Imagine how weird and boring life would be if mugs and cups didn’t exist in our timeline. We’d probably end up drinking coffee from giant bowls or making tea in thimbles. Though that sounds like a world we’d love to see, we’re also very glad that we can enjoy a hot drink in peace.

It’s surprising how much a cup of tea or coffee can help you relax when you’re stressed. It warms you up. It distracts you. It gives you an excuse to get up from your computer (or whatever else might be stressing you) and just look out the window for a few minutes. It’s a mini dose of meditation, in a mug.

We’re firm believers that all items ought to be used instead of just being displayed. “Honey, get the fancy [insert dinnerware or piece of cutlery of choice]” is a mindset that leads you to put off pleasant experiences while waiting for some ‘perfect’ alignment of circumstances.

Instead of waiting for chances like that, we feel it’s best to use all of your fancy mugs/glasses/plates whenever the mood strikes you. Feeling fancy on a mundane Monday morning or a sleepy Wednesday evening is a surefire way to boost your mood. 

However, at the same time, we can’t really fault anyone for having a large display cabinet full of their favorite china. Like it or not, many of us are already mug collectors, whether we feel like that or not.

Think about how many you’ve got in your cupboard, at home. Personally, I count at least 15. And there’s probably a few that I’ve completely forgotten about! Like many of you Pandas, we’ve got our favorites that we use for pretty much everything

It’s a disaster when your best mug shatters. Or if, God forbid, someone steals it at school or work.

I remember I was in despair when my fave cup broke in the 4th grade. I was inconsolable. Was my mug unique? Far from it. Was it mine and mine alone? You bet!

The ‘Mug Life’ online community has been a part of Reddit for nearly a decade. Having been founded all the way back in late January of 2013, the subreddit is going to celebrate its 10th birthday very soon.

That’s quite an achievement for any internet group. At the time of writing, the sub boasted over 356k members. A third of a million internet users is nothing to sneeze at!

As it turns out, people really like mugs. Or rather, they love the cool and quirky designs, the aesthetics, and the out-of-the-box thinking some artists have.

Any large internet community survives and thrives thanks to its rules, as well as how good its moderating team is. If the rules are too vague or too loosely enforced, you’ll get chaos. On the flip side, if the mod team is quick to react to any potential issues and all the members are on the same page, what you get is an active, healthy group with a single-minded focus. In this case, mugs.

The main rules that members ought to follow include being respectful and civil (like on most of the internet), staying on-topic (mugs and mug-related content only), and avoiding advertising anything. That’s pretty much it. It’s simple. It’s clear. It’s easy to follow.

We like to think that we chose some of the best mugs to feature from r/muglife. Which of these did you love the most, dear Pandas? Were there any that you'd want to bring home with you in a heartbeat? Maybe you even spotted your own cup in this list. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments. It's always a pleasure hearing from you.