The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: batemama on July 13, 2017, 12:45:06 PM
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I am looking for a lunchbox for my kids that are going into 1st and 3rd grade. Thanks to a suggestion from someone, we bought them jansport backpacks last year because they are not too expensive, tough AF, and warrantied for life. I'm hoping to find something similar for lunch boxes. I'm looking for something:
soft sided - easy to scrunch into a backpack and easy to throw in the wash
durable - they're kids, nuf said
insulated - it has to keep things hot or cold for 4-5 hours until lunch
not too pricey - I have to buy two of them, and there's a risk of them getting lost at some point in the coming years
light - kids already have enough weight in their backpacks with books and folders
I surely can't be the first person in this situation, but casual purusing of the internet has found no results. Do any of you have suggestions? TIA
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A colleague of mine has this kind of a lunch box, it looks cute and it probably ticks most of your boxes:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-arrive-Multicolor-100-soft-neoprene-insulated-Lunch-Bag-thermal-Tote-Women-Kids-Handbag-Box-Food/32218847245.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.151.w56TuN&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10152_10065_10151_10068_10171_10084_10083_10080_10304_10082_10081_10110_10136_10137_10111_10302_10060_10112_10113_10155_10114_10154_438_10056_10055_10054_10182_10059_100031_10099_10078_10079_10103_10073_10102_5360020_10189_10052_10053_10142_10107_10050_10051,searchweb201603_5,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=fb07f537-1fc4-4b3e-9d69-f2aa4555335e&algo_expid=f94f656d-08ba-4dc8-b671-ddf9760bf7b0-17&algo_pvid=f94f656d-08ba-4dc8-b671-ddf9760bf7b0
I guess you can also find some kid-themed.
Just made me think of this when I read your post so I thought I'd share.
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When our kids were in elementary school, we bought their lunch bags from LLBean. They lasted for years.
https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/70705?feat=514248-GN3&page=lunch-box&csp=f
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My kids used a ton of cheap lunch bags during their elementary school years. The bags would last maybe until spring. Maybe.
Lands end lunch bags have lasted from middle school through high school. They run about $19 each. I'm sending them each one in a care package this fall - to college. They take them on hikes, to their summer job, on multi day camping expeditions...
DH even has one for his lunch. He's used it for years too. Crams equally well into a backpack or pannier.
I keep a bunch of the Rubbermaid blue ice packs ('mini', 8 oz) in the freezer. They aren't huge or heavy and they keep things cold until lunch.
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Forgot to mention that the lands end one also has a handle that allows it to be attached to something. My kids would attach it to their backpacks in the morning since they were usually slinging something else (instrument, artwork) and needed their hands free.
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I think I will check out the ll bean ones. I worry about the durability of the neoprene one since I'm already envisioning my children using their lunchboxes as a weapon against each other on the way home from school. Sigh. $20 isn't too shabby for something that can last for years! Thanks for your input!