Bentgo Kids 5-Compartment Lunch Box - Glitter Design for School Ideal for Ages 3-7 Leak-Proof Drop-Proof Dishwasher Safe

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! Read more

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. Read more

I bought this lunchbox in April 2022 and four years later, it’s still functioning the same as day one. Worth every penny. My daughter has used this daily during the school year and never had a leak or an issue. She opened and closed it on her own at three years old, the compartments don’t leak onto each other, or out of the lunchbox. The inner plastic piece gets put in the dishwasher on occasion, but never the outer shell. Read more

Nice lunchbox for a kindergartner. Perfect size and washes easily Read more

My daughter uses this lunch box for kindergarten. The color is exactly as described. Like that it has a solid closure and seal and that it has multiple compartments. Does not leak so far and keeps food fresh. My only complaint would be that it doesnt come with a spot to put silverware and that the compartments are a little small. Hard to fit alot of things. I wish you could take the dividers out or rearrange them. Other than that seems to be a solid choice! Read more

This is our second Bentgo Box we have purchased because we love them so much. They are high quality and do not leak. I wash the inside tray, top rack in the dishwasher. I hand wash the outside box/shell. Has held up nicely. I would recommend. Read more