The Best Lunch Boxes for Kids [video]
By: GalTime Sr EditorKyAnn Lewis
What do Justin Bieber, Hello Kitty and Star Wars have in common? According to Yahoo!, they're all topping the list of popular lunch boxes for the upcoming school year.
When it comes to purchasing a lunch box, the investment isn't huge, but the expectations are high, especially on the part of parents. Mike Dobbs is the Vice-President of Public Relations for the online lunch box superstore, Lunchboxes.com. He says, "Parents are interested in multi-function and multi-tasking. They want to know if a lunch box is going to be easy to clean, and if it has additional features like extra pockets or interior compartments." Jessica Jabcon, Marketing Manager for Thermos tells me, "Parents look for quality insulation and construction as well as room for plenty of fresh, healthy options."
No surprise, the kids have different priorities, "For kids it's all about the coolest design or character to help them show off their personal style in the lunch room," says Jabcon. Dobbs agrees, "For kids it's all about the style. If it's something that's cool to wear on your t-shirt then it's going to be cool to have on your lunchbox. They want to look good when they carry their lunch."
As far as lunch bags and lunch boxes go, there are plenty of choices. Perhaps too many! No doubt, the cost of back-to-school can add up quickly, but since the price of most lunch boxes ranges from $5-25, this may be an area where you can let your kid pick something that reflects his or her sense of style.
For The Pop Culture Kid
If your kid is into what's hot right now - like Justin Bieber and Harry Potter - you should have no trouble finding the right lunch box or bag. Lunchboxes.com tracks the trends and says, "For this year, Harry Potter, Super Heroes, and Pirates of the Caribbean lunchboxes are all popular due to the success of those movies. The Super Hero category is divided between the classic popular characters like Spider-Man/Superman/Batman and the newer franchises like Iron Man and Green Lantern." Of course, you can find those items on websites like Lunchboxes.com or stores like Target or Wal-Mart.
Thermos says, "In addition to the Thermos + Threadless lunch kits, our licensed lunch kits from classics like Barbie to new movies like Cars 2 & Green Lantern are always a hit with kids."
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For The Retro Kid
Do metal lunch boxes make you nostalgic? One of my favorites as a kid was my Holly Hobby lunch box. I still have that lunch box today and it turns out that those retro metal lunch boxes are also popular with today's kids. Dobbs of LunchBoxes.com said, "There are other styles that are still holding their ever-present popularity like Scooby Doo, Star Wars, and Hello Kitty - all of those are timeless classics."
Just a few weeks ago, our daughter had to have a metal Hello Kitty lunch box from Old Navy. It was around $10. For boys, classic character lunch boxes like Star Wars are also popular this year.
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For The Green Kid
Is your kid on a mission to save the earth? Or do you feel guilty about throwing away plastic bags every day? Good news for both of you, there are plenty of green options.
Reusable sandwich bags are a must. One example is ReUsies. They can be washed by hand or thrown in the washer/dryer or even in the dishwasher. Karen Whorton, Owner and Co-Founder of ReUsies says, "It just doesn't seem right anymore to send your child to school with a bag full of trash everyday! Most schools have recycling programs and many are setting up composting programs too. I have even heard of schools implementing 'no waste Mondays' to encourage students to pack reusable items in their lunchboxes."
Some lunch boxes mean you don't need individual baggies at all - plastic or otherwise. For example, The Easy Lunchbox System makes it simple. You purchase a set of containers and a cooler bag. The containers are sold in a set of four. They're bento style, contain three compartments and are BPA-free. Fill up the boxes with food and put them inside the insulated cooler bag. It can actually hold up to three of the containers - enough for a family picnic! Mom and EasyLunchboxes CEO, Kelly Lester says, "Clean up is simple with only two pieces to wash. Unlike some other bulky lunch box containers, your family's EasyLunchboxes will stack neatly in the dishwasher alongside with a day's worth of dishes." A set of four containers is $13.95 and the cooler bags are $7.95. Both are available on EasyLunchboxes.com or Amazon.com.
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There are a whole bunch of green options available right now. Another is called The New Generation Lunch Box by BrightBin. It's got two sections. The top section holds a sandwich or entree. Other food items fit into the section and compartments below. The BrightBin box is microwave and dishwasher safe.
A warning, these containers may not be leak proof and may not work for things like soup, applesauce, yogurt and other runny foods. Because of the latches, they also may work better for slightly older kids.
For The Organized Kid
There are plenty of boxes out right now that can help your kid compartmentalize his or her lunch. Bento-style boxes are popular right now.
The Bobble Lunch Box is colorful and holds a water bottle, too. It's available for $12.99 at Target and comes with a Mini-Bobble bottle. The box is inspired by a bento box and the compartments are smaller to encourage portion control. Bobble, is a reusable water bottle that filters water as you drink.
Lunchboxes.com sells the Goodbyn lunch box kit described as "5 containers in 1". It comes with a drink bottle and stickers that allow kids to customize their box. There are plenty of compartments in this tall, plastic lunch box. It's dishwasher safe and also free of BPAs. This is on the higher end of the price range at $22.95.
Again, these containers may not be leak proof so be careful with those runny liquids.
For The Artistic Kid
Check out the Thermos + Threadless line. Thermos has been making lunch boxes since the 1950s, you might have even toted around a Thermos lunch box as a kid. This year, the company partnered with Threadless for an exclusive line for Target. The hydration bottles ($11.99) and lunch bags ($10.99) have bold, graphic designs.
The designs were submitted by artists and chosen by the Threadless community. Each product features an "Artist Statement" on the package. "We're very excited to partner with Thermos and give our artists yet another well-respected canvas to showcase their art," says Jake Nickell, founder of Threadless. "Partnering with an iconic brand like Thermos, known for its heritage and focus on quality, just makes us feel good about offering these products." If you really like the look of lunch boxes, you can even get a t-shirt to match.
Finally, we've got a fun product made by a kid. Alex is a twelve-year-old girl from Chico, California. She started selling her bags at farmer's markets and sells the her products on GreenFeet. My favorite is the reusable, chalkboard sandwich bag. It's $7.95 and includes a piece of chalk. You can write a little message to your kid or just label the food. It's functional, fun and it has a great story!
Good luck finding that perfect lunch box. It's out there.
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