About Us
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Mug Loft is an online shop for printed mugs: classic 11 oz and big 15 oz ceramic mugs, color-changing mugs that reveal their design when a hot drink goes in, light enamel camp mugs for outdoor coffee, wide latte mugs for milky drinks, gift sets and personalised mugs with a name or a date on them. We sell through mugloft.com to customers in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and every order ships free from the USA. This page explains what we sell, how we think about it, and what you can expect from us when you order.
Why a whole shop for mugs
A mug is one of the few objects most of us touch every single day. It is the first thing we hold in the morning and often the last thing we rinse at night. It sits on desks through long meetings, travels to campsites, gets passed across a kitchen table with a “here, I made you one”. Because a mug is used so often, small differences matter: the weight in your hand, whether it fits under your coffee machine, whether the handle leaves room for your fingers, whether the print still looks good after months of washing.
That is why Mug Loft sells mugs and nothing else. We do not sell ornaments, T-shirts or tote bags. Focusing on one object lets us describe every mug properly, explain the differences between shapes and sizes honestly, and put real effort into the details that make a mug something you reach for rather than something that lives at the back of the cupboard.
The name
To loft something is to lift it gently upwards, the way steam rises from a mug that has just been filled. That small moment, the first curl of steam before the first sip, is the picture behind our name. Our logo is a clay-coloured mug with a teal glaze running down its side and two curls of steam lofting above it, and our homepage is organised around “The Morning Shelf”, because choosing a mug should feel more like picking one off a friend’s kitchen shelf than scrolling through a warehouse.
What we sell
Ceramic mugs, 11 oz and 15 oz
The everyday mug. Glossy white ceramic with a comfortable handle and a printed design, either wrapped all the way around or printed on both sides. The 11 oz holds a standard cup of coffee and fits most machines; the 15 oz holds roughly a third more for long teas and second coffees. Browse Ceramic Mugs.
Color-changing mugs
These mugs look dark and plain until a hot drink is poured in; the heat-sensitive coating fades to reveal the printed design underneath. They are a favourite for surprise messages, from birthday wishes to proposals. The coating needs gentler care than a standard glaze, so we spell out the care notes on every listing. Browse Color-Changing Mugs.
Enamel camp mugs
Enamel-coated steel with a rolled rim, much lighter than ceramic and happy to be clipped to a pack or left on a porch rail. Ideal for campers, hikers and anyone who drinks their first coffee outdoors. Browse Enamel Camp Mugs.
Latte mugs
Wider at the top and lower than a classic mug, with room for foam and latte art. For cappuccinos, flat whites and big milky teas. Browse Latte Mugs.
Gift sets and personalised mugs
Matching pairs, family sets and mugs that carry a name, a date or a short line you write yourself. Browse Mug Gift Sets and Personalized Mugs, or find ideas by person and occasion in Shop by Theme.
How we describe our mugs
Online, you cannot pick a mug up, turn it over and feel its weight. So the product page has to do that work. For every mug, we aim to show and state:
- the type of mug and its capacity, with measurements taken from the specification of that mug;
- how the design is printed on it: wrap-around, two-sided or a single panel;
- the available sizes and accent colours, shown as buttons and swatches rather than hidden in a dropdown;
- care notes, including dishwasher and microwave guidance specific to that mug;
- exactly what is in the box for gift sets, and nothing that is not.
If something is not specified by the maker, we do not guess it. If a detail you need is missing from a listing, ask us and we will find out or tell you honestly that we do not know.
How we think about designs
A good mug design is readable at arm’s length across a table, still interesting on the hundredth morning, and kind enough to give to a colleague you have only just met. Our designs fall into a few families: clean line art and botanicals for people who like calm, bold type and gentle humour for desks and staff rooms, warm occasion designs for mothers, fathers, couples, teachers and the holidays, and outdoor motifs for the camp mugs.
We only sell designs that are original, licensed from the artist who made them, or built from public-domain material. We do not print brand logos, sports team marks, characters, celebrity faces or song lyrics. That rules out some popular ideas, but it means the artists whose work is on our mugs are treated fairly. Our Intellectual Property Policy explains the details.
How an order is prepared
When you place an order, it goes through the same short routine. The design is prepared for the exact mug you chose, including any name or date you typed. The mug is printed and checked against your order, so a personalised mug is compared with the text you entered at checkout. Then it is packed with protection around the handle and rim, the parts most likely to chip on the way. That routine takes an estimated 2–7 business days. The parcel then spends 7–14 business days with the carrier, with tracking from the moment it leaves.
Our promise to you
We would rather be clear than clever about the things that matter after you buy:
- Free shipping to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, on every order, with no minimum. See Shipping & Delivery.
- 24 hours to change your mind about anything in your order, from the address to the personalisation, free of charge. See Cancel or Change an Order.
- 60-day returns on every product, for any reason, including personalised mugs, with return postage paid by us. See Returns & Exchanges.
- Refunds within 7 days of approval, back to your original payment method. See Refund Policy.
- Broken or wrong items fixed at our cost, usually without asking you to send anything back.
- Replies within 1 business day from a real person at support@mugloft.com.
What we will not do
Honesty is easier to promise when you write down what you will not do, so here it is. We will not show reviews, ratings or “people are viewing this” counters that are not real. We will not invent a sale with a fake “was” price. We will not claim a mug is dishwasher safe if its maker says otherwise. We will not use payment logos for methods that are not actually available at checkout. And we will not fill your inbox: marketing emails only go to people who ask for them.
Who we make mugs for
Mostly, for people buying for someone else. A parent organising the class gift for a teacher. A colleague with a farewell card and a funny mug. A daughter who knows her dad will only ever use a 15 oz. A friend sending an enamel mug to a hiker on the other side of the world. And, every so often, someone who has finally admitted that their own favourite mug has a crack in it and deserves a successor. Whoever you are buying for, our Mug Size Guide and FAQs are there to help you choose well.
Choosing a mug for someone else
Most mugs are bought as gifts, and a few simple questions make choosing one for another person much easier. Think about where they drink, not just what they drink: a desk mug wants to fit under an office machine, a weekend mug can be bigger, a camping mug needs to survive a backpack. Think about how they will feel opening it in front of other people: a gentle joke usually lands better than a sharp one at a workplace exchange. And think about the message: a short line that only the two of you understand is often more treasured than a long quote. If you are stuck, our Shop by Theme shelves group designs by the person and the occasion.
A note on personalisation
A personalised mug is one of the most meaningful things a mug shop can send, and also the easiest to get wrong. That is why we print exactly what you type, why we give you 24 hours to correct it, and why we include personalised mugs in our 60-day returns instead of excluding them, as many shops do. If we ever print something different from what you entered, we remake it at our cost. Simple, clear text in a size that suits the mug almost always gives the best result.
How we choose what to add next
New designs and shapes go on the shelf when we believe they will genuinely be used, not to fill a page. Your emails will shape that list more than anything else: a request for more teacher mugs, a wish for a latte mug in a particular accent colour, a camper asking for a different enamel size. If there is a mug you wish existed, tell us. We read every suggestion.
Looking after your mug
A printed mug lasts longest when it is treated like the everyday companion it is. Follow the care notes on the product page; avoid scouring pads and bleach on printed surfaces; keep color-changing and enamel mugs out of the microwave; and let freshly boiled water settle for a moment in an enamel mug, whose rim conducts heat. If a print fades or a coating stops working within 60 days of delivery, tell us and we will put it right.
Mugs and the everyday
There is nothing grand about a mug, and that is the point. It is a small, practical object that quietly becomes part of someone’s routine. We want every mug we sell to earn that place: comfortable to hold, honest about what it can and cannot do, and printed with something worth looking at every morning.
Where we are
Mug Loft sells online through mugloft.com, with support by email. Our business address is Mug Loft, 148 S Wisconsin St, Burlington, WI 53105, US. Our terms are governed by the law of the State of Wisconsin, and you keep the consumer protections of the country where you live; see our Terms of Service.
Say hello
Questions, ideas for a design we should make, or a photo of your mug on its first morning at home: we would love to hear from you at support@mugloft.com. For help with an order, the Help Center and Contact Us page are the quickest routes. Or simply head to all mugs and find the one that suits your mornings.