With the nights getting chillier, I’ve been reaching for a cup of tea more often. And if there’s one thing that can make a cozy fall night even better, it’s a warm drink that actually stays warm. Enter Ember’s new Mug 3, the latest version of the company’s temperature-controlled smart mug, which is designed to keep your drink at just the right temperature for as long as you sip.
The biggest change is that you no longer have to open the app to adjust your drink’s temperature. Instead, you can use the button on the bottom of the mug to cycle through five preset temperatures, starting at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Each press raises the temperature by five degrees, up to a maximum of 145 degrees, so you can easily make your drink a little hotter with each click. Honestly, this is the feature I ended up using the most during my time testing out the mug. At night, when I’m curled up in bed with a book and a cup of tea, my phone is usually somewhere across the room. Being able to adjust my drink without getting up to find it is a small convenience, but one I genuinely appreciate.
It’s also a welcome change for users who have reported running into connectivity or pairing issues with the Ember app.
That said, I do have one complaint: the button is located on the bottom of the mug. It’s a peculiar design choice when you’re dealing with a cup full of hot liquid, and it isn’t particularly easy to press, either. I often found myself tilting the mug and pressing down firmly to get it to respond. So, while I appreciate the addition of on-mug controls, I wish Ember had made the button easier to reach.
The Mug 3 also comes with a few other upgrades, including a sliding lid designed to help prevent spills. The mug can also keep your drink at its desired temperature for up to three hours on a single charge. And it’s the first mug in Ember’s lineup to be top-rack dishwasher-safe, making cleanup easier. (Just keep in mind that it isn’t microwave-safe.)







