HandleStash Review - A Cup Holder Designed To Prevent Spills

One accessory I always like to add to my bike is a handlebar cup holder. These aren’t the typical water bottle cup holders that many people stick to the frame of their bikes but rather are cupholders that mount to your bike’s handlebars. Since I’m primarily riding my bike for transportation, rather than recreation, I’m not necessarily looking to hold sporty water bottles. For me, it makes more sense to have something to hold coffee cups, fountain drinks, bottles/cans, and similar items.

The HandleStash is a neat handlebar cup holder that I recently added to my bike. It’s different from many other cup holders because of its design. The biggest issue I’ve always faced when riding with a drink is dealing with spills when hitting bumps or uneven terrain. The HandleStash shock-absorbing cup holder has a design that works to address this issue.

In this HandleStash review, we’ll look at what the HandleStash is, how it works, and what makes it different. We’ll also discuss the things I like about the HandleStash, as well as a few things you should think about if you’re looking to get this cup holder.

My HandleStash cup holder mounted to the handlebar of one of my ebikes.

What Is The HandleStash Shock Absorbing Bike Cup Holder?

The HandleStash is a shock-absorbing cup holder that mounts to your bike’s handlebars. It comes in a variety of different colors and patterns. I opted for the “Flying Dutchman” pattern, which features a guy falling off a penny-farthing bike. You can go with one of these decorative patterns or opt for a solid color or simple pattern, so whatever you’re looking for, you can probably find it.

The package includes the HandleStash, along with a foam insert you can put into the bottom of the HandleStash if you need to hold smaller drinks. The HandleStash itself is made of stretchable elastic and has a mounting bracket that can be rotated to whatever position you need.

Mounting the HandleStash to your bike is easy. The package includes a rubber mounting strip that you wrap around your handlebars. You then mount the HandleStash around your handlebars, then tighten it by twisting the tightening nut. This is awesome because, unlike other cup holders that require you to fiddle with Allen Keys, this one is easily removable, allowing you to switch it between bikes without using tools. If you want extra security, you can replace the quick-release nut with a hex nut, which will then require you to use tools to remove the HandleStash.

In terms of what it can hold, the HandleStash is impressive. It’s made of built-in elastic which stretches when you put a drink in it. Smaller items sit higher up in the elastic while heavier items stretch it out, allowing you to hold different size drinks. When nothing is in it, the elastic is compressed, so it doesn’t get in your way. The top of the elastic also has a stretchy pull cord, so you can tighten it as needed to secure your drink.

How The HandleStash Works

The main differentiator of the HandleStash compared to other cup holders is that it’s designed to prevent spills. To do this, the HandleStash uses elastic, with the idea that it can provide a bit of suspension for your drink. When you hit bumps, the elastic bounces, helping to stabilize your drink.

Below is an example of my HandleStash in action. As you can see, the elastic allows the cupholder to absorb more of the bumps, helping to avoid spills.

It seems counterintuitive, but adding more movement to the cup holder does indeed help stabilize it more compared to a fixed cup holder. I often ride with fountain drinks and while they are covered, stuff does inevitably spill, especially if the drink is full. With the HandleStash, I noticed far less spillage with my drink.

Why I Like The HandleStash

In short, I like the HandleStash. Here are some of the main things I like about it:

Easy Mounting System. My favorite part of the HandleStash has to be the easy mounting. I have a lot of bikes, so being able to easily switch the HandleStash between different bikes makes it much more useful to me. The other cup holders I have are much more difficult to remove since they require me to use tools. Because of this, I never switch them around and they essentially become a fixed part of my bike. But with the HandleStash, I’m easily able to move it around as needed.

The mounting system is great and makes it easy to attach and remove your HandleStash as needed.

It Can Hold Many Different Size Drinks. The elastic opening of the HandleStash makes it far more versatile compared to other cup holders. Most of my other cup holders only come in one size, which means small or large drinks sometimes can’t fit in them. But the HandleStash can hold all sizes of drinks – from small cans up to huge fountain drinks and large water bottles.

You Can Use It To Hold Other Small Items. One unintentional benefit of the HandleStash is that it can be used to hold other small items. Since it has a solid bottom and a large opening, you can stick your keys, wallet, or phone in it. And because the elastic stays compressed, your items aren’t buried deep inside it, allowing you to grab them easily. It actually works really well as a phone holder, allowing you to see your phone screen as you ride. I think the fact that it doubles as additional storage for things I might otherwise have to put in my pocket is a huge benefit.

Things To Think About If You Get The HandleStash

I like the HandleStash, but there are a few considerations to think about if you are planning to buy this cup holder. Here are two things I’d think about.

It’s More Expensive Than Other Cup Holders. The HandleStash is more expensive than other cup holders. The standard, solid color options are going to run you $38, while the patterned options come in at $45. Meanwhile, you can get other cup holders for much cheaper than that. I personally think that the price isn’t that bad, especially given the features that I like about it (mainly the easy mounting system and the ability to hold many different-sized drinks).

That being said, if all you’re looking for is something basic to hold a drink when you’re riding, you’re going to find much cheaper options on Amazon.

It’s Not Going To Protect Against All Spills. While the HandleStash does a good job of reducing spills with its design, the fact is, it still can’t fight the laws of physics. If you hit bumps, your drink will bounce up and down and liquids in your drink will move around.

In particular, if you’re looking for a magic device that can let you ride with a full cup of coffee and not spill anything, this isn’t it. You can’t ride with a full cup of coffee and expect to not spill it. In my testing, when I rode with a full cup of coffee, it spilled about as much as any other cup holder.

Coffee is the most difficult drink you’ll likely carry on a bike, but unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to avoid spilling coffee besides riding slowly and holding the coffee in your hand.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the HandleStash is an excellent cup holder. The design reduces spills, making it a great option for commuters and anyone else that likes to carry drinks.

It also fits on any bike and the easy mounting system makes it great for people with multiple bikes that might want to move the cup holder around.

Finally, I love that it can hold a wide variety of drinks and also double as a holder for small items when I’m not holding a drink. When you’re commuting via bike, it’s easy to end up with a lot of stuff in your pockets. Being able to put these little things in the HandleStash (things like my keys or wallet), is great.

I hope this review was helpful to you. If you have any questions about the HandleStash, feel free to leave them in the comments below. Happy to share whatever I can with anyone thinking about getting this cup holder. If you’re interested in the HandleStash, you can check out their website.

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Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
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Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
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Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
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If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
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US Bank Business ($900) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
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Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.