All About Cup Holders

A cup holder, just as the name implies, is a device designed to hold a cup, water bottle, soda can or any other drinking container. Today, the cup holder has become a common fixture in cars, trains, movie theaters, and even things like chairs and poker tables. A cup holder can also be portable, usually made with an insulated sleeve to hold a paper or plastic cup of hot beverages.

The early days

Although the exact date and origin of the cup holder is not known, it's evident that the popularity of cup holders really began to take hold in the later decades of the 20th century.
The first cars didn't feature cup holders for drivers. The bumpy ride, rough roads, and two-handed necessity of steering didn't really lend itself to enjoying beverages while driving.

But the emergence of the drive-in restaurant was a significant step in the cup holder's advance. Servers would attach a tray that hooked over the car's side window, which served as a table to hold drinks and food while eating in the car.

The drive-in restaurant and movies encouraged the development of built-in tray tables. The inside of the glove compartment lid of many cars, when folded down, had indentations to hold cups and cans. These were capable of holding drinks when the car was parked, but not while in motion.

Getting modern

The later development drive-thru restaurants encouraged the development of better holders for drinks, and a faster-paced lifestyle and longer commute times gave many drivers the desire to drink their morning coffee in the car on the way to work.

In the 1960s, many coffee cups were made with wide, flat, rubber bases that kept them steady on the dash or console. A few years later, aftermarket cup holders began to hit the scene. These would often clip onto the door windows, although other designs would simply wedge in between the front seats and the center console.

The cars

Built-in cup holders for cars didn't emerge until the 1980s. Minivans were the first type of vehicle to feature them, and today they still offer the greatest number of them. Over time, car cup holders have become larger and more sophisticated because of all the different shapes and sizes of beverage containers these days.

The emergence of bigger and bigger cups by American fast-food chains and convenience stores has proven a challenge to automotive designers. This eventually encouraged today's "car cups" to be designed, which have a narrower base but taper out wider toward the top. These cups can still hold a lot of beverage while being able to fit in smaller cup holders.

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