If you're a traveler who loves drinking tea and need a portable tea set that is suitable for travelers, this post is for you. Umi Tea Sets, a China-based e-commerce that sells tea sets in any form, now has travel tea set collections that you can consider packing for your next trip!
I got a travel tea set for myself, and I packed it for my last staycation with my family recently. So in this post, I want to review this Umi travel tea set so you can decide whether purchasing one would be a good idea for you as a traveler who's also a tea lover.
Umi Tea Set is an online retailer that sells various tea-related products on their website, from tea sets, teapots, and even tea leaves. Established in 2012 in Shaoguan, Umi Tea Set sells directly to customers while simultaneously running a B2B practice as a supplier of the products for other retailers.
While you can easily order the tea sets from their catalog on their website, you can also customize your exclusively designed tea set in bulk as they guarantee the best price for the manufacture through their company as well.
On top of everything, they occasionally give promotions like free shipping so even if you live outside China, you can purchase their tea products without having to worry too much about the shipping fee.
Umi tea sets website.
Umi Travel Tea Set
When I got contacted by Umi Tea Set team, I was quite excited when I checked their travel tea set catalog as they have varieties of tea sets that look compact, practical, and suitable for travel. The price for travel tea starts from $30 USD, which is quite affordable, especially if you can get free shipping to your country.
As I was gifted by Umi Tea Set for this article, I didn't know which tea set I'd get until I received the package around 2 weeks after they informed me that they had already started the shipment from China.
When I opened the package, I checked their catalog, and it seems like I got this Glass and Porcelain Deer Travel Tea Set which I will share my two cents with you in this article. However, they still have other travel tea set collections, which you can choose from based on your favorite design.
Umi travel tea set collections in their website's catalog.
These portable tea sets not only come with a great design, but they're also quite practical, as each set usually comes with a small teapot with filter, as well as a couple of small teacups. In addition to that, the travel tea set also comes with a case which makes it easier for you to pack when you travel!
Glass and Porcelain Deer Travel Tea Set
When I received my travel tea set package, I also checked the product page on their website, which outlines that there should be 3 teacups, a fair cup, and a tea strainer in each package. However, I only got 2 teacups in my package.
Apart from that, I like the travel tea set though. Starting from the case that comes with a good oriental design, which I love. And the fact that it's super compact, despite coming with a complete portable tea set, I'd give it 10 out of 10 in terms of design and practicality!
However, there are also some other things that I dislike about the tea set. And this is why I decided to write an honest review about this travel tea set in particular!
Price
Based on the catalog, the price for this travel tea set is $50 USD. It's quite a fair price, given the idea that it's a complete portable porcelain tea set. If anything, it's quite suitable as a gift set!
The case looks oriental classic, which I personally love. If anything, when not used as the travel tea set case, I can easily use it as a clutch to go to a wedding or something. It's actually quite fancy. And since it's not made of plastic, I think it's worth the price too!
Quality
The travel tea set is actually premium quality, with porcelain and a nice pattern for the painting too. I love the tea set's compactness since everything fits perfectly in the case, making it easier to pack.
However, what makes it premium also comes with a downside since the porcelain is quite fragile. Make sure to stuff the tea set with some wrapped paper so that it will stay still inside the case when you pack it. But once you do, the case is pretty secure to pack inside your luggage when you travel. It's quite great!
Practicality
When you pack it for your travel, the portable tea set looks quite practical. But what about when you use it?
While it's quite easy to pack for your travel, it's not as practical when you use it. The major downside is that the lid is loose from the teapot, so you have to touch the lid when you pour the tea. It's a bit impractical, especially since the teapot and the lid are made of breakable porcelain.
The tea set itself functions quite well, as even if you don't use it for travel, you can always keep it at your house for afternoon tea. The teacup reminds me of the typical teacup used for tea pai, the Chinese tea ceremony during a Chinese wedding. Even if you don't use it for tea, you can definitely use it for an alcohol shot. LOL.
When I tried it for my tea time, I used the chai tea latte powder, and the filter didn't work well for the tea powder. But I imagine the filter in the teapot will work better if you serve tea with tea leaves instead.
Final Verdict on Umi Travel Tea Set
While I love tea, I'm not exactly the person who sees the urgency to have a travel tea set to carry around with me when I travel. However, I see how some people could see this travel tea set as a gem since my dad is the kind of person who loves drinking organic tea from tea leaves, and this tea set would definitely help him when he goes out.
I personally think while this travel tea set from Umi Tea Set is quite nice to have, but I would say it's not exactly what I have in mind to be on my mandatory packing list for my next trip.
So, here are the pros and cons I found from this Umi travel tea set!
Glass and porcelain deer travel tea set from Umi Tea Sets.
(+)
It's quite affordable with this top-notch quality, as it's quite like a complete mini tea set you can have for a simple afternoon tea during your travel.
The packaging is gorgeous with the case and everything is so compact that it fits inside the case!
The travel tea set is so easy to pack, making it suitable to bring for a picnic.
It is suitable for fancy gifts and presents.
Umi Tea Set occasionally gives free shipping promotions!
(-)
While it's practical to pack, it's still made of fragile porcelain.
The lid is not fully closed from the teapot, making it not so practical when you use it to serve tea.
Last but not least, I think it's quite nice to have a travel tea set like this for occasional picnics and travels. However, I personally don't see the urgency to have it every time I travel either.
So, do you think this travel tea set is something you'd like to pack for your next trip? Why and why not? Share in the comment below, and cheerio! 😉
Marya The BeauTraveler
I am the founder and main editor at The BeauTraveler. I spent 4 years working in the aviation industry but ironically got to travel more right after quitting the industry in 2015. Born and raised in Indonesia, I started working remotely in 2017, and while I stay at home most of the time, I also regularly spend 2-3 months living a semi-digital nomad life elsewhere every year.
