A confession: I thought I’d outgrown Thermos. My childhood was full of memories of heavy vacuum flasks lugged into school camps at Lake Moogerah, usually filled with soggy noodles that would still be stewing in boiling broth. But when Thermos sent me their new Icon Series lineup—a food jar, beverage bottle, and three water bottles of varying sizes—it felt like stepping back in time.
Introducing the Thermos Icon Series
The Icon Series is Thermos doing what they’ve always done best, keeping food hot and drinks cold, but with a sharper focus on durability, modern design and everyday versatility. The range spans insulated food jars and bottles from 710ml all the way up to 1.9L (HUGE!), covering everything from weekday commutes to multi-day hikes. Each piece is built from tough stainless steel with vacuum insulation, and the finish feels as bombproof as you’d hope from a brand with more than a century of pedigree.
Who Is It For?
If you spend time outdoors, whether that be hiking, camping, skiing, or just road-tripping with the family, the Icon Series is built for you. It’s equally at home in the office or at a trailhead, and the variety of sizes means there’s a model for just about everyone: Solo hikers who want a light bottle, families packing for a picnic, or groups needing litres of hot tea or coffee in the backcountry. It’s not ultralight kit, but it’s reliable, rugged, and designed for people who want their food and drink to stay the temperature they left it.
Thermos Icon Series Food Jar (710ml)
The 710ml Food Jar is what I reached for on recent day hikes and ski trips at Mt Buller. Big enough to cook 2-minute noodles in, yet small enough to vanish into a pack. The wide mouth makes it easy to eat straight from the jar, and just as importantly, easy to clean afterwards.
What impressed me most was the practicality. I’ve had plenty of food jars that end up stained or fiddly to open with gloves on. This one? No such dramas.
Thermos Icon Series Beverage Bottle (1.2L)
This is Thermos in its most classic form. The 1.2L Beverage Bottle looks like the sort of thing you’d expect to see in the backcountry, and with good reason. It holds enough coffee or tea for a full day, and the lid doubles as a cup, a small but timeless touch. The only catch is that the lid gets quite hot when filled with coffee, so you’ll want to let it cool a little before sipping.
The spout pours cleanly without dribbling and the insulation is top shelf: I poured coffee in the morning, and by late afternoon, it was still steaming. Sure, it’s heavy when full, but for group trips or long cold days, that’s a price worth paying.
Thermos Icon Series Water Bottle (1.9L)
Let’s be clear: the 1.9L Water Bottle is a beast. It’s not going to slip into the side pocket of your daypack. But that’s not its job. This is the Thermos you keep in the car or at camp. I found it was best used like a jug for cold water or juice, rather than as a water bottle substitute.
The insulation is equally impressive. Even after sitting in our car for 10 hours driving from Brisbane to Sydney, the water inside stayed ice cold. It feels like the sort of bottle you’ll still be using in ten years’ time.
Thermos Icon Series Water Bottle (945ml)
The 945ml option is probably the most versatile of the lot. It’s big enough to see you through a long hike or a full day on the go, but still compact enough to easily stash in a pack. I am someone who drinks on the move, so the twist off lid felt a bit cumbersome compared to the 710ml bottles’ covered spout lid.
Thermos Icon Series Water Bottle (710ml)
The smallest bottle we tested from Thermos, the 710ml Water Bottle, is built for daily life as much as for the outdoors. I carried it on commutes, short walks, and even took it to the gym. It’s light, easy to drink from, and small enough to fit anywhere. I found this bottle to be most useful and especially appreciated the spout lid design.
Even though it’s the smallest bottle in the range, don’t let the size fool you, it’s still got the same stainless build and insulation as the bigger bottles. For those who want the same Thermos performance without the chunk of the larger bottles, this is the one for you.
Verdict
The Thermos Icon Series hasn’t reinvented the wheel, they’ve just done the basics incredibly well. Food stays hot, water stays cold, bottles don’t leak, and the build feels incredibly strong. The range covers just about every situation, from weekday work lunches to all-day mountain trips. Another worthy mention is the wide choice of different colours throughout the range, which is a nice touch to suit different personalities. Learn more about the Thermos Icon Series range here.
The Thermos Icon Series range was sent to Wild for testing.
