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The Very Best Lunch Boxes For Kids

BySally Kuzemchak, MS, RDN Published: Updated on
31 Comments

These lunch boxes for kids are durable, fun, and make packing easy. See our favorites in four different categories so you can find the best one for your kid.

A stack of the best lunch boxes for kids sits on a wood table. From top to bottom: PlanetBox, Bentgo, EasyLunchboxes, and Lunchbots

Picking a lunch box can feel a bit overwhelming. And finding the right one can involve some trial and error: One is too cute for words–but your kid can’t get the lid open. Another has too many parts and pieces for your kindergartener to keep track of. And some are just a royal pain to wash.

We’ve test-driven a lot of lunch boxes for kids over the years, and narrowed them down to our four favorites. These are the ones that have been used day after day because they’re practical, durable, and work for all kinds of foods.

I hope this list will help you cut through the overwhelm and find the lunch box that works best for you and your kid (and isn’t a royal pain to wash!).

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Very Best Lunch Boxes For Kids

Best Lunch Box For Tweens & Teens: EasyLunchboxes

An EasyLunchboxes lunch box sits on a wood table and contains deli meat, cheese cubes, crackers, orange slices, edamame, and carrots.

What I like about EasyLunchboxes:

  • They work for all ages but my teens don’t see them as “little-kid” and happily take them to school.
  • They’re low-cost and durable.
  • They’re dishwasher safe (on top rack) and microwave safe.
  • They come in a set of four, so you’ll always have a clean container to grab. They also nest in a cupboard or drawer.
  • They fit perfectly in our Land’s End soft-sided lunch bags.
  • They’re easy to open, even for little kids, and the lids come in a variety of colors.

Any drawbacks? They’re not leak-proof. Get some leak-proof containers for sauces and dips.

Approximate Cost: $14 for 4 containers/Find It: EasyLunchboxes (there are a lot of knock-offs, so be sure you’re getting the real deal!)

Best Leak-Proof Lunch Box: BentGo

A blue BentGo lunchbox sits on a wood table and contains pasta salad, cheese, a hard-boiled egg, cherries, and M&Ms.

What I Like about the BentGo:

  • It’s leak-proof.
  • It comes in two sizes: one for younger kids (ages 3-8) and one for older kids and adults.
  • It’s durable, with a two-year warranty and rubber-coated edges to protect it if it’s dropped.
  • The tray lifts out and is dishwasher safe (on the top rack).
  • It fits into our Lands’ End soft-sided lunch bags.
  • It comes in a multiple colors and prints.
  • The latches are easy enough for young kids to open.

Any drawbacks? The hinges on ours did eventually snap off, but only after a few years of use.

Approximate Cost: $25-30/Find It: Amazon or BentGo

Best Space-Saving Lunch Box: LunchBots

A LunchBots lunchbox sits on a wood table and includes deli turkey, Triscuits, cerely, cheese cubes, snack bites, and red raspberries.

What I Like about LunchBots:

  • It’s a stainless steel kids lunch box (adults can use it too of course!) that’s simple and durable.
  • It comes in several different sizes and configurations, so you can find one that’s right for your kid as well as for you.
  • You can cram a surprising amount of food inside these, especially if you use reusable silicone muffin cups to divide the compartments even further.
  • It fits in our Lands’ End soft-sided lunch bags.

Any drawbacks? They’re not leak-proof but some models come with leak-proof containers, sold separately.

Approximate Cost: $15-40 depending on size/ Find It: Amazon or LunchBots

Best Splurge Lunch Box: PlanetBox

A PlanetBox lunch box sits on a wood table and contains tortellini, cantaloupe, red raspberries, peas, carrots, chocolate chips, and a cut of ranch dressing

What I Like about the PlanetBox:

  • It’s a stainless steel bento box for kids (or adults!) and comes with a five-year warranty.
  • It comes in three sizes: The Rover, which comes with two leak-proof “dipper” containers, is their most popular size.
  • It’s a real beauty (and I love the little “treat” compartment in the center!).

Any drawbacks? It’s pricey. It also doesn’t fit in our soft-sided lunch boxes. They sell PlanetBox carry bags and sleeves for $10-14.

Approximate Cost: $25-$50/Find It: PlanetBox

For my favorite water bottle & other lunch packing gear, visit my Amazon Shop.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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31 Comments

  1. It’s amazing how far we’ve come with lunch box designs, right? Besides some of the ones you’ve mentioned that we also use, I like the yumbox. We have it in two configurations, one with three compartments and one with five (both $28). They’re leak proof and dishwasher safe and the size has been great for my kids (9, 5 and almost 3).
    I also like the Klip-It Lunch Cube. It’s fun to unfold, safe for the freezer (!) and dishwasher safe. The downside is that you can’t pack things like yogurt or hummus but it’s less than $8, which is a big thumbs up.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Gillian! I’ve seen the YumBox all over social media but haven’t tried it yet. Will have to put that one on my list! 🙂

      Reply

    2. I second the Yumbox! The original is great, but if you’re only getting one then I think the Panino is the most versatile. The big compartment works well for sandwiches and other larger foods, but you can also use silicone muffin cups to add more compartments when needed. And considering how much my son likes yogurt and applesauce, I LOVE that it’s leakproof.

      Reply

      1. Thanks Angela! Clearly I need to check it out. Love that it’s leak-proof. That’s a big selling point.

        Reply

  2. My favorite lunchbox, hands down, is the classic brown paper bag. Worked great for my parents. Worked great for me and my siblings. Works great for my kids. Planet friendly (no nasty plastics or energy intensive metal involved) and as hygienic as you care to make it by simply tossing used bags into the recycle bin. And best of all – price, practically nil. To say nothing of relief from fears of loss or damage. Lose a few of those trendy bento things at $20 – $50 a copy and see if the idea of carrying lunch to school doesn’t grow tepid for mam and dad. All that and more — no need to slice and dice a whole bunch of little tidbits to fit into all those itty-bitty little compartments. I mean, it’s just lunch for cripe’s sake, why make a big production out of it every morning? I love being able to just put together a few sandwiches and grab a few pieces of fruit, drop ’em in the bags and you’re good to go for another day! I’ll spend the extra energy at the end of the day overseeing progress on homework. Now that’s something worth making into a big, detailed project.

    Reply

    1. Sorry to break it to you, but disposable paper sacks are much worse on the environment than a reusable container, even if you recycle them (which most schools don’t). For one thing it contributes to deforestation, and of course paper bags also take a fair amount of energy to make. No, not as much as a metal container, but when you have to crank out a new one every day that adds up whereas the metal container can be used for years to come. Plus, if you use any sandwich baggies with your brown paper bag then you are using (and throwing into landfills) plastic, a lot of it actually.

      I can see not wanting to spend a lot on lunch gear, but after awhile the cost of paper and plastic bags can add up too. At $5 a pop, the Easy Lunchboxes she linked to are probably pretty comparable to a year or two worth of baggies and they generate considerably less waste.

      Reply

    2. Because I’m a numbers nerd, I also did a quick analysis to look at the cost issue. Let’s say that you are packing a daily lunch of a sandwich, applesauce, yogurt, and water (pretty standard lunch fare). If you are brown bagging it then each day you would use 1 paper bag ($0.10), 1 sandwich bag ($0.20), 1 applesauce cup ($0.29), 1 yogurt cup ($0.45), and a 4 oz water bottle ($0.52). That totals to $1.56 per day. By the end of the year (180 school days), that’s $280.80. There’s also the cost of the sandwich, but I didn’t include that as it would be the same for both scenarios.

      On the other hand, if you use reusable items, then you can buy larger containers of applesauce and yogurt and pour out 1/2 C sized portions each day ($0.16 and $0.31 respectively) and fill the water bottle with tap water. The daily cost of this is $0.47, which after 180 days totals to $84.60. Yes, you still need to purchase an insulated cooler, lunch containers, ice packs and a water bottle, but as long as you’re spending less than $196.20 on lunch supplies, then you’re still coming out ahead by the end of the year. Not to mention, that most people do not repurchase these items yearly so each additional year that these items are used is approximately $200 more of savings.

      *My prices were obtained from Walmart, using Great Value brand applesauce and vanilla yogurt for both comparisons

      Reply
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  7. I love the idea of the Bento, but see everything spilling out of its little section every time my kid swings her lunch box by the handle (read: every two seconds). Also, that stainless one is a beauty, but how obnoxious is it in terms of space? Does the lid come off? Or is it stretching across the table to rest on top of your “neighbor’s” pb&j?

    Reply

    1. Rebecca–the food actually stays in place pretty well. The lids really lock in place so the compartments don’t spill into each other. As for the PlanetBox, I don’t think the lid comes off. If you keep it in the carrier, the lid can stay propped open while you’re eating it. But yeah, it’s not really a space saver. 🙂

      Reply

  8. My oldest son is in Kindergarten this year, and I’ve struggled with packing his lunch. Mainly, because he likes items that need to stay cold for a few hours like yogurt and sandwich meat. Do any of these boxes keep food items cold? I have yet to find a bento box that has a freeze pouch or something. Right now I’m using two individual containers that came with their own freezer pack, but they don’t have any compartments so I’m limited to what I can put in them, and they are bulky.

    Reply

    1. Hi Shannon–sounds like you need to enter the giveaway I have going on for a freezable lunch bag from PackIt. 🙂 The whole bag is a cold pack, so it keeps foods cold a long time. I put my bento boxes in either the PackIt bag or a LandsEnd punchbag that has a pouch for a cold pack.

      Reply

      1. Can you please tell me whether the PlanetBox Rover fits into the Packit Freezable Classic? I am searching high and low for this answer! Thank you!

        Reply

        1. Hi Kate–YES it does! 🙂 It *just* fits, and you are able to zip it closed. Hope that helps!

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  10. Following my sister’s lead, we purchased a Planetbox Rover for my son when he started kindergarten. He’s in second grade now and is still using the same lunchbox and carrying bag. Though the bag has taken a bit of a beating (still totally functional though), the box is in stellar condition. He uses it every day and has only once or twice complained about things mixing or not being up to his standards (and he can be picky about such things). I considered it an investment, and I feel the cost per use has more than made up for the initial expense. It’s also REALLY easy to pack (admittedly I do not make “fancy” bento lunches), and so much easier to clean than half a dozen plastic containers and lids that may or may not come back home. I love it so much that I’ve already purchased one for my daughter who won’t start kindergarten until next year!

    Reply

    1. That’s great to hear! It’s so durable that as long as your kid doesn’t lose it, it’s a great investment.

      Reply
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    1. Such a good roundup! I appreciate you considering that a “best” recommendation depends on several factors! We have the easy lunchboxes, and loved that they fit into our carry bags (we like Lands End as well!) but mine did crack and chip fairly irreparably – only 2 of the 4 survived the whole year. My kids love the sistema brand containers with the big easy latches, but they aren’t indestructible either. I still prefer these kinds of reusables instead of the brown bag for most normal days, though.

      My elementary kiddos also have to pack a midday snack, so big bulky containers can have them really loaded down-looking! Any rec’s for a small snack bag/box?

      Reply

      1. Bummer to hear that your EasyLunchboxes cracked and chipped. A couple of mine chipped after a couple of years but none have ever cracked (though a knock-off that I had did crack!). I like the EasyLunchbox snack boxes that have four little compartments but they might be too bulky. What about a reusable bag like Stasher?

        Reply

        1. Our EasyLunchboxes are still going strong 6 (!!!) years later! And that’s with daily use during the school year for both of my kiddos.

        2. That is great to hear! We’ve had ours for years and years too.

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  16. We purchased the easy lunchboxes after reading this post and they have worked so well for us. We have a Bentgo too but easy lunch box has been better for their lunches. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply