Who would have thought that choosing a lunchbox could be such a complex task! Do I need one compartment, two or five? Will it be easy for my toddler to open, will it stand up to being thrown around at school? We've chosen some of the best lunchboxes, based on feedback from us parents and share the inside info with you, so you can quickly and easily decide which is best for you. Still not sure? Check out the videos of each lunchbox brand and see how much food they hold, how to open each box and more.
When deciding which lunchbox is best for your little one, here's a few things you may want to consider:
1. Will the box be easy for my toddler / pre-schooler / school-age child to open?
2. Do I need the box for lunch only or lunch and snacks?
3. What type of food will it fit? For example, will it hold a sandwich or a whole apple?
4. Will it hold a liquid like soup or a thick liquid like yoghurt without leaking?
5. Is it easy to clean? Can it go in the dishwasher or is it handwash only?
6. Are accessories such as dippers available? This will allow you to add some more variety
7. Will it fit in an insulated lunch bag? Depending on where your child keeps their lunch, it may be useful to keep it cool in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack.
Kids Lunchbox Comparison - Plastic Options
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| Melii 2 Tier Bento Box | GoBe Lunchbox | B.Box Lunchbox | Go Green Lunchbox - Large | Omiebox 2 | MontiiCo Bento Five Lunch Box | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of compartments | 6 | 6 (1 large and 5 snack size) | 4 or 5 (removeable divider included) | 5 | 3 (or 4 with the divider which is included) | 5 |
| Number of leak-proof compartments | 0 | 1 x leak-resistant compartment (sandwich area) | 2 (thick liquids such as yoghurt or dips only) | Yes (with turn'n'lock technology) | 1 completely leakproof, other 3 are for thick liquids such as yoghurt. | 5 (for thick liquids like yoghurt & sauces) |
| Manufacturer's stated total capacity/volume |
Upper tier 2 x 118ml plus 1 x 300ml Lower tier 2 x 190ml and 1 x 530ml |
Each snack spinner compartment holds approx 1/4 cup | 2 litres | 8 cups | 1.48 litres (without inculated compartment). Insulated container 220ml | 1000ml / About 4 cups |
| Dishwasher safe? | Yes, top rack only | Lunchbox outer handwash only. Snack spinner part top rack of dishwasher only. | No | No | Top rack only, but handwashing recommended. | Yes |
| Basic Dimensions | 21.5 cm (W) x 18.2cm (L) x 8.5cm (H) | Lunchbox - 28 x 16 x 5cm. Snack spinner 15cm diameter, 4cm deep. | 23.5 x 21.5 x 6.5 cm | 30 x 18 x 6 cm | 21.5 x 19 x 7.6 cm | 17.5 cm (L) 17.5cm (W) x 5.6cm (H) |
| Made from | BPA-free plastic | Plastic #5 - BPA, PVC and Phthalate free |
PP plastic and silicone BPA- and phthalate-free |
Polypropylene (plastic grade #5) with silicone O rings | 18/8 food-grade stainless steel and Food-grade silicone (BPA, phthalate free) | BPA-free plastic |
| Matching accessories available? | Comes with a spoon and fork | Yes - interchange the snack spinner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Which accessories fit? | Range of MontiiCo silicone cups, cutlery, dip boxes or stickers | |||||
| Which lunch bags fit? | MontiiCo Medium or Large Lunch Bags | |||||
| Best for? | Pre-schoolers & school age children. | Preschool and school age kids | Bigger eaters and over 3's | Bigger eaters & adults | School kids & adults | School age kids and adults |
| Shop Melii 2 Tier Bento | Shop GoBe Lunchbox | Shop B.Box lunchbox | Shop Go Green Large Lunchbox | Shop OmieBox | Shop MontiiCo Bento Five |
Stainless Steel Lunchbox Comparison
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| Nestling Stainless Steel Bento Box | Nestling Stainless Steel Jumbo Bento Box | Planetbox Launch | Planetbox Rover | Yumbox Presto Bento Lunchbox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of compartments | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Number of leak-proof compartments | 5 - thick liquids (such as yoghurt) only | 5 - thick liquids such as yoghurt or hummus. | 1 - leakproof dipper included | 2 - 1 x big and 1 x little leakproof dipper included | 5 |
| Manufacturer's stated total capacity/volume | 1100ml | 1450ml | 1600ml | 1200ml | 3.5 cups (approx 875ml) |
| Dishwasher safe? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Handwash recommended |
| Basic Dimensions | 18.5cm (W) x 25.5 (L) x 4.9 (H) | 26cm (W) x 22 (L) x 6 (H) | 26.2 x 19.6 x 5.1 cm | 25 x 19 x 3.8 cm | 25 x 20 x 5 cm |
| Made from | 18/8 Stainless Steel with a food grade silicone seal | 18/8 Stainless Steel with a food grade silicone seal | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | 18/8 Stainless Steel tray with a plastic lid |
| Matching accessories available? | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Which accessories fit? |
Planetbox Puzzle Pods & Dippers |
Planetbox Puzzle Pods & Dippers |
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| Which lunch bags fit? | |||||
| Best for? | Pre-schoolers & school age children. | Children 5+ and adults | School age kids and adults | School age kids & adults | Preschoolers 3+ and school age kids |
| Shop Nestling Stainless Steel Bento Box | Shop Nestling Jumbo Bento Box | Shop PlanetBox Launch | Shop PlanetBox Rover | Shop Yumbox Presto Lunchbox |
Kids Small Lunchbox / Snackbox Comparison
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| Nestling Stainless Steel Duo Bento | Skip Hop Spark Style Bento | B.box Mini Lunchbox | Planetbox Shuttle | MontiiCo Bento Two Snackbox | Melii Snackle Box Mini | GoBe Snackspinner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of compartments | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 plus an extra 1 if you use the dippers (not included) | 2 (or 3 with divider) | 3 or 6 with a removable divider | 5 |
| Number of leak-proof compartments | 2 | 4 | 2 (thick liquids such as yoghurt or dips only) | 0 - Use "dippers" (1 included) for wet foods such as yoghurt or hummus. | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Manufacturer's stated total capacity/volume | 670ml total | 1000ml | 3.5 cups total | 684ml |
Each compartment holds approx
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| Dishwasher safe? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, top rack only | Yes, but handwashing outer box recommended | Yes | Yes, top rack only |
| Basic Dimensions | 15cm (W) x 23 (L) x 5 (H) | 21.3x 17.42 x 6.7 cm | 18.5 x 17 x 6.7 cm | 19.8 x 12.7 x 5.1cm | 12.9 x 12.3 x 5.6cm | 11cm (W) x 18 (L) x 5 (H) |
Small - 15cm diameter, 4cm deep Large - 21cm diameter, 5cm deep. |
| Made from | Stainless steel & BPA free silicone | BPA-Free Plastic | PP plastic and silicone | Stainless steel | BPA-free food safe plastic | 100% food-safe plastic |
Plastic #5 BPA, PVC and Phthalate free |
| Matching accessories available? | No | No | Yes | Yes, includes 1 tall dipper | No | No, but also available in other sizes | No |
| Best for? | Sandwiches & fruit | A smaller lunch with sandwich and a few small snacks | Toddlers or smaller eaters | Kids & adults (smaller eaters) | Preschooler snacks on the go | A range of snacks - eg crackers, cut fruit, dried fruit | Toddlers to younger school children. |
| Which accessories fit? | |||||||
| Which lunch bags fit? |
MontiiCo Medium Bag B.Box Flexi &Â |
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| Shop Nestling Duo | Shop Skip Hop Bento Box | Shop B.box MINI lunchbox | Shop PlanetBox Shuttle | MontiiCo Bento Two Snack Box | Shop the Snackle range | Shop GoBe |
Watch our Comparison Videos:
Best Kids Lunchboxes
Snack and lunchboxes
Nestling Stainless Steel Bento Box
Discover how the Nestling Stainless Steel Bento Box opens, closes and how many compartments it has. this is a great lunchbox for big-eating pres-schoolers and school-age children and is robust enough to stand up to being thrown around in the school bag.
Nestling Stainless Steel Duo Bento Box
See how the Nestling Stainless Steel Duo Bento Box opens & closes and also how to remove the silicone seal inside.
Nestling Stainless Steel Jumbo Bento Box
Discover the size of one of our largest lunchboxes - ideal for adults and big eaters.
Melii 2 Tier Bento Box
Discover the size and features of the Melii Two Tier Bento Box
GoBe Lunchbox
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B.box Lunchbox Range
Compare the difference sizes of our three B.box lunchboxes. Compare how much food they hold and how versatile they can be with the custom dividers (B.box Lunchbox). These feature removable, leak-proof silicone seals to secure wet foods and thicker liquids
Go Green Lunchbox Range
Compare the size of the small, medium and large Go green lunchboxes and discover how they open and close.
Goodbyn Lunchboxes
Goodbyn lunchboxes are incredibly easy to open - great for little hands! The Hero lunchbox is deep enough to fit a small apple, perfect for busy parents who don't want to cut all fruit!
Nestling Stainless Steel Lunchboxes Comparison
View the size difference of the two Nestling Stainless Steel lunchboxes - the 2 compartment Duo and the 5 compartment Bento Box.
Planetbox
These stainless steel lunchboxes are super tough, easy to clean and top rated by our buyers. Watch the video and compare the different sized Planetboxes.
Yumbox
Yumbox has so many great options, from snack size to tapas and panin - it really depends on what you want to put in the box. Easy for toddlers to open and dishwasher safe, these are a great option for toddlers & preschoolers.
OmieBox 2
This clever lunchbox has different zones for hot and cold foods with powerful insulation to keep foods hot or cold. This is easy to clean and easy to open for kids.
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