Published 19th October 2012
The right lunch box helps keep little humans nourished while making life a lot easier for mums and dads! So to help you find the perfect one faster, we’ve put the best kids’ lunch boxes for school in Australia in one handy spot.
Kids’ lunch boxes have come a very long way. No longer just plastic boxes for toting treats, they’re now durable, washable, droppable and best of all, easy for kids to use. There are heaps of different styles to choose from, and if you head to the bottom of this article, you’ll find more information on what to look for, how to choose the right one for your child, and even what to put in it!
Whether you’re after a colourful lunch box to match that new drink bottle, or a machine-washable option that saves you time, there’s something in our shortlist for every type of foodie.
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to lunch box shopping, check out our comparison table below as a handy guide. (Use the bottom slider to see all brands)
The table below is a guide only. Products are subject to changes by brands.
| MontiiCo | B.Box | Frank Green Lunch Container | Yumbox | Sky Gazer | Bentgo Modern | The Somewhere Co. Mini | EcoCocoon | Bright Star Kids | Stuck On You | Country Road Elysia | OmieBox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Style | Bag | Bento | Box | Bento | Bag | Bento | Bag | Bento | Bag | Bento | Bag | Bento |
| Colour variations | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Material | Fabric & aluminium lining | PP & silicone | Stainless steel & silicone | ABS, tritan & silicone | Fabric & PEVA lining | BPA-free plastic | RPET & aluminium foil lining | Stainless steel & silicone | Fabric & insulation lining | BPA-free plastic | 100% cotton canvas & insulation lining | Stainless steel, plastic & silicone |
| Start price | $42.95 | $27.95 | $79.95 | $49.95 | $34.99 | $39.95 | $38 | $84.95 | $39.95 | $54.95 | $59.95 | $89.95 |
| Loved for its | Roomy size & machine washable design | Custom divider | 3-in-1 design | Portion-controlled sections | Unique designs | Removable sandwich divider | Shoulder strap | Dishwasher-safe parts | Personalisation | Leak-proof silicone seal | Internal name label | Storage for hot and cold food |
When you’re searching for a kids’ lunch box, take the time to work out what will best suit their needs. If you make the right choice and invest in a quality one, it will last many years.
Ready to get back-to-school sorted? From stainless steel gems to beautiful bentos, we’ve done all the hard work so you don’t have to. So sit back and enjoy our curated Mom Guide of the best kids’ lunch boxes for school in Australia.
Any included reviews come via the Mouths of Mums Facebook Page.
These award-winning lunch bags have sold over 200,000 units – and it’s clear to see why. The interior of each large bag measures 29cm x 23.5cm x 7.5cm, making them big enough to fit multiple containers and even many popular bento boxes. Each bag comes with an ice pack for up to eight hours of cooling – and you have a massive range of designs to choose from.
Pros:
“A vote for montii co lunch boxes, lunch bags and freezer bricks (they really do stay frozen all day!!” (Megan)
“Montii lunch bags are the best and the freezer brick can stay frozen for ages I forgot one day and it was still cold after 24hrs” (Sarah)
Where to buy it: MontiiCo, Lime Tree Kids
Tired of apples not fitting in hard lunch boxes? b.box has solved this with its flexible ‘whole fruit holder’ that bends around the fruit rather than squashing it – genius! If you’re not keen on cutting up a fruit salad every day, this multi-compartment two-litre lunch box has handy homes for everything. It also comes with a gel cooler pack (a must for Aussie summer!), and it’s freezer-safe. Choose from a range of colours.
Pros:
“B-box lunch boxes are the best…all parts come out so you can wash them super easy! So many awesome accessories available for them too!” (Kerrie)
“BBox lunch boxes are great and they fit in the large Montiico lunch bags. As someone has said, the ice brick that comes with it is amazing too” (Tash)
“I really like the B.Box lunch boxes.” (Kendal)
“Bbox is the winner in our community on repeat.” (Mums On A Budget)
Where to buy it: Kitchen Warehouse, Woolworths, b.box
Got a Frank Green fan on your hands? This is the lunch box to match their drink bottle. It comes in a gorgeous range of colours suited to all ages and uses 90% post-consumer recycled stainless steel and quality silicone lids. Monograms, bumper guards and ice bricks are all available separately.
Pros:
Where to buy it: Frank Green
With the option of four, five or six compartments, it’s easy to see why Yumbox Bento Lunch Boxes are such a hit with Australian kids. They feature handy, pre-measured half-cup serving compartments to help pack a healthy lunch and contain absolutely no BPA or phthalates. Pop it straight into the dishwasher on the top rack for easy cleaning.
Pros:
Where to buy it: Biome, Yumbox
If your little (or not-so-little) one wants a lunch bag everyone will comment on, this is it. Available in a range of stunning designs, they come with a long and strong handle and easy-use zippers. But good looks aside, what’s winning heart about these is their capacity – they hold up to seven litres of food!
Pros:
Where to buy it: THE ICONIC, Sky Gazer
After something a bit more mature? Bentgo’s Modern lunch boxes are a great option. They have a sleek matte finish in a choice of four stylish shades, including Mint Green, Orchid, Dark Grey and Navy. Each is cleverly designed with a removable divider that allows you to choose between using three or four compartments. Even better, they are leak-proof, microwave-safe and fine to pop in the dishwasher.
Pros:
Where to buy it: Kitchen Warehouse, Amazon
Colourful and easy to carry, these bags are insulated, eco-friendly and secure. It features aluminium foil lining that keeps food fresh all day long, and it comes with top-level carry handles and a shoulder strap, which is brilliant for those days when kids have a lot to tote. Choose from a range of styles.
Pros:
Where to buy it: The Somewhere Co.
Large enough for the hungriest of school kids, this stainless steel wonder has a removable silicone seal in the lid to stop thick liquids from leaking. No more soggy anything! There are five handy compartments to make sure all of the food groups are ticked off, with a large compartment perfect for sandwiches, and smaller ones for snacks.
Pros:
Where to buy it: Biome, EcoCocoon
Practical and customisable with your child’s name, these insulated bags tick all the boxes. You have a choice of five bag colours, and from there you get to choose from a huge range of designs and fonts to personalise it! Each comes with a mesh pocket for ice bricks, a top carry handle, a secure zip closure and enough internal space to fit a medium bento box.
Pros:
Where to buy it: Bright Star Kids
With a leak-proof silicone seal, these colourful lunch companions keep sauces and dips right where they belong. They come with six compartments, which convert to three for easy washing on the top shelf of the dishwasher. They’re free from any nasties and customisation with your child’s name – no more lost property, yay! Choose from box colours of Matte Navy, Pink Lemonade, Dusky Blue or Seafoam Green- if you can!
Pros:
Where to buy it: Stuck On You
Uber stylish and as roomy as can be, these contemporary bags are perfect for kids of all ages who prefer to pack several separate containers. It has a 100% cotton canvas outer, an insulated lining and comes with a super handy internal name label. Just as great for preschool as they are for high school.
Pros:
Where to buy it: THE ICONIC, Country Road
Finally, a kids’ lunch box that stores hot AND cold food in one place! Designed out of necessity by a problem-solving mum, the OmieBox encourages low-waste lunches and ends the need to use multiple clunky containers (which always get lost!). The spill-proof individual compartments mean no mixing of savoury and sweet, and the 280ml double-wall thermos keeps soups and pasta hot for up to six hours!
Pros:
Where to buy it: Biome, Woolworths
Health professionals agree that kids need a good balance of lean protein, grains, fruit and vegetables throughout the school day. Skip the processed food and try to reach for whole foods that pack a punch in the nutrient department. Here are some great ideas:
Top image: MontiiCo
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Do your kids hate sandwiches? Check out these 10 sandwich alternatives that dial up the YUM!
ReplyThat lunchbox comparison table is handy to have. It helped me make a decision on which lunchbox to buy next for my daughter who is starting kindergarten. I needed to upgrade her lunchbox but wasn’t sure which way to go. The table helped me with my decision. I ended up going with the BBOX and have found a cheaper lunch bag from a department store that it fits in.
ReplyI do not know if anyone else has picked up on this or not, but every bag mentioned in the table above is a ‘designer’ brand. There are plenty of more affordable options that aren’t over $40. I have never spent that much on a lunchbox – even from Smiggle. The cheaper brands last just as well too.
ReplyGetting ready for the return to school has started to kick in so this was a timely read. We have the yum box and i love it, it is so easy for my daughter to open and close on her own. I find the lunch cooler bags also a great idea however some days depending on what else needs to go to school, they can be quite bulky to include in the school bag. I need to do some more research this year as i like the idea of being able to watch it in the washing machine, that is a clever idea.
ReplyAlong with all of the other back to school products; there is also a good range of lunch boxes available for people to buy. It has been fun to see the wide range of bottles and lunch boxes that are available for the new year for school and for work.
ReplyLunch boxes have come such a long way since my eldest was a kid, he’s now 26! There’s really a solution to everything from food heating, cooling, dividers, pockets etc etc. Lunch boxes are a real fashion accessory and so on-trend these days. I personally love the Bento lunch boxes. They save on plastic and separate different foods.
ReplyI am such a huge fan of Bento lunch boxes and Bento. Food should be so many wonderful things; including delicious, fun, colourful and nutritious too. Lunch is a favourite meal because the body is ready for some more calories and a boost of energy. Food looks so good in Bento lunch boxes.
ReplySo so many fantastic options! We use the montii co ones for our kdis and swear by it. Its lasted 3 years so far and still standing strong, like new since the first day using it. They are so durable and i find cleaning them to be the easiest for us.
ReplyThere are so many great lunch box option out there indeed ! I’ve always liked the Bento style lunch boxes for my kids. It reduces the use of plastic lunch bags and packaged food which aren’t very good for the environment and it encourages to present a good variety of foods (which is not only better nutrition wise but lao to prevent our kids from getting bored with same foods all the time.
ReplyThere are some really fabulous options here. So many variations of colour, shape and size. I love the bento style lunch boxes, so handy to keep food separate and eliminate the use of plastic packaging. The machine washable bags are a great idea too. They can get grubby so fast, this would be so much easier to maintain
ReplyThis has gotten much easier since my kids hit high school – they have strong opinions about their lunch boxes, so I don’t have to think about it so much anymore! However, I am strongly in favor of bento style boxes regardless of their age. They’re easy to clean, easy to pack, and invite appropriate sized portions.
ReplyGreat article! Our kids are so lucky, when it comes to lunchboxes, they really are spoilt for choice. There are so many to pick from. Regarding sandwiches, my eldest son, used to hate sandwiches for school lunches. It wasn’t until many years later that I discovered that he’d throw out his sandwiches in the playground bins. My son’s an adult now and he still hates sandwiches. He only likes “hot” lunches. So glad he lives on his own now and can make his own “hot” lunches just the way he likes them.
ReplyThis is an extremely useful article!! 2 schppl going kids and third starting kinder soon means we are always on the lookout for lunch ideas and lunch boxes. This is a great list with features and prices listed to make the search easier and help with decision making for purchasing of the lunch boxes
ReplyThis is super useful article and thank you. I can see so variety of lunch boxes from every store. Always wonder which one would be more convenient to use by little hands. I love some of these lunchboxes to give it a try for this year. And then decide to go with suitable ones
ReplyWow, lunch boxes have really come such a long way from when I was taking a lunch box to school. Feel old, like “back in my day”, but we were lucky to have options like are available now. While I like some of these designs, I feel like they aren’t super practical.
ReplyThese lunchboxes are beautiful but are they really worth the expensive price tag? I have been through so many lunch boxes and bags over the years and found the best it to use an insulated lunchbox bag with ice brick and use small containers to keep individual items fresh and assessable.
ReplyI love the bbox lunch boxes. They are so reliable and tough when kids throw their bags around. Easy to wash and store. I have used the we can be tiny snackies at home too. The boys love choosing a certain animal shape. They wash well, are durable and great quality.
ReplyMy kids are old enough now to pack their own lunches and I am so happy to see the great choices they are making. They take left over meals, cook food in the morning to take and now I am confident they aren’t throwing away sandwiches! I do have the chilly bags for them, I find they fit better into bags
ReplyLove our bento b.boxes. So easy to pack. I do however worry that they’re made of plastic, not metal….
ReplyMy daughter uses a bento box now for work and sometimes an insulated bag in summer, but when she was at school it was a rectangular lunch box with no compartments. It was very easy to wash each day, just the box and lid, and it could still be filled with rolls/sandwiches and snacks.
ReplyLunchboxes are so important these days. Back in my day it was a brown paper bag or the exact same lunch box that everyone else had and there were three compartments. Today its such a fashion statement and as much as the lunchbox itself is judged so are the contents.
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