As you can see by the photos above, the FanMug is an authentic, miniature replica of your favorite football team’s helmet. The facemask is the handle and the 13.5 oz removable cup is dishwasher safe and BPA-free. You can place your can or bottle in the removable cup to use it as a koozie, or you can pour your cold or hot drink directly into the cup for use as an insulated mug.
The FanMug comes in a number of NFL and NCAA licensed teams. The NFL teams currently available are: Bears, Browns, Colts, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Jets, Lions, Packers, Patriots, Raiders, Ravens, Saints, Steelers and Texans. Take a look at some of the NCAA licensed FanMugs being used by real tailgaters. (Click images for larger, more detailed view)
The above gallery is just a few select NCAA teams available for your FanMug. All teams currently available are: Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan State Spartans, North Carolina Tar Heels, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oklahoma Sooners, Penn State Nittany Lions, South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Longhorns, Virginia Tech Hokies and West Virginia Mountaineers.
We were sent samples of three FanMugs. We received an Oklahoma Sooners, Oakland Raiders and a Spielman Gridiron Classic pink FanMug. The purpose of testing out the FanMug was to see how well it insulated and kept beverages cold, which type of beverages would fit in, the overall quality and craftsmanship and also how comfortable it was to hold in your hand.
(Disclaimer: We did receive a sample of the FanMug for free. The fact these samples were provided to us free of charge in no way influenced our opinion of the product nor did it impact our ability to test and review the product fairly and objectively.)
The first aspect we really liked was the attention to detail of the FanMug. As you can see in the close-up photo of the Oakland Raiders FanMug, the facemask clips and the screws are authentic and just smaller than those you would find on an authentic NFL or NCAA helmet. You can tell the creator of this product was a stickler for details and was a perfectionist.
We also tested how long it would keep a beverage cold. Without boring you with laborious details the bottom line is the FanMug keeps beverages colder longer than if you just were holding it in your hand. The fact that your hand is removed from the can and prevents that body heat transfer makes it a tremendous insulator.
The types of beverages it can hold varies from cans to bottles. Standard 12 oz. cans like a Bud Light or a Coca Cola fit well and slide in and out of the inner cup easily but do not rattle around. Taller and thinner cans like Coors Light cans do have a bit of wiggle room in the inner cup but I found a way to prevent that. Simply place one of those neoprene can koozies around the thinner can and the extra girth make for a nice snug fit into the FanMug. You can pour your can or bottle into the inner cup of the FanMug or even use it for some Irish coffee or a rum and Coke. When not tailgating you can use it for your morning coffee or on your desk as a pencil holder.
The last test we conducted was how to comfortably hold it in your hand. Because we have a bigger hand than most people, the comfortable way for me to hold the FanMug was to place two fingers above the cross bar of the facemask on the top portion and my ring finger below. The FanMug sat comfortably in my hand and even with a full beverage in the inner cup did not weigh too much and felt natural sitting in my hand. The key is to make sure you hold the FanMug by the facemask as that portion of the product is designed to look authentic but is also meant to be used as the handle.
The FanMug comes all in one piece but can be separated into two pieces. The inner cup comes out and can be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher. It is also BPA free and is food grade plastic so you don’t have to worry about that if you choose to pour your drink into it and drink directly from the FanMug. The inner cup is also microwave safe so if your coffee gets cold at home or at the office, pop out the inner cup and zap it to warm it up and place it back in the helmet.
After thorough testing and based on functionality and the fact this is a unique way to support your team while tailgating, the FanMug is definitely “Tailgate Approved”.
FanMugs are priced $11.99 for an individual piece but if you buy a set of four, run $39.99. Shipping is reasonably priced too and if you go with the four pack, the shipping is very affordable. For more information or to buy your own, visit: FanMug.com.