Best Toddler and Kids Lunch Box

If you need a kids lunch box to pack for your toddler or big kid to go to daycare, preschool, school, camp, or just a day out of the house, these product picks will help you choose from the best of the best!

Kids Lunch Box

I’ve been packing toddler lunches for my girls for years and I’ve learned a lot about what makes a great lunch box. It comes down to the material you prefer, easy of washing, durability, price, and the sorts of lunches you prefer to pack in terms of temperature.

What you choose to buy will depend some on your child’s appetite, your preferences, and where they eat lunch of course, but I hope that these reviews help you decide which might be the best container to use for your little eater.

Best Little Kids Lunch Box: Easy Lunchboxes Snack Boxes

Perfectly size for a toddler lunch, this affordable is set made of BPA-free plastic. It nests for easy storage and the top and bottom are easy to wash. The compartments are perfectly sized for toddlers and they are incredibly handy for packing multiple lunches at once—or for traveling!

Best for: Toddler lunches that don’t need to be reheated, making multiple lunches at once (since you get a set of 4)
Price: $12.95 for a set of 4

TIP: When empty, these boxes nest into each other, so they are easy to store in a cabinet.

Best Affordable School Lunch Box: Easy Lunchboxes

These heavy-duty BPA-free plastic lunchboxes are incredibly handy and we’ve been using the same set for at least 3 years now. Plus, they are easy to stack and store, and they’re super affordable. They are fairly large for just a toddler lunch—for a year I used one to pack lunch and two daily snacks all together for a one year old—so I like these for age 4 and up for a sole lunch. I like to put silicone muffin tin liners in the large compartment to hold different foods. These are also great for a full day of traveling since they hold a lot of food in a compact container.

Best for: Packing a day’s worth of food in one container, lunches for kids (and adults!) 4+
Price: $13.95 for 4

TIP: There are a few copycat versions of the Easy Lunchboxes and they are NOT as good. They leak and break easily, from what I’ve heard, so go with the real brand!

Best Insulated Bento Box: OmieBox Bento Box

With an insulated 7.5 ounce center compartment to keep cold foods cold and warm foods warm, this is a great option for packing daily lunches with a mix of temperatures. So you could pack warm pasta alongside cold fruit and sides. Scrambled eggs with salad and crackers. Genius! And on days when you don’t need the insulated part, you can simply remove it and pack a sandwich or whatever you like to put there.

Best for: Packing lunches with some warm food and some cold food, all in one box.
Price: $39.50

TIP: The pieces of this are easy to remove and clean, so it’s very easy to wash and air dry. You can also get the insulated bag to carry it in.

Best Insulated Kids Thermos: Lunchbots 8 oz Thermos

This small insulated thermos is perfect for pasta, soup, oatmeal, pizza rolls, rice and beans and more. I know that everyone always thinks that thermoses are just for soup, but I’ve actually never once used it for soup! It’s a good size for toddlers (you may not need to fill it all the way for littler ones) and it’s super durable. 

Best for: Packing occasional hot lunches, being able to pack a larger portion of the main hot (or cold) food.
Price: $24.99

TIP: This is available in 8, 12, and 16 ounce sizes.

Best Stainless Steel Lunch Box for Toddlers: Lunchbots Trio

This is perfectly sized for a toddler appetite. It won’t hold foods like applesauce (the lid doesn’t close as securely as my other picks), but it’s otherwise a great option for little eaters. It’s easy to clean and it’s small, so it packs into a backpack, insulated lunch bag, or a diaper bag nicely. 

Best for: Packing little kid lunches or snacks for on the go.
Price: $25.99

Best Stainless Steel Lunchbox for Big Kids: Planetbox Rover

I find these popular lunchboxes to be too heavy for little kids, but if you’re looking for a stainless lunchbox to last through elementary school, this is a great option. The different compartments make it easy to pack a few food groups all together too. It’s an investment, but it’s one you’ll only have to make once!

Best for: Elementary aged kids wanting a plastic-free lunch box that will last
Price: $55.95

TIP: Find my top picks for kids thermoses here. 

Best Snack Containers for Kids Lunches

If you need to send a snack or want to send lunch in individual containers, these are the ones that we’ve found to be the best.

• Bumkins Reusable Snack Bags: These are wipe-clean, machine washable, and endlessly reusable. And the patterns are so darn cute!
• Replay Recycled Snack Stacker: We’ve had one set of these for years and I find them to be so great for taking snacks on the go—and for keeping said snacks from getting smushed in a bag. I regularly use these for my elementary aged kiddo’s afternoon snack.
• Lunchskins Bags: If you want a paper bag, these are awesome. They’re paper and recyclable.
• Beaba Clip Containers: This set is also really handy since the containers stack and hold together. We use them regularly too.

Kids Lunch Box Ideas

I know the biggest challenge of packing kids lunches is the question of what to pack, so these posts will help you will all of the ideas!

• 25 Toddler Lunch Ideas for Daycare
• 80 Healthy Lunch Ideas
• 50 Healthy Recipes for Lunch
• How to Meal Prep for Lunch

If you have a favorite lunch box that’s on my list or not, I’d love to know about it—especially if it’s easy for your toddler to open and close all on their own!

Filder Under:Advice, Cooking Tips, Lunch, School Lunch