"Conical" glasses are shaped, as the name suggests, as an inverted truncated cone around six inches tall and tapering by about an inch in diameter over its height. More often than not, the glass bulges out a couple of inches from the top; this is partly for improved grip, and partly to prevent the glasses from sticking together when stacked. This style of bulged conical glass is often termed "nonic" by suppliers. This is the most common type of pint glass found in UK pubs.

"Jug" glasses, or "dimple mugs", are shaped more like a large mug with a handle. For added strength, they are molded with a grid pattern of thickened glass on the outside, somewhat resembling the segmentation of a WWII-era hand grenade. These glasses are rarer than the other types and are regarded as more traditional.

Some more modern glasses have a taller shape, usually flaring out towards the top; these designs are more commonly associated with continental lagers or promotional campaigns by breweries, and are frequently etched or marked with the beer's label. This sort of glass is sometimes called "tulip" by suppliers.