The 8 best lunch boxes for adults
Nutritionists share factors to consider when buying a lunch box, like size, style and insulation.
Corkcicle’s lunch box features a main compartment for storing food and beverages, as well as internal and external pockets to hold smaller items or an ice pack. The lunch box has a double zipper closure and comes with an adjustable loop on the top to hold a water bottle or canteen. Corkcicle says the lunch box comes with a premium food-safe lining that insulates food. You can buy the lunch box — which has a 4.8-star average rating from more than 500 reviews on Corkcicle — in colors and patterns like turquoise and black camo.
Yeti’s Daytrip Lunch Bag is built with the brand’s Coldcell Flex Insulation, which it says can keep food cold or warm. (The brand also uses its Coldcell Flex Insulation in the Hopper Backflip Soft Cooler, which we recommend in our guide to coolers.) You can fold the top of the bag over and adjust its size by sliding the closing hook into one of the loops. The Daytrip Lunch Bag has a 4.7-star average rating from more than 2,200 reviews on Amazon.
According to PackIt, you can fully freeze this lunch box before filling it with food and beverages — freezable gel is built into the walls of the bag, helping to chill what’s inside. The lunch box is collapsable, with a wide zip opening and exterior zip pocket. It also has a buckle handle to attach the lunch box to bags or backpacks. PackIt’s lunch box comes in colors and styles ranging from black to tie-dye sorbet, and it has a 4.7-star average from more than 2,600 reviews on Amazon.
This lunch bag has a top handle and an adjustable strap that allows you to sling it over your shoulder. It is triple-insulated, allowing food to stay warm for up to four hours and cool for up to eight hours, according to the brand. The bag has an inner mesh pocket, a zippered front pocket, a sleeve back pocket and a mesh side pocket. Tibule also says the polyester outer fabric is water-resistant and easy to clean. This bag has a 4.6-star average from over 37,500 reviews.
Bentgo’s bento box has a top container with a lid and a bottom container — they are separated by a divider that houses an included set of utensils. The top container is split into two compartments, each holding 3/4 cup of food — the bottom container holds 2 cups of food. Both containers are dishwasher- and microwave-safe, according to the brand, and for compact storage, they nest inside each other. The bento box has a sealing strap to hold the containers together, or you can use the containers individually. You can buy Bentgo’s bento box in various colors like khaki green, slate and purple, and it has a 4.4-star average rating from more than 48,000 reviews on Amazon.
This dishwasher-safe bento box is made from stainless steel and has a three-piece nesting design to separate different foods. Combined, the three containers can hold just over six cups of food. The bento box has a 4.4-star average rating from more than 540 reviews on Amazon.
The Jeopace Bento Box has three compartments to separate foods. The bento box has utensils that fit inside the box and a leak-proof seal, according to the brand. The container is microwave- and freezer-safe, but the brand recommends you hand wash it. You can buy this bento box in colors like purple, champagne and more. It has a 4.6-star average rating from more than 3,200 reviews on Amazon.
The Umami bento box comes with two stackable containers, each of which is split into two compartments via movable dividers. It also has a removable divider that you can use to hold the included utensils as well as an airtight silicone-lined bamboo lid with integrated ventilation. The bento box is microwave-, freezer- and dishwasher-safe, according to the brand, and it comes with sauce containers. This bento box has a 4.5-star average rating from more than 4,100 reviews on Amazon.
In addition to lunch boxes and bento boxes, experts say having a handful of accessories on hand may be helpful to make packing, eating and transporting your lunch easier. We included a few highly rated options below.
Reusable utensils are a sustainable alternative to single-use utensils, says Shelby Yaceczko, an advanced practice clinical dietitian with the Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA Health. If your lunch box or bento box doesn’t come with utensils, Porter’s Utensil Set includes a dishwasher-safe stainless steel fork, knife and spoon. The set comes with a silicone carrying case available in multiple styles like mint, blush and more.
Young suggested buying a set of small containers to store condiments like dressing, hot sauce, ketchup and more if your lunch box or bento box doesn’t come with them. OXO’s silicone squeeze bottles, which are available as a set of two, flip inside out to allow for a more thorough cleaning and feature a wide-mouth opening so they’re easier to fill, according to the brand. The squeeze bottles can hold up to 2.3 ounces of liquid and come with leak-proof lids. They have a 4.6-star average rating from more than 2,600 reviews on Amazon.
The lunch boxes we recommended above are designed to keep food cool with built-in insulation, but if yours doesn’t offer this feature or you want to keep food cold for a long period, experts recommend purchasing an ice pack. These reusable ice packs are slim so they don’t take up too much space in your lunch box, the brand says. You can buy them in a set of four, six, eight or 10 and they have a 4.6-star average rating from more than 31,00 reviews on Amazon.
Which lunch box you choose will be based on your personal preferences — some people prioritize function while others put more thought into style. However, Yaceczko says it’s important to remember the foods you eat and how much storage space they’ll need. She also recommends considering how long your food will be in your lunch box before you eat it. Below, exactly what experts recommend you consider when shopping.
Adults mainly pack their lunches in lunch boxes — also known as lunch bags — or bento boxes. Each product offers its benefits.
“Lunch box” and “lunch bag” are often used interchangeably to refer to the case that holds containers and foods when transporting them to work or school. Lunch boxes and bags can be helpful when you need to pack multiple containers, sandwiches, snacks and beverages. They come in various shapes and sizes to accommodate different needs and are usually built with a tight seal to keep everything inside, like a clasp, buckle or zipper.
Bento boxes have multiple compartments, sometimes of varying sizes. “This provides you wth several benefits if you pack multiple types of food and can help you save space by packing in an all-in-one container rather than using multiple containers for your food,” says Yaceczko. Young also notes that the compartments in bento boxes can guide you when portioning out food — you can put vegetables in the larger section and grains in the smaller one, for example. Some bento boxes are also oven- and microwave-safe, which makes reheating food easy. You can meal prep directly in bento boxes, too.
Some people find that using a lunch box and bento box together is best for them, says Yaceczko. You can prepare your main meal in a bento box and then throw it in a lunch box along with snacks, a beverage, napkins, utensils and other accessories if needed.
It’s important to consider what material a lunch box is made from because this often dictates the level of insulation it offers, says Yaceczko. For example, she says lunch boxes designed to keep food warm for a prolonged period are often made from stainless steel.
Many brands list the estimated time their lunch box is designed to keep food and beverages at a certain temperature, which can help you narrow down your options. “Many models can safely keep your food at temperature for up to five hours — however, if you eat lunch after this period, you may need to consider additional methods to ensure your food is safe to consume,” says Yaceczko.
If you can access a refrigerator at the office, finding a lunch box that keeps food cold may not be necessary. But if you don’t, Yaceczko recommends purchasing a model built with cooling capabilities — you can put some lunch boxes in the freezer before you use them, for example, essentially turning their walls into ice packs. You can also buy a reusable ice pack to put inside your lunch box, which works to chill food.
At Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Zoe Malin is an associate updates editor for Select on NBC News.
Bethany Heitman is a contributor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers topics like beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, she interviewed two nutritionists to gather their guidance on what to look for when shopping for adult lunch boxes.
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