Looking for the Perfect Travel Tea Thermos

I have a vacuum infuser mug from R.E.I that is pretty awesome. On the website it runs for about 24.95. I also saw R.E.I has free shipping till December

How do you intend to drink from a thermos? I ask because I have a double walled stainless steel one from Teavana (which was expensive… other identical, cheaper options are available I’m sure). It does have a sipping lid and an infuser basket, but I never use it. I figure if I were going to take the 5 minutes to brew a pot of coffee, I can take the 5 minutes to infuse my tea in a proper vessel, and then I’m not dealing with over steeping or an open basket of leaves somewhere. (I just don’t get the obsession with brewing tea in the mug, I guess. You don’t see coffee drinkers trying to fiddle with grounds in their travel mugs every day, right?)

In any case, this particular thermos actually keeps the tea too hot for too long for me to actually drink from, and the “sipping area” is a little awkward anyhow. Instead I just use it to pour out into a real cup. It works great for me, and I can have nice hot tea until noon, and then make more.

If you were to be actually drinking from a travel mug (say, a long work commute in the morning), I’m going to be honest and go with simplicity. Brew it in your kitchen and then stick it in something simple like this: http://amzn.to/rXMQKA

Find one at target that has the lid you like best (I like ones that flip like this, or sometimes some that turn to cover the opening.) Plastic lets it cool down to drinkable temperatures a little faster, in my experience.

Alternatively… when I worked in an office, I used something like the Bodum travel press to brew the tea and strain it, then pour it off into my mug. (Again… I didn’t drink from it, leaves get bitter. It actually worked best with rooibos and such if I didn’t push down the filter, even.) It was easy to wash, and I could microwave the base part if I needed to get water boiling. ( http://amzn.to/rKYJfQ )

Thanks for the input there are so many options to consider.

I have a this mug for when I want to brew on the go. I mostly use it for when I travel since it’s really easy to get hot water from the coffee machine (I take forgiving teas with) and go from there. I’ve been very happy with it.
http://www.amazon.com/Aladdin-10-00753-002-Tea-Infuser-Mug/dp/B001Q3L9P0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322753981&sr=8-1

For everyday use, I brew in my teavana perfect teapot and then strain into this mug. I got mine from target for about $20 and it keeps the tea warm for hours on end. I make it in the morning around 7:30 and it is still warm, not hot, at 2 or later.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-H10005A6-Fashion-Travel-Tumblers/dp/B001TWK8LE/ref=sr_1_40?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1322754208&sr=1-40
(the design on mine is a little different) Take note of the lid when you buy as my husband always used to get this one and liquid would get trapped in the lid and make it start to taste like sludge.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Ounce-Stainless-Travel-Tumbler/dp/B000NZVA6U/ref=sr_1_9?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1322754304&sr=1-9

I personally don’t like to drink tea from plastic or metal. The best travel mugs I’ve found are glass or clay lined. These are a good option if you don’t mind not having an infuser basket.
http://www.stoneleaftea.com/?wpsc_product_category=traveling-tea-thermos

I have the double walled glass one and I think it is the best! There is a strainer that snaps into the top so you can just put your loose leaves into the jar, use slightly cooler water than normal, and drink from the jar on the road. The strainer filters the leaves and keeps them out of your mouth. You can also just use it like a teapot and pour it into a cup once you get where you are going.

The clay lined ones are good too, but they keep some of the flavor, so they are best for using with only one type of tea.

There’s an older discussion on the topic: http://steepster.com/discuss/996-best-travel-tea-thermos-with-infuser

The Aladdin tea thermos is one I use: http://www.shopaladdin-pmi.com/product/10151