The everyday tumbler for water and juice.

Gibraltar is the heavy, faceted tumbler you have been served water in at a hundred restaurants. Libbey, the Toledo, Ohio glass company, makes it for foodservice, and this set of twelve 16-ounce coolers is the same glass sold by the box for the home. Libbey's shop page lists these as made in Mexico.

The glass is strengthened with Libbey's DuraTuff process, which the maker says resists thermal and mechanical shock, and the thick base makes it hard to tip. It is dishwasher safe and holds 16 ounces, enough for water with ice, iced tea or lemonade.

Skip it if you want something light or delicate in the hand. It is heavy and unmistakably a restaurant glass, which is also the point.

Rock Bar is Bormioli Rocco's bar and cafe line: paneled sides, a band near the rim, and tempered glass that the maker says resists thermal shock, breakage, chipping and dishwasher wear. The cooler holds 16.25 ounces, a good size for water or juice with ice.

They stack, which is the practical advantage over most glasses at this price. Six take the shelf space of two or three. The paneled sides give a wet hand some grip, and the look is the French bistro glass most people like on sight.

Skip it if you prefer a smooth, plain glass; the panels and band are a definite style. And stack them dry, since wet tempered glasses can stick together.

Forté is a range Schott Zwiesel describes as particularly sturdy and resilient, and the Universal tumbler is its large all-purpose glass. It holds about 19 ounces, stands 5 inches tall and 3.5 inches across, with a slight curve to the sides.

It is made in Germany in Tritan, Zwiesel's lead-free crystal, which is thinner at the rim than the tempered glasses above, and it is dishwasher safe. A fine rim is pleasanter to drink from, and this is the least fussy way to get one.

Skip it for young children. It is tough for crystal, but thinner than the Libbey or the Bormioli and less forgiving of a fall onto tile.

Kaj Franck designed Kartio in 1958, working toward a glass with nothing extra in it, and iittala still makes it at its glass factory in Finland. The 40 cl tumbler, sold in the US as 13 ounces, is 12 cm tall and 9 cm across, a simple tapered cylinder.

It is dishwasher safe at up to 50 degrees Celsius, which is a normal or eco cycle rather than the hottest one. Kartio comes in many colors, and mixing clear with a tint or two is the traditional way to set a table with it.

Skip it if you are buying for a large family on a budget. At about $17 a glass it is the dearest here, and it does not stack.