10 of the best school lunch boxes, lunch bags and bento boxes for kids

Once you've chosen the one that works for you, add a kids water bottle to complete the lunchtime set, and don't forget to add name labels to prevent your child from losing their new kit.

Best school lunchboxes at a glance

• Best Bento box: Munchkin Bento Lunch Box, £21.49
• Best for keeping food fresh: Contingo Food Jar, £22.36
• Best personalised lunch bag: Children's Personalised Insulated Owlet Lunch Bag, £19.95
• Best value lunch bag: Rex London Dolly Llama Lunch Bag, £4.95
• Best snack box: Scrummy Tummies Lunchbox, £12.99
• Best for insulation: Beaba On the Go Lunch Bag Set, £45
• Best stainless steel lunch box: Liewood Arthur Lunchbox, £29
• Best for a novelty design: LEGO lunch bag, £24.99
• Best first lunch bag: Skip Hop Zoo Lunchie Fox, £14
• Best for older kids: Fluf Zipper Lunch Bag, £26

What to look for when choosing a kids lunch box

What food are you storing? – Will you need lots of compartments for snacks, or bigger ones for sandwiches. Do you need a completely leakproof design for liquids?

Is it insulated? – If you need to keep your child's food hot or cold, check their lunch box or bag comes with insulation so it stays fresh throughout the day.

Is it easy to clean? – We all know that kids aren't the tidiest of eaters, so look for something that's easy to clean at the end of the school day so it's ready for the next day's lunch. We've included a range of dishwasher safe and wipe clean options in our selection below.

Is it easy to carry? – Boxes with a lot of compartments and insulated sections can be heavy for smaller kids to carry, so do check the size and weight before you click "buy". Younger kids may be better with a lightweight sandwich bag for daily use.

Here's our pick of the best school lunch boxes:

1. Munchkin Bento Lunch Box, £21.49

- Best Bento box

Size: 21.8cm x 21cm x 7cm | Dishwasher safe: Yes

With its 5 separate compartments, Munchkin's Bento box offers a great way to pack your child a balanced lunch without the need for extra wrapping or sandwich bags. It's also particularly handy if your child doesn't like their food to touch as the silicone in the lid seals each section when the lid is snapped shut.

"It might be expensive but it's definitely worth it," says MFMs Group Digital Editor Gemma, who uses the Munchkin Bento Lunch Box with her son, 3. "You can also remove the silicone liner from the top which makes cleaning it easy."

It even comes with its own set of stainless steel cutlery that easily snaps into the lid for easy transportation, with two options of where to store it depending on what you have in the box.

Available from: Amazon and Kidly

2. Contingo Food Jar, £22.36

– Best for keeping food fresh

Size: 9.3cm x 9.3cm x 13cm | Dishwasher safe: Yes

For a single serving of hot lunch, for example soup or pasta, we love Contigo's food jars, which keep foods hot for up to 6 hours (or cold for up to 7). The pot is big enough for a generous portion for most kids, although you will need to remember to pack cutlery separately.

The lid has been designed so it's easy for children to open independently, plus the grip on the bottom stops it from tipping over on the table during lunch time. There are mermaid or shark designs, and matching water bottles to complete the look.

Available from: Amazon

3. Children's Personalised Insulated Owlet Lunch Bag, £19.95

– Best personalised lunch bag

Size: 23cm x 20cm x 8cm

With your child's name printed on the front, there's less of a chance their lunch will get mixed up with anyone else's with this fun personalised bag.

Cute as well as practical, this roomy lunch bag comes with a carry handle on top and is insulated with a thermal lining so their food can stay chilled throughout the day. Various matching items are available, as well as other prints and colours.

Available from: Not On The High Street

4. Rex London Dolly Llama Lunch Bag, £4.95

– Best value lunch bag

Size: 21cm x 16cm x 12cm | Dishwasher safe: No, wipe clean

At under £5 for an insulated lunch bag, you can't go wrong with the Rex London range. The zipped bag is a great size for storing wrapped food, plus once your child is done with lunch it folds flat so can be easily stored away in their school bag.

Kids will love the colourful llama design, but there's also lots of others fun patterns to choose from including sloths, dinosaurs, space, zoo animals and more.

Available from: Rex London and Amazon

5. Scrummy Tummies Lunchbox, £12.99

– Best snack box

Size: 186 × 138 × 65 mm | Dishwasher safe: No | Award: Editor's Choice, MadeForMums Awards 2023

Made from food-grade silicone rather than plastic, the stylish Scrummy Tummies lunchbox is great for toddler snacks on the go, or packed lunches for older children. The four colour options are sleek and the airtight lid makes it a handy storage box for the fridge while trying out baby weaning recipes. We like it so much the Scrummy Tummies lunchbox won an Editor's Choice Award in our MadeForMums awards 2023.

Christy McGhee, MFM's Head of Consumer Content, says: “Having tried out a number of children’s lunchboxes over the years, this is easily the most stylish. It feels lovely, and although it’s slightly heavier than plastic alternatives my children didn’t notice and loved how smart it looks.”

Available from: Scrummy Tummies

6. Beaba On the Go Lunch Bag Set, £45

– Best for babies and toddlers

Size: height (23 cm) | Dishwasher safe: No | Awards: Gold – Weaning and feeding product, MadeForMums Awards 2023

It's not just school-aged kids who might need a meal on the go, and the Beaba On the Go Lunch Bag Set – which includes a bag, drinks bottle and food storage container – is a lovely option for weaning babies and toddlers. It's stylish, easy to use and keeps drinks cool and food warm throughout the day, which is why it scooped a Gold Award in the MadeForMums Awards 2023.

Parent tester Charlotte, who tested this with their 22 month old, says, “It's a great product and absolutely worth the money. It feels like it's built to last so would be a one-off investment. Often with kids' products, the design can be quite loud but this felt stylish.”

Available from: Amazon

7. Liewood Arthur Lunchbox, £29

– Best stainless steel lunch box

Size: 17cm x 13.5cm x 5.5cm | Dishwasher safe: Yes

If you're looking for a lunch box that will last, we'd recommend going for a stainless steel option such as this one from cool Scandinavian brand Liewood. The stainless steel design means the inner compartments shouldn't stain or retain smells.

The flexible silicone lid is also easy for kids to grip, but remember not to store any liquids inside it as it's not leakproof.

Available from: Scandiborn, Kidly and Selfridges

8. LEGO Brick Lunch Bag, £24.99

– Best for a novelty design

Size: 22cm x 22cm x 10cm | Dishwasher safe: No

Let's be honest, this one makes the grade mostly because of the novelty appeal, but it's certainly roomy enough to store your child's entire packed lunch, and it's made from durable recycled fabric.

The insulated interior has a mesh pocket to add an ice pack, and is big enough to hold a drinks bottle, sandwiches and snacks. It comes in a range of colours including pink, green and blue.

Available from: LEGO

9. Skip Hop Zoo Lunchie Fox, £14

– Best first lunch bag

Size: 22cm x 8.2cm x 19cm | Dishwasher safe: No, wipe clean

As well as being super-cute, this polyester bag is insulated, has a wipe-clean roomy interior and just like the Lego design it has a mesh pocket for an ice pack to keep sandwiches cool and fresh.

There are also a number of cute animal designs to choose from, including a unicorn, an elephant and a zebra.

Available from: Amazon

10. Fluf Zipper Lunch Bag, £26

– Best for older kids

You can't mistake what this bag is for! This eco lunch bag has a cotton outer, and a food-safe polyester liner with a pouch inside for securing drinks.

Older kids may prefer the muted design but there are other less minimal design options for younger kids, too – from sharks to unicorns, lollies and rainbows.

Available from: Skin & Bliss

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