I’ve wanted these Bento Boxes for a long time, but shelling out $40-$50 per kid was just not an option. I was waiting for the perfect lunch box to come along. After a lot of research, I bought the kids these lunch boxes with these bags to carry them in. $13.95 for 4 containers + $8 for a cooler bag = $19 per kid (each kid gets 3 containers). Still pretty pricey, but I am so tired of their old lunch boxes with little individual containers. I was packing like 4 separate containers in each lunch. Ridiculous, I tell you. Ridiculous. I have too many dishes to wash already, without having 275 little tupperware containers to wash, too. Ok, maybe not that many. But it felt like it. And I can’t stand using Ziploc bags. I mean, they’re no big deal if you’re just packing for 1 or 2 people, but I realized every time I was packing the kids’ lunches, I was using between 20-30 bags. I’m no crunchy environmentalist, but it was even offensive to me to see all that waste.
This was yesterday’s lunch for the kids:
You know what I love about it? It’s all in one container! The packaging has a disclaimer that these are not leak proof. This is to ensure that little hands are able to remove the lids on their own. And that’s ok with me. I don’t typically send soups or liquids with them in their lunches anyway, but I can see how these wouldn’t work well if you do.
The cooler bag holds 3 containers, but I put 2 containers and a water bottle in each of the kids’ bags.
So, the kids loved them. No pickle juice leaked (although I was careful to make sure I drained as much as possible). Josh said he felt like a grown-up since the bag looks a lot like daddy’s lunch bag (aside from the color…Superman is not ok with me giving him an orange lunch box).
Pros:
Dishwasher safe/BPA free
Sturdy
Stack and store easily (they don’t take up much space at all when stacked!)
Multiple compartments in one container = less dishes!
Easy cleaning–I just rinsed and dried, but will throw them in the dishwasher at the end of the week
Lots of different color options mean each of the kids get their own color
Cons:
Pretty big and bulky–my oldest was able to cram his lunch box into his backpack, but the other two weren’t. They had to carry them, but they both said they were ok with that.
Obviously a bit pricey, but when compared to other similar lunch boxes, I think they’re a great deal
Not leakproof. Again, this so far hasn’t been an issue for me since I typically don’t do liquids, but I’ll update in the future if I notice any changes in that
Overall, I’m loving these lunch boxes. I’m looking forward to using our big family cooler bag (like this one) and packing it full of these containers!
*Note: I am not receiving compensation for this review. I just found a product I like and wanted to share it with you!
sarah says
Thanks. We do a bunch of little containers right now but I was thinking about going to something more like this. Both kids will take lunch to preschool next year so we’ll need things they can open on their own. I’ll look into these!
Jessica says
So you need two containers for each kid to get them through lunch/snack for the day? Is there room for a freezer pack?
How sturdy is the plastic? They kinda look like those disposable ZipLoc containers with compartments you can buy at the grocery store. Though these are probably bigger?
Sorry for all the questions! I am looking into bento containers for my kids as well. 🙂
Thanks!
radlandon says
Two containers were plenty for my kids lunch and snack. I had room for those + a water bottle. I’m sure there would have been room for a freezer pack, too, but I didn’t use one. The plastic is sturdy. It’s thicker than a Ziploc container, for sure. We’ll see how they hold up with time, though. Hope that helps!
Kelly Lester (EasyLunchboxes) says
Thanks for the swell review! So glad to know you are loving my lunchboxes!
Jen says
My kids each have a Planet Box and love them. (www.planetbox.com) These are cheaper though. Thanks for sharing this.