Bentgo - 2022 3 - BPA ()

We've lived with these boxes for 2 years now, through kindergarten and first grade. They hold ample amounts of food, wash well, absolutely do not leak, and my kiddo can open and close them herself. They are rather heavy, but if you want to avoid plastic then so are all the options. The color on the outside will start flaking off if you run them through the dishwasher, but they tell you this straight out on the packaging. For me, it was worth the convenience of not hand-washing these to lose the decorative paint. Honestly, I think they should either skip the paint or use the same material my kid's name/phone number sticker is made from because that thing isn't budging. We had a problem with one of them after a year+ of use and the customer service was excellent! We had a new box shipped to us right away, no hassle. I wasn't sure what we would like better so I bought some LunchBots bento boxes at the start of Kindergarten as well. We like the Bentgo ones much better than the LunchBots which leak and let juices/fluids from one food item invade the space of other food items resulting in fruit juice soaked into your sandwich or chips/pretzels losing their crunch, for example.

I don’t write reviews but thought this needs attention. I have the Planetbox Rover and love it ! Had and it already 5 years, so I was excited to try out this bentgo that’s supposed to create a seal for wet foods. The minute I opened the package I see a lot of dirt and dust- I figure maybe the manufacturing left it a bit dusty. I was looking it over and all around the seal of the silicone lid it’s breaking apart, dirty and already stained brown - either mold or rust. This was either a used product or defective- hopefully! Please be super aware of this silicone seal. I was so excited for this but compared to the Planetbox I am NOT up for this maintenance or worrying about mold or silicone particles in my kids food for the next few years - if it even lasts the 5 years! I am trying to contact the seller (3rd party) so will see how that goes. Do yourself a favour- get the Planetbox and use a thermos- better return on your money and you don’t have to worry about poisoning your kids. So unhappy- bentgo I would have been a great customer but you need to rethink your product design. Will not touch this brand again.

Great for my 4/5 year old. We switched from the classic 5-compartment plastic Bentgo. That one was great for my preschooler (light, leak proof, easy to open and close, good size compartments for his age). This larger metal one is also leak proof. But it is significantly heavier. And it is a bit harder to close (the metal latches need to be pulled up by pulling up on the lid before it will close and you can latch it). So if your kid is a bit older, and/or practices with you a bit, closing it on their own shouldn’t be too hard. My only complaint is that it isn’t really dishwasher safe. I handwash it 75% of the time, and the other 25% I put it on the top shelf in the dishwasher. The color coating on the top has started significantly peeling. The Bentgo logo started peeling first, and I thought I could slow it with a sticker. But the next wash, the whole corner started to go. Otherwise, it’s great.

I read the reviews from other purchasers, and I was worried about the hinges/clasps but figured I'd give this shot (because for some reason I thought it would turn out better for me, lol ok). I love the stainless steel, I love the size of the compartments and the little silicone cup (I'm a sucker for the little features). Its pretty slim which is also really nice to slide into a backpack and tbh my son thought it looked like a fun little laptop. Whatever gets you through the day, ya know? I bought two of these so my kids wouldn't be endlessly fighting over them; one of them is fine, but the other had clasps popping open on its maiden voyage. Before I even put food in it! I thought maybe it needed time to stretch out its little jonts and hinges and used it for a short car trip. Wrong! the clasps never closed completely, and they still don't. The clasps click and close on the top, vs other bentgo containers where they click shut on the bottom. Those feel really secure and you can hear the "click" to know they're fully closed and airtight. These just kind of slide into place without much of a click - it honestly surprises me that the closing mechanism feels a bit faulty and poorly made for something that otherwise feels really solid. The plastic the clasps are made with honestly feel cheap and like a total afterthought. I know little tiny hands need to be able to open these but the clasps slide on and then just slip right back off 75% of the time I close it, and I'm only 4 days into owning it. And even though closes pretty decently without the clasps, I'm not spending fifty dollars (!) for something which carries the risk of a child haphazardly throwing it in after lunch, with all the stuff he told me he ate, but didn't really, and then the whole backpack is covered in strawberry juice and smeared peanut butter at the end of a long day. I need things to make my life easier, not things that make me swear more. Supes grateful for free returns. byeeeeeee!

I own four of these lunchboxes for my two kids. Pros: ✔ Holds a good amount of food ✔ Bento compartments are well sized ✔ Leak-proof when fully latched Cons: ✘ Food tastes like soap. The silicone lid can’t be removed for separate cleaning, and it absorbs dish soap smell/flavor that transfers strongly to food ✘ Inconsistent latch quality — some are very hard to close, others are too loose and pop open ✘ Paint doesn’t last — not a big deal, but it's annoying to clean up after the little flakes.