2020 eco friendly lunch box reviews

Eco friendly lunch box reviews

2020 eco friendly lunch box reviews
Over the 13 years I have had kids at school, I have tried many different lunch boxes. Some with great success, others that didn’t really work for us.

Through out the testing, I have inevitably come back to some core essentials that I have used for the bulk of the school years with the kids.

But different kids like different things and different schools run their lunch times differently, so I have included a short write up of the lunch boxes we have tested including the pros and cons. Some that didn’t work for us might still work for you!

We have had all of these lunch boxes for over a year, so have been able to get a good feel for how they work in reality compared to the sales write up. To understand better how we use the lunch boxes this is how the recess and lunchtimes work at our kids schools:

  • The secondary school kids have recess and lunch and the students manage what they eat when.
  • Our kids’ primary school works on having brain food mid morning that is eaten in class. This is either a whole piece of fruit and veg or cut up fruit and veg.
  • Recess and lunch at the primary school works with the first bell being the eating bell, then the second bell for play. In winter the kids eat in their classroom and when the weather is warm they will eat outside. When they eat outside the kids from prep to year 2 have to take their lunch boxes back to their bags, while years 3 – 6 can place them in an area and pick them up at the end of lunch.

PlanetBox Rover complete kit

Planet Box lunch box review

I am starting with the most expensive first! The PlanetBox Rover complete kit comes with design magnets (we have the paisley print) and is a bento-style stainless steel lunch box, that has two leak-proof containers with new silicone lids, and a carry bag.

Pros:

  • It makes for a waste free lunch box.
  • I love that it is stainless steel.
  • The large main lunch box component can go in the dishwasher.
  • It comes with two small containers that you can put wet items in and it won’t leak. The actual lunch box itself isn’t leak proof.
  • Our daughter loves all the compartments for different types of food.
  • The complete kit comes with a carry bag which you can put an ice brick in and cutlery.
  • It is lead free, BPA free and free from phthalates and PVC.
  • The latch and lids are easy for kids to use.

Cons:

  • The price – it is over $100.
  • Our daughter is the only one who uses it. The other kids find it too big and takes up too much room in their school bags.
  • There isn’t room for a full piece of fruit like an apple or pear.
  • The primary school kids found it too awkward to take out for recess and lunch.
  • It doesn’t fit a regular size sandwich in it.

Planet Box lunch box review

Recommendation: This lunch box works best for older kids who like to eat a variety of smaller foods for their recess and lunch.

Buy online: PlanetBox Rover complete kit

Yumbox bento lunch box

Yumbox lunch box review

The Yumbox bento lunch box wasn’t hugely successful at our house. I purchased this style Yumbox as it had a compartment large enough for a sandwich or similar lunchbox item like the taco parcels I make and then some smaller compartments for snacks and cut up fruit or veg. Pros:

  • It makes for a waste free lunch box.
  • The inner shell can go in the dishwasher.
  • It is 100% BPA free and Phthalates-free.
  • It is a good size for school bags.
  • It can fit a sandwich or similar size item.
  • It is $39.95.
  • There are no moving parts for kids to lose.

Cons:

  • It doesn’t really fit enough food in it for my kids.
  • It squashes a standard size muffin – with some of it often sticking to the top of the lunch box.
  • There isn’t room for a full piece of fruit like an apple or pear.
  • It isn’t 100% leak proof.

Yumbox lunch box review

Recommendation: This lunch box works best for kids who eat a smaller amount across the school day.

Buy online: Yumbox bento lunch box

Sustain A Stacker 3-in-1 lunchbox set

Sustain A Stacker lunch box review

The Sustain A Stacker 3-in-1 lunchbox set is the lunchbox we use the least in our house. Pros:

  • It makes for a waste free lunch box.
  • It is top rack dishwasher safe.
  • It is made from 100% 202 food grade stainless steel.
  • It is BPA-free, vinyl-free, PVC-free and lead-free.
  • It can fit a sandwich or bigger sized items.
  • It is $39.95.

Cons:

  • Items co mingle in the lunch box so flavours and textures mix.
  • It squashes a standard size muffin – with some of it often sticking to the top of the lunch box.
  • There isn’t room for a full piece of fruit like an apple or pear.
  • Food moves around the compartments when in the school bag.
  • It isn’t 100% leak proof.

Sustain A Stacker lunch box review

Recommendation: In hindsight I this lunch box is better for adults rather than kids.

Buy online: Sustain A Stacker 3-in-1 lunchbox set

Kids Konserve sandwich wraps

Kids Konserve lunch box review

We used these Kids Konserve sandwich wraps for a couple of years until I came across a different brand of wraps reviewed further down.

Pros:

  • It makes for a waste free lunch box.
  • You can also use them at home instead of plastic wrap or foil.
  • They can wrap a variety of items like wraps, muffins and other home baked goods.
  • They are BPA free, lead free, PVC free and phthalate free.
  • They are $12.95 for a pack of 2.

Cons:

  • If you like to pack items the night before, they don’t keep crackers etc crispy.
  • They have to be hand washed.
  • While they are BPA free etc, I didn’t like the feel of the plastic.

Recommendation: If you have a lunch box you like and want to go waste free these are a good addition, however I prefer another brand (see review below).

Buy online: Kids Konserve sandwich wraps

Kids Konserve stainless steel nesting trio

Kids Konserve lunch box review
The Kids Konserve stainless steel nesting trio are my favourite lunch box item!

Pros:

  • It makes for a waste free lunch box.
  • You can also use them at home instead of plastic wrap or foil.
  • The different sizes mean you can find the right size tin for the goods you want to pack.
  • Lids are made from LDPE* recyclable plastic #4 and are leakproof.
  • They are dishwasher safe.
  • You can cut up fruit and veg the night before and place them in the fridge and everything stays fresh.
  • You can put crackers etc in them the night before and place them in the lunch box and the items stay fresh.
  • They stack inside each other, so take up less room.
  • Spare lids can be bought separately if needed.
  • They don’t leave food with a plastic taste.

Cons:

  • They are $32.95 for the 3 tins.
  • Kids do lose items so you need to be prepared for that.
  • The lids can be hard for small hands when they are new.

Kids Konserve lunch box review

Recommendation: I highly recommend these tins for primary school kids. We have been using them for over 5 years and have managed to lose very few of them.

Buy online: Kids Konserve stainless steel nesting trio

U Konserve 350ml stainless steel thermos

Kids Konserve lunch box review
I have tried many thermos for the kids and the U Konserve 350ml stainless steel thermos is by far the best.

Pros:

  • It makes for a waste free lunch box.
  • It has a wide mouth making it easy for kids to eat out of.
  • It is made from stainless steel is food grade (304).
  • The thermos keeps food warm for the whole school day or cool if you need it to.
  • They help reduce food waste by being able to take left overs to school for lunch.

Cons:

  • They are $26.
  • They are hand wash only.

Recommendation: I highly recommend these thermos for any child that likes to take soups or left overs for lunch.

Buy online: U Konserve 350ml stainless steel thermos

4MyEarth lunch wraps and pockets

4MyEarth sandwich wrap and pouch

The 4MyEarth lunch wraps and pockets are fantasitc. We have been using them for years and they still work as well as when we first bought them.

Pros:

  • It makes for a waste free lunch box.
  • You can also use them at home instead of plastic wrap or foil.
  • They can wrap a variety of items like wraps, muffins and other home baked goods.
  • They are made from cotton canvas with a with a non-toxic biodegradable coating and are PVC free, lead free, BPA free and phthalate free.
  • They are made ethically in India.
  • They are easy for the kids to use.
  • They come in an assortment of sizes.
  • They can be machine washed.

Cons:

  • They are $14.95 for 1.
  • If you like to pack items the night before, they don’t keep crackers etc crispy.
  • Kids do lose items so you have to be prepared for that.
  • Items like muffins can be crushed if not packed in another lunch box.

Recommendation: I highly recommend these reusable wraps. They are the easiest way to create a waste free lunch box, are easy for kids to use and can be used for a variety of items.

Buy online: 4MyEarth lunch wraps and pockets

Our current lunch box set up for the primary school kids

Kids Konserve lunch box review
The photo above shows the lunch box set up we are currently using for the primary school kids. We use:

This works well for us as we can:

  • add whole pieces of fruit if needed
  • the kids can have cut up fruit and veg for brain food
  • items can be made the night before and stay fresh
  • items can be easily kept separate
  • kids know what is for lunch and what is for recess
  • they can take single items out as needed
  • it can keep food cold
  • items don’t get crushed
  • and it is waste free


biome ecostores have a huge range of lunch box and lunch box items on sale at the moment, including many of the items I have reviewed above, which is worth checking out if you need new lunch box items.

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