Do Stanley Cups Fit In Car Cup Holders?

I’ve been trying to stay better hydrated lately, which means bringing water with me pretty much everywhere I go. 

The problem is, I was starting to get pretty sick of my water bottles not fitting in my car’s cup holders.

When my kids saw Stanley cups trending on Tik Tok and asked for them for Christmas, I realized that I might have found my solution. 

Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumblers sized 40 oz and below fit comfortably in most cup holders, thanks to a narrow cup holder-friendly base. There are, however, a few notable exceptions. 

Cup holders with height limitations may be tricky because Stanley cups are relatively tall compared to most tumblers and bottles. While Stanley cups will fit in shallow cup holders, they may be prone to tipping over while you drive because they’re so top heavy.

Most door cup holders will fit your Stanley cup’s base, but may be too narrow where your cup widens to allow your tumbler to sit completely upright. And lastly, the handle of your Stanley cup may not work well with super deep cup holders.  

64 oz Stanley cups don’t fit in standard cup holders, but you can always use a cup holder expander to make it work.

While Stanley cups work great in most cup holders, there’s still a decent chance you’ll end up disappointed if you just assume they’ll work in your car. 

Below, I’ll show you which Stanley cups typically fit in standard cup holders and how you can check to see if the cup holders in your own car are likely to work with your Stanley. 

Do Stanley Cups Fit In Car Cup Holders?

Cup holders in most modern cars are between 3 and 3.5 inches (or 7.6 to 8.9 cm) in diameter, with some older cars and imports being as narrow as 2.5 inches (or 6.35 cm).

Unlike Nalgenes, Hydro Flasks, and most other reusable water bottles, Stanley cups sized 40 oz and below fit comfortably in most cup holders, thanks to a narrow cup holder-friendly base.

But it’s still a good idea to measure your car’s cup holders beforehand to be certain.  

	Base Diameter (inches)	Base Diameter (cm)
Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 14 oz	2.76 inches	7 cm
Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 20 oz	3.15 inches	8 cm
Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 30 oz	3.15 inches	8 cm
Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 40 oz	3.1 inches	7.9 cm
Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 64 oz	4.84 inches	12.3 cm

I Tested My Stanley Cup In All Of My Car’s Cup Holders

I’ve been bringing my Stanley cup with me pretty much every time I go for a drive. And when the kids tag along, they always want to bring theirs too. 

As a result, I’ve had Stanley cups crammed into every cup holder in both of my vehicles over the last few months — and have learned a lot about which types of cup holders work great and which not so much. 

Center Console Cup Holders Work Perfectly Almost Always

It’s pretty rare for a modern vehicle to have center console cup holders any smaller than 3 inches in diameter — which is just about the perfect size to fit Stanley cups (aside from the 64 oz). 

Add on the fact that your center console cup holder is the least likely to run into any of the other issues listed below, and it’s a pretty safe bet that your Stanley cup should work just fine in yours.

Stanley Cups Are Too Tall For Some Cup Holders

Because of their narrow base and large capacity, Stanley cups are relatively tall. Several inches taller than the average reusable water bottle.

As a result, you’re more likely to encounter a problem when the cup holder you want to use is near the dashboard, on your door, or on the back of your center console — where there’s often limited clearance above the cup holder. 

Most Stanley cups are between 10.8” and 12.3” in height, making anything under 14 inches of clearance a bit awkward to manage. 

Door Cup Holders May Be Too Narrow For Your Stanley Cup To Sit Upright

If your cup holder is in your car door or too near any other wall, you’ll need to consider more than just the width of your Stanley’s base. 

The top width of 30 and 40 oz Stanley cups is between 5.5 and 6 inches, meaning you’ll need at least that much horizontal clearance for your Stanley to sit comfortably. 

But unless it’s super tight, it’s usually not a huge deal. At least as long as you don’t mind your Stanley sitting a little crooked. 

Stanley Cups Are Top Heavy And May Tip Over In Shallow Cup Holders

One of the biggest problems I have with Stanley cups is how top heavy they are, which makes them prone to tipping and knocking over easily. 

As a result, if your cup holders are particularly shallow, your Stanley may tip over if you accelerate or brake too hard. And, because Stanley cups aren’t completely leak-proof, you could end up making a pretty big mess if so. 

As long as the depth of your cup holders is more than 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) or so, you probably have nothing to worry about. 

The Handle May Get In The Way Of Super Deep Cup Holders

And finally, if your car has super deep cup holders (deeper than 4.5 inches), which is fairly common in sportier vehicles, your Stanley cup’s low handle might prevent it from sitting very steadily.

Sticking a cork coaster or two in the bottom of your cup holder is a pretty cheap and easy fix. 

You Can Use A Car Cup Holder Expander For 64 oz Stanley Cups

The most popular sizes of Stanley cups (30 and 40 oz) work great in most cup holders. But the 64 oz model more or less doesn’t fit in any standard cup holders because of its super-wide 4.84” (12.3 cm) diameter base. 

But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it work — you’ll just need to pick up a cup holder extender. 

They slide right into any cup holder, essentially adding a wider cup holder directly above.

Just be sure to grab one with an expanding base that wedges itself into place, like this Swigzy Cup Holder Expander, or the whole thing may go flying if you need to slam on the brakes.