Key points
- A highball holds 10 to 12 ounces: a 1.5 to 2 ounce pour, ice, and 4 to 6 ounces of mixer with room at the top. Bigger glasses dilute the drink or look half empty.
- The base is the spec that matters. Tall glasses tip, and a heavy, thick base is the difference between a glass that lasts and one that goes over on a coaster.
- A Collins glass is taller and narrower, 12 to 14 ounces, and the two names are used loosely. Check the capacity, not the name.
- Thin-walled highballs feel elegant and chip. Thick-walled ones survive. Lead-free crystal gives a thinner wall that still holds up.
The highball is the most used glass on most bar carts and the one people think about least. It is for a long drink: a measure of spirit, a lot of ice and a mixer, held for an hour. The spec that decides whether it survives the year is the base, not the rim, and the spec that decides whether the drink tastes right is the capacity.
If you want the quick pick: a set of six highballs holding 10 to 12 ounces, with a thick heavy base, in lead-free crystal or soda-lime glass.
What a highball is for
A standard long drink is 1.5 to 2 ounces of spirit, three or four large ice cubes, and 4 to 6 ounces of mixer. That comes to around 9 or 10 ounces of contents, which wants a glass of 10 to 12 ounces so the top is not brimming.
Bigger glasses are a trap. A 16 ounce glass filled the same way looks half empty, so the pour gets heavier or the mixer gets doubled, and the drink is either stronger or more diluted than intended. Smaller glasses leave no room for ice. Ten to twelve ounces is the range for a reason. Not more. Not less.
Highball against Collins
A Collins glass is the highball’s taller, narrower cousin, built for the Tom Collins and its relatives: 12 to 14 ounces, often 6 to 7 inches tall. The narrow shape keeps a fizzy drink lively for longer because less surface is exposed. The two names get swapped freely in shops, so the capacity in ounces tells you what you are actually buying.
Highballs suit mixed drinks with a lot of ice. Collins glasses suit drinks topped with soda. Most homes do fine with one or the other.
The base, and why tall glasses tip
A tall glass has a high centre of gravity, and a highball full of ice is heavier at the top than at the bottom. A thin, light base is what makes a highball the glass most often knocked over on a table. A thick, heavy base lowers that centre and lets the glass take a nudge.
Listings rarely give base thickness, but they give total weight. A 10 to 12 ounce highball weighing 9 to 12 ounces empty has a serious base. One weighing 5 or 6 ounces has a thin one and will feel elegant right up until it falls.
Wall thickness
Thin walls look refined. They feel light at the lip. They also chip at the rim in the dishwasher and crack if a cube is dropped in from height. Thick walls survive both and feel like a diner glass.
Lead-free crystal is the compromise: it is stronger than soda-lime glass at the same thickness, so a crystal highball can have a thinner wall and still hold up. Our guide to glass materials has the detail. Owners who report rim chips on highballs are nearly always describing thin soda-lime glass.
Shape details
Straight sides are classic. They stack badly. Slightly flared glasses look taller and tip more. A faint taper toward the base helps stacking and stability. Cut or textured bases hide the scratches that a sliding glass picks up. Facetted or heavily cut bodies look striking and are harder to clean inside.
How many
Six. Always six. Four is the common set size and four is one glass short the first time there are guests. Highballs are the glass that breaks most, so a set of six with one in the dishwasher and one chipped still serves four.
Sets, stacking and storage
Highballs take the most cupboard height of any everyday glass, and a set of six straight-sided ones occupies a full shelf row. Glasses with a slight taper nest a little, but stacking tall glass is how rims chip, so plan shelf space rather than stacking. Boxed sets of six or eight are cheaper per glass than buying singly, and the box is useful for the two spares. If the cupboard is short, a 12 ounce rocks glass does the job of a highball with less height, which is a reasonable compromise for a small kitchen.
Who should not buy highballs
Anyone who never mixes and never adds a mixer. A rocks glass covers spirits over ice, and the shelf space is better used on glasses that will be touched. And anyone who wants one glass for everything should look at a 12 ounce rocks glass, which serves a long drink adequately and a short one properly.
How we choose glassware
When we recommend highball sets in our glassware section, each pick lists capacity, height, weight, material and dishwasher guidance, plus what owners report about tipping and rim chips after a year. Our full process is on the how we choose page.
Final verdict
Ten to twelve ounces, a heavy base, walls that will take a dishwasher, six to a set. Buy lead-free crystal for a thinner feel or soda-lime glass for a bar cart that sees parties.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a highball and a Collins glass?
Height and width. A highball is around 5 to 6 inches tall and holds 10 to 12 ounces. A Collins is taller and narrower, 6 to 7 inches, 12 to 14 ounces, and was designed for the drink of the same name. Many sets use either name for either glass, so the capacity in ounces is the thing to compare.
How many highball glasses should I buy?
Six. A set of four runs out the first time two couples visit and one glass is in the dishwasher. Highballs break more often than rocks glasses because they are tall, so a spare or two is not wasted.
Do highballs need to be lead-free crystal?
No. Soda-lime glass is perfectly good for a glass that spends its life full of ice and mixer. Lead-free crystal gives a thinner wall and more clarity. Leaded crystal is the one to avoid, for the usual dishwasher reasons.
