The drink compartment will comfortably fit a ounce can, though you can also fit one inside the bag itself. The Built Prime Lunch Bag comes in three classic colors. The softer corners and lack of utilitarian elements, like a bungee cord, make this lunch box feel more like a tote or purse than the strictly functional Coleman.

The wide openings of the bag also make it easy to reach inside with a towel or sponge to wipe it clean. The Built is a stylish option for a relatively affordable price. The Built has a limited lifetime warranty. Flaws but not dealbreakers: It would be nice if the Built bag came in additional colors.

For this guide, we tested lunch boxes for adults, focusing on bento boxes, lunch bowls, and insulated lunch boxes and bags. We also have a guide to the best kids lunch boxes. Regardless of the type of lunch container you use, it should be durable, stain-resistant, and easy to clean and store.

For our update, we also looked for lunch boxes and containers that make eating lunch feel a little more special. We also appreciated thoughtful design elements, including rounded corners, which make containers easier to eat from and make them feel more like a dish than a container.

And the best one for you may vary day to day, based on the type of meal you want to pack. Whether you choose a bento box, a lunch bowl, or an insulated lunch box depends in part on what you want to pack and whether you have access to a fridge.

Because the categories are so different, they each merit their own criteria. This is what we looked for in the models we tested:.

For the update, we tested 28 lunch boxes, bento boxes, and bowls against our picks. We evaluated how well lunch boxes fit a packed lunch with multiple components, including a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, yogurt, carrots, chips, a peach, granola bars, cheese sticks, and ounce drink cans and bottles.

To determine how comfortable bags were to hold, we tried out the adjustable straps and handles. We also noted how easy the containers were to seal and whether they remained closed during a long commute or when jostled in a bag.

To test for leaks, we filled the plastic and metal containers with water and tomato sauce and shook them at different angles. We also inverted boxes and bowls that had dividers and compartments, to see whether saucy foods like tomato sauce and applesauce mixed together.

Though most containers we tested did not claim to be leakproof, in a perfect world the juices from your salad would not leach onto your laptop. Our tests confirmed what most companies warned us about: Many bento boxes can leak water, and some will also leak liquidy foods.

This may not be a problem if you keep your bento upright when transporting it or simply pack drier food items. As a durability test, we dropped the bento boxes and bowls from waist height onto asphalt. To test for stain resistance, we splashed a half-cup of tomato sauce inside all of the containers and bags and let them sit overnight before attempting to clean them.

All bento boxes generally require a little more work to keep clean, due to the multiple compartments or trays inside. But we think the all-in-one convenience outweighs a few extra minutes of scrubbing.

Finally, using a food thermometer, we tested how long the insulated lunch boxes kept yogurt cold over four hours. The highest temperature difference was 8 degrees, to a final temperature of 51 °F. But factors including the size and shape of the lunch box and the starting temperature of the refrigerator may have contributed to this range.

The USDA recommends keeping food under 40 °F if it will be left out for more than two hours. But we still think the insulated lunch boxes we recommend will keep foods pretty cold with two ice packs.

In , we conducted a temperature test using a plastic container filled with ½ cup of milk, and we also concluded that our picks would keep foods cold. Only the Coleman kept the milk below 40 °F after two hours. But you can also get a nice lunch box just because you want one.

Some of the lunch vessels we tested in look and feel like an accessory, such as a purse or a tote, or a well-designed dish that could be just as at home on a dining-room table as in an office cafeteria.

For adults who work in locations where access to refrigeration may be limited, a durable, insulated lunch box is a must for holding ice packs and keeping foods at safe temperatures.

Smaller lunch boxes will be best for keeping meals like a sandwich or a container of pasta salad cold. And larger lunch boxes can act as personal coolers, holding enough food for a meal, as well as many snacks and drinks to consume throughout the day.

A roomy lunch bowl with a separate dressing container will ensure your salad remains crisp. And this type of vessel will allow you to add different elements of your meal—like crunchy seeds for salads or parmesan shreds for pasta—right before you eat, so everything stays fresh and vibrant.

You may also want to supplement your lunch box with food-storage containers. The Bentgo Classic is less expensive than the Takenaka, though, and if you want a basic bento option for half the cost, the Bentgo is a solid choice.

In , we tested the two-compartment Ms. Bento Stainless Lunch Jar. And in , we tested the four-container Zojirushi Mr. Bento Lunch Jar and the three-container Zojirushi Classic Bento. The Ms. All have an outer, insulated canister that houses stacking containers within, and the whole system fits into an accompanying bag or tote.

These bentos can handle a lunch with many moving parts perfect if, like us, you dream of keeping your coconut yogurt and lime-and-cilantro garnish separate from your turmeric pork curry leftovers. Wider and shallower than our pick, the Takenaka Bento Munch Dual has locking tabs that rattle around, and they broke in our drop tests.

This bento may be best for packing foods like sandwiches. Like all of the Takenaka bentos, it comes in a range of fun colors. Slightly narrower and shallower than our pick, the Takenaka Bento Snack Dual will likely be best for packing snacky meals—true to its name.

And the Snack Dual comes in a similar array of cute colors as other Takenaka bentos. You can also purchase the single-tiered version of our bento box pick, the Takenaka Bento Bite , to pack smaller amounts of food. This container comes with a divider but no fork.

The shallow, one-tier, stainless steel Onyx Divided Airtight Storage Container feels basic for the price. But we prefer the Bentgo Stainless Steel Lunch Box; it has fewer sections but a silicone divider, which provides a better seal to separate foods.

We worry that different foods—whether soupy or solid—would quickly leak or even fall out from the edges of the container. Saucy foods seeped from section to section in the PackIt Mod Lunch Bento Food Storage Container —despite its three dividers.

This bento is a little more tricky to use and clean than others, too. The basic, stainless steel EcoLunchbox 3-in-1 Classic has a separate container for dressings or dips and multiple tiers to stack foods.

The Ceramic Porter Bowl is just as nice-looking as the plastic option, but we had a few issues with it in our tests. The ceramic shattered in our drop tests, which makes sense. But the ceramic bowl is also very heavy. It comes with an outer silicone sleeve, presumably to help protect the bowl.

The Hydro Flask Large Insulated Lunch Box is the most like a lunch briefcase, with a hard shell and a short, sleek handle. The fabric feels lovely, the design is minimalist and chic, and the box itself holds as much food as our classic lunch box picks.

If you want to flaunt your lunch box and carry it in hand, this one may work for you. The PackIt Freezable Classic Lunch Box is bulky, heavy, and hard to fill—the bag folds in on itself when you try to add food or wipe it clean.

Though the gel liner froze and kept food cold in our tests, this bag will take up valuable freezer space compared with a stackable, thin ice pack.

Although the Built Lex Lunch Bag looks nice, like a regular tote, the zipper was the hardest to open and close of any bag we tested. This lunch bag is just one large sack, without any pockets, drink holders, or extra features.

The Fulton Bag Co. Upright Lunch Bag is most similar to the L. Bean lunch box in size and features. But the liner on the Fulton bag ripped when we tried to clean it with a sponge, so we eliminated it. Though we loved the design features on the Hydro Flask 8 L Lunch Tote —trendy colors, a smooth strap, taped zippers—this bag was the hardest to fill and clean of any we tested.

Namiko Chen, author of the Just One Cookbook blog , email interview, July 28, Anna Perling is a former staff writer covering kitchen gear at Wirecutter. During her time at Wirecutter, she reported on various topics including sports bras, board games, and light bulbs.

Previously she wrote food and lifestyle pieces for Saveur and Kinfolk magazines. Anna is a mentor at Girls Write Now and a member of the Online News Association. Whether you prefer a soft, insulated lunch sack or a more organized bento-style lunch box, our picks are durable and easy to use and clean.

PlanetBox lunch boxes are durable, easy to use, and sustainable, making them a good value for your money. Back to top Bento boxes for multi-part lunches Bowls for salads, grains, or stews Classic lunch boxes for carrying more Larger lunch boxes for the most capacity How we picked and tested Who should get these Other lunch boxes and bentos we liked The competition Sources.

Bento boxes for multi-part lunches. A classic option: Takenaka Bento Bite Dual. Our pick. Takenaka Bento Bite Dual Our favorite bento box.

The Takenaka Bento Bite Dual has a movable divider, for packing side dishes. Photo: Michael Murtaugh. Dimensions and capacity: 4. Dishwasher-safe: yes. Microwave-safe: yes. A stainless-steel option: Bentgo Stainless Steel Lunch Box. Bentgo Stainless Steel Lunch Box A sturdy, leakproof metal bento box.

You can pack a sandwich and a generous side in the large sections of the Bentgo Stainless Steel Lunch Box. Microwave-safe: no. Bowls for salads, grains, or stews. A large lunch bowl: Bentgo Salad Stackable Lunch Container.

Bentgo Salad Stackable Lunch Container Our favorite salad bowl. A roomy top tray in the Bentgo Salad Stackable Lunch Container lets you pack sides and toppings that you can add to your meal right before digging in. Dishwasher-safe: yes, in the top shelf.

Classic lunch boxes for carrying more. A smaller classic lunch box: L. Bean Lunch Box A steadfast, insulated lunch box. Dimensions and capacity: 9. A bigger, stylish bag: Hydro Flask 5 L Insulated Lunch Bag. Hydro Flask 5 L Insulated Lunch Bag A hip update on the classic lunch box. Buy from REI.

Dimensions and capacity: 8. Larger lunch boxes for the most capacity. A classic large lunch box: Coleman 9-Can Cooler. Coleman 9-Can Cooler A classic large lunch box. A cuter large lunch bag: Built Prime Lunch Bag. Built Prime Lunch Bag An aesthetically pleasing large lunch bag.

Buy from The Container Store. Dimensions and capacity: How we picked and tested. While lunch boxes come with all kinds of various bells and whistles, there are a few things to look out for when choosing one. First, make sure that your box can hold at least six cans.

When it comes to material, we overall preferred those with soft-yet-sturdy sides. Thin, flimsy fabric collapses when you try to open and close the latch or zipper and does a much worse job at cold insulation. We liked lunch boxes that were lightweight, as in under a pound or close to it. We also enjoyed boxes that offered a choice of handles for carrying, such as a hand strap on top or a shoulder strap or both!

Maybe it goes without saying, but make sure your lunch box is made with food-safe materials on the inside. Look for item descriptions that say so and are BPA-free. What we liked: We were impressed by the amount of cans we could fit in this seemingly tiny bag nine!

Overall, the size is just right for packing a sizable lunch. This bag strikes the right balance between rugged and stylish, making it a great option for hiking or taking to the office.

It comes in a few different colors and the fabric is both abrasion and water resistant. There are two extra compartments, one on the exterior side and one on the interior of the lid, which comes in handy for organizing utensils and other small items.

The sides are rigid enough for the bag to stand upright without having to be held open with one hand, which makes packing it a cinch. The bag is maybe a bit too large to stow inside of a backpack or tote bag, but it could be clipped onto the outside thanks to the handle.

What we liked: An added plastic food container is a nice extra none of the other lunch boxes offered. The color scheme is cute and the box is designed to snugly fit six cans, which makes it a good choice for toting to the beach or park.

We also liked the adjustable shoulder strap, which frees your hands up to carry other things. There are also two Velcro straps on the inside of the lid that wrap around to hold the lid open to make packing easy.

We could detect the faintest hint of smell after the spaghetti sauce test, but only because we were looking for it. Key Specs. What we liked: Yes, this bag is pricey, but it delivered on quality when it came to keeping ice cold.

The latch closure is simple to use and adjustable so you can keep things nice and snug. There are no pockets or compartments for organizing and you need to hold the bag open with one hand to pack, which is a tad annoying.

Many lunch boxes on the market today are insulated, but not all. Technically, a lunch box is any kind of container that can house a packaged meal.

Some lunch boxes are not insulated but made using steel or hard plastic, both of which are completely resistant to any kind of stain and may even be dishwasher-safe. Other than that, it is totally up to you what you put in yours.

Most lunch boxes can easily house a sandwich, a can of something fizzy, and a few snacks. Large lunch boxes were able to hold as many as 10 cans, while others were more compact. There are plenty of great, make-ahead meals that hold up well to traveling in a lunch box. None of the lunch boxes we tested were microwavable.

In general, this product is designed to house, ferry, and insulate food—not act as a storage container. If you need to microwave your lunch, consider investing in some microwave-safe storage container s that fit into your lunch box.

There are dozens and dozens of different sizes of lunch boxes on the market, from one to two liters and all the way up to eight. Any more than that and you start to verge into cooler territory. During our testing, polyester and nylon fabric performed the best in terms of both cold retention and durability.

An extra bonus is that these materials are lightweight and often rigid enough to withstand punctures or stains depending on the construction. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising.

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Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. We Tested 12 Lunch Boxes to Find the Best Ones for On-the-Go Meals Our top picks are from Hydroflask, Yeti, and Igloo.

By Taylor Murray. Taylor Murray. Taylor is a chef, recipe tester and developer, photographer from Southern California. She has been working in food and food media for over 10 years, including some of the best restaurants in the world before becoming a freelancer for Food52, Hearst Magazines, Serious Eats and more.

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At Target, find a wide range of lunch boxes & lunch bags to carry all your favorite food. Browse through bento boxes, lunch totes, reusable snack bags, lunch No information is available for this page Shop for cheap lunch boxes at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up

We tested 28 bento boxes, lunch bowls, and classic lunch boxes to find the best for packing all kinds of meals, from a simple sandwich to a The Best Kid-Friendly Lunch Boxes for $30 or Less ; Bentgo Kids Bento Style Lunch Box at Amazon. 1 / 5. Bentgo Kids Bento Style Lunch Box · $ ; Yumbox Panino Transport food and beverages neatly and affordably with the wholesale lunch boxes, coolers and bottles available online at DollarDays: Affordable lunch containers

We outdoor tool giveaways affordanle the temperature with hot containdrs and hot water. Featuring cute graphics of their favorite affordable lunch containers, lunch qffordable is sure outdoor tool giveaways be super Personalized trial offers Create containrrs to personalise content. Some of our ulnch include… Storage for leftovers that can be easily reheated. The Best Lunch Box. FVW Electric Lunch Box Food Warmer 2 in 1, Portable Food Heater for Car and Home - Leak proof, Lunch Heating Microwave for Truckers with Removable Stainless Steel Container 1. The sides are rigid enough for the bag to stand upright without having to be held open with one hand, which makes packing it a cinch.	Complete your lunch set. Food-safe linings help ensure your food stays fresh without being contaminated by lunch box materials. Flaws but not dealbreakers: The drink pockets on the Coleman are a little small. There are plenty of grown-up and stylish lunch boxes out there just waiting to hold your favorite foods. An undergraduate degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences has helped Kristin understand and analyze products such as lunch boxes with a detailed, humancentric approach.	At Target, find a wide range of lunch boxes & lunch bags to carry all your favorite food. Browse through bento boxes, lunch totes, reusable snack bags, lunch No information is available for this page Shop for cheap lunch boxes at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up	No information is available for this page FAVORITE LUNCH BOXES It is quick and affordable to prep home-made lunches and snacks for the entire week with EasyLunchboxes. For over 10 years EasyLunchboxes The original 5-compartment food container is a patented design that is stackable, portable, reusable, and an affordable way to prep healthy lunches and	Lunch Bag for Women & Men Adult Insulated Lunch Box, Small Leakproof Cooler Food Lunch Containers Reusable High Capacity Lunch Tote Bags for Work, Travel The original 5-compartment food container is a patented design that is stackable, portable, reusable, and an affordable way to prep healthy lunches and The best lunch box is the Hydro Flask Lunch Bag. It's lightweight, easy to pack, great at cold retention, and has a no-nonsense zipper that won't jam. The best
Discounted food assortments roomier top outdoor tool giveaways has a luch divider that xontainers can use to partition toppings or sides. Clean a lunchbox and its gear after every use, and store open to the air until absolutely dry inside. Why We're the Experts. BESTÄMMA Food container with lid, 17 oz. This container comes with a divider but no fork.	Hot Logic Mini Portable Oven, Food Warmer Electric Lunch Box with Wall Plug, Mini Personal Heated Box for Cooking and Reheating Meals in Office, Travel, Potlucks, Hotel, Home Kitchen Black. Best Fitness Trackers. A food container for every need With dozens of endlessly useful styles to choose from, IKEA offers the perfect food containers for a wide variety of uses and needs. The To-Go Ware 3-Tier Stainless performed well with large capacity with its three tiers of food storage in food-safe stainless steel containers. We also didn't love that the clasps that hold the tiers together for easy carrying do not detach from the box, so the bottom tier has long metal arms on it while eating out of it. The silicone divider did the best job of keeping saucy foods from mixing together in our tests.	At Target, find a wide range of lunch boxes & lunch bags to carry all your favorite food. Browse through bento boxes, lunch totes, reusable snack bags, lunch No information is available for this page Shop for cheap lunch boxes at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up	Lunch Boxes & Lunch Bags in Kitchen Storage & Organization(+) ; current price Now $ · You save $ You save$ · out of 5 Stars. 72 reviews The 8 Best Lunch Boxes of ; Best Overall: Hydro Flask Large Insulated Lunch Box at Amazon ($61) ; Best Budget: Baloray Insulated Lunch Bag at Check out our cheap lunch bags selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our lunch bags & boxes shops	At Target, find a wide range of lunch boxes & lunch bags to carry all your favorite food. Browse through bento boxes, lunch totes, reusable snack bags, lunch No information is available for this page Shop for cheap lunch boxes at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up
Many lunch boxes on affordabpe market today are insulated, cnotainers affordable lunch containers all. Hot Logic Mini Portable Affordable lunch containers, Food Conhainers Electric Lunch Box with Containrs Plug, Mini Personal Heated Box for Cooking and Reheating Meals in Office, Travel, Potlucks, Hotel, Home Kitchen Black. Finally, using a food thermometer, we tested how long the insulated lunch boxes kept yogurt cold over four hours. Best Stainless Steel Option Black and Blum Stainless-Steel. Solid Color.	Jelife Bento Box Adult Lunch Box - 72oz Stackable Bento Lunch Box for Adults, 3 Layers All-in-One Large Bento Box Leak-Proof Lunchbox with Utensil Sauce Dressing Containers for Dining Out,Work, Green. Conditions of Use Privacy Notice Your Ads Privacy Choices © , Amazon. Built Prime Lunch Bag An aesthetically pleasing large lunch bag. It also didn't perform as well in our tests as the competition. Our extensive food container selection includes sizes ideal as a breakfast, dinner or lunch container.	At Target, find a wide range of lunch boxes & lunch bags to carry all your favorite food. Browse through bento boxes, lunch totes, reusable snack bags, lunch No information is available for this page Shop for cheap lunch boxes at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up	At Target, find a wide range of lunch boxes & lunch bags to carry all your favorite food. Browse through bento boxes, lunch totes, reusable snack bags, lunch Lunch Bag for Women & Men Adult Insulated Lunch Box, Small Leakproof Cooler Food Lunch Containers Reusable High Capacity Lunch Tote Bags for Work, Travel Transport food and beverages neatly and affordably with the wholesale lunch boxes, coolers and bottles available online at DollarDays	The Best Kid-Friendly Lunch Boxes for $30 or Less ; Bentgo Kids Bento Style Lunch Box at Amazon. 1 / 5. Bentgo Kids Bento Style Lunch Box · $ ; Yumbox Panino We tested 28 bento boxes, lunch bowls, and classic lunch boxes to find the best for packing all kinds of meals, from a simple sandwich to a Transport food and beverages neatly and affordably with the wholesale lunch boxes, coolers and bottles available online at DollarDays
What We Don't Outdoor tool giveaways Doesn't include a longer strap for carrying. Bento affirdable and affotdable bowls. No stains or smells remained after our tests. Bentgo Modern Lunch Box - Navy. We worry that different foods—whether soupy or solid—would quickly leak or even fall out from the edges of the container.	Who should get these. Sort and Filter items. Because of its small capacity, this box holds just enough for a lunch portion but no extras as a standard contender could. Bentgo Kids Prints Lunch Box - Planes. Showing 24 of	At Target, find a wide range of lunch boxes & lunch bags to carry all your favorite food. Browse through bento boxes, lunch totes, reusable snack bags, lunch No information is available for this page Shop for cheap lunch boxes at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up	Check out our cheap lunch bags selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our lunch bags & boxes shops No information is available for this page The YETI Daytrip is an excellent option for people who want good temperature regulation and need a durable, protective cooler for their lunch. If you want	Check out our range of glass and plastic food containers at IKEA and keep your lunch or snacks fresh throughout your day. Shop now! Lunch Boxes ; 5, · $ · #1 ; 16, · $ · #2 ; 6, · $ · #3 ; 13, · $ · #4 ; 16, · $ · #5 FAVORITE LUNCH BOXES It is quick and affordable to prep home-made lunches and snacks for the entire week with EasyLunchboxes. For over 10 years EasyLunchboxes

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