Ripple Glasses Compared: Tumbler, Long Drink, Wine and Carafe

ferm LIVING's Ripple range takes one idea, a rippled surface on mouth-blown glass, and carries it from a 6 cm glass up to a 24 cm carafe. This guide compares the tumblers, long drink glasses, wine glasses and carafe by size and use, then shows how to combine them into a set that works on a real table.

One surface, many shapes

Every piece in the series is mouth-blown and finished with the same rippled surface and geometric contours. Because each glass is shaped by hand, the ripples never fall in exactly the same place twice, and no two pieces are quite alike. That small irregularity is the point: light catches each glass a little differently, and a row of them on a table reads as a collection rather than a production run.

The range also plays with shape inside a single box. The Ripple Glasses – Set of 4 contains four glasses in varied geometric forms, so the set looks sculptural when grouped together on a shelf, yet the glasses still stack neatly for storage. The long drink glasses follow the same logic, with individually shaped forms that share one surface.

All four pieces covered here come in the same four finishes: Frosted, Clear, Blush and Smoked Grey. Frosted is the newest, a soft matt finish that turns the ripple into a gentle shadow rather than a sharp highlight. Clear shows the texture most directly. Blush and Smoked Grey add colour while keeping the glass translucent, which matters once you start mixing finishes across a table.

The sizes side by side

The figures below are taken from the product specifications. Capacity and weight are listed only where ferm LIVING gives them for the set in question.

Read the heights as a scale. At 6 cm the low and small glasses keep the ripple close to the hand. The 9 cm tumbler and 12 cm wine glass sit in the middle. The long drink, the red and white wine glasses and the carafe give the surface a longer run, and that is where the texture becomes the main event.

Tumbler or long drink: the everyday choice

If you buy only one set, the choice is usually between the tumbler and the long drink glass. The Ripple Glasses – Set of 4 holds 20 cl at Ø7 cm and 9 cm high. It is a compact glass that suits water at the table, juice at breakfast and a glass of wine on a weeknight, and the stacking matters in a kitchen cupboard where space is tight.

The Ripple Long Drink Glasses – Set of 4 is narrower at Ø6 cm but rises to 14 cm and holds 30 cl. That extra 10 cl changes how it is used: it takes ice and a mixer without topping up every few minutes, and it reads as the more formal of the two when set beside a plate. The slimmer diameter also means a row of four takes up less width on a crowded table.

A practical rule: if most of what you pour is water and juice, start with the tumbler. If your table sees more iced drinks, sparkling water or cocktails with a mixer, the long drink earns its place. Many households end up with both, using the tumbler daily and bringing out the long drink glasses for guests.

Wine glasses: compact or tall

The Ripple Wine Glasses – Set of 2 is the most versatile of the wine shapes. At Ø8 cm and 12 cm high it holds 27 cl, sitting low enough to feel relaxed for a drink in the garden yet still correct at a dinner party. Its height is close to the long drink glass, so the two line up well when set together.

The dedicated red and white wine glasses in the range are a different proposition. At 18 cm and 17 cm they stand well above everything except the carafe, and the difference in diameter (Ø8 cm for red, Ø7 cm for white) follows the familiar logic of a wider bowl for red and a slimmer one for white. Choose them if you set a formal table often or want two wine glasses at each place. For most homes, the 12 cm glass covers both colours of wine with less fuss and less shelf height.

Building a Ripple set for a table

The Ripple Carafe is the anchor. It holds 1 litre and stands 24 cm high at Ø9 cm, tall enough to be the highest point on the table without blocking the view across it. Fill it with water or juice and it becomes the visual reference that every glass around it repeats at a smaller scale.

For a table of four, a balanced starting point is one carafe, one set of four tumblers and two sets of the 12 cm wine glasses. That gives each place a water glass and a wine glass, with a rhythm of heights running 24, 12 and 9 cm. Swap the tumblers for long drink glasses if you prefer a taller, slimmer line, and add a set of low glasses for an aperitif before the meal.

Colour is where the range becomes personal. Three approaches work well:

• One finish throughout. All Clear or all Frosted keeps the attention on the ripple and the varied shapes.
• Split by role. A Smoked Grey carafe with Clear glasses gives the table a single darker point, which helps on a pale tablecloth.
• Collected over time. Mixing Blush, Smoked Grey and Frosted across glass types gives a layered look, as if the pieces arrived one by one.

Because every piece shares the same surface, mixed finishes still read as one family. Keep the number of finishes to two or three, and repeat each at least twice so the mix looks intended.

Living with mouth-blown glass

Hand-made glass asks for a little care. Mouth-blown pieces have slight variations in wall thickness, and a rippled surface has more texture for residue to settle into, so a soft brush helps when washing by hand. Dry with a lint-free cloth to keep Clear glasses bright, and stack the tumblers gently rather than pressing them together. Our guide to washing and storing mouth-blown glass covers the same principles in more detail.

Because each glass is mouth-blown, small bubbles or variations are part of the material rather than faults. Start with the set you will reach for every day, add the carafe, and build outwards from there. See the full Glassware collection to compare Ripple with other mouth-blown glasses from Danish and Nordic makers.