The Lid-Em Story
There Is a Frustrating Problem We All Ignore
Open your cabinet.
Count the lids.
One for a Stanley.
One for a Yeti.
Another that almost fits, but doesn’t quite.
A drawer full of brand-specific plastic compromises.
Our cups promise durability and performance. Many are stainless steel, glass, or ceramic and built to last.
But the lids never keep up. They crack. They leak. They don’t travel well. And somehow… none of them fit anything else you already own.
We accepted this as normal.
We shouldn’t have.
The Idea That Wouldn’t Go Away
Lid-Em started with a simple question:
Why can’t one great lid work across cups?
Not a floppy silicone cover.
Not a “universal” lid that barely seals.
Not something disposable.
We imagined a premium mechanical solution that adapts to the cup, locks with intention, and inspires confidence every time you twist it on.
And then we asked a second question:
If our cups aren’t plastic… why are the lids?
That question turned into sketches.
Sketches into prototypes.
Prototypes into months of testing, redesigning, and refining.
And eventually, into Lid-Em’s patent-pending universal locking design.
What Lid-Em Is
Lid-Em is a precision-adjusting universal lid designed to adapt to the real cups people actually use.
You place it on.
You turn.
You feel a click.
It locks.
No guessing.
No flexing.
No hoping it seals.
To keep things simple and intentional, Lid-Em launches in two sizes:
20 oz lid — optimized for cups from 16–30 oz
40 oz lid — optimized for cups from 24–40 oz
Together, they cover the vast majority of tumblers, cups, and even jars people already own.
A Material Upgrade Lids Should Have Always Had
Most lids are made from plastic because it’s easy and cheap.
But most of the cups we love are stainless steel, glass, or ceramic.
So the lid should match the cup.
That’s why Lid-Em is being developed with a premium configuration featuring a stainless-steel bottom plate and stainless through-tube, paired with silicone sealing, so that during normal use the beverage contacts stainless steel and silicone instead of plastic.
It’s a better, more intentional approach to what touches your drink.
Why This Is Different
Universal lids already exist.
Most fail for the same reasons:
They rely on soft friction instead of mechanical engagement
They trade fit for flexibility
They feel temporary, not trustworthy
Lid-Em was engineered with the opposite philosophy:
Fit first.
Confidence second.
Universality earned, not claimed.
Every click, every turn, every resistance point was designed to communicate one thing:
This is locked.
Where We Are Now
What you see on Kickstarter is not a finished mass-market product.
It’s the result of:
Dozens of prototypes
Real-world testing across major brands and off-brand cups
Honest feedback from early users
These are pre-production designs, and we’re transparent about that. We know there’s still room to improve.
That’s exactly why we’re here.
Why Kickstarter
We didn’t want to finish Lid-Em behind closed doors.
Kickstarter allows us to finalize tooling, lock in manufacturing for the first production run, and refine the design based on real customer input, not assumptions.
Backing Lid-Em isn’t just a purchase.
It’s participation in finishing something that’s meant to last.
The Goal
Our goal is simple:
Create a lid you stop replacing.
One that earns a permanent spot on your favorite cup.
One that travels well.
One that just works.
Two sizes.
Any cup.
That’s Lid-Em.