Shatterproof glasses are the sort of factor you don’t notice you want till the second hits — you’re internet hosting a celebration, you determined you’d do the planet a strong by not utilizing disposable plastic cups, and so that you’re nervously watching as your friends drink and snigger and gesture whereas clutching certainly one of your prized, real-deal wine glasses and, whelp, your set of six is now 5.
Fortunately, the choices for shatterproof glassware (or a minimum of glassware that’s actually onerous to shatter) have gotten a lot sturdier, way more handy, and far much less ugly. I used fluted acrylic cups for my grandmother’s seventy fifth birthday, and never solely have been they elegantly designed, I might toss all 12 into the dishwasher with out worrying they’d crack. Many are stackable, too, which helps restrict the quantity of cupboard area they take up when not in use.
Shatterproof glassware appears and feels so good now, it’s value utilizing whenever you’re not having a celebration, too. If in case you have children or pets, as an example, break-resistant drinkware could be a sport changer. And for individuals who (understandably) don’t need to surrender the stylish feel and look of conventional glass, many shatterproof choices available on the market now mimic it very effectively — together with specialty glasses for craft beer and particular wine varietals. Conventional glassware is good, however having a set or two that you simply don’t should be so treasured about is even nicer.
What you resolve to get depends upon your wants. Are you seeking to replace your on a regular basis glassware assortment with extra sturdy replacements? Do you want one thing for a particular occasion? To determine one of the best choices, we tapped some specialists who work with shatterproof drinkware as a part of their jobs — the bar supervisor at an all-inclusive resort who must steadiness aesthetics with the hazard of damaged glass by a pool, an actual property agent who wants sturdy choices for staging and hosts open homes. From jewel-toned coupes for cocktail hour to sturdy stemless wine glasses in poppy shades, these are one of the best shatterproof glassware choices on the market proper now. Purchase a set, and provides your friends (and your self) the present of an evening freed from celebration fouls.
What to think about:
The fabric
There are a ton of recent high-tech choices for shatterproof glassware, however the supplies every have their professionals and cons. Tritan plastic is a BPA-free copolyester that appears, feels, and has about the identical weight as precise glass, however is shatterproof. “Tritan plastic gives one of the best mixture of sturdiness, dishwasher security, and a glass-like aesthetic,” says Waél Deek, companion and beverage director at One Extra Hospitality, the group behind widespread eating places like Alice, an Italian seafood spot in New York. He says it has the identical readability as glass and might produce the identical “clinking” sound. One other widespread materials is Tritan crystal glass, formulated by Schott Zwiesel and made out of titanium-based crystal as an alternative of plastic, which mimics actual glass fairly effectively.
For one thing extra light-weight and budget-friendly, go for acrylic, Deek says. Nevertheless, acrylic is much less sturdy than Tritan and should not do as effectively within the dishwasher (even when it’s “dishwasher-safe.”) For these searching for some temperature management, chrome steel often gives insulation to assist maintain drinks cool or scorching.
Along with Tritan and acrylic, Arley de Jesús Esteban Ruiz, bar supervisor on the Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe All-Inclusive Resort, recommends tempered glass. Although it’s technically not shatterproof, it will get an honorable point out for with the ability to stand up to numerous put on and tear.
The way you’ll use it
Amanda Wiss, founding father of NYC-based dwelling staging firm City Staging, buys a ton of shatterproof glassware to restrict accidents between showings. She says it’s particularly clutch for youths and nice to be used round swimming pools and scorching tubs — locations the place you don’t need to threat getting damaged glass round naked toes.
However from there, the scale, model, and materials you need will rely upon how precisely you’re planning to make use of the glassware, and what you’re planning to drink out of it. Do you want wine glasses for weekend patio hangs and don’t really feel like taking out the costly stuff? Tumblers for a child’s celebration the place you’ll have a bunch of eight-year-olds working round? Insulated cups so that you don’t should sip heat wine on the seashore? There are completely different appears and options for all these makes use of. Wiss provides that you must contemplate the cleanup a part of the equation; be sure that your glasses can deal with warmth if you wish to clear them within the dishwasher. And though there are lots of break-resistant choices which can be additionally dishwasher-safe, Abby Martinie, model ambassador and chief mixologist at 4 Roses Bourbon, nonetheless recommends hand-washing.
Yet one more word: Though shatterproof glassware is made out of extremely sturdy supplies, it’s important to notice that no drinkware is fully break-resistant. De Jesús Esteban Ruiz says that folks ought to all the time account for a possible breakage fee even with shatterproof glassware. “Having just a few spares readily available may be helpful,” he says.
Right here then, are one of the best choices available on the market
Greatest funds glasses
Greatest wine glasses
Greatest Champagne glasses
Greatest multipurpose consuming glasses
Greatest beer glasses
Greatest tempered glass
Brittany Natale is a New York Metropolis-based freelance author with practically eight years of expertise protecting vogue, magnificence, meals, wellness, way of life, and journey.