Best lunchboxes in Australia

Best Lunchbox in Australia

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Choosing the best lunchbox in Australia for your child can be an overwhelming experience so we have put this Bento guide and comparison table together to help make the task that bit easier for you.

Lunchbox Comparisons: A Bento Guide

Bento style lunch boxes have become very popular. Not only do bento style lunchboxes make it easier for your child to access their lunches, they promote waste free healthy lunches.

Its a win for our children, us parents plus the environment!

What is a bento lunchbox

In short, a bento lunchbox is a lunchbox with built-in compartments.

Originating in Japan, a traditional bento box should contain a complete meal, carefully prepared with different textures, tastes, and representations of all the food groups.

Western bento lunchboxes are designed to be lunchbox with just one lid, however multiple compartments within. Some have a few larger compartments while others have smaller compartments. Taking inspiration from the traditional Japanese bento, these lunchboxes are designed to hold a variety of foods. For this reason, Creating healthy, balanced lunches is easier with a bento box.

What is the difference between a lunchbox and a bento box?

A traditional lunchbox is typically a one-compartment for all your child’s foods. These foods may be individually wrapped so as not to mix. A bento box has multiple compartments, designed to keep different foods separate from one another.

Can you put hot food in a bento

While most boxes are deigned with keeping lunches cool, Omie Life boasts two temperature zones. These dual temperature zones allow you to keep both warm and cool foods in the same lunchbox.

Separate from an inclusive lunchbox, insulated food jars make a great alternative for hosting lovely warm lunches. have portions made in the freezer, ready to reheat, or put last night leftovers to good use.

How to choose the best lunchbox for kids

Choosing a lunchbox for your child can be an overwhelming task however it doesn’t have to be. For instance, here are a few things to consider to make the choice easier:

  • Child’s appetite – What capacity will suit your child’s needs?
  • Material
  • Cleaning
  • Fastener – Will your child be able to open their lunchbox?
  • Size – Will it fit into their cooler bag?
  • Wet foods – Would it be useful to have sealable sections?
  • Crunch and Sip – Does your child require separate recess/crunch and sip containers?

Which is the best lunchbox in Australia

Which Bento Boxes We Use

Personally, we use a Planetbox Rover and a Yumbox Original in our house.

Planetbox

Miss 5 has used her Planetbox Rover for 18 months of school so far and it still looks like new. She has been able to open the clasp with no assistance since she was 3 and loves being able to help pack her lunchbox. The Rover is easy to clean and store when not in use.

EDIT: Fast forward two years and our Planetbox is still as new although used every school day! Each year Miss 7 has chosen a different set of magnets to freshen up with a new look. In saying that, we still have the original set to swap around for something different.

My only critique is the weight of the lunchbox. It is quite heavy which is why when the time came to get Miss 2 her lunchbox, we got a Yumbox instead.

Yumbox

Miss 2 has been using her Yumbox for 6 months. I love the layout of the sections and the easy-to-open clasp. The inner tray is easy enough to remove for cleaning but can be a bit annoying compared to the Planetbox.

I store the lunchbox open to prevent mold growth after it has dried (I have never had a problem but had seen others on social media with similar style leakproof boxes develop an issue).

EDIT: Fast forward two years and Miss 4 has been using her Yumbox for almost a year at Kindergarten. Although the base has slight signs of wear, her lunchbox is still going strong!

Lunchbox Comparison Table

Here is a breakdown of some of the popular bento-style lunchboxes on the market.

Each of them is free from lead, BPA, and PVC.

Please don’t limit their use to just the kid’s school lunches.

These also make a great solution for packing healthy lunches for Mum and Dad to take to work too!

Lunchbox Capacity (Approx) Dimensions Material Discount Code Cost
Planetbox Launch 6.5 cups 26.5 x19.7 x 5cm Stainless Steel Tap to Shop
Planetbox Rover 4.5 cups 25 x 19 x 3.75cm Stainless Steel Tap to Shop
Planetbox Shuttle 3 cups 19 x 12.5 x 5cm Stainless Steel Tap to Shop
Bentgo Kids Stainless Steel 4 3/4 cups 19.3 x 24.89 x 6.35 cm Stainless Steel & Silicone Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Ever Eco Stainless Steel 2 Compartment 5.6 cups 21 x 16 x 6cm Stainless Steel Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Monbento Original 4 cups 18.5 x p 9.4 x 10cm BPA-free
BPS-free
Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Monbento Square 6.8 cups 140 x 14 x 14cm BPA-free
BPS-free
Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Gel-Cool Rectangle 2 cups 8.6 x 17.8 x 6 cm Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Omnie Life 6 1/4 cups 18.29 x 18.29 x 7.37cm BPA-free, Phthalate Free Plastic Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Bentgo Kids 3 cups 21.6 x 16.6 x 4.6cm No BPA, Vinyl, Lead, or PVC  Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Bentgo Fresh 4.9 cups 18.29 x 10.16 x 6.1cm No BPA, Vinyl, Lead, or PVC  Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Love Mae Lunch Box 6 cups 30 x 14.5 x 5.5cm BPA, PVC, Phthalates and metals free Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Bento Five 4 cups 17.5 x 17.5 x 5.6cm Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Bento Three 4 cups 17.5 x 17.5 x 5.6cm Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
B. Box Lunchbox 8 cups 23.5 x 21.5 x 6.5cm Polypropylene and Silicone Playinspiredmum Tap to Shop
Yumbox Panino 3 cups 21.5 x 15 x 5cm BPA Free Plastic Tap to Shop
Yumbox Original 2.5 cups 21.5 x 15 x 5cm BPA Free Plastic Tap to Shop
Yumbox Tapas 4.2 cups 24.5 x 17 x 5cm BPA Free Plastic Tap to Shop
Yumbox Mini Snack 1/3 cup
3/4 cup sections
15 x 10 x 5cm BPA free Plastic Tap to Shop
Go Green Medium 6 1/3 cups 21.5 x 16 x 6.5cm Polypropylene Tap to Shop
Go Green Snack Box 4.5 cups 24.5 x 16 x 5.5cm Polypropylene Tap to Shop
Go Green Original 8 cups 29.5 x 17.5 x 5.75cm Polypropylene Tap to Shop
Bright Star Kids Bento 21.8 x 15.7 x 6cm BPA-Free, PVC-Free & Phthalate-Free Tap to Shop
Stuck On You Large Bento 4 cups 23 x 18 x 5 cm Free from BPA and phthalates Tap to Shop
Stuck On You Mini Bento 17 x 15 x 5 cm Free from BPA and phthalates Tap to Shop

I hope this breakdown is helpful when choosing your child’s next lunchbox.

If there is another style that you think needs to go onto the list, please feel welcome to let us know!

Now you have your lunchbox sorted, time to get the freezer stash stocked up 😛

Would you like to get more veg into your kid’s lunchbox? Check out these great recipes!

Healthy Lunchbox Recipes

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