What is a bento box? Originating in Japan, the bento lunch box is a lunch box that has dividers in it. The multiple compartments were originally designed to keep rice and noodles separate from cooked veg or meat so it's not all mixed in together. Today the bento box is used to store school lunches in an insulated lunch bag for kids, healthy foods and a balanced meal for adults. Keep dips away from dry crackers, protein away from fruit and so much more. Children are notoriously fussy about different foods touching when they are little. Packing their lunch into a bento box will fix this.

Are bento boxes leakproof?

When looking at the leak proof options for your bento box, there are two things to take into consideration. The first option is whether the whole bento box has leak proof seals so the lunch box as a whole is leak proof. The second is whether each individual compartment is leak proof to the compartment next to it so runny foods won't end up mixing with something else.

The feature that makes any bento box leak proof for each individual compartment is the lid and whether each compartment nests into the lid. If it does, you can keep the food in each section fresh. You can have crackers in one, yoghurt in the next one, a sandwich in another one and store your snacks away from food that might make it soggy.

Leakproof compartments allow you to store wet foods next to dry foods without having to wrap anything or put it in little containers. It is important to note that most leak proof bento lunch boxes are not leakproof for water, but should be fine for salad dressings and wet foods.

How many compartments do your bento lunchboxes have?

We have compartments ranging from 2 through to 5. Some of our bento boxes have removable dividers, most of them are fixed into place. Others have an inner tray that can be removed so they can swap between being a regular lunch box or a bento box and they make for easy cleaning. We also sell silicone bento cups which can divide larger sections of a lunch box easily. We have kids bento box choices in a single layer and also double stacker bento lunchboxes for larger meals than lunch.

Is a stainless steel bento box better than a plastic bento box?

We have adult sized bento boxes and kid sized bento boxes in stainless steel and bpa free plastic. Not many bento boxes are leakproof, but we do have options where the whole bento is leakproof and others where each individual compartment is leakproof. True liquid like a runny dressing should be stored in a leakproof snack pot. Our most popular choices are the stainless steel bento boxes for the eco benefits and durability. They are also easier to clean and dishwasher safe.

Can I fit a whole sandwich in a bento box?

In some, yes. In a bento box with 2 compartments, often one compartment is square and may contain a sandwich tray or a removable divider to keep it square. For others, like our own Bento Five from The Happy Sparrow, a sandwich needs to be cut into smaller portions and placed on their side.

Is it easy to clean a bento lunch box?

Stainless steel bento boxes are easier to clean because they're dishwasher safe. The best reusable products should be easy to clean. Silicone seals and inner seals can be removed and washed by hand. Plastic bento boxes we find are best washed by hand. Those that are leak proof for each individual compartment have a seal in the lid that's glued down. We have seen some brands have water leak up underneath and grow mould under them. Beware of cheap brands in plastic bento boxes for this reason. They're lighter and easier to take to school for this reason, but they need to be super easy to clean and plastic ones aren't always like this.

Are your bento lunch boxes insulated?

No. We don't sell any insulated bento boxes. There's one on the market that has one insulated pot, but they're mainly plastic and they're heavy and the insulated portion is small. There are better features to look for in a bento box than insulation. If you pack a healthy meal for your child for lunch time, it's safest to put the whole bento box into an insulated bag with an ice brick in it to keep food cool until it's ready to eat at lunch time.

What are the best bento boxes for kids?

We find that single layer bento boxes with more compartments and individual leakproof compartments are best for kids. Healthy eating habits are easily created with variety. There's room for multiple different types of foods in them and you can divide them further with silicone dividers if necessary. Just make sure whatever you choose can be easily opened and closed by small hands, will fit in their insulated bag and store all the food they need for the day. It's great if you can pack all the food they need into one lunchbox, otherwise, you can put a sandwich in a reusable wrap or yoghurt into a snack pot.