A while back we rounded up the lunchboxes we’d actually send to school. Since then a few new ones have come across our radar, and this year’s UK parent testing panels have thrown up some genuinely different options, so it felt like time for an update rather than a repeat.
A lunchbox is one of those purchases that feels trivial until you’ve bought the wrong one three times. Too big and it takes up the whole bag. Too fiddly and a six-year-old can’t open it alone. Not insulated and the yoghurt is warm by lunchtime. So instead of guessing, I’ve leaned on MadeForMums’ UK parent testing panel, who actually sent these home with real kids for a real term, and added a couple of our own.
Best budget bento: Sistema To Go Bento Box
MadeForMums’ testers rated the Sistema To Go Bento Box their best budget pick at £8, and it’s easy to see why. It’s got a proper compartment layout and a small snack pot, without the price tag of the fancier options.
Why we’d get it: It does everything a bento box needs to do for a third of the price of the premium ones.
Watch out for: It’s not fully leakproof between compartments, according to several Amazon reviewers, so don’t pack anything too soupy in it.
Best for little hands: Munchkin Bento Lunch Box
MadeForMums’ top overall bento pick, the Munchkin Bento Lunch Box (£22.99) has five compartments and comes with stainless steel utensils that snap onto the lid, so nothing gets lost in the lunch hall. It’s aimed at younger children, roughly nursery to early primary age.
Why we’d get it: Rounded corners and a simple latch make it genuinely easy for small hands to manage on their own.
Watch out for: The individual compartment lids come out separately, so there’s a real risk of losing one in a busy classroom.
Best for hot food: OmieBox
This is the one to get if your child prefers pasta or leftovers to a sandwich. The OmieBox has a built-in thermos insert that keeps hot food warm for hours, alongside cold compartments for fruit or veg, so you’re not sending two separate containers.
Why we’d get it: It genuinely solves the hot-and-cold-in-one-box problem, and it’s built to last rather than crack after a term.
Watch out for: It’s the most expensive box on this list, and the seals need to be washed properly or the thermos loses its heat retention over time. For older kids (nine plus), there’s an OmieBox UP with a bigger 12oz thermos and a sleeker, less babyish design.
Best for fun designs: Smiggle Double Decker
If your child cares more about how it looks than how it works (and most do), MadeForMums’ testers rated the Smiggle Double Decker Lunchbox (£22) highest for design. It’s a two-tier insulated box with double zips on each compartment, and their Top Testers Club parents reported it lasting a full school year of daily use.
Why we’d get it: Genuinely too cute to leave on the bus, which solves a different problem entirely.
Watch out for: It’s one of the pricier options and isn’t a true bento box, so food isn’t as neatly separated as the compartment styles above.
Best insulated bag: TUM TUM
Worth remembering that a bento box and a lunch bag solve different problems: the box organises the food, the bag keeps the temperature right. MadeForMums rated the TUM TUM Insulated Lunch Bag (from £12.99) as their best large-capacity option, big enough for a full bento box plus a water bottle and a piece of fruit.
Why we’d get it: A genuinely roomy bag that doesn’t force you to choose between the sandwich and the yoghurt.
Watch out for: An ice pack still does most of the temperature work. A bag alone won’t keep things properly cold on a warm September day.
Best value if you just need something today: Rex London
MadeForMums also picked out the Rex London Colourful Creatures Lunch Bag as their best value option at £4.95. It won’t do anything clever, but it’s a genuinely fine choice if you need a lunch bag by tomorrow morning and don’t want to spend much finding out whether your child actually likes it.
Why we’d get it: A low-stakes way to find out what your child actually wants before spending £25 on the one they’ll refuse to carry.
Watch out for: Basic insulation, so pair it with a proper ice pack.
Before you buy
- Let them open it themselves in the shop, or on the box’s own page. A lunchbox they can’t manage alone becomes a lunchbox that comes home untouched.
- Measure the bag it needs to fit in. The bento boxes above vary a fair bit in footprint, and a tight school bag makes this matter more than it should.
- Buy two if you can. One in the wash, one in the bag. This is the single change that ends the most weekday-morning arguments.
So which would I actually buy?
For nursery or reception: the Munchkin Bento, for the easy-open latch.
For a fussy eater who wants leftovers, not sandwiches: the OmieBox.
For testing the waters without spending much: the Sistema To Go.
For the child who cares about looks over logistics: the Smiggle Double Decker.
Whatever you land on, write their name on it in permanent marker. Every single one of these will end up in lost property at least once.
