Your Guide to choosing the best 5 Compartment Bento Box

✔️ Leakproof Lunch Box as a whole

✔️ Leakproof Compartments

✔️ Sturdy open / close latch & stainless steel rod in the hinges - lid stays on like a laptop so you can't lose it

✔️ Easy to clean - smooth rounded edges on all compartments

✔️ Food grade stainless steel will last a lifetime

❌ No Removable Dividers - you are stuck with the configuration you have, but we have not found a 5 compartment bento made in stainless steel that we like that you can do that with. We have found it in a bpa free plastic version.

❌ It is a little heavier than some because of the way the smooth rounded compartments are made. It's a small price to pay for the ease of cleaning and the design allows for the silicone seal in the lid to make each compartment leakproof.

💲 RRP $79 makes this one at the dearer end of the price spectrum, but always check for deals. Because it's our own brand, we always give you something extra. Sometimes it's on sale, sometimes you get a gift.

✔️ Leakproof Lunch Box as a whole

✔️ No hinges. Side clasps to hold lid in place. Lid is completely removed when you eat from it.

✔️ Food grade stainless steel will last a lifetime

💲 RRP $59 makes this one better value for money than the first option. If you don't need leakproof compartments and you want stainless steel and a bit more room, this is your pick.

❌ No Leakproof Compartments - while you won't get large pieces of food drifting from one compartment to the next, there is no seal in the lid to allow complete isolation for each individual compartment.

❌ No Removable Dividers - again, like the first option, the configuration you have is what you need to stay with. But they're all like it.

❌ Thorough cleaning required after each use as compartment dividers are welded to the base. It is dishwasher safe, so if you put it in the dishwasher, inspect it when you pull it out to double check it's 100% clean. This is the same for almost every stainless steel bento box on the market. This design keeps the price and the weight down.

✔️ Leakproof Lunch Box as a whole

✔️ Leakproof Compartments

✔️ Sturdy open / close latch & stainless steel rod in the hinges, even though the box is bpa free plastic. Hinges let down a lot of bento boxes made from plastic. Lid stays on like a laptop so you can't lose it.

✔️ Easy for little hands to open. One latch, and it's easier to open than either of the stainless steel options.

✔️ It's lighter to carry than a stainless steel bento box.

✔️ Easy to clean - smooth rounded edges on all compartments. We prefer this one to be hand washed because of the lid and to keep the plastic viable for longer.

💲 RRP $42.95 bpa free plastic lunch boxes are always cheaper than stainless steel. You won't get your kid through a decade of school with one, but a quality bento box made from bpa free plastic with a sturdy hinge that gets hand washed instead of subjected to the heat of a dishwasher will outlast anything cheap you buy for at least 2-3 years.

❌ No Removable Dividers

❌ No compartments particularly suited to a sandwich, but you can put bite sized portions in with ease. This photo shows bento cups to split some of the compartments for lots of tiny morsels.

❌ It's plastic, so it won't last as long as stainless steel.

✔️ Leakproof Lunch Box as a whole

✔️ Leakproof Compartments in the 4 configuration

✔️ Removable Compartments make this really easy to clean without having to immerse the whole bento box in water

💲 RRP $49.95 but it's always on sale. This is usually the best priced bento box in store because it comes from a major kitchenware distributor.

❌ Latches and hinges aren't quite as sturdy as the other options

❌ It's plastic, so it won't last as long as stainless steel