Kids Lunch Boxes

Yes. The Spixal silicone bentos and the Duo Bento hold runny liquids like soup, milk and juice, as well as yoghurt and dips. The Core, Roundie and Quad lids seal around the whole box rather than each compartment.

Keep food below the rim and wipe the sealing edges before putting the lid on. Press each section into place, rather than closing only the outside edge and assuming the internal seals are seated. Check the lid after washing for trapped food or damage. For a lunch with both a runny component and dry crackers, use the separately sealed sections deliberately and make sure the child can close them again after eating.

It depends on your child's age and appetite. Spixal, an Australian brand designed by two Aussie mums, makes a lunch box for every stage: the Spixal Duo Bento & Food Jar for kindy and prep, the Spixal 3 Compartment Silicone Bento or 6 compartment Roundie for primary school, and the 1200ml Spixal Core stainless steel lunch box for tweens and teens. Every Spixal lunch box is food safe and BPA free, with a 12-month warranty and free returns within 30 days in Australia.

Appetite, food preferences and the school timetable are more useful than age on its own. A younger child may want several small foods, while an older child might prefer a wrap and one larger side. Ask whether recess and lunch are unpacked separately. Then choose a lid your child can manage and a layout that fits their usual food, with any fruit-break container accessible without opening the main lunch.

Start with three decisions: the size of the meal, whether any food is runny, and whether you need to reheat it. That narrows the choice more quickly than choosing a colour first. Compare the shape of the largest section with the sandwich, wrap or leftovers you normally pack. For a child, finish with a practical lid-opening test and a check that the box fits their lunch bag with a cooling pack.

The Spixal Duo Bento & Food Jar. It opens with one clip, every compartment seals, and the 200ml food jar has a lift-up lid instead of a screw top, so little kids can open it on their own. The Spixal Quad Bento and Spixal silicone bentos also suit ages 3 to 6.

Keep the first school lunches familiar while your child learns the new routine. Choose foods they can manage in the time available and practise opening and closing the box at the table. Ask the centre whether it stores food in a fridge and whether snacks need separate containers. A box can be easy to open without every child mastering it immediately, so allow a little practice and ask educators how lunch is going.

One where every compartment seals on its own, so yoghurt and dips can't reach the sandwich. The Spixal 3 Compartment and 5 Compartment Silicone Bentos and the Spixal Duo Bento seal each compartment individually.

There are two separate questions here: can food escape into the bag, and can it move between compartments? A seal around the outside deals with the first; individual section seals deal with the second. Keep food clear of the sealing edges and close the lid fully. If a meal combines crackers with a runny dip, choose individually sealed sections or put the dip in its own closed container.

A bento-style box with separate compartments, so everything goes in loose with no cling wrap or packets. The Spixal silicone bentos seal each section, the Spixal Roundie has 6 compartments plus a centre dip container, and Spixal Mini and Midi snack boxes cover fruit break.

Pack the food directly into suitable sections and send a reusable pouch or small sealed container for anything that needs its own closure. A simple lunch might be a sandwich, cut fruit and vegetables, with yoghurt in a separate pouch. Check the school's rules about packaged foods and allergens. At home, empty and wash the reusable pieces together so the next morning's lunch does not depend on finding one missing lid.

One where the lunch box fits the bag and both match the backpack. The Spixal modular bentos (Roundie, Quad, Duo and Core) are an exact colour match to the Spixal Junior backpacks and lunch bags, and Spixal lunch bundles put the box, bag and extras together for less than buying each piece separately.

Start with the largest container, then allow for the smaller pieces you actually carry: a snack box, cutlery, cooling pack and perhaps a food jar. Check that the bag closes without pressing hard on the lids. Matching colours do not prove that every possible combination fits at once. If you already own a bag, compare its usable space with the dimensions of the containers before buying another full set.

One with room for a teen appetite and a look they won't find too young. The 1200ml Spixal Core stainless steel lunch box is our pick for tweens and teens, and it pairs with the 800ml Spixal insulated food jar for a hot lunch.

Ask your teen what they actually eat during the day, including the snack before training or the trip home. A main lunch and a separate snack may be easier than one box opened repeatedly. Compare the shape of their usual meal with the divider layout, and choose a container they are happy to carry. Capacity is a guide to space, not a serving rule; appetite and the length of the day vary.

Popular Australian kids lunch box brands include Spixal, b.box and Montii. Spixal is a family business based in Adelaide, South Australia, started by two Aussie sisters. It makes a matching system of lunch boxes, lunch bags, food jars, drink bottles and backpacks, with a 12-month warranty on every product and free returns within 30 days in Australia. Our Australian lunch box comparison guide puts prices, sizes and materials side by side.

Compare the specific models on capacity, compartment seals, closure, material and the lunch bag they need. Brand names alone do not tell you which box fits a whole sandwich or which can go in a microwave. If possible, use a meal you already pack as the comparison. Read the current warranty and returns terms too, particularly when choosing a size online and wanting to check the fit before using it.

The silicone bentos, snack boxes and the Duo seal each compartment on its own, so wet and dry foods stay apart. The Core, Roundie and Quad lids seal around the whole box rather than each compartment.

Movable pieces make the layout flexible, but the spaces around them can allow liquid to move. Use them to organise dry and semi-dry foods, and give sauces or yoghurt their own sealed container where the sections are not individually sealed. Make sure the divider is seated properly before closing the lid. If keeping several wet foods completely separate is the priority, choose a model designed with individual compartment seals.

Silicone is the pick for drop resistance, reheating in the same box and compartments that seal individually. Stainless steel is built for capacity and the long haul. Hard plastic bentos suit kids who like to change their layout. Our material comparison goes through each one.

Silicone is flexible and can suit reheating where the product instructions allow it. A hard plastic bento may offer movable dividers and a different opening action. Stainless steel gives the Core its firm base, but that base cannot go in the microwave. Compare the actual model rather than assuming every product made from one material behaves the same. The meal, washing routine and need for separate liquid seals should drive the choice.

Yes. The 1200ml Core stainless steel bento and our silicone bentos work well for work lunches and meal prep. See adult lunch boxes .

The same container can suit school and work if the capacity and food layout suit the person using it. An adult packing a sandwich and fruit may need less room than a teenager taking lunch and an after-school snack. Check reheating access before choosing a steel or silicone box. For a shared household set, separate colours or labels can keep packed lunches and lids from being mixed up in the fridge.

Yes. Every Spixal lunch box is food safe and BPA free.

BPA-free describes a material claim; it does not mean every item can be heated or washed in the same way. Use the care instructions for the exact container, including its lid, seals and removable parts. Before packing lunch, check that the closure is clean and the container is in sound condition. Choose the material around the job it needs to do, particularly if you want to reheat food at work.

Yes. The modular bento range (Roundie, Quad, Duo and Core) is an exact colour match to our Junior backpacks and lunch bags, and the silicone range complements the Axis backpacks and our insulated lunch tote bags.

Solid colours can coordinate without every surface being an identical shade. Silicone, fabric and hard plastic reflect light differently, and some multipacks deliberately mix colours. Look at the selected product's photos and contents rather than assuming the whole collection is one set. If the practical choice is a different colour from the backpack, it can still work well; the container's layout matters more at lunchtime than an exact colour match.