Unitasker Wednesday: Tu-Go Travel Coffee Cup Holder
All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!
A decade ago, I might have looked at the Tu-Go Travel Coffee Cup Holder and not considered it for our weekly unitasker feature. But now, thanks to security measures at the airport, I can’t even imagine when a person would have the opportunity to use this:
Since you can’t bring drinks past security checkpoints, you might have a drink for all of 10 feet between where you buy it and a seat at your gate. At most, you might be carrying a coat, your carry on bag, and a drink — all you need to do is wear your coat, pull your luggage with one hand, and hold your drink in the other hand. As long as you have two arms, you are fully equipped to handle a drink without this $10 device.
A special no-spill sippy cup for my wine on the plane, well, now that would be a useful-tasker if ever there was one! Thanks to reader Nancy for bringing the Tu-Go Travel Coffee Cup Holder unitasker to our attention.
30 comments posted
Posted by cv - 05/12/2010
Not everyone travels by airplane at all times. I think this looks ridiculous and can’t understand why so many people can’t go more than 20 minutes without a giant cup of coffee these days, but plenty of people who travel by train might find this gadget appealing.
Posted by Amanda Smith - 05/12/2010
I know people who take rolling briefcases to and from work, including those who go between site within the same city – frequently walking distance. This might be handy for them.
Posted by Chris - 05/12/2010
I wonder if this would work between the poles on crutches? That would be quite useful
Posted by Rue - 05/12/2010
There was a point in my life where I was in an airport and trying to carry a purse, drag my carry-on bag on the floor, carry another on my shoulder, AND carry a wedding-dress bag (which are surprisingly heavy AND bulky) as well. Then, I could have used something like this – albeit to carry a Dr Pepper and not a coffee ;D
Posted by Roses - 05/12/2010
I think you may be wrong on the uselessness of this one, although I don’t think this is the best design for such a device. I live in a city, walk to public transportation and then take public transportation to the airport and am always at the airport at least an hour ahead and I spend a lot of time walking around once I get there. I’m usually schlepping some kind of beverage, whether it’s water (drink lots of water if you’re flying!) or something else, and juggling a couple of different things in my two hands — think reading material that I’m reading while waiting in line, boarding pass, license, the special bag of liquids in their own ziploc as required by security — so it’s a balancing act. The last thing you want is to have your beverage tip over or to save your beverage at the expense of losing your license. I’ve often thought someone should invent something to hold the beverage on the rolling bag. I wouldn’t have designed it this way, though, because you often have to bring the handle down quickly, and this wouldn’t work well for that.
Posted by Mike - 05/12/2010
“As long as you have two arms, you are fully equipped to handle a drink without this $10 device.”
…and if one does NOT have two arms, what then?
There are many disabled and injured individuals in this world, and they too must travel from time to time.
Just saying.
Posted by Erin Doland - 05/12/2010
@Mike — I’m disabled, and I know that many of the devices made for people like me are not made for the general population. This device is NOT made for the disabled. It is marketed to the general population, and the general population has two arms. We pick unitaskers based on the usefulness an object may (not) have for the general Unclutterer reader.
Posted by The Tiny Homestead - 05/12/2010
my favorite part of unitasker posts is reading the comments where the usefullness of the item is supported. adds to the fun. that said, the tugo is a no go for me. I like to be able to quickly slide the suitcase handle out of the way. I wouldn’t want to be fiddling with where to put the contraption now that the coffee is gone and I need to stow my luggage in the overhead compartment.
Posted by Jessiejack - 05/12/2010
@chris – hilarious!!
Posted by Elizabeth - 05/12/2010
@The Tiny Homestead-” like to be able to quickly slide the suitcase handle out of the way.”
I’m the same way! I’m constantly adjusting the handle on rolling suitcases to get the right length for that particular moment, or to make it go away when I don’t need it. This would cause me more trouble than it would be worth. Plus, I’d spend all my time wondering if it was really, truly stable. I’m definitely not interested in this one.
Posted by Michele - 05/12/2010
I love this idea! I probably wouldn’t use it because I rarely use a rolling bag (I’ve moved back to backpacks when flying with my preschooler) but it’s still genius. There are plenty of airports where you have to schlepp your stuff and yourself for what seems like forever after security. There often isn’t a coffee place in your wing and who wants to wait (or drink) the coffee on the plane?
Posted by Shari - 05/12/2010
Got to say, when schlepping my children through the airport I have often LONGED for a third arm, so I could stop and get a coffee. Instead, I have had to skip it as I can’t carry/hold on to a small child, roll a suitcase, and carry a cup of hot coffee. Still, I doubt this is worth the trouble. Seems you’d have a big mess on your hands after the first bump.
Posted by Adventure-Some Matthew - 05/12/2010
Wow, and this whole time I just carry my water bottle with me. Empty until I pass through security, and then fill it up in the waterfountain on the “inside”. It fits nicely inside my carry-on bag (a backpack) and I can access it whenever I need it. When not in use, back in the bag it goes, leaving both hands free once again.
Posted by Susanne - 05/12/2010
I don’t think I’d ever buy this, but I dislike that you automatically assume everyone only takes planes. I am European and live in Asia, and in both those continents, millions of people take the train on a very regular basis and for long distances.
Posted by Linda PB - 05/12/2010
Due to knee surgery, I’m walking with a cane for awhile. And I have a long walk from our parking lot to my corporate office. Last week I was faced with quite a juggling act — cane in one hand, pulling my rolling brief case … and then trying to figure out how to carry my mocha without spilling it all. A device like this one would have worked well for me.
Posted by Beth - 05/12/2010
When you have a layover between flights and buy some coffee as you travel from one end of the airport to your next gate at the other (inevitably), then it could be useful. Just sayin’.
Posted by Jai - 05/12/2010
While it doesn’t exactly look all that stable, I could use this. I teach an after school art program and pull a suitcase with my supplies and carry a portable whiteboard. No hands for my drink.
Posted by Another Deb - 05/12/2010
Lots of instructors and students schlep rolling backpacks and lots of people at conferences or vendor booths are on wheels. I imagine someone may get some use from a device like this. I tend to see it in the same category as a bud vase on a dashboard. Not for me.
Posted by Jen - 05/12/2010
Honestly, look at the design. While I am totally pro on anything that gives an extra hand, anyone who has used a similar mug and say, put it in the cup holder of a jog stroller, knows that if you have more than an ounce of coffee in the mug, said coffee will come flying out the top the minute you hit a bump.
This could only work with a sealed lid. I also agree it will be hard to maneuver if you have to close the handle quickly. I love coffee and love it when I am traveling, however, I am not that desperate.
Oh, and with regard to the security/no liquids issue: I take my empty ceramic mug (w/lid and wrap) through security and then purchase a refill. No worries on dumping it!
Posted by Karen - 05/13/2010
When did we become a nation of people who can’t survive without a mocha for a few hours? Seriously.
Posted by bETH - 05/13/2010
You might have a drink for all of 10 feet between where you buy it and a seat at your gate, but it takes AN HOUR to get that ten feet, during which I enjoy my coffee, especially for thost 5am flights!
Posted by kava - 05/13/2010
Having lived on crutches for six months, this *would* be great for carrying coffee cups around the house and from the cafe to the car if you strapped it to your crutches!
heh. I hacked something like that together, but I spilled a LOT of coffee along the way.
Posted by Megan from tugo - 05/13/2010
Thanks to all for the attention regarding our luggage drink holder idea. We know the tugo isn’t for everyone, but we have found plenty of people that find it useful. Please see our website, goodtugo.com, for more information, and delicious.com/goodtugo for a compilation of reviews.
Posted by Susan V. - 05/13/2010
wow…when the manufacturer comments on its own unitasker product on this site you know this site is truly “famous”
Posted by Jess - 05/14/2010
The people commenting about needing to snap their handle down quickly have raised a very vivid image in my mind.
Just like people driving into their garage with their bike on the roof rack, you just KNOW that if you used this, you’d forget the cup was there.
“Gotta pack up!!” Click – SLAM! Splash! Lawsuit…
Posted by Tammy - 05/14/2010
Heh, have you ever tried travelling with an 18th month old? carseat, stroller, stroller bag for gate check, diaper bag, mom’s carry-on bag, boarding passes, jackets, sippy cup, shoes that kid just chucked 10 feet behind you… no.. I don’t think I can add a coffee cup into that mix
Posted by Making Yogurt « The TF Diabetic - 05/25/2010
[...] easier and more consistent in result than using my rice cooker, crockpot, thermos, or any other non-unitasker method. I don’t have to keep checking to see if it’s still warm. I just set it and [...]
Posted by Steph - 05/27/2010
Although I don’t like this particular design, I have suffered long when traveling and not being able to carry something to drink with me because of lack of extra hands. I try not to document my baggage when I pack light but end up carrying at least: my handbag, my rolling laptop case and a rolling suitcase. Just crossing the airport from one gate to an other(think Atlanta, JFK, etc) is madness in this situation and therefore I can totally relate to this problem. Especially for long flights when traveling on your own, this product would be a relief.
Posted by ark - 06/03/2010
Even before the first bump in the road, isn’t the beverage going to spill as soon as the bag/handle/cup unit is tilted to roll?
Posted by EFN - 07/02/2010
Hey – I work for a Fortune 500 company that has been outsourcing and gradually sending a lot of work overseas. They also have supported alternative work schedules – work at home, etc. Well, they decided to close my building and make us all “nomads” starting a couple of weeks from now – no cube, “soft” phones, use “hotel” cubes, etc. So, my plan this weekend was to shop for a rolling briefcase to carry laptop, etc. I was jokingly wondering on Facebook if they had any with a cup holder and one of my friends sent me this link. I’m going to have to carry everything with me – laptop, papers, phone, lunch (if I make myself), drinks, coats, etc. Should be interesting – new world. I will probably look at this thing seriously! Actually, I should buy a bunch wholesale and sell them to my co-workers!
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