Double wall cup

A coffee cup with two layers of board for insulation, so it's comfortable to hold with a hot drink without a sleeve. Costs more per unit than single wall.

A double wall cup bonds a second layer of board around the outside, trapping a thin air gap that insulates the drinker's hand from the heat. The upshot: customers can hold a hot coffee comfortably without a separate sleeve, and the sturdier wall feels more premium.

That comfort costs more per unit than single wall, and the cups take a little more storage space. But you usually save on sleeves and on the handling time of fitting them, so the all-in cost gap is smaller than the sticker price suggests.

Double wall suits sit-and-carry hot drinks — the flat white a customer walks out with — and venues that want a tidier, sleeve-free presentation. For cold drinks or short blacks consumed on the spot, single wall is typically the more economical pick.