When it comes to the potential dangers of Stanley tumblers, they are mostly self-imposed. Maybe you sprained your ankle attempting to barrel through a crowd to get a limited-edition Stanley, or you lost your job at Target for buying an exclusive Quencher. But according to a group of users on TikTok, Stanley cups pose another danger: lead poisoning.
Over the past year, several videos have surfaced on TikTok of people using a reactive agent home test kit to test for lead in their Stanley products.
"So just confirmed that the Stanley is leaded," @leadsafemama_2022 announced in a video uploaded last year. The woman then used a LeadCheck swab, which turns pink if the lead present is bioavailable, to further test the Stanley cup. The swab did turn pink shortly after contact with the bottom of the cup.
With similar videos going viral, Stanley has since issued a statement to WCNC Charlotte addressing the lead rumors. According to a rep for the brand, there isn't any lead on the surfaces of their products.
"Please rest assured that no lead is present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes in contact with you or the contents of your container. Every Stanley product meets all U.S. regulatory requirements, including California Proposition 65, which requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about heavy metal and chemical exposure," the statement read.
As far as the accuracy of the LeadCheck tests used on TikTok, a report from OSHA that dates back to 1994 states that the "FDA reported that the swabs were able to detect the presence or absence of lead in 96.6% of the pieces tested."
The report also said that there are some elements that can interfere with testing, and that samples should be sent to a certified lab for a more thorough lead determination.
Danielle Harling is an Atlanta-based freelance writer with a love for colorfully designed-spaces, craft cocktails and online window shopping (usually for budget-shattering designer heels). Her past work has appeared on Fodor’s, Forbes, MyDomaine, Architectural Digest and more.
