Choosing a lunch box can be confusing with so many different varieties and styles to choose from, considering all things from the size, finding an insulated bag to fit the lunch box and accessories. Whilst keeping in mind the lunch box should be made of materials that won’t harm your child and is easy for you to clean. There are so many wonderful products available now, with all these different considerations I hope you find my guide below helpful.
Note: I was going to create a new 2019 Guide to Choosing the best school lunch box for kids, but I am loving all these lunchboxes from 2018 still and don’t have any additional boxes to add to it!! Actually, I love the Little Lunchbox Co Boxes so much I now stock them in my shop, you can purchase them here.
What to look for in a lunch box:
- BPA-Free – The lunch box should be safe to store food inside.
- Stay Fresh – A box that will seal and keep an unwrapped item fresh
- Easy to Clean – I prefer one lid for the lunch box, easy to clean and store when drying
- Sections – Separate spaces to place different foods
- Size – It’s not too big to fit into the kid’s school bag, or take up most of the space
- Perfect Portions – Sections that are big enough for the amount of food the kids will eat
- Reusable – Save the environment and your pocket, don’t use plastic zip lock bags
- Dishwasher safe – For those days I don’t have time to hand wash
- Easy to store – not too bulky to store when not in use
- Machine Washable – lunch bags can easily be washed in the washing machine
I personally prefer lunch boxes that seal tight and keep an unwrapped sandwich fresh, eliminating the use of plastic wrap saving extra dollars and the environment.
The ideal lunch box needs to be reusable, keep the food fresh and prevent it from being squashed. A few kids, especially those that are a little fussy might like to graze on a variety of food, the bento style boxes and accessories are very clever at making the food fun and exciting.
How big a lunch box do I buy?
This really depends on how much your child eats. I would suggest getting a lunch box larger than you think you need. As your child grows they will be wanting to eat more. I typically make sure the lunch box is big enough to fit a sandwich, fruit and snacks.
Is one lunch box enough?
This depends on a few factors? Consider:
- Will the lunchbox fit both lunch and morning tea in the one box, if not you may need some snack boxes along with the lunch box.
- How much your child likes to eat, I know my son eats more than my girls so I generally pack him an extra snack box. If you need to do this, consider the lunch bag you choose ensuring it will fit 2 lunchboxes.
- Do you want to prepare a few days worth of lunches in advance? You may want to pack lunches and freeze them, there are some lunchboxes that are freezer friendly ie. EasyLunchboxes or pack them with non perishable snacks for the week. Again I would highly recommend the EasyLunchboxes for this as they come in a pack of 4 for a great price.
Do I need an insulated bag?
Yes, even on the coolest of days I still get my kids to pack an ice brick alongside their lunch box to keep their sandwiches and fruit fresh as the sun usually hits their bags sitting in the bag racks/lockers before they eat their lunch. The insulated bag and ice brick will help to keep all the food in the lunch box as fresh as can be.
Below I provide details about each of the lunchboxes and which lunchbag suits the lunchbox.
What to pack in the lunch box?
You can find some ideas in the posts below.
- How to pack a healthy lunch box
- Lunchbox ideas
- Find all my lunch box recipes here
- 50+ Freezer Friendly Lunch Box Ideas – which will be released as an eBook very soon!!
My Recommended Lunch Boxes for kids
I hope you have been able to find something here to suit your kids. Remember the box needs to be quality to last all year, and something easy for you to wash and pack each day. Here is a selection of some great lunch boxes that I recommend, all are available online!
Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Purchases made using these links provide a small amount of commission to me (at absolutely no extra cost to you). Thank you for using the link and supporting The Organised Housewife.
Little Lunchbox Co Lunchboxes – Bento Five
This bento box lunchbox allows you to pack endless combinations of nutritious food that will look appetising by using different textures and colour combinations. Pack balanced meals with ease when using the Bento Five which has one compartment for each of the five food groups. Pack a wrap next to wet foods such as yoghurt, dips or fruit without the risk of spoiling.
I have to say, I’m impressed. As you can see in the photo below it stores a lot of food, great for a child that likes to snack on a variety of foods, rather than eat a sandwich.
- Sections: 5
- Dimensions: 17.5cm x 17.5cm x 5.6cm
- Capacity: 980ml
- Colours: Blue, Grey, Black, White, Pink and Purple and cute designs on top for boys and girls
- Leakproof: Yes
- BPA Free: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: dishwasher safe (top rack – low temperature).
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: All listed below.
Little Lunchbox Co Lunchboxes – Bento Three
This is a great lunchbox to pack not only for kids but adults too, I use this for work. Adding into the top two smaller section some fruit and snacks and then I make a salad placing it in the bigger section. It’s leakproof too so you don’t have to worry about spilling your fruit into other sections. The Bento Three lunchbox which will fit a sandwich comfortably. I have to say, I’m impressed.
- Sections: 3
- Dimensions: 17.5cm x 17.5cm x 5.6cm
- Capacity: 980ml
- Colours: Blue, Grey, Black, White, Pink and Purple and cute designs on top for boys and girls
- Leakproof: Yes
- BPA Free: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: dishwasher safe (top rack – low temperature).
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: All listed below.
Little Lunchbox Co Lunchboxes – Bento Two
The Bento Two is the great little size for either snacks, children who don’t have big appetites or perfect for school kids that Munch and Crunch / after school care snacks. Its compact size makes it easy to pack when you are on the move.
- Sections: 3
- Dimensions:12.3cm x 12.9cm x 5.6cm
- Capacity: 500ml
- Colours: Unicorn, Flamingo, Batman and Black with white cross
- Leakproof: No
- BPA Free: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: Yes
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: All listed below.
Love Mae Lunch Box
I only spied these Love Mae lunchboxes a few days ago, instantly they reminded me of the Tupperware Sandwich Keeper lunchboxes which I have always loved as you could fit so much food into them. The added difference with Love Mae lunch box is that it comes with two mini containers that fit inside the lunchbox, despite the lunchbox being leakproof you have the added peace of mind that adding juicy fruits or yoghurt to the containers they won’t spill onto the other food in the lunchbox. I hope the image below gives you a good indication of how big food fits into this container.
My girls have requested these lunchboxes for this year.
- Sections: 4
- Dimensions: 300 x 145 x 55 mm
- Colours: Pink, Green, Yellow and Blue
- Leakproof: Yes
- BPA Free: Free from BPA and phthalates
- Dishwasher Safe: Yes
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: Love Mae has created a cooler bag fitting the lunchbox it in perfectly, however you won’t be able to add any other containers into the lunchbox.
EasyLunchboxes
These are the lunchboxes my kids have used for the past few years. My son will continue using them this year. They are a great way to create a waste-free lunch for the kids. The EasyLunchboxes come in a set of 4 with 4 different coloured lids. They have 3 very generously sized sections. The large section is big enough for 2 sandwiches (4 slices of bread) which is great for my teen son. The smaller section will fit 2-3 biscuits or a full size muffin and the smallest is great for snacks and diced fruit. They are BPA, Lead, Vinyl and PVC Free, however they are not leak-proof so I wouldn’t put yoghurt or watermelon into these lunchboxes.
- Sections: 3
- Dimensions: 9.38 x 6.10 x 2.00 inches (23.82 x 15.49 x 5cm)
- Capacity: Large section – 2.5 Cups. (The inside of the largest compartment is approx 4.5 x 5 inches and 1.75 inches deep. An oversize sandwich will fit. – Smaller section – 3/4 cup. – Smallest section- 1/2 cup.
- Colours: Classic Set – Orange, Blue, Green and Dark Red and Brights set – Pink, Purple, Teal and Yellow
- Set: set of 4 lids and bottoms per pack
- Leakproof: No
- BPA Free: BPA, Lead, Vinyl and PVC Free
- Dishwasher Safe: Yes, top rack only.
- Microwave Safe: Yes
- Freezer Safe: Yes
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: All bags listed below.
AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE.
Seed & Sprout Stacker Bento Lunch Box
This eco-friendly bento style lunch box is an easy, non-fuss solution to help make preparing lunch easier. With two tiers and three compartments, the stacker is a well-proportioned steel lunch box with a built-in partition in the top section, to eliminate the need for plastic wrap, whilst keeping your food conveniently separated.
- Sections: 2 tiers, 3 compartments
- Dimensions: 18.5cm x 12.3cm x 7.5cm
- Colours: 100% premium stainless steel, rust and stain resistant
- Leakproof: No
- BPA Free: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: Yes, it’s stain resistant as well as dishwasher and hand wash safe.
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: All bags listed below.
Yumbox Original
The Yumbox Original is a 6 compartment leakproof bento lunch box. One of the most sought after leakproof compartment lunchbox in Australia at the moment. This is the perfect lunchbox for a child that likes to nibble, have a bit of this and a bit of that.
- Sections: 6
- Dimensions: 21 x 15 x 5 cm
- Capacity: 780 mls total divided by 250 ml (1 cup) = 3.12 cups
- Colours: Green Blue, Red and Pink
- Leakproof: Yes.
- BPA Free: Yes.
- Dishwasher Safe: Yes, at a maximum temperature 65C/149F, top rack only.
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: All bags listed below.
Yumbox Panino
Yumbox Panino leakproof bento lunchbox is a fun lunchtime go-to for kids of all ages and adults. Pack a sandwich, salads, sides and delicious snacks, packed with nutrients to keep you or your child going through the day. This is suitable for the child that likes to graze on various foods at lunch.
- Sections: 4
- Dimensions: 21 x 15 x 5 cm
- Capacity: One 2 cup sandwich/salad-friendly section, two 1/2 cup servings plus a dip/treat well
- Colours: Orange, Turquoise, Red, Pink, Blue, Green, Purple
- Leakproof: Yes, suitable for yoghurts, custard etc.
- BPA Free: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: Yes, at a maximum temperature 65C/149F, top rack only.
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: All bags listed below.
Yumbox Tapas
The Yumbox Tapas is a larger lunchbox than the Yumbox Original and Panino. The Yumbox Tapas gives you the versatility of interchangeable trays, with either a 4 or 5 compartment tray. This larger yumbox suits adults, teens and pre-teens, fitting more food than the original and panino.
- Sections: 4 or 5 compartment tray options available
- Dimensions: 245mm x 170mm x 50mm
- Capacity: 5 compartment tray – 4 cup volume of 1 x 1½ cup, 1 x ¾ cups, 2 x ½ cups with a ¼ cup small dip/treat well. 4 compartment tray – 4 cup volume of 1 x 2? cup, 2 x ½ cups with a ¼ cup small dip/treat well.
- Colours: Pink, Light Blue and Dark Blue
- Leakproof: Yes
- BPA Free: Free from BPA and phthalates
- Dishwasher Safe: Dishwasher-safe (top rack only up to 65°C), hand washing the lid is highly recommended to prolong the longevity of the seal
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: Love Mae, Project 10, My Family Fridge to Go.
Giving you the option to purchase the 2nd style compartment tray which will help you use the one lunchbox but pick a tray that suits the amount of food packed that particular day.
Yumbox Minisnack
Like the larger Yumbox these Yumbox MiniSnack are leakproof. The Yumbox’s unique single lid seals all food compartments individually so everything stays in its place. So you can pack wet foods like watermelon, yoghurt and dips. Although it’s not recommended to put in liquids like water, soups or watery dressings or oily vinaigrettes into the Yumbox MiniSnack as they may leak into other compartments.
I use these to pack snacks for the kids when they go to school early, gives them something to eat before school. They are great for me too, I have been packing myself a healthy snack along with the kid’s school lunches to have at my desk, there is no excuse to not snack healthy.
- Sections: 3
- Dimensions: 15cm wide x 10cm deep x 5cm high.
- Capacity: Large food well is 3/4 cup, small food well is 1/3 cups plus dip well
- Colours: Green, Pink, Blue
- Leakproof: Yes
- BPA Free: Yes
- Dishwasher Safe: No
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: All bags listed below.
Fork and spoon available online. They come in a pack of 10 each, with 5 different colours in each packet.
Go Green Lunch Box
The Go Green is an elite lunch box with so many great features. From it’s generous size to being airtight and leak proof this lunch box has all the features you want to last due to its fantastic quality. It comes with a drink bottle, however you can remove this from the lunchbox to use the extra compartment for more food if desired.
- Sections: 5
- Dimensions: 30 x 19 x 6.5cm
- Capacity: 8 cups, Interior of largest compartment = 14cm x 9.5cm
- Colours: Pink and Green
- Leakproof: Yes. The turn ‘ n lock technology ensures food stays fresh and silicone bands ensure a secure leak-proof seal for all five sections. This means you can include yoghurts, sauces, fruit salads, any item you want in your lunch boxes.
- BPA Free: Free from BPA and phthalates
- Dishwasher Safe: No
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: Has it’s own carry bag
Go Green Medium
For those that like the Original Go Green but feel it maybe too big you’ll love this size. With the convenience of 4 deep compartments, you have the option to store food without having to use plastic wrap to keep it separate from each other. It has the unique turn ‘n lock technology which ensures food stays fresh and silicone bands ensure a secure leak-proof seal for all sections. This means you can include yoghurts, sauces, fruit salads, any item you want in your lunch boxes.
- Sections: 4
- Dimensions: 22.5cm x 18cm x 6cm
- Capacity: 6 1/3 cups
- Colours: Green and Pink
- Leakproof: Yes. The turn ‘ n lock technology ensures food stays fresh and silicone bands ensure a secure leak-proof seal for all five sections. This means you can include yoghurts, sauces, fruit salads, any item you want in your lunch boxes.
- BPA Free: Free from BPA and phthalates
- Dishwasher Safe: No
- Microwave Safe: No
- Freezer Safe: No
- Suitable Insulated Lunchbag: Love Mae, Project 10, Sachi, My Family Fridge to Go (My Family, is the most perfect fit of them all).
Stainless Steel Containers
My teen son isn’t so much into pretty cutesie lunchboxes. Last year he used the EasyLunchboxes as mentioned above, but now he wants his morning tea and lunch separated. Stainless steel is a great choice, not only for food safety but durability as well. As you can imagine boys can be rough, throwing and kicking their lunchboxes around. Stainless steel containers offer you a non-toxic, chemical-free way of storing food or packing lunches.
There are so many different sizes available. The ones I’ve shown below U Konserve have a removable divider, which I particularly like on the smaller one as I can move it to suit the contents.
VIEW FULL STAINLESS STEEL COLLECTION HERE.
Insulated Lunch Bags
It’s important to get a lunch bag as well as a lunch box. The lunch bag will help to keep the food in the lunchbox cold and fresh. There so many available, but will your chosen lunchbox fit into the lunchbag? I have included above which lunchboxes will fit into each bag to help you! All the bags suggested below are insulated.
Love Mae Cooler Bag
This cooler bag fits the love mae lunch box perfectly and includes an ice brick that fits to the lunchbag, guaranteed to keep the contents cold and fresh. The only downside is that you won’t be able to fit a banana or any additional containers in this lunchbag.
Dimensions: 280 x 140 x 75mm
SACHI
Sachi have a real trendy range of lunch bags, suitable for girls and boys of all ages, with plain colours for teens. I like how deep these bags are allowing you to fit quite a lot into the one bag.
Dimensions: 26cm x 19.5cm x 11cm
My Family Fridge to Go
Fridge to Go are an impressive Lunch Bag with patented 8 hour cold technology with 12 month warranty!
Fridge to Go cools warm items to safe temperatures and keeps cool items fresh for 8 hours. No more soggy sandwiches or off yoghurts . A zip lock pocket keeps the ultra-thin ice pack in place and provides a generous space for maximum storage. An internal pocket keeps dry items secure and the external clip connects your lunchbag to your My Family Backpack in a snap.
Dimensions: 24cm H x 22cm W x 8cm D
Project Ten
These are the lunch bags my girls have used the past 2 years! Great size, big enough to fit 2 on top of each other and room for a banana on the side. It’s not a bulky bag (flimsy like but still 5 stars from me) so if you only have a few items in it, it won’t take up too much room in school bags. Also fits Tupperware sandwich keeper lunchboxes.
Dimensions:10cm depth x 30 cm length x 19 cm width
Lunchbox pictured above is the Bento Three – Watermelons + room for a banana or another snack container.
Apple and Mint Lunch Bags
The perfect solution, featuring the patented icy cold freezable cooling panel, that keeps your contents cooler for longer – up to eight hours! Made of a water-resistant easy clean double-coated linen exterior, store your favourite food, drinks and healthy snacks whilst on the go. It does have a mesh pocket and seams inside the lunch bag, I did find this hard to keep clean.
Dimensions: 9cm depth x 30 cm length x 19 cm width
The lunchbox pictured above is the EasyLunchboxes, no room for a banana
KEEP LEAF ORGANIC LUNCH BAG
This is a really fabulous lunchbox I quite ike it, it’s strong and sturdy. The exterior is made from 100% certified organic cotton with waterproof non-toxic coating, making it super easy to wipe clean. Has a zippered pocket at the front for tuckshop money, cutlery or napkins. It does have seams on the inside where crumbs may get caught but I can overlook that as the quality overall is very high. Even though it is the same height as the apple and mint there is more internal space, allowing extra containers to fit. There are quite a few different designs to choose from in this range to suit all you boys and girls as well as teen girls.
Dimensions: 26cm L x 18cm W x 9cm D
The lunchbox pictured above is the EasyLunchbox with room for a banana and small snack boxes, if needed.
25 comments
Kat can I just say thank you. I can only imagine how much time it takes to put together a super comprehensive post like this, all to help us newbie mums just like me who has no idea which lunchbox to choose . I was looking at Kmart the other day but didn’t think they looked like great quality. I’ve read your website for years and see you always use the same ones, so I am using your suggestions from this post. Thank you again for saving this soon to be prep mum’s sanity.
Oh Thank you Tanya. It can be very overwhelming getting the kids ready to go back to school. I have used these lunch boxes for years and still love them. Thank you for your lovely feedback xx
Thanks Katrina, I always hang out for your lunchbox review. Another great selection of lunchboxes to choose from ?
Aw.. Thank you Cassie. So lovely to have loyal followers that hang out for my tips xx
Hi Katrina
I always love your reviews. Thanks for taking the time to put this one together. Two additional points that are major considerations for me are durability (I have boys and they manage to break the clips off most lunch boxes in the first day) and whether it can fit whole fruit (for fussy apple eaters). If you ever get the chance to include these it would be great ?. Thanks again.
Yes Thank you Rebekah, they are very important factors
I love all these lunchboxes! Great ideas for filling them too, which is always much needed. 🙂
Thanks Kim
We love the easy lunch boxes here….with 4 kids, and them coming in a 4pk, they have been ideal.
Used the same set since my oldest started prep – she’s now going into grade 6, still in great condition and will be used again daily ths year.
I got 5 sets and do a weeks worth of lunches at a time, they seal enough that everything stays fresh for that long…. I just store them in a bar fridge that’s used only for their lunches and drink bottles – each child has their own color lids which makes it easy catering to their different likes/allergies/ appetites etc.
I also do 20 fruit/vege items for the week (5days x 4 kids) as their fruit break/ crunch & sip foods are taken separately into the classroom at the start of the day.
Kaycee, that is fantastic. Thank you for sharing your feedback and what you do in your household. That must save you so much time by doing it in bulk
We love the Smiggle two sectioned insulated lunch bags. You can pack recess/snack/fruit break in the top, and lunch separately in the bottom. The rectangular ones fit a Yumbox very neatly in the bottom. They last for at least 3 years, the insulation is still fine but the kids have grown out of the designs they originally picked!
Planetbox are awesome and will certainly last forever, but they are quite heavy being stainless steel. Also extremely expensive (we won ours). The interchangeable magnets are cool.
Thanks for your reviews Rebecca. All the feedback is fantastic
Hi Kat,
Can you please suggest the best lunch box for hot food?
My son likes rice and noodle.
Thanks
Hi Ada,
Here is a link where I have many suggested insulated lunchboxes for hot food. They usually stock them in stores in winter, although you can purchase them online anytime, which I have links to in this post https://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/lunchbox-ideas/hot-school-lunch-ideas-for-kids/
Hi Kat,
I have the sandwich keeper plus lunchboxes for my two little ones. They are wonderful but so hard to find a lunch bag that fits them comfortably. The project 10 looks good but I do prefer the look of the apple and mint bags. The dimensions you have provided are slightly different to the product information on the lime tree kids website. I just wanted to make sure they fit before purchasing. Thanks for a great list! x
Hi Catherine, I just double checked on Lime Tree Kids website and the dimensions I have provided are correct for the Project ten Insulated lunch bag. There are a number of different styles on the website such as Tote bags and the Mini Zip Pouch. So just make sure it’s the Lunch Bag you are looking at on the website. Hope that helps
Thank you for this great information, Katrina. Do you know if the yumbox panino and the Yumbox mini snack would fit in the medium Fridge to go at the same time?
Hi Caroline, We tested this and unfortunately they don’t fit in together. However the Yumbox Mini Snack placed on top of the Yumbox Panino in a Project Ten insulated lunch bad, will fit and you even have room for a banana on the side.
What do you recommend for the little ones so they don’t have a hard time opening and closing the lunch box and won’t need assistance at lunch time?
Just wanted to say thank you for this comprehensive review. So helpful for me to choose the boys’ lunchboxes for this year. I’m going to try the Yumbox Tapas as my boys are a bit older and BIG eaters. I like the look of the interchangable containers as well. Thanks again for taking the time to put this review together. Super helpful 🙂 Clare
Thanks for a great review!
Would you be able to suggest a lunch bag that will fit a Bento three, bento two and maybe a piece of fruit. It needs to also have space for an ice brick as well.
Thanks again
the project ten above might be perfect! or the love mae cooler bag 🙂 I haven’t tried them with 2 bentos but the dimensions might work for you!
thanks for this great article . personally, i use Bento Lunchbox nz. its pretty cool . leak-proof and portable , my son loves it. They have great customized name lunchbox which every kids loves…..I have purchased 5 set of bento lunchbox nz for 5 days a week 🙂
I have Bento Lunchbox nz for my two little ones. They are wonderful but so hard to find a lunch bag that fits them comfortably. The project 10 looks good but I do prefer the look of the apple and mint bags. The dimensions you have provided are slightly different to the product information on the lime tree kids website.
Bento Lunchbox nz are leak-proof and portable, my son loves it. They have great customised name lunchbox which every kids loves…..I have purchased 5 set of bento lunchbox nz for 5 days a week.