I recently traded in an older vehicle for a newer one. Older cars and pickups in the US had built-in cup holders that hold cups of almost any size. Newer vehicles have tiny little cup holders into which 12-oz. drink cans, 12-oz. styrofoam cups, and tapered fast food and convenience store cups will fit, but not much else. My newer vehicle is a 2015 Suburban, and it shares cup holder size with many other recent GM cars and lots of other vehicles as well.
I like to use my hard plastic 64-oz. drink cups. Now, before you blow a gasket, I don't fill them with sugar, but rather with water or some other sugar-free, non-alcoholic beverage.
There's no way my cups would fit in my new cup holders--and I quickly learned that well-made after-market inserts are surprisingly rare. I took a chance and ordered a Smart Kup. Even though it is not sold under the "Amazon Prime" rubric, it arrived very quickly, and with no shipping charges. So far, so good. It's made of sturdy ABS plastic, rather than some sort of weak stuff, and likely will last a long time. But would it fit my cup holders?
Sadly, it did not. The fit was all loosey-goosey and wobbly, and any large cup I put in it would tip over the second I left the curb. RATS!
Then, while I was rooting around in my kitchen Everything Drawer, I came upon a lightweight neoprene koozie. It was worth a shot. The koozie was a tight fit, because the bottom of the Smart Kup is larger than a beer can. But it fit, and it fit snugly. I put the Smart Kup with the koozie into the cup holder. PERFECT FIT!
Next I filled one of my plastic cups to the brim with water, put on the lid, put my cup into the Smart Kup, and took a little drive. The top part of the Smart Kup is significantly taller than its competitors, and it held my cup solidly upright. Bumpy road. The drink cup didn't budge. Sharp curves and corners. The drink cup stays upright and secure. EXCELLENT!
There's also a cut-out slot in the side of the Smart Cup, so that I could use a good-sized coffee cup easily, so long as I didn't fill it absolutely to the brim with steaming coffee.
The Smart Kup passed ALL of my tests with flying colors. So I immediately ordered another one for the second front cup holder in my vehicle. It showed up in the middle of the US today after a quick trip from Hawaii.
These are the ones to get, folks, and they're keepers!
SO: design and construction--five stars. Convenience--five stars. Value received for money spent--five stars. Appearance--it's not the Venus de Milo, but it looks good enough. Five stars there too. Durability--built of sturdy ABS rather than some flimsy junk. Five stars. AND they'll hold many insulated water bottles as well! Where's the down side?
| Manufacturer | 808 Innovate |
|---|---|
| Brand | SMART KUP |
| Model | SMART KUP CUP HOLDER |
| Item Weight | 4.2 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4 x 4 x 6 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | 8542111300 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 120001 |
