Parents ask which of the four to buy, and the answer depends on one thing: what the child eats at noon. A cold packed lunch needs a box and a bag. A hot lunch needs a jar and a bag. Every day needs a bottle. This is the comparison of the four named pieces, by lunch and by age, so you buy the two or three that will be used rather than all four.
The four, side by side
| Piece | What it does | Size | Washing | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bento lunch box | Cold lunch in three sealed compartments, cutlery in the lid | 1400 ml, 20 by 13 by 7 cm | Hand wash | £13.50 |
| Insulated food jar | Hot lunch (pasta, stew, soup) or cold (yoghurt, pasta salad) | 630 ml, 16.5 by 12 cm, wide mouth | Hand wash | £14.01 |
| Lunch bag | Carries the box or the jar, foil-lined, zip, small handle | 24 by 18 by 7 cm | Wipe | £14.96 |
| Water bottle | Screw cap, carabiner, fits a rucksack side pocket | 600 ml, 20.5 by 7.3 cm | Hand wash | £13.96 |
Prices as of September 2026; the live price is on each page.
By lunch
- Sandwich, fruit, snack (most primary children): bento box + lunch bag + bottle. The bento's compartments stop the sandwich tasting of orange; the bag keeps it cool with an ice pack; the bottle lives in the rucksack pocket.
- Hot lunch (pasta, leftovers, soup): food jar + lunch bag + bottle. The jar goes in the bag with a small snack box; a full bento and a jar together do not fit.
- Both, on different days: all four, with the same name. This is the order most families place in September, and it is not extravagant if the child eats the hot lunch.
- School dinners, packed lunch on trips: lunch bag + bottle, and a bento for trip days.
By age
- Reception and Year 1: lunch bag + bottle, and a bento only if the child can open the seal (most can by five). The jar's screw lid is a two-hand job; many five-year-olds manage it, some do not.
- Years 2 to 6: the full set. The 1400 ml bento is adult-sized and suits an older child's appetite; a smaller eater fills the third compartment with something light.
- Secondary: bento + bottle, no bag (the box goes in the rucksack) unless the school has no fridge, in which case the bag with an ice pack.
Why the name matters more than the kit
A school cloakroom holds thirty near-identical bags and bottles. The one with the name comes home; the others go to lost property. All four take the same first name and icon, printed on rather than stuck on, so the set reads as one and there is no label to peel. School name labels that don't peel explains why printed beats stuck, and the stickers cover everything else.
Everything is personalised to order in Cheshire, usually dispatched within one to three working days, with free UK delivery. Because each piece carries the name you type, it cannot be returned for a spelling change; first name only for school, plus an initial if two children share it. The individual guides: bento, food jar, lunch bag, water bottle.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lunch bag and a bento box?
For a cold packed lunch, yes: the box keeps the food separate and the foil-lined bag with an ice pack keeps it cool. At secondary school, a bento in the rucksack without a bag is usual.
Food jar or bento box for a five-year-old?
Bento for a cold lunch if the child can open the seal (most can). The food jar's screw lid is a two-hand job, so try it at home before relying on it at school.
Does the food jar fit in the lunch bag with the bento?
Not together. The jar goes in the bag with a small snack box; a full bento and a jar need two bags or the rucksack.
