What Is The Best Mug Press Machine? [UPDATED 2022] Mug Heat Press Review

What is the best overall mug press? And, what is the best mug press for you?

Because it all depends on the stage you are at, and what you’re going to be using it for… The best machine for business is very different from the best machine for home craft use. And, it all depends on your budget!

Best Mug Heat Press

The home craft & beginner mug heat press machines are the cheaper option, while the business machines run at a much higher price – but come with many more features and options.

Here are the options in general order of least expensive and lowest spec, to most expensive and highest spec. If you are only really looking for a mug press for the odd job here and there, one of the cheaper machines in the table below is best for you.

	The Cricut Mug Press	Beautiful design For 11 - 16 oz coffee mugs Auto shut off safety measure	View on Cricut
	The Mpress Mug Heat Press	Great for beginners and home craft use For 11 ounce coffee mugs Complete full wrap mug sublimation transfers (temp range 0 - 400°F)	View on Heat Press Nation
	The TC Home Press	One of the cheapest mug presses For 11 ounce coffee mugs For the very low budget and limited home craft use	View on Amazon
	HPN Signature Series Mug Press	Four buying options available 11 & 15 oz mug press, 2 in 1 , 4 in 1, & 6 in 1 options 4 point pressure adjustment	View on Heat Press Nation
	HPN Sublimation Mug Bundles	Choose bundle with Mpress or Sig Series mug press Comes with SawGrass sublimation printer Includes inks, sub paper, blanks, heat tape, etc.	View on Heat Press Nation
	Pro World TransPro Press	2 buying options for 11 and 15 oz mugs Manual mug press machines 3 in 1 press for bottles & latte mugs	View On Pro World
	F2C Multifunction Mug Press	Multifunction heat press with mug press For 11 ounce coffee mugs Good for home craft use - unsuitable for business	View on Amazon
	HPN Signature Series Multifunction	A much higher quality multifunction mug press machine 8 in 1 for doing mugs, t shirts, caps, plates For pressing various sizes of mugs	View on Heat Press Nation
	Geo Knight Mug Press	The best mug press for business US made mug heat press for the best quality heat transfers Fully adjustable, solid steel, great warranty	View on Heat Press Nation
	WALAPress 7 in 1 Combo Manual Tumbler Heat Press Bundle	Perfect for mugs and tumblers of all sizes!  Includes 7 different platens HTW has incredible customer support and great tutorials!	View on Heat Transfer Warehouse

The 5 in 1, or other multifunction, is best for those who would like to experiment with different types of heat press. Not only can you heat press mugs, but also caps, plates, tees, and other flat substrates.

The downside with multifunction heat press machines is that the mug press is generally not as good as a dedicated machine. Though, the HPN multifunctions are definitely a head above their cheaper Amazon counterparts.

Best Mug Heat Press For Business

When picking a mug press for business, you need a machine that will be reliable and effective. The cheaper machines can be a bit touch-and-go, and are not ideal when selling sublimated mugs.

Some features that are nice to have on a business press:

1. able to do multiple sizes of mugs
2. auto-opening so you can set up the next press
3. able to do full wrap transfers

Let’s take a look at 3 different machines for different stages of business use.

1. Fully Auto Mug Heat Press

This is the only electric fully automatic mug press – this means it can be used without a air compressor. Check out this video for more information.

Features:

• personalize drink ware quickly and easily
• only fully auto electric mug press (does not need an air compressor)
• digital temperature gauge with accurate time & temp readings
• easy to set & use
• automatically opens when time reaches zero
• emergency open button on top if you need to get it out quickly
• has gone through an extensive quality control process
• 1 year parts & service warranty

HPN Coffee Mug Press

The other model of HPN mug heat press can come without attachments, and will press 11 & 15 ounce mugs, or it can be purchased with a range of attachments, up to the listed 6 in 1 model.

Features:

• durable thick steel framework
• good for home or commercial use
• 4 point pressure adjustment for top edge to edge sublimation transfers
• easy to use digital time & temperature display
• beeps when press is completed
• heat press counter to keep track of how many you have pressed
• can do travel mugs and beer steins (with appropriate fittings)
• checked for quality before shipping
• one year warranty on parts & service

Geo Knight Mug Press

The Geo Knight DK3 is the best mug press in most people’s book.

Geo Knight make heat press machines in the US, and are well known for their top quality machines. We have a full post on the Geo Knight Mug Heat Press with a ton of further information.

If you are serious about making your own sublimation mugs, this is the machine for you.

How To Heat Press A Mug

Check out these tutorials for how to heat press a mug. These are some of the best that I have found on YouTube!

1. Using the HPN Signature Series mug press.

2. How to use the mug press on a cheap 5 in 1 multifunction heat press.

Intro to the Geo Knight mug heat press from Conde Systems.

Mug Press Alternatives

What other ways can you do sublimation transfers onto mugs?

Using a mug press is probably the cheapest way to get it done, but here are another couple of methods you can consider.

Sublimation Oven

This is the HIX SubliPro CT Countertop Sublimation Oven.

The mug is wrapped in a sublimation mug oven wrap and then placed into the sublimation oven. The mug wrap provides the pressure, while the oven provides the heat. It’s an effective way to do many mug transfers in one go. There are much cheaper sublimation ovens if you like the sound of this method.

3D Heat Press Machines

This is a 3D Vacuum heat press machine!

It’s an all-in-one machine, which can be used for applying heat transfers to a range of sublimation blanks, like mugs, latte mugs, cell phone cases, plates, etc. It uses vacuum pressure and heat to sublimation the image onto the mug.

There you have it, the best mug presses for both home and business use. We hope this has helped you discover the best machine for your budget and purposes.

Let us know what machine you’ve got your eye, or if you would like to know anything else, in the comments below. We look forward to hearing from you.

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