Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes Food Storage Containers review: our verdict on this Mumsnetter favourite

Price on writing: £12 for 10 | Buy now from Amazon

In an attempt to be more shopping savvy during the cost of living crisis, many Mumsnet users have been sharing their valuable money-saving tips to mitigate the ever-rising cost of a weekly food shop. A great way to pinch the pennies and get organised is batch cooking, which involves creating larger portions of dishes such as soups, stews and other comforting family favourites, before stashing them away in your best Tupperware in the fridge freezer to be enjoyed at a later date.

Mumsnet users also rave about food containers for storing their fruit and vegetables, a solution that keeps produce fresher for longer. With airtight lids holding in moisture and preventing dehydration, the right containers can slow down decomposition and give you more time to enjoy your food.

If you're after a new set of Tupperware, the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes are a popular alternative to disposable containers. Coming highly rated by Mumsnetters, they are praised for their size, value and versatility. But will their lids stop the contents from spilling out and are they built to last? Mumsnet writer Lucy put them to the test - here's her honest verdict.

Our verdict

• Design: 3.5/5 

• Quality of seal: 3/5 

• Versatility: 4/5 

• Ease of cleaning: 4/5

• Ease of storing: 4/5 

• Value for money: 4/5 

The Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes Plastic Containers are an affordable and practical choice if you’re looking to store food inside your fridge or freezer. 

I loved the large capacity of these containers, which allowed me to store generous, full-sized portions of my batch cooking creations and stack them neatly without taking up valuable space in my freezer. They also worked well for keeping my fruit fresher for longer than usual in the fridge. With a variety of lid colours, you can even colour code the contents for easy organisation too.

On the downside, while the lids seal well and appear to be airtight, they’re difficult to remove and feel quite brittle, so they need to be reopened with care. For that reason, I feel they’re better suited to use inside the home rather than for packed lunches or food on the go. 

Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes Food Storage Containers: design and style

I was really impressed by my initial experience with the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes. The set of ten 750ml containers arrived neatly stacked inside each other, with the brightly coloured lids nestled on top. Freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe, I also liked the practicality they offered.

I loved the depth of the design, which, unlike the disposable takeaway containers I’ve used in the past, provided plenty of space for generous-sized portions when freezing or refrigerating batch-cooked meals. They were also ideal for storing fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables, homemade soups, keeping salad fresh, or containing portions of leftovers for lunch. 

Although the containers aren't completely transparent, the clouded design still allowed visibility of what was inside, or alternatively, you can colour code the contents using the lids if preferred.  

They're quite different to the LocknLock and Sistema Brilliance containers I also tested, as the Lakeland boxes have simple press-on lids that don’t use any additional clips or locks. While they are easy to get on, removing the lids is really quite challenging as they do feel thin and brittle. As a result, I had to be careful not to break them and was extra cautious that I didn’t jolt liquid contents in the process. 

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How well does the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes' seal perform? 

Despite their thin nature and clip-free design, the lids on the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes Food Storage Containers did seem to hold well, creating an airtight seal that didn’t open when held upside down. 

That said, due to how thin the plastic was I was far less confident that they were leakproof and wouldn’t feel comfortable putting one in my handbag for taking outside the home as a lunch box.

The biggest challenge, as mentioned above, was getting the lids off again, as they make an audible snap and feels more like opening a tub of margarine than a reusable container.

Related: The best oven cleaner and glass cleaner for your home 

What are the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes like to store?

The containers were very easy to store when not in use. Each base can be popped inside the others to create a convenient tower with the lids placed on top, taking up minimal space in your cupboards until you need them.

The lids are also compatible with other size boxes in the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes range; if you have the 450ml or 1.2-litre containers you don’t have to rummage around aimlessly trying to find the corresponding lid and can use any from your selection.

Once full, stacking them in the fridge or a chest freezer is really straightforward, as they have a relatively small footprint that can be stacked upwards and also positioned side by side. The lipped edge on the lids helps prevent them from slipping off each other too. 

Related: The best American fridge freezer for families

How easy are the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes Food Storage Containers to clean?

The Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes were relatively easy to clean by hand, but they can also conveniently be placed in the top shelf of your dishwasher if you prefer. 

While I didn’t personally experience any warping when using my slimline dishwasher to clean them, some Amazon reviewers did, finding they became a bit misshapen after washing on a regular cycle. As the plastic is quite thin, I would probably err on the side of caution and wash them by hand where possible in order to prolong their lifespan. 

I did experience some very minor discolouration on the plastic after storing pasta and stew, but nothing that I would call significant or unsightly. As with many transparent or semi-transparent plastics, however, this is inevitably something that may occur over time. 

Related: The best integrated dishwashers for your home

Price: are the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes worth it?

At the time of writing, a pack of ten Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes retails at £12, making them an affordable option thanks to the low cost per container. While I feel this is good value if you’re storing food in your fridge or freezer, the brittle nature of the lids does concern me, making me question how long it would be before one got broken.

How we tested

I used the Lakeland Stack-a-Boxes Food Storage Containers in my house over a two-week period, storing a variety of items such as leftover pasta, salads, fruit and casserole. 

During testing, I carefully reviewed each container’s overall quality and value for money by assessing the performance of the airtight seal, durability, ease of cleaning, and how easy it was to stack and store.

• Tested in a family home over a fortnight

• Used in the fridge and freezer

• Cleaned both by hand and in the dishwasher

• Cross-compared with other food storage containers I've tested for Mumsnet

About the author

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product round-ups. Having written reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising consumer feedback and expert guidance to help people make informed purchase decisions.  

Lucy loves spending time in the kitchen and has been batch cooking all through winter to make midweek dinners simple and stress-free with her family. She’s recently been commissioned to put the top ten food containers through their paces, whether that’s for storing food in the fridge and freezer, or preparing a packed lunch for eating outside the home.

As well as product reviews, Lucy has also written a whole host of Mumsnet kitchen round-ups, including the best budget dishwasher, the quietest dishwasher and the most stylish kettle and toaster sets.

Originally from a HR background with a degree in Business Studies, Lucy developed a real passion for blogging and writing when her children were young, going on to write for several online publications including US parenting site Pregistry and the Evening Standard. When she’s not manically tapping the keys of her laptop, Lucy loves nothing more than to cosy up with her Kindle and enjoy the latest thriller, head for a swim at the local gym or compete in Nintendo Switch rallies with her daughters aged six and 10.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after extensive research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

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