Kids Bento-Style 5-Compartment Leak-Proof Lunch Box - Ideal Portion Sizes for Ages 3 to 7 - Durable, Drop-Proof, Dishwasher Safe, PFAS & BPA-Free & Made with Food-Safe Materials (Blue)

If you're on the fence about which bento box to order for your child (BENTGO KIDS or YUMBOX), I will compare the two brands in this review. My family has used both kinds for about a month. **BENTGO KIDS** My 5 year-old kindergartner takes this box for his lunch, and it is truly the better choice for YOUNGER CHILDREN in my opinion. It has a more juvenile color scheme, five small food compartments, DURABLE RUBBER TRIM on the top and bottom, and overall exudes a higher quality product that will withstand more abuse than the Yumbox. The latches are more HEAVY-DUTY than the Yumbox, and although it can be a bit difficult for kids to close at first (it's a tight seal around the inner tray), my son got the hang of it after a couple tries. The Bentgo Kids trays come in three different colors and seem more durable than the Yumbox trays. The Bentgo Kids box doesn't hold a LOT of food, but it is plenty for my son, and I imagine it will provide ample food until he's in second or third grade (probably a good box for 3-8 year-olds?). The largest compartment will fit a half sandwich unless your bread is huge, but then you can just cut it in quarters. The Bentgo Kids shell is a bit larger than the Yumbox, so it's a tight squeeze into my son's soft-sided LL Bean box, but we manage to fit the Bentgo and a Lifefactory water bottle into the LL Bean box. *UPDATE* - We recently purchased an LL Bean Discovery lunch box, and this easily fits either the Bentgo or Yumbox as well as a water bottle and extras. The Bentgo also fits in a Lands' End ClassMate soft sided lunch box with a Goodbyn water bottle (see photo). Does the Bentgo Kids leak? Nope. The rubber gasket on the lid is impressive, and ranch dressing has stayed neatly in the center dip compartment. The gasket on the Yumbox doesn't seem to be as good, so this is another reason why I like the Bentgo Kids better for younger children. It's pretty much foolproof. To clean, simply remove the inner tray and put it in the dishwasher. I always hand wash the outer shell or at least give it a wipe-down each day. **YUMBOX PANINO** I purchased this Yumbox Panino for my 9 year-old third grader. I like the Yumbox Panino colors and design better for OLDER CHILDREN (maybe 7-12 year-olds?). It's less juvenile than the Bentgo Kids box, and the Panino version has room for a larger sandwich. Since its tray has thin dividers, it will HOLD A BIT MORE FOOD too. The Yumbox has a slightly SMALLER FOOTPRINT than the Bentgo Kids, and it fits snugly in my son's LL Bean lunch box, but his water bottle does make his lunch box lid bulge out - not a big deal. We have since upgraded to the LL Bean Discovery lunch box, which is much deeper and has plenty of room. If you only have room for a small, narrow water bottle, the Goodbyn bottle is a great option (found on Amazon). We have packed ranch dressing in the center, and as long as I press down tightly while latching the lid, it doesn't leak. The inner tray has printed text underneath (they are not removable stickers), but it does have a more grown-up look to it than the whimsical designs on other Yumbox trays. Yumbox sells plain trays on their website. The tray easily snaps out for washing in the dishwasher, but we always wash the outer shell by hand. FOUR compartments or SIX? Yes, Yumbox offers two different versions - same size, but the trays have either more or less compartments. I debated greatly over which to buy, but ultimately I decided that the Panino (4 compartment) style would grown with my son better than the 6-compartment Yumbox, and on days when he doesn't pack a large sandwich, I simply use silicone baking cups as dividers. Links to the cupcake liners and leaf-shaped food picks shown in my photo are at the end of this review. SUMMARY: Both boxes have different features, so the box to choose really depends on your child's needs. The YUMBOX PANINO is my favorite for OLDER CHILREN or those who eat larger lunches because of the tray design and color combinations. The BENTGO KIDS is terrific for younger kids as it seems MORE DURABLE yet holds plenty of food for little ones. I do wish the Bentgo Kids box came in more colors, but perhaps this is in the works. For now, my son enjoys using his different-colored trays to switch things up a bit. Links to other products shown in my photo: Silicone Cupcake Liners (this set has red, which my sons had to have): http://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Cupcake-Kitchen-Buddies-Included/dp/B00LR84HXA/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1425867226&sr=1-1 Leaf Food Picks: http://www.amazon.com/Tornado-P-2759-Leaf-pick-10P/dp/B0019XLGLE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1426438596&sr=1-1&keywords=leaf+food+picks Goodbyn Bottle: http://www.amazon.com/Goodbyn-20064BT-Bottle-Blue/dp/B0050O92PK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442187692&sr=8-1&keywords=goodbyn+bottle February, 2017 UPDATE: My second grader is still using his Bentgo Kids nearly every day, as it holds more than enough food for his appetite. The rubber trim began to peel off a bit on the outer container (though I always hand wash it), and Bentgo sent me a replacement! What a wonderful product and equally great customer service!

I will begin using the two Bentgo Kids that I bought daily next week to send lunch with my 1-year-old and not-quite-3-year-old to daycare. They have not stood the test of going to daycare with them yet, but so far I really like the Bentgo Kids. They seem to be good quality and durable. The latches are easy enough that my older child is able to open them on her own (once she was shown how), but secure enough that I'm not worried about them coming accidentally unlatched. She did have a little difficulty closing the box on her own though since simply closing the lid doesn't really close it... you have to kind of pull it out/toward you when you close it in order for it to close all of the way to latch. But she will have her teacher(s) available to help her, as will my younger child. I felt that the outer shell was easy to wash. The inner tray was also easy to clean, but the deep recesses on the bottom were difficult to clean while hand washing; some of them are pretty narrow to be able to fit a dish cloth or brush up there. Of course, these areas shouldn't get too dirty either. I did a quick test to see how leakproof the box is by filling a couple of compartments about halfway with water and sloshing it around a bit. I shook it a little, rocked it back and forth, turned it upside down, etc. The water stayed in place. There were a couple of drops (literally drops) in a neighboring compartment, but I'm pretty sure it is from dripping from the lid when I opened the box. Based on this, I doubt it will be a problem to include foods such as yogurt, applesauce, or cottage cheese. The leakproof seal was actually the predominant reason why I ultimately decided on the Bentgo Kids... so I could send the foods I just listed and not worry about other foods, such as crackers, getting soggy. I am very excited to start using these boxes every day. I love that the sizes of the compartments seem perfect for kid-sized portions, and that the number of compartments gives me the ability to send a variety of foods every day so my picky toddlers will hopefully at least eat something. Also, the overall size of the box is perfect for little hands. Both of my kids are able to carry it around easily. Overall, I would rate the Bentgo Kids at a 5... I'm rounding up a bit because I love the product so far, but it is a little hard to reach some areas of the underside of the tray when washing.

Our toddler loves this. Works well and the lid closure is great. So far no spills! Love that we can give different portions of fruits and veggies etc.

OKAY so this product has a lot of storage capacity and the size of it is super perfect. I have always wanted to get one for my son, and even he loves his little lunch box. Getting out and going to the park with this has been such an ease and useful thing for when we are trying to save money and eat better. Love the look of the blue and the weight of it is NOT bad. It is not heavy at all

We usually love these but I took away a star because they can be hard for kids to close.

This has been the best lunchbox for my child to bring to school. It’s held up well after 2 years in pre-k and is heading off to Kindergarten looking practically new. The compartments are great for packing a variety of things while keeping them separate. If you have a picky eater this is great because you can give them 4-5 things knowing they’ll eat at least one of them. I would caution that the large compartment only fits a half sandwich which is perfect for us but may not be for others whose kids may eat full size sandwiches. We have also put yogurt, cut fruit, cheesecake and crackers in all the different compartments and it seals perfect with no leaks/seeping at all. Cannot recommend enough.

I’ve used this style Bentgo box for over 4 years and LOVE them! I love every style, but this one especially for my young kids; ages 5 & 7 now. Perfect for small portions and has several compartments so you can have a variety of food in their lunches. I don’t use sauce in the circular opening; I cut up string cheese or carrot sticks to fit; put nuts, yogurt melts, m&m’s, or anything small in there. Cleans easily; I hand wash. This design is SOOOOO cute! My daughter loves the glitter and it goes perfectly with the pink glitter lunchbox and backpack. Such a cute set! These boxes will last a LONG time! I buy a new one every year but I still have every box I’ve ever purchased. Cannot recommend these bento boxes highly enough!

I actually purchased this product in 2023 for my daughters first year of school- it is now 2025 and we still have it. This lunch box has been used pretty consistently for two years and is still in perfect condition. Easy to wash, easy for little hands to open it. Plus none of the food spills while it's still inside. I would definitely say spend the money on this nicer than average lunch box.