It’s back to school time here in Australia, and that means there is a long list of Back to School tasks to get through. Some things, like cleaning out school bags and buying new school books and stationary, I did at the end of the school year. Since my oldest is starting high school this year, one thing I wanted to do was get her a new school lunch box.
Back To School Lunch Boxes
My school lunch box journey started over 8 years ago when my now high schooler, was going off to kindergarten for the first time. I had one starting school, a toddler and a newborn only a week old.
Since I like keeping life simple, I knew I wanted a kids lunch box for my daughter that was:
- Easy to open and close.
- Big enough to use for many years to come.
- Unbreakable.
- Bento lunch box.
One of the first kids lunch boxes I tried was…
Tupperware Lunch Box
Specifically, the Tupperware Sandwich Keeper Plus. I liked how this Tupperware lunch box was easy for my daughter to open and close, it was a Bento lunch box and a suitable size to use for several years.
What I didn’t like… that this kids lunch box wasn’t unbreakable! However, I thought that the Tupperware life time guarantee would more than make up for that.
So yes, it would break (usually the points where the lid attached to the base) and yes I was able to get a completely new lunch box replacement.
But it was such a pain after the first two times because it meant fitting in a 20 minute drive there and back to the Tupperware office, giving an explanation, filling in paperwork etc. And doing without a school lunch in the meanwhile. Or ordering one online, paying a fee and then waiting a week or more until it arrived.
I also tried SMASH kids lunch boxes except they had the same problem. The lid would break off and there was no option to replace it without buying another one!
Kids Bento Box
Enter the Yumbox lunch box! The school lunch box I use now for all of my kids is Yumbox Panino. The kids have been using these school lunch boxes for the last 2 years and I LOVE them! Finally a kids lunch box that can survive lots of knocks and bumps, and even get a crack in it and still be completely usable.
What I love about this lunch box… besides being easy to open and close, a Bento lunch box and super durable, is its:
Leak Proof
A leak proof lunch box is something I really appreciated when one child forgot their lunch box one day and left it in their bag for a weekend. The leftover food turned to a smelly liquid. Thankfully none of it got into the school bag.
Leak proof also applies to the different compartments. It means for example, you can have juicy orange pieces in one compartment and the liquid will not leak into the area where you have a sandwich.
Durable
Ok, I already mentioned that but these kids lunch boxes are! Our Yumboxes have been dropped, even gotten cracks on the outside and still have been fine to use.
The Yumbox lunch boxes come with a removeable inner tray. The number of dividers in the tray varies depending on the type of Yumbox you get.
Do you use lunch bags?
I did buy insulated lunch bags from Kmart ages ago that fit the Yumbox but they were hardly used at all. The kids prefer to take their lunch box without it being in a lunch bag and the contents stay cool enough without it.
Best Lunch Boxes For Teens
This year I decided to replace one of the kids Yumbox Panino lunch boxes which had a crack in the corner of the lid. It was time anyway to upgrade my oldest’s lunch box as she had been getting hungry at school and needed to take more food than what the Yumbox Panino could comfortably fit.
It was an easy choice to buy another Yumbox lunch box. I really do think they are the best kids lunch boxes I have tried so far. The Yumbox Tapas is the perfect size lunch box for teens or adults.
Where can you buy Yumbox lunch boxes?
I have always ordered my kids lunch boxes online, as here in Perth I am pretty limited with retail options. This time I got the Yumbox Tapas through Biome, which was super quick and easy. Plus, there was free shipping!
Click here to order >>> Yumbox Lunch Box
Storing Kids Lunch Boxes At Home
One of the tasks the kids do as soon as they get home from school is take their lunch boxes out of their bag, hopefully empty any scraps out and put it in the sink to be washed.
Once clean, the lunch boxes get put in a storage basket on top of the fridge to finish drying. The basket simply gets taken down when it is time to make school lunches again for the next day or before school starts.
Right now we are transitioning between making school lunches being a job the kids do rather than something Mum does every time.
Click here for more back to school ideas…
- Encouraging Lunch Notes For Kids
- Gluten Free Lunch Box Ideas
- Lunch Box Ideas For Picky Eaters
- School Morning Routine
- School Work Organizers For Home
