I know that’s a hefty claim calling this lunchbox the ‘absolute best’ lunch box for kids.
And one thing about me is I’m not about hefty claims. I don’t like absolutes, gimmicks, or click bait. I hate click bait, especially when it comes to products I’m using with my kids. Because as we all know kids products are constantly being developed, changed, and many times don’t last very long.
And THAT right there is the reason I can call this lunchbox the absolute best lunch box for kids.
It’s surpassed my expectations for allowing me to call it that. Meaning that it checked off all my doubt boxes so now I can speak about it in absolute terms.
It’s been developed and made better since it first started, the basic design hasn’t really changed much, and my kids have had the exact same Bento style lunch box for about 4-5 years. (This is of course depending on the kid. As all parents of multiple kids know, those second kids will put even the most durable items through the ringer.)
Now I’m happy to share with all my fellow parents what I truly believe is the best lunchbox for kids!
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Read on for the best lunchbox for kids.
What is the Best LunchBox for Kids?
The best lunch box for kids—in my humble, tried and true opinion—is the Bentgo Kids Lunch Box.
I found this lunchbox back when my oldest daughter was starting full-day preschool about 8 years ago now. (Every time I even think about how long ago that was it makes me tear up a little bit.)
I remember when she was about to start preschool and I was slightly overwhelmed at the idea of packing her a lunch every day. I thought back to my own school lunch days and I kept thinking “there’s no way she’s going to be able to open sandwich pouches, cracker bags, and snacks in a 25-minute time span and still have time to eat.” I was worried. So I began searching for a lunch solution to make opening and eating her lunch without wasting time opening a bunch of packages much easier. Not to mention the wasted wrappers, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, etc. that goes into packing a conventional lunch box lunch without a bento box.
Enter the Bento Box Solution
At this time circulating on social media were all these bento style lunch ideas for adults.
I also knew through our dinner outings with my daughter how much she loved and appreciated Bento style meals whenever we’d visit Japanese restaurants. Then it hit me: there must be a Bento style lunch box for kids somewhere?
I began searching for “best lunchbox for kids” “best lunchbox for preschoolers”—basically any way I could find the best lunchbox for little hands. I was envisioning my daughters tiny 3-year old preschooler hands not struggling with Goldfish cracker bags and simply opening her lunch box to eat the crackers right out of it.
And I found a lunchbox called ”Bentgo Kids”!
Why Bentgo Kids is the Best Lunchbox for Kids
Bentgo Kids is the best lunchbox for kids because it’s made with kids and parents in mind!
Kids will love the brightly colored containers, multiple design options, easy to open and close front tabs, leak proof-design preventing the lunchbox from leaking inside their backpacks, and it’s overall cuteness factor.
Bentgo Kids LunchBox
Kids will love the bright colors of the Bentgo Kids lunch box. Parents will love the leak-proof design and long-lasting durability.
Parents will love the grow-with-me options, leak-proof capabilities, ease of cleaning, well thought-out ergonomic design, and it’s non-toxic properties as all Bentgo Kids lunch boxes are FDA approved and made without BPA chemicals, phthalates, lead, or vinyl.
Multiple Design Options Available
The grow-with-me designs offer many design and age-appropriate options that are designed to grow with your child. This is one of my favorite things about the Bentgo Kids Lunch Boxes: They’re designed with both parents and kids in mind. They’re can be easily opened and are leak-proof for kids. Plus parents will love the realistic portion sizes for kids of different age groups.
In my opinion, one of the best things about the Bentgo Kids Lunch Boxes is the portion sizes for differing ages in the different sized lunch boxes. When my kids were younger I would use the smaller sized Bentgo Kids lunch box with smaller portions, that was perfect for kids who were in the preschool-second grade age range. Now that they’re older I get them the Bentgo Pop with bigger portion sizes.
Why I Love Bentgo Kids Lunchboxes for My Kids
I’ve loved these Bentgo lunchboxes for a very long time now for a variety of reasons.
They’ve stood the test of time. In fact, some of them got so old and pretty much refused to break by the time my kids got old enough to need bigger ones, that I passed their old ones down to my preschooler niece! And we’re talking through trips back and forth to school and multiple falls and drops (gotta love those second kids).
The portions are perfect sizes. One of the most magical things about the Bentgo Kids lunchboxes is their perfect portion sizes for different food groups! My kids have never come home from school and said they were still hungry after lunch nor did they ever tell me they wish they had more cookies, or crackers, etc. Because the compartments are portioned out according to food groups. So smaller compartments can house snacks. Larger ones can house sandwiches, etc. I also feel confident giving my kids treats for lunch in these lunchboxes because I know they’re portioned out. The snack compartment can’t fit more than two cookies. There’s a tiny container that can house almonds, trail mix, or dip for vegetables. It’s all so well thought out!
Choosing the Right Style for your child
All Bentgo lunchboxes share the same durability, leak-proof compartments, portioned container sizes, and having multiple design options. But there are a few key differences between the many styles. Some of these differences have to do with age range and portion sizes, while some deal with features.
Read on to find the right style of Bentgo lunchbox for your child.
Bentgo Kids
- For Ages: 3-7 years because portions are smaller
- Compartments: 5
- Best For: Younger children or children who don’t have large appetites
- Removable/Washable Compartment: Yes
- Dishwasher safe: yes
- Insulated: No
- Price: About $28 depending on retailer
Bentgo Pop
- For Ages: 8 + and teens because portions are larger
- Compartments: 4 with removable divider
- Best For: Older Kids and teens or children who have larger appetites
- Removable/Washable Compartment: Yes
- Dishwasher safe: yes
- Insulated: No
- Price: About $30 depending on retailer
Bentgo Steel
- For Ages: 3 and up
- Compartments: 4 compartments with a removable container
- Best For: kids, teens, and parents who prefer stainless steel lunchboxes over plastic ones
- Removable/Washable Compartment: While the inner compartment isn’t removable, the entire lunchbox is washable.
- Dishwasher safe: yes
- Insulated: No
- Price: About $50 depending on retailer
Bentgo Chill
- For Ages: 3-7 years because portions are smaller
- Compartments: 4
- Best For: Younger children who prefer to take a cold lunch
- Removable/Washable Compartment: 2 removable compartments that can be washed, The bottom compartment can be refrigerated to keep food cold.
- Dishwasher safe: yes
- Insulated: Yes
- Price: About $30 depending on retailer
Tips for use
As I’ve been using these lunch boxes for many years now, I have some tips to share that makes using them easier.
- These are all absolutely dish washer safe! You can pop the inside compartment in the top rack of the dishwasher to clean it, which makes it a breeze! I usually hand wash the outer shell, but it’s super easy to clean and is basically clean for the most part.
- I highly advise purchasing a second interior compartment for the Bentgo lunchboxes with a removable compartment! This makes packing lunches at night a breeze when you throw the used compartment in the dishwasher, and have a clean compartment to use.
- Click on the following links to purchase additional compartments for:
Other Bentgo Lunch Products I Love
Some other Bentgo products I love that help me when packing my kids lunches are their snack boxes.
These snack boxes are perfect if your kids want to bring a snack to school or after school. In fact, I find that outside of school we actually use these more than the Bentgo lunchboxes!
My search for these mini boxes began when my kids began taking yogurt parfaits for their mid-morning snack at school as well as their afternoon snack, and I wanted a box with the same leak-proof features as the lunchboxes. I wanted to prevent them from also having to carry a ton of different boxes and snack pouches, lunchboxes, etc. Then I found these and they’ve been amazing!
Many times I will prepare my kids snacks in these boxes and refrigerate them for the next day. You can also absolutely use this as a tiny lunch box for kids with smaller appetites. Though for a regular sized lunch these are very tiny.
Some foods I love to put inside these mini snack boxes are:
- yogurt parfaits
- seaweed
- crackers
- berries
- overnight oats
- fruit and vegetables with dip
This post was about the best lunchbox for kids.
Are you also looking to make meal planning and grocery shopping easier for your family when packing their lunches? If so then check out my post detailing how I meal plan and grocery shop with this highly effective and easy to use meal planner and grocery list!
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