

Unlike tempered glassware, the Fable glasses break into sharp shards (versus relatively dull cubes).

Key specs

• Material: chemically strengthened glass
• Available colors: clear
• Available sizes: 11.8 and 18 ounces
• Where it’s made: Japan

You may also like: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers, Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glasses, Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler, Alessi Glass Family Water Tumbler, Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses, Riedel O Water Tumbler, Toyo Sasaki Glass Circle Glass Tumbler

Elegant, stackable glasses: Alessi Glass Family Water Tumblers

If you want the ultimate fine-dining experience in your own home, the Alessi Glass Family Water Tumblers were among our favorites of the thin, delicate glassware we tested. These glasses were designed by Jasper Morrison, a renowned product and furniture designer. Their simple, elegant design is beautiful and practical.

Though the silhouette appears straight-sided, the Alessi tumbler has a slight taper so the glasses can stack compactly, a boon for smaller spaces. (Keep in mind, though, that stacking glasses can lead to more scratches and damage over time.)

The majority of our testers preferred the practicality—and lower price—of the Alessi glasses over the similarly designed Riedel O Water Tumbler and Toyo Sasaki Glass Circle Glass Tumbler, which don’t stack. The slight taper also makes them easier to hold. The Alessi tumblers are very light, but the extra bit of weight in their base prevents them from drifting across a table when covered in condensation. These tumblers could also be used for cocktails on the rocks or juice.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Since these glasses are so thin and made of nonleaded crystal, we recommend them only if you don’t mind treating them with care. Some of our testers said the Family Water Tumblers seemed too breakable for everyday use and not appropriate for young kids.

One glass had a tiny bump on the lip of the glass, but this minor imperfection didn’t seem to bother our testers. However, if you want a perfectly clean rim on your glasses, we’d opt for the pricier Fable Glassware Set, Riedel O Water Glasses, or Toyo Sasaki Glass Company Circle Glass Tumblers (none of which stack). Some of the weighted bases on the Alessi glasses are a bit uneven (though we could only detect this when holding the glass up to the light).

Key specs

• Material: crystalline glass (nonleaded crystal)
• Available colors: clear
• Available sizes: 10 ounces (this collection also includes red wine and white wine glasses)
• Where it’s made: Slovakia

You may also like: Fable Glassware Set, Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses, Riedel O Water Tumbler, Toyo Sasaki Glass Circle Glass Tumbler

Casual with clean lines: Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses

You may have spotted the tempered Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glass at restaurants, as it’s become a popular, durable choice that can take some abuse. If you’re looking for something simple and casual, these glasses would look great in your own home too. They’re suitable for all occasions, whether fancy or informal. And though they’re not as durable as the Kähler Hammershøi Tumbler we recommend, they still survived three drops onto a marble slab from a height of 3 feet (for comparison, the Kähler tumbler never broke after 20 consecutive drops onto a marble slab—it even survived one drop onto a concrete floor).

We appreciate the versatility of these glasses, which can be used for other tasks besides drinking. For instance, though the smallest glass in this collection is quite tiny, it could also be used as a ramekin for mise en place while preparing dinner or as a serving cup for snacks, fruit salads, Jell-O, or puddings. Though we favor wine glasses for wine, sometimes it’s more practical to drink from a low, shallow glass that won’t get knocked over while, say, cooking in the kitchen. That said, the 12-ounce cup was our favorite all-purpose size in this collection.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Some of our testers found the small 7.5-ounce glass too tiny for drinking water. It’s fine in a restaurant when a server is constantly refilling your glass, but it’s a bit impractical in your own home.

Key specs

• Material: tempered glass
• Available colors: clear
• Available sizes: 7.5 (Mini), 12 (Medium), and 17 ounces (Maxi)
• Where it’s made: Spain

You may also like: Fable Glassware Set, Alessi Glass Family Water Tumbler, Riedel O Water Tumbler, Toyo Sasaki Glass Circle Glass Tumbler

Vintage-style floral glassware: Williams Sonoma Vintage Etched Tumblers

The Williams Sonoma Vintage Etched Tumbler resembles old-school glassware with a floral motif typically only found at antique stores or estate sales. So if you’re not up for the hunt, these modern reproductions are a lovely alternative.

Since these glasses are etched by hand, they have some irregularities in the pattern—a charming touch that signifies no two glasses are exactly alike. Our testers liked their elegant flare at the rim and their slightly tapered shape, which makes them easier to hold and stack. The base of the glass is also a bit thicker, so it’s less likely to tip over. The Vintage Etched Tumblers would look especially good alongside bone china or white porcelain dinnerware. And while they’re quite fancy, you don’t need to save them just for special occasions—there’s nothing wrong with being a little extra on the daily if that’s your style.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

These glasses have a very specific look, which might make them hard to fit in with your existing dinnerware. If that’s the case, you may want to opt for the classic faceted glassware we recommend.

Some testers said their 9.75-ounce capacity was a bit too small for a drinking glass, however, others, especially those with smaller hands, preferred their smaller size.

Key specs

• Material: soda-lime glass
• Available colors: clear and pink
• Available sizes: 9.75 ounces
• Where it’s made: Turkey

You may also like: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers, Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glasses

Colorful juice glasses: Ichendorf Tap Stackable Tumblers

The Ichendorf Tap Stackable Tumblers are charming little glasses that are the perfect size for your morning cup of juice. If you prefer clear glass for your main tumblers, these colorful cups are a nice way to add a pop of color to your tableware. These glasses were designed by Michel Charlot, a Swiss industrial designer, and they’re flameworked by hand. They’re lightweight and have an indent around their perimeter, which is a convenient place to rest your finger.

Amber-color glass is having a moment right now, but many of our testers agreed that the Ichendorf cups had their favorite version of the hue out of all the options we tested. This collection also includes several other fun colors (we tested to be sure that the color is indeed inherent in the glass and not a coating that can be scratched off).

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Hand-washing is recommended for these glasses. (The manufacturer claims they can be washed in the dishwasher as long as the temperature doesn’t exceed 104 °F, but that’s far below most dishwasher temperatures, so we’d avoid it.)

Key specs

• Material: borosilicate glass
• Available colors: clear, gray, amber, petrol, light blue, green, mixed set of four
• Available sizes: 9.4 ounces
• Where it’s made: China

You may also like: R+D Lab Nini Vino

Heirloom juice glasses: R+D Lab Nini Vino

If you want to splurge and treat yourself to truly gorgeous mouth-blown juice glasses, the R+D Lab Nini Vino cups are a real showstopper. They would also make a very thoughtful gift for someone who appreciates fine glassware. These glasses have an old-world charm and resemble antique wavy glass windows—they look like something you might spot in an old still-life oil painting. The bottom of the glasses are etched with the blower’s name, which really adds to the uniqueness and charm of each piece. No two are exactly alike.

Nearly every tester was drawn to their tapered, hexagon shape, which allows them to stack. The clear color is arguably more versatile, but the cup is also available in other colors (and we confirmed that the colors are inherent in the glass and not coated in a film). Made of borosilicate glass, these cups can be used for both hot and cold beverages—everything from a shot of espresso or juice in the morning to a small glass of wine or a nightcap in the evening.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Some of our testers said they would be too nervous to drink from these on a regular basis when we revealed their high price. Most said they would keep the cups in a china cabinet and use them only on special occasions.

Key specs

• Material: borosilicate glass
• Available colors: clear, green, blue, and amber
• Available sizes: 6.8 ounces
• Where it’s made: Italy

You may also like: Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers, Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glasses, Hawkins New York Essential Glassware, Kinto Hibi Tumbler, Bormioli Rocco Bodega Drinking Glasses, Ichendorf Tap Stackable Tumblers

Nostalgic plastic cups: Cambro Colorware SAN Plastic Tumblers

Drinking from a plastic tumbler is undoubtedly less glamorous than drinking from a glass one, but of all the glasses in our lineup, our testers were the most nostalgic for the Cambro Colorware SAN Plastic Tumbler. These cups are often seen stacked sky-high at pizza parlors or diners, which is part of their old-school charm. Designed for restaurant use, this classic drinkware is widely available, durable, and inexpensive.

Understandably, they aren’t for everyone. But they needn’t be relegated to the kiddy table, a game room, or den. If you’re not afraid to lean into their retro vibe, they can be a fun everyday option—especially if you’re averse to using glass. They look pretty rad displayed on open shelves in a kitchen.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Though a Cambro representative said these glasses are safe to wash even on the bottom rack of the dishwasher, it’s best practice to wash plastic cups by hand if you want to extend their life.

Key specs

• Material: SAN plastic
• Available colors: clear, red, blue, and amber
• Available sizes: 5.2, 7.8, 9.7, 9.8, 12.6, 16.4, 22, and 32 ounces
• Where it’s made: United States

You may also like: Fortessa Veranda Outdoor Tumblers, Tossware Reserve Tumblers

Plastic that looks like glass: Fortessa Veranda Outdoor Tumblers

The Fortessa Veranda Outdoor Tumblers look similar to seed glass, a type of rustic glassware with tiny bubbles in it. Since they look so realistic, many of our testers mistook them for soda-lime glass. They’re a classier plastic option for outdoor use (or indoors too if you want something less breakable than glass). Their tapered design also allows you to stack them.

Since these tumblers are made of thicker plastic, they help keep a cold drink insulated on a hot day. Unlike the other plastic glasses we recommend, the Veranda cups have a bit more weight to them and feel substantial in your hand. These cups are great for outdoor entertaining or enjoying cocktails poolside.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Veranda cups have a faint seam around their perimeter just below the lip, which if you look closely, is the main giveaway that they’re plastic. However, this didn’t seem to bother our testers. Occasionally these tumblers stuck together, requiring a gentle tap on a counter to separate them.

Like all plastic cups, we recommend washing these by hand to prevent them from cracking or getting cloudy in the dishwasher over time.

Key specs

• Material: Tritan copolyester
• Available colors: clear, green, amber, gray, and blue
• Available sizes: 14 and 19 ounces
• Where it’s made: China

You may also like: Cambro Colorware SAN Plastic Tumblers, Tossware Reserve Tumblers

Small, colorful plastic glasses: Tossware Reserve Tumblers

Nearly all of our testers were smitten with the cute size and color options of the Tossware Reserve Tumblers, which are a significant step up from the ubiquitous colored Solo cup. Their straight sides and smooth rims make them look more like colored glass than plastic.

Our testers with smaller hands liked the 10-ounce size of these tumblers—they’d also be a nice size for kids to hold. They can be used as juice glasses or thrown in a tote bag to take along to picnics. They’d be a bit impractical for cocktails, as they don’t have much room for ice, but they’re appropriate for juice, wine, or soda. They’d also make a good bedside or bathroom glass, since they’re made of plastic and won’t shatter if they take a tumble.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Unlike the other plastic cups we recommend, the Reserve Tumblers don’t stack. This isn’t a dealbreaker, just something to know if you’re short on cupboard space.

Like all plastic cups, we recommend washing them by hand to extend their life and keep them looking like new.

Key specs

• Material: Tritan copolyester
• Available colors: green, amber, gray, and purple
• Available sizes: 10 ounces
• Where it’s made: United States

You may also like: Cambro Colorware SAN Plastic Tumblers, Fortessa Veranda Outdoor Tumblers

If you want thicker tumblers available in lots of colors: The short Our Place Night & Day Glasses are a great option if you prefer heftier cups for daily use in a fun spectrum of colors. The main drawback is that they have far more bubbles in the glass than the Kinto Hibi Tumblers we recommend. If you have small hands you may find the Our Place glasses a bit too wide to hold comfortably, but we like that they stack compactly without sticking together.

If you want thin and elegant crystal glasses: The Riedel O Water Tumbler is made of nonleaded crystal. Their laser-cut rims are impressively smooth without any bumps on the lip of the glass. Most of our testers preferred the similarly designed Alessi Glass Family Water Tumbler, since it’s less expensive, stacks compactly, and has slightly weightier bases. But if you have the space for glasses that don’t stack and don’t mind paying more for delicate crystal glasses, these are an excellent choice.

If you want thin glasses with a medium height: The Toyo Sasaki Glass Circle Glass Tumbler is similar to the short Fable glasses we recommend. The only difference is that the Toyo Sasaki glasses are made of soda-lime glass and aren’t as durable, since they’re not chemically strengthened. But many of our testers were fond of the height of the 12-ounce glass, which falls in between the size of Fable’s short and tall glasses.

If you want inexpensive, tempered glasses: The IKEA 365+ Glass has a simple, straightforward design—it was deemed the plain-Jane glass in our lineup. It didn’t last as long in our drop tests as the other tempered glasses we recommend, but it survived five tumbles onto a hardwood floor from counter height. Note: It broke into more shards than cubes, which according to the glass experts we spoke to, indicates an inferior tempered glass (but considering its low cost, that’s a reasonable trade-off). If you prefer ridges, check out the IKEA Vardagen Glass.

After years of testing glassware and interviewing glass experts, we’ve found these to be the most important features in an all-purpose drinking glass:

• Aesthetically pleasing and mostly free of imperfections: A good all-purpose drinking glass should stack evenly and be free of egregious flaws (though nearly all glasses have some tiny imperfections here and there). We recommend choosing a glass that’s appropriate for all occasions—casual or formal—and simple enough to fit the aesthetic of your tableware.
• Durable materials: When dropped, tempered glass is by far the most durable type we’ve tested. Some tempered glasses were able to survive repeated counter-height drops onto a marble slab (one glass even survived a drop onto concrete). We also included borosilicate glass (durable against thermal shock), chemically strengthened glass (durable and thin), and plastic (virtually shatterproof). Less-durable materials (such as soda-lime glass or nonleaded crystal) made the cut if they offered an unmatched style or price.
• An appropriate size: We looked for glasses that were available in multiple sizes to accommodate a range of preferences. Many of our testers said they prefer using a smaller 4- to 6-ounce size for drinking juice, cocktails, or wine, and larger 12- to 16-ounce glasses for water or iced tea.
• A comfortable width: Too-wide glasses can be uncomfortable to hold, while too-narrow glasses can hit the bridge of your nose.
• A decent weight: We preferred a relatively thick bottom so when you set the glass down it doesn’t slide off the table or tip over. But the glass shouldn’t be too weighted, either, otherwise it will be cumbersome to hold.
• Stacks evenly and compactly: Ideally, the glasses should stack nicely so they take up less space in a cupboard. That said, we still included non-stacking glasses in our roundup for people who have ample cupboard space or prefer the look of straight-sided glassware.
• Widely available: Compared with dishes and cutlery, drinking glasses tend to be more seasonal and change in design more frequently. We did our best to find some options that have been around for several years, which increases the likelihood that they’ll remain in stock down the road. Since glasses—even durable ones—are likely to break at some point, we also tried to find options that are sold open stock or in smaller sets of four or six, so they can be easily replaced.

How we tested

We evaluated the overall design, shape, feel, and practicality of the glassware. We invited our colleagues to hold and drink from our selection of glasses in our test kitchen and offer their opinions. To prevent testers from being influenced by brand preferences, we covered the maker’s stamp on the underside of each glass.

We performed multiple drop tests. We knocked thermally and chemically strengthened glasses onto hardwood and marble floors from a height of 3 feet. We also hit the rim of all the glasses (even the non-strengthened glasses) against the edge of a marble counter to see if they would break.

We ran some glasses through a temperature stress test. Sudden changes in temperature can cause a glass to break. To test resistance to this type of breakage, we put tempered, borosilicate, and chemically strengthened glasses in the freezer for an hour, then pulled them out and filled them with boiling water.

We tested colored glassware to make sure the color was inherent in the glass. Some colored glasses are just coated in a transparent film, which scratches off easily. We scraped all of the colored glassware in our lineup with a razor blade to check for this issue.

We ran all of the glasses through the dishwasher. We wanted to make sure the glassware was indeed dishwasher safe and fit the top rack well. But we don’t recommend washing plastic cups in the dishwasher, as the heat and harsh chemicals can alter the appearance of the plastic and cause it to crack over time.

Wondering which kind of drinking glass to get? Here’s a handy chart of the main factors to consider:

Drinkware materials

Types of glass

We tested five types of glass for this guide and have also tested several of them across other categories of kitchen gear. How the glass was manufactured can often greatly influence the cost, so it can help to know a little more about what you’re getting. Here’s a brief primer:

Soda-lime glass is inexpensive, common, and versatile; it’s used for everything from drinking glasses to pickle jars. But it lacks strengthening, so it breaks easily when dropped or exposed to big temperature changes.

Tempered glass is systematically heated and cooled so that it doesn’t break easily from being dropped or exposed to big temperature swings. This makes it safer for kids and for hot and cold drinks. When it does break, it crumbles into safer cube-shape pieces (video) rather than long, thin shards—this is why tempered glass is used for everything from bakeware (like Pyrex) to side and rear car windows. On rare occasions, minor nicks and scratches can weaken tempered glass so that it breaks unexpectedly, but according to glass experts, spontaneous fracture is still pretty rare, particularly if you treat the glass with care.

Borosilicate glass is even more resistant to thermal shock than tempered glass, so it’s the best for drinking both hot and cold beverages. (It’s used for lab gear, so you’ve probably used this glass in your high school chemistry class.) However, it’s typically thinner and less durable if you drop it than tempered glass, and it breaks in sharp shards. It’s also more expensive.

Ion-exchange glass is chemically strengthened with an ion-exchange process, making it more resistant to breakage. It tends to be expensive—the pricey Fable glassware is made from this type of glass. Experts we interviewed said even though this glass is quite tough, its durability depends in part on its thickness. In our drop tests, the Fable glassware wasn’t as resilient as the tempered glasses, but it still fared pretty well considering it’s so thin.

Nonleaded crystal is a type of lead-free glass that’s more refractive—that is, sparkly—than other types of glass, and more expensive. It’s the more modern form of leaded crystal, a colorless glass containing lead oxide that used to be en vogue but is no longer commonly used with food due to lead’s toxicity. (For those who like to wear or use quartz crystals, nonleaded crystal is unrelated.)

All the colorful glass options we recommend are made of actual colored glass, so the hue is inherently part of the material.

However, many colored glasses we tested were coated in a transparent film that scratches off easily (we scraped all of the colored glassware in our lineup with a razor blade to check for this issue). Referring to a photo we sent of the flaking glassware, Annika Blake-Howland, a PhD student in glass science at NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University, suspected the glasses were dipped or sprayed in some type of colored polymer coating. She called this coating essentially “a fancy version of colored shrink wrap.”

Blake-Howland explained that true colored glass typically requires dedicated furnaces for each color—or a furnace needs to be cleaned out before switching to a new color, which is an incredible amount of work and quite costly on an industrial scale. The coated glasses are likely much faster and cheaper to produce. She also said the polymers would allow for different colors that may not be easily achieved when coloring the actual glass.

We’d avoid color-coated glassware since the coating is not very durable. Compared with clear glass (or cups that are made of actual colored glass), color-coated glass begins to look cruddy much more quickly.

After removing glasses from a hot dishwasher, the experts we spoke to recommend letting them cool completely before stacking them in a cupboard. Glass expert William LaCourse said, “When they’re hot and clean, they will scratch easily.”

Hot glasses are also more prone to sticking. “When they’re warm, they’ve expanded slightly. As they cool down, if you put a colder glass inside of a warmer glass, they’re just going to grab onto each other,” said Jane Cook, PhD, former chief scientist at the Corning Museum of Glass. “So you’re more likely to get a glass stuck inside another glass, and it needs to be pounded out or put under running water in order to get them apart, which all leads to more surface damage and shorter lifetime.” Some of our picks occasionally stick together when stacked, but a gentle wiggle is all it should take to release them.

Many manufacturers say their plastic cups are dishwasher safe. However, if you want them to last longer, we recommend washing all plastics by hand, since heat and harsh detergents can break down the material faster. Avoid putting them in the microwave too. If you plan to use the glasses outdoors or poolside, keep in mind that some manufacturers caution that sunscreen (and citrus) may cause some plastics to become hazy.

Glass

The Serax Tumbler M Transparent Surface soda-lime tumblers are very inexpensive, but the short lip around the rim of the glass was polarizing for our testers—many said it was too thin and looked unbalanced. The Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Drinking Glasses or the Duralex Le Picardie Tumblers we recommend have a similar design and they’re tempered, so they’re more durable (but pricier).

The Half Glass Set from Material comes in a variety of colors, but the large glasses with narrow bases looked more like wine glasses, and the small glasses were too tiny (plus, their rounded bottoms were easy to knock over—they reminded us of Weebles (video), except they actually do fall down).

The Merci Lucca Water Glasses come in lovely muted tones, but the glasses were so irregularly shaped with wonky rims, they didn’t stack evenly. They also had lots of flaws throughout the glass.

Weighing over a pound, the Atwell Stackable Ribbed Highball Glass from Crate and Barrel was the heaviest cup we tested. But that wasn’t the only issue: A jagged piece of glass was also sticking up from the rim, and we were able to scratch the color off of the glassware with a razor blade.

The Essential Stacking Drinking Glasses from West Elm come in fun colors, but they weren’t as popular as the Our Place Night & Day Glasses in our lineup. Some testers thought they looked like little terracotta pots and their wide rims looked awkward and unbalanced compared with the base of the glass.

The Lenox Tuscany Classes Stackable Tall Glasses stack nicely and come in several colors, but they weren’t our favorite hues of the colored glassware we tested. Some testers said they looked somewhat dated. Although a sticker on each cup says they’re break-resistant, they broke on the second impact.

We love the vibrant colors of the Ichendorf Poseidon Tumblers, particularly the neon orange, but we were disappointed to find that the glasses have unsightly seams, which made them feel cheap (even though they’re very pricey) and awkward to hold.

According to the company representative we spoke to, the Libbey Lisbon 16-Piece Tumbler and Rocks Glass Set is soon to be phased out and replaced by the similarly designed Libbey Polaris Axis 16-Piece Tumbler and Rocks Glass Set. Unfortunately, our testers preferred the Lisbon set more because the cups had slightly narrower lips and flatter bottoms.

We used to recommend the IKEA Godis Glass for those who want an inexpensive glass that’s tall and narrow. However, they stack fairly high, so they may not fit some cupboards. In our 2024 lineup, many testers disliked the lip around the rim of these glasses, and several said they looked cheap, so we dismissed them.

The Duralex Unie Tumbler looks very similar to the IKEA 365+ Glass, except it’s slightly larger, its base doesn’t have rounded edges, and it costs about $5 more per glass. It didn’t fare as well as our other tempered-glass picks when we dropped them onto a marble floor.

The elegant, thin-walled crystal Stolzle Weinland Tall Tumbler has such a narrow opening, our testers complained that the edge of the rim hit the bridge of their noses while drinking.

The IKEA Pokal Glass was one of the most durable we tested, but it’s heavy—14 ounces—and it doesn’t stack.

We tested the Schott Zwiesel Tritan Convention glasses to see how Schott’s Tritan glassware could survive getting dropped on the floor. We were surprised to see those razor-thin glass walls survive fall after fall. In the original version of our guide, this glass broke a floor tile. They don’t stack and look more like cocktail glasses, so drinking water from them feels odd.

We considered the Libbey Classic Tumblers And Rocks Glasses because they come in affordable sets. Unfortunately, two arrived broken in the box, and they didn’t survive a fall from any height.

Plastic

We like that the plastic Carlisle Mingle Double Old Fashioned Glass looks like recycled bottle glass. However, it has a lot of branding on the underside of the cup, whereas the Fortessa Veranda Outdoor Tumblers we recommend have less.

Our testers found the Tarhong Mesa Acrylic Outdoor Drinkware too wide to hold. These glasses felt awkward in the hand so we dismissed them.

The West Elm Fluted Acrylic Short Drinking Glasses felt cheap, and their narrow bottoms were deemed too easy to knock over, especially if they were to be used for outdoor use.

We used to recommend the US Acrylic Classic Water Tumbler, but as more interesting plastic options have become available over the years (particularly colored ones), we don’t anymore. They’re still an affordable and durable option that looks like real glass, but they don’t stack as compactly as some of our new plastic picks. In certain light, we also noticed that they have an unpleasant purple hue.

This article was edited by Marilyn Ong and Marguerite Preston.