Most children's lunch boxes are sized for a sandwich and an apple, and most of the complaints about them are about that. The personalised bento lunch box is 1400 ml, which is a full packed lunch for an older child, a teenager or an adult, in a box 20 cm wide, 13.2 cm deep and 7 cm high that still goes in a normal rucksack. This is what fits, what does not leak, and how to wash it.
What fits
Three compartments, with a removable inner tray. The typical day: a sandwich or wrap in the large section, fruit or salad in the second, crisps or a cake bar in the third. Because the sections are separate, the sandwich does not arrive tasting of orange and the crisps are not damp. Two things it does not do: it will not take a whole apple standing up (slice it), and it is not a soup container. For hot food the insulated food jar is the right piece, and the two are often ordered together with the same name.
The cutlery
A matching spoon and fork clip into the lid. That sounds minor until you have found the school cutlery on the kitchen table for the third day running. They are sized for the box and come home with it.
What leaks, and what does not
The lid seals on a silicone gasket, so a yoghurt or a dressed salad stays in its compartment in a bag carried upright or on its side. It is a lunch box seal, not a flask seal: filled with liquid and turned upside down, it will eventually weep. Grapes, pasta, chopped fruit, dips in their own small pot: all fine. Soup: use the food jar.
The name
The name and the icon you choose are applied to the lid as a durable, permanent adhesive design. It is made for a lunch box's life: wiped down daily, knocked about in a bag, left in a cloakroom. A first name in a clear font with one icon (heart, dinosaur, football, star) is the layout that reads best on the green lid; a light colour such as white gives the strongest contrast on green, which is why white is the default text colour here.
Dishwasher or not
Hand wash, and here is the honest reason: the box body is food-grade PP plastic and would cope, but repeated dishwasher heat is what shortens the life of a silicone seal and lifts the edge of any applied name. Warm soapy water and a rinse takes a minute; take the inner tray out and wash the gasket's groove. Leave the lid open to dry so it does not hold a smell.
Who it suits
- A secondary-school child who complains the old box is too small.
- An adult taking lunch to an office, especially one with a shared fridge.
- Anyone who wants a lunch box that is unmistakably theirs in a cloakroom or staff room.
Everything is personalised to order in Cheshire, usually dispatched within one to three working days, with free UK delivery. Because the lid carries the name you type, it cannot be returned for a spelling change. For what to put in it see what to pack in a school lunch box, for the rest of the kit the lunch bag and the water bottle, and for the whole comparison packing a lunch bag that stays cold.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the personalised bento lunch box?
1400 ml, 20 cm wide by 13.2 cm deep by 7 cm high, with three compartments and a removable inner tray. It holds a full packed lunch for an older child or an adult and fits a normal rucksack.
Does the bento box leak?
The lid seals on a silicone gasket, so yoghurt, dressed salad and chopped fruit stay put in a bag. It is not a flask: soup belongs in the insulated food jar.
Can the personalised bento box go in the dishwasher?
Hand wash. The PP body would cope, but dishwasher heat shortens the seal's life and lifts the edge of the applied name. Warm soapy water and an open lid to dry.
