Packing a lunch to eat at the office saves you significant amounts of money and, depending on what you pack, it can even save you time. Sure, you can brown-bag it, but investing some of the money you’re saving in a quality lunchbox can help take your to-go meals to the next level. But the right lunchbox for you depends on your unique needs.
If you’re packing multiple meals at once: The Umami Bento Box
The Umami Bento Box ($26.99) comes with a set of four wooden utensils and is stackable, meaning you can put two meals in the 40-ounce space. It includes leakproof sauce jars and the dividers inside are adjustable, so this is the perfect box for anyone who hates their foods touching. It has over 13,000 reviews and 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon., and the words “sturdy” and “durable” crop up in the reviews over and over, as do “airtight” and “easy to clean.”
If you have a long commute: The ETRONIK Lunch Backpack
If you have to spend a chunk of your time each morning on a bus or train, you don’t want to be holding a lunchbox the entire time. It’s better to have a lunchbox that integrates with your bag, so consider the ETRONIK lunch backpack ($42.99). In addition to containing a lunchbox, it can carry a laptop, has a side pocket big enough for a water bottle, and even has a USB port so you can charge your tech. On Amazon, it has 4.6 stars and 3,408 rating. Reviewers praise it for having “plenty of pockets” and tons of space for all your non-food work stuff.
If you need your food to stay a certain temperature: The MIYCOO lunch bag
Insulated lunchboxes can be expensive, but you don’t need to spend a ton on a fancy brand. You can do just as well with the MIYCOO lunch bag ($24.99), which has a 4.7-star rating after 12,353 reviews. In addition to the usual insulation, it has space to insert an ice pack to ensure your food stays chilled through the day. Numerous reviewers also highlight how reliably leakproof it is, so you can trust you won’t wind up with salad dressing leaving onto your work suit.
If space is an issue: The FlowFly small insulated lunchbox
If space in your work fridge is a precious resource, you can still bring a lunchbox. The small FlowFly ($10.59) is just 9.5” by 6.3” by 3.2”, so it can fit in a bag with no problem. It has 4,250 ratings and 4.5 stars on Amazon, where reviewers celebrate its “perfect size.”
If you don’t want it to look like a lunchbox: The Aosbos lunch bag
You may not want to haul a backpack or a real-deal lunchbox around. The Aosbos lunch bag ($15.99) looks just like a purse—and with its convenient pockets, basically is one, except that unlike your usual bag, it’s also insulated. It has nearly 5,000 ratings on Amazon, and an average of 4.5 stars. Customers praise the exterior pocket and its general “appealing” looks. (Fellas, if you don’t want to carry a purse-y lunchbox, try the equally professional Femuar bag ($13.99), which has an equally professional vibe.)
The best lunchboxes for everyone, in review
Here are the ones we just went over, so grab up the lunchbox that suits you best:
