If you’ve ever watched multiple episodes of VH1’s Behind the Music or any musician-based biopic ever made, the stories of the artists’ rise and fall tend to feel inevitable.
The same could be said of any fad, especially when it comes to social media. Now, it seems that TikTok’s viral Stanley cups may just be entering the beginning stages of ridicule and ire, possibly threatening its status as the $40 stainless steel tumbler of choice for people convinced a cup makes them look cooler.
A TikToker named Shyanne (@shyannerosalie) recorded herself solemnly placing her hand over her mouth and looking off into the distance. She is also holding a piece of plastic in her hand, which she explains in the text overlay of her video.
It reads, “Um Stanley ..do I also get a car? Because my handle couldn’t even handle the weight of my water.”
Shyanne is referring to the massively viral clip a Stanley cup customer uploaded of her charred car in the aftermath of a fire. While parts of her car were burnt to a crisp, she showed that her trusty Stanley Quencher, which was in the vehicle’s cup holder, not only remained nearly perfectly intact but that the ice in it was still frozen. Many took this as a testament to the item’s build quality and ability to maintain the temperature of its contents.
Shyanne’s clip cuts to her showing off her lime green-colored broken Stanley cup—she presses the handle to the point where it broke off, tapping it against the stainless steel tumbler.
One commenter seemed to suggest that all of the hype around Stanley cups are unwarranted, writing, “My random metal water bottle my mom gave me would never.”
Another person wrote how their off-brand Stanley cup never disappoints, commenting, “I got a 6 dollar Stanley dupe months ago and it hasn’t even failed me.”
@shyannerosalie Crying 🥲 #fyp #stanelycup ♬ original sound – 𝑛𝑒̀𝑙𝑙𝑎ଓ
Someone else said that folks who are going nuts over the tumbler are investing their energy, and money, into the wrong Stanley 1913 product.
“Try their ice flow cups instead because they are 10000% better then the normal Stanley ones,” one user suggested.
Some folks’ve reviewed the Stanley Quencher and pitted it against other popular “luxury” cup brands, like Yeti. Food and Wine said that while they appreciated some features of Yeti’s massive, straw-packing, stainless steel tumbler over the Stanley, they also said Stanley’s Quencher edges out the Yeti in other areas. After the outlet’s review, it stated that the best tumbler choices boil down to personal preference.
And then some folks swear by alternatives that cost significantly less than Stanley’s offerings but still keep drinks chilled (or hot) for hours on end. If you just so happen to be a Buc-ee’s ride-or-die, then you’ve probably already picked up the chain’s Stanley dupe that’s getting rave reviews from folks.
The best part? It costs significantly less at $25. Oh, and Buc-ee’s has its own limited edition Valentine’s Day Tumblr, like Stanley’s, and it’s selling out like hotcakes whenever a new re-stock drops too.
If you’re into something that doesn’t have a cartoon beaver on it, you can also check out this list that the Food Network compiled of some other Stanley dupes that’ll be lighter on your wallet and provide the same functionality.
The article highlights an almost identical offering to the Stanley cup everyone’s going nuts over right now, and it’s manufactured by a company that was once the final word in stainless steel bottles: Hydro Flask. In fact, Spoon University says that the All Around Tumbler from Hydro Flask is significantly better than the Stanley in one key area that’s pretty darn important: it’s spill-proof.
The outlet concedes that the Stanley offers more colors, though, offering patrons more opportunities to have a personalized color palette that may be more pleasing to them. According to the author of the article, they say that the Hydro Flask and Stanley are both adept at keeping drinks cold or hot for the same amount of time, too.
While there are a lot of children who express a desire to “grow up fast,” many have remarked that it’s still surreal to see children begging their parents to buy them Stanley cups. In fact, one man said that his younger sister was shamed, teased, and bullied by her classmates for bringing a non-Stanley water bottle to school.
According to Stanley 1913’s website, all of its products are protected by a “lifetime guarantee.” So if you’ve noticed a fault in a Stanley cup or any other product the company offers, you can check out its website here to file a claim.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Stanley 1913 via email and Shyanne via TikTok comment.