Best Lunch Boxes 2022

Best For: Those who need a classic lunch box with kiddie designs. (It’s also great for parents who always forget the ice pack!)

This lunch box has one feature you’ll notice immediately on its product page: It has a ton of designs available, from geometric patterns to unicorns to sharks, so your kid can easily find something they like. Another notable aspect is its built-in cooling that uses a freezable, non-toxic gel, which means no more worrying about packing that leaky ice pack. To get this bag ready for school mornings, simply toss it in the freezer overnight.

This is the only lunch box our parenting editor, Rose Gordon Sala, purchases for her school-age children. “It’s super functional, lasts several years each time and my kids love the designs,” she says. “Plus, it eliminates the need for an ice pack, allowing more room for their lunch items.”

The handle of the PackIt Freezable Classic Lunch Box has a plastic clasp so that your kid can attach it to their backpack (or elsewhere) for hands-free carrying, as well as an exterior zip pocket for napkins or lunch notes. If it gets messy, you can spot clean the outside and wipe off the inside. The bag is PVC-, BPA-, phthalate- and lead-free.

Best For: Kids who need an insulated lunch box that’ll last for years

L.L.Bean is always a reliable source of well-made, long-lasting bags of all types, and this insulated lunch box is no exception. It’s made from the same material as the company’s popular backpacks, so you know it’ll last a long time. The lunch box is well-insulated to keep food cold, and the inner mesh pocket holds an ice pack to keep it out of the way. (If you use L.L.Bean’s flat ice pack, which keeps food cool for 4–6 hours, you’ll save even more room.)

The lunch bag comes in many patterns, from flowers to camo to crocodiles, and some of them are also available in the brand’s backpacks. In fact, these are made from the same durable material. Monogramming is $8. The L.L. Bean lunch box tests safe for lead, phthalates, PVC and BPA. As with all of the company’s products, if you’re not 100% satisfied with it, you can return it up to a year after purchase for a refund.

Best For: Little Hello Kitty fans in search of an insulated lunch box.

This lunch box isn’t just cute, with its rainbow, happy sun and of course, Hello Kitty character—it’s from Thermos, so it’s well-made, too. Plus, an unusually high percentage of its customer ratings at Amazon are 5-star—almost 90%. (If you think this would be a good lunch box for your kid but they’d prefer another design, the brand’s other fun options for kids include Baby Yoda, JoJo Siwa and Minecraft.) The box has a padded handle and a full-zip lid; it’s insulated and PVC-free.

This option may not last as long as some of the others on our list, but if your child’s top priority is how their lunch box looks, this could be a great choice.

Best For: Kids who prefer small bites (and those who don’t like their foods to touch).

Bento boxes have become popular among kids and adults for good reason: they keep meals well-organized without requiring several small containers or snack and sandwich bags (making them eco-friendly, too). Bentgo specializes in this sort of lunch box, and this one is designed for kids aged 3 to 7. This bento box has two easy-to-open latches (important for little kids) and is leakproof, “drop-proof” and free of BPA, vinyl, lead and PVC.

The tray of the Bentgo Kids Brights Lunch Box has five compartments that range in capacity from 2 tbsp. for the dipping sauce container to 1/2 cup for the largest section. The tray can be frozen, microwaved and washed in the dishwasher on the top rack.

Best For: Kids who want a nondescript, more grown-up lunch bag.

When your kid eventually reaches the age when they may not be eager to advertise their special interests on a lunch box, this lunch bag from Adidas offers a more “adult” alternative than their old Disney or dinosaur selections. Some of the color options here are more subdued, like the gray one pictured, while others are brighter, such as the yellow/gray and black/mint green color combos.

The Adidas Excel Insulated Lunch Bag has one larger main compartment, a small bottom one, a divided front pocket for an ice pack and a mesh pocket on the back. It also has a clip for attaching to a backpack. The bag can be gently washed by hand and the lining wiped clean with soap and water. It may not be large enough for those packing a substantial lunch.

Best For: Kids who want a lunch bag rather than a lunch box and like colorful, eye-catching designs.

Neoprene is a good fabric for lunch bags, as it’s insulating, durable and washable. This neoprene option is part of KicksBySammy’s back-to-school collection of lunch totes—and it’s a large one, with tons of unique, kid-friendly designs. Many soft-sided lunch boxes are made from materials that aren’t machine washable, but this one is, which is definitely a handy feature for stains and spills.

This lunch tote has a soft handle and zips closed. Because of the bag’s upright design and height of 12.5 inches, the company also recommends it for carrying baby bottles. Personalization is included in the price—and note that because each item is made to order and not mass produced, the brand’s products are final sale.

Best For: Parents who need a roomy, organized bag to carry bottles and baby food to daycare.

The Momcozy Insulated Baby Bottle Bag makes it less stressful to pack your baby’s daycare essentials every morning, as it’s larger than many baby bottle bags and provides more than one compartment, which isn’t always the case. (The two main sections can be changed to a single main compartment by removing the middle layer, which allows for bottles over 6 inches.)

Thanks to its thick insulation, this Momcozy bag can maintain temperatures (warm or cold) for up to five hours, and you can double the insulating feature by adding a hot or cold pack. It fits up to six bottles and has side pockets plus a small zipper pocket in the front. It also has a detachable shoulder strap with a plastic clasp.