Viral Stanley cups maker sued over lead contamination fears

Stanley, the cup brand behind the viral craze of 2024, is being sued over lead contamination fears surrounding their popular cups.

Throughout the beginning of 2024, we all bore witness to the craze surrounding the ever-popular Stanley Cups. These tumblers had customers jumping over store counters to get their hands on one, and even bidding hundreds over the asking price on eBay.

However, the popular brand is now facing some serious backlash, as the parent company is being sued by numerous consumers, who claim that the brand did not make it clear enough that their cups contained lead. 

The company did, however, issue a report surrounding the content of their products in February, stating: 

“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.”

Concerns over Stanley cup lead exposure

eBay: @julifranc38

This statement did nothing to stop people’s concerns, however, as the lawsuit alleges that if the cups are damaged or broken in any way, the seal could potentially break and expose customers to the toxic lead. 

As a result, the company is being sued in Washington state by a woman, Robin Krohn. She is calling for monetary compensation, an update in Stanley’s advertising campaign, and a product recall. She also wishes to see the cups currently on sale discontinued. 

This comes after Stanley was also sued in California in early February, in a case that could become a class action, by a group of women for ‘misleading’ consumers and arguing that they could have been exposed to lead.

There are several other popular cup brands that customers can purchase without any fears of lead contamination. Owala, favored by Gen Z is making waves at the moment and is completely lead-free.