I always came home for lunch as a kid, ate lunch and then ran back to school for the afternoon so the concept of packing a lunch is a new one. So I started down about a million rabbit holes trying to figure out what lunch box I should get for my kid who is starting junior kindergarten this year. What I realized is that it is SO much more complicated than just what lunchbox he may like.
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What I took into consideration when choosing a lunchbox:
Once I started to actually think about it there was a lot I needed to consider as a first time parent of a schooler and also as someone with little to no experience with packed lunches.
Here is everything I considered when deciding on what lunchbox to get and ultimately deciding on the Yumbox.
Is it dishwasher safe?
I’m fine with rinsing/ wiping but a detailed scrub of something every night was absolutely not going to happen.
How many do I need?
I wanted an all-in-one lunchbox. He already needs a snack container and a lunch container, if the lunch system requires 3 or 4 different containers per meal then he will be sorting through too many containers and really, who has room to store all of that (because you need more than one days worth!)
Are they easily stackable?
I like to have things neatly stacked when not in use
Are they spill proof?
Backpacks get throw around. Can I add yogurt or dip directly into the lunchbox without spillage into another area?
Is it airtight?
Will the crackers get soggy if I pack hummus?
What lunch bag will I be getting?
As I need to make sure they fit in the lunch bag!
How easy is it to customize?
I know I could throw on a kids clothing labels on anything (PS If don’t have some already order them. You NEED about 100 of these just to label all your kids clothing!) but I absolutely love to Cricut and want to do a fun custom design
How durable?
I don’t want to be buying new lunchboxes half way through the year because they can’t handle the backpack drop test very well
How easy are they to open?
I need something easy for my JK son to be able to open
What types of food will I be sending?
knowing what type of food you will be sending will help you decide what type of lunch containers you will need.
A few random notes:
When making my decision here are some things I didn’t know I needed to consider until I started this process
- Lunch BAG matters: What lunch bag you get does impact which lunchbox you get (we ended up going with this pottery barn one since you can easily stack two yumboxes in it with no issues)
- Two meals: So our school has moved to two nutrition breaks throughout the day meaning we need to send two separate containers each day
- Cool/warm: There is no space to keep your lunch cool (our lunchbag has an icepack) and there is no space to heat anything up
OKAY so now onto the Yumbox review…
In the end I decided to go with the yumbox and I am super happy about my decision!
What did I end up getting?
- The Yumbox Original: I mean its a classic, how could I not? 6 compartments for a super fun bento style lunch that kids go crazy for.
- The Yumbox Panino: This is the 4 compartment tray that allows for a sandwich or roll-up (we love our roll-ups!)
- The Yumbox Snack Box: So this one is super cool as its the smaller snack size version. This is perfect for the first nutrition break of the day where we will need to have some nice veg and dips.
You can also use our Coupon Code (MyMomCan) when checking out to get 10% of off your order!
Buying a Yumbox in Canada: Where did I get it from?
YUMBOX Website:
So I did end up ordering directly from the YUMBOX website even though they don’t ship to Canada – I used a crossborder service for this. I did this for a few reasons. Mainly because they had more of a selection than I was able to get locally. Especially the Yumbox Snack Box. Secondly, I did find the website prices actually cheaper even factoring in the exchange rate and cross border service. I also REALLY wanted the Chop Chop food prep solution (it is the thing an organized person dreams are made of) and it is not available in Canada yet.
You can also use our Coupon Code (MyMomCan) when checking out to get 10% of off your order!
AMAZON:
Amazon recently started carrying YUMBOX products which is great for us Canadians as if you have Prime you don’t have to pay for shipping! However, I have found that sometimes the prices are the cheapest just buying from the USA website and getting shipped to Canada.
Local Baby Store:
A lot of local baby stores (higher end ones) will carry yumbox, the only downside is that they usually dont carry the full line so if you are wanting a certain style or colour they may not have it.
The Yumbox Benefits
- Dishwasher safe: The insert is top rack dishwasher safe! The outside is just rinse down.
- They are stackable: They stack perfectly neatly in the cupboard and no risk of them toppling over
- They are spill proof/airtight: Even though school is still a few weeks away the Yumbox has absolutely passed the spill test as we have been using it for our outings and getting tossed around the stroller.
- Easy to Open: My son was able to just grab the Yumbox and open it up without any issue.
- It is super light
What other lunchboxes I considered:
Obviously whatever lunchbox you choose will work perfectly for your situation so if you find that the Yumbox is not suited to you. Here are a few of the other ones that I looked into/bought to test out.
Sistema:
Price point is really great and they are dishwasher safe (both huge bonuses for me). They didn’t stack as easily in the cupboard and they are not “spill proof” and we do like to send dips and yogurts. Also crackers and such get soggy after a few hours in a backpack.
Skip Hop:
These actually looked really great however I couldn’t find ones I wanted in stock… However in general skip hop items are usually pretty decent.
Planetbox.
This box is super cool looking and stainless which is a bonus! However it is quite pricey (even compared to the Yumbox) and it is heavy, needs to be hand washed and it’s not spill proof
For me and my family getting the Yumbox made perfect sense and was absolutely worth it. I chose to pay a little bit more upfront but for the added convenience of getting a lunchbox that would check all of the boxes of things I wanted.
Happy Prepping!
Jo
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