Are Bentgo boxes worth it?

[Bernadine]

Dd will be starting daycare next month, and I'll need to pack lunches. Just looking at options.

[cville]

People will say yes, but we've never used a lunchbox not purchased on sale at Target that's anything other than a big open rectangle and regretted it.

We use the Rubbermaid LunchBlox for internal organization.

[cleo29]

I love them. I like that there is less plastic use. You can find nice ones at HomeGoods.

[dottyblue]

Nope. Quality has gone way downhill in the past year. I gave up when our THIRD box had the clasps snap after only 4 months of use. The first one lasted 2 years.

We switched to the planet box after that (aka practically indestructible)

[namasteak]

We love them. I have 4 extra trays per kid so I only have to make lunch once a week.

[icedcoffee]

We haven't tried it, but honestly I've been happy with these and they are so cheap that I don't worry if it gets lost, broken or gross:

www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Container-Divided-Rectangle-Count/dp/B01JLPJWQ2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Y1MTZ88ZW8PG&keywords=ziploc+bento+box&qid=1580758051&sprefix=ziploc+bento%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-1

[mel]

I use these and love them. And they're so inexpensive that if one breaks/cracks they're easily replaced. They also have circular ones.

www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Meal-Prep-Containers-10-Piece/938593899

[turnipthebeet]

We like ours (which we did buy on sale at target in August). My kid enjoys messy foods (applesauce, cottage cheese, etc) and I love having just one thing to clean, vs several smaller containers.

[pizzaandtulips]

We like the Yumbox.

[brooke77]

I love mine. Perfect for a half sandwich/pasta, veggies, fruit, cheese, hummus.

Definitely not essential, but I use it almost everyday for lunches. It’s easy to wash everyday so I prefer it over individual containers/reusable bags.

[icedcoffee]

Also---consider how you plan to pack her lunches. Will daycare heat up lunches? Ours will so I actually don't use our Ziploc bentos I referenced above all the time. Only when I send the occasional sandwich. Often, it's easiest for me to just put some leftovers from dinner in a small tupperware and call it good. Like today I sent leftover spaghetti, meatballs and some green beans all in one little square tupperware.

Are you going to want to fill 5 different compartments daily?

Just something to consider. I'm lazy.

[VillainV]

We have two, both purchases during Amazon sales ($17ish). I like having them as an option, but they aren’t perfect for all lunch situations.

1. The compartment sizes can be annoying. Some things just don’t fit in the biggest compartment.

2. It’s not insulated and won’t keep anything warm or cold.

3. It not easy to just warm up one part of lunch.

We use them maybe 75% of the time, but I have other containers that I’ll use for other foods sometimes.

BUT, the the plus side, my baggie use has gone WAY down. I’m really quite happy about that and it’s been worth the small inconveniences listed above.

[ssmjlm]

Not for us. My kid's tastes are the same most of the time, so I find either a container like the ziploc linked about or the lunch blox (we have both) suffice for us. I will recommend getting some silicone cupcake liners which I use to divide up a big square (my kid takes a lot of cheese and crackers with turkey, so the cheese and crackers are in their own cups).

[livinitup]

I bought a Planet Lunchbox for DD and really loved packing lunches without. For me, it was really easy to put different foods in the compartments and come-up with an easy meal to pack and eat. There are also a billion suggestions for what to pack. You can do something as traditional as a sandwich with carrot sticks, to something like pasta salad, cheese sticks and tomatoes.

It made scanning leftovers from my fridge into an easy pack-and-go lunch for her.

[smock]

We've used Yumbox (the panino style) for nearly three years and love them. They're easy enough for a 3 year old to open, with a good sized main compartment for a sandwich or pasta or whatever, and the inside is dishwasher safe.

[isabel]

Feb 3, 2020 14:37:48 GMT -5 namasteak said:

We love them. I have 4 extra trays per kid so I only have to make lunch once a week.

We don't have the Bentgo things, but I do have enough of the containers we use to pack 5 days worth of lunch for both kids on Sunday. It's a total game changer. I loooove coming home and just tossing the next set of containers in their lunch bags. It's made a huge difference in my evening routine and mood.

[namasteak]

FWIW we also have planet boxes and love them but I was stressed making lunch every day so we switched to bentgo.

[namasteak]

Feb 3, 2020 16:34:56 GMT -5 isabel said:

Feb 3, 2020 14:37:48 GMT -5 namasteak said:

We love them. I have 4 extra trays per kid so I only have to make lunch once a week.

We don't have the Bentgo things, but I do have enough of the containers we use to pack 5 days worth of lunch for both kids on Sunday. It's a total game changer. I loooove coming home and just tossing the next set of containers in their lunch bags. It's made a huge difference in my evening routine and mood.

You’re the one that convinced me to dedicate a fridge shelf to lunch prep and it was 1000% the right choice!

[Patsy Baloney]

Feb 3, 2020 14:32:11 GMT -5 cville said:

People will say yes, but we've never used a lunchbox not purchased on sale at Target that's anything other than a big open rectangle and regretted it.

We use the Rubbermaid LunchBlox for internal organization.

This is what we do, too. We also send a snack bag to school (defunct soft-sided pencil case) that we use the little bitty containers for. 

[isabel]

Feb 3, 2020 16:44:19 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Feb 3, 2020 16:34:56 GMT -5 isabel said:

We don't have the Bentgo things, but I do have enough of the containers we use to pack 5 days worth of lunch for both kids on Sunday. It's a total game changer. I loooove coming home and just tossing the next set of containers in their lunch bags. It's made a huge difference in my evening routine and mood.

You’re the one that convinced me to dedicate a fridge shelf to lunch prep and it was 1000% the eighth choice!

Lol, love it. I'm a total evangelist about it. DH is the one who suggested it and I kind of shot him down, but he was totally right.

[brandy0331]

Feb 3, 2020 16:46:31 GMT -5 isabel said:

Feb 3, 2020 16:44:19 GMT -5 namasteak said:

You’re the one that convinced me to dedicate a fridge shelf to lunch prep and it was 1000% the eighth choice!

Lol, love it. I'm a total evangelist about it. DH is the one who suggested it and I kind of shot him down, but he was totally right.

DS mostly takes sandwiches for lunch. I would love to be able to make all his sandwiches for the week at once. Do you do that? Does the bread get mushy? I already prep all the other sides & snacks on Sunday afternoons, but would love to have the sandwiches done as well.
ETA: sorry for hijacking, OP!

[lucybrown]

Feb 3, 2020 16:46:31 GMT -5 isabel said:

Feb 3, 2020 16:44:19 GMT -5 namasteak said:

You’re the one that convinced me to dedicate a fridge shelf to lunch prep and it was 1000% the eighth choice!

Lol, love it. I'm a total evangelist about it. DH is the one who suggested it and I kind of shot him down, but he was totally right.

I also have a dedicated shelf and it's amazing.  H occasionally moves things around and messes up the whole system.  I have ADHD and need visual cues to remember everything.  If it's not on the top shelf, it is forgotten. 

We have a Bentgo box and never use it.  It doesn't seem to fit the sizes we need.  I have some Tupperware sandwich boxes that get used all the time though. 

ETA: grammar

[isabel]

Feb 3, 2020 16:51:52 GMT -5 brandy0331 said:

Feb 3, 2020 16:46:31 GMT -5 isabel said:

Lol, love it. I'm a total evangelist about it. DH is the one who suggested it and I kind of shot him down, but he was totally right.

DS mostly takes sandwiches for lunch. I would love to be able to make all his sandwiches for the week at once. Do you do that? Does the bread get mushy? I already prep all the other sides & snacks on Sunday afternoons, but would love to have the sandwiches done as well.
ETA: sorry for hijacking, OP!

My boys eat turkey and cheese and PBJ (actually sunbutter) every week and neither has ever complained about the bread. The few times that I've served them a sandwich later in the week at home, it's a little moist, but not gross (like, I would still eat it). That said, they don't eat their sandwiches with any vegetables or spread, so I think this is a YMMV kind of thing.

[DotAndBuzz]

I've made it with 2 kids in now 6th and 3rd grade and never used a bento box.

Bought some Rubbermaid and ziplock boxes, reusable bags, and haven't looked back.

These are what my kid takes lunch in every day since preschool. the 6th grader now buys her lunch, but she also used them for 8 years.

I use the medium size the most (perfect for yogurt, fruit, veggies, etc), with the cold pack:
www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-LunchBlox-Container-Green-1806176/dp/B01FMD2YN0/ref=sr_1_4?crid=IHVTI50NQ9A6&keywords=rubbermaid%2Blunch%2Bbox%2Bcontainers&qid=1580769929&sprefix=rubbermaid%2Blunch%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-4&th=1

Reusable bags - I use the snack size the most - larger size is perfect for a bagel:
www.amazon.com/dp/B07XGKG1T1/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?pd_rd_i=B07WYXDZNX&pd_rd_w=vYaTT&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=b3nKR&pf_rd_r=KF9SCE6CN3FJ37GWAVFN&pd_rd_r=0bedba08-33ce-4b78-afe3-462c149592b2&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSFA5Sjk3TUozVzRFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDcxNzE5MzdIT1A2QjdEWkM4VSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODQxMzQ2MzY2TFlIVkpZNDJBRSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

[steamboat185]

We have yumboxes and love them. They are on the 3rd year of use and they work perfectly.

[FastHands]

I have various snaptop boxes in diff shapes/sizes. I prefer that because it is flexible depending on what I'm packing. I don't want to have to overthink it.

[ohgillian]

Another yumbox fan reporting in. DS has used them since kindy and he’s in 4th now. DD also uses them.