Lunch bag for work commute, is it worth it?

[Aabbaas]

I need to stop spending a fortune in pret or m&s during office days and be more organised with my lunches.
I have a long-ish commute (London), 1 hr and 15 mins or so, door to door. Office has a fridge but I am considering getting myself an insulated lunch bag to keep food fresh longer. I have seen some very lovely ones and wanted to treat myself to one but is it worth it? Curious to know how people use these. I don’t want to hold it with my hand as I commute with a backpack for practicality and comfort and want my hands free. They seem a bit too bulky to put in my backpack though once I also have the laptop, work stuff and change of shoes etc.
How does everyone do this? 😅

Oh what a shame, I have put those on my bday wishlist as they look so nice!

Do you carry it outside your main work bag? I have read mixed reviews about the clasp on the small one but maybe the big one is better

Yes I do carry it separate as my only other bag is a laptop bag. I prefer to keep my lunch box upright so it’s ideal for me. No issues with the clasp, although hadn’t read there were concerns. Looks stylish :)

Dd has to carry a jam packed bag. I got her a lunch bag that is shaped like a book so it slides right in. Then I just chose containers that are also flat. The system works well.

Any chance you could post a link to this, or something similar @Ponderingwindow

I often used to take in a can of soup and a bread roll, or an uncooked baking potato plus small tin of beans or tuna. Plus cereal bar and fruit. Cheaper than a meal deal but no prep required. Obviously this only works if you have a microwave. I ate breakfast before leaving the house.

I would look in physical shops that sell kids things - now it's the start of term lots of things are on offer.

I have a bright pink insulated lunchbox I got for free as it was on three for two and I only needed 2 things for DS.
I usually take sandwiches buy when I take leftover pasta bake I put it in an old toddler lunch thermos.

I use a lunch bag but I have it in a separate bag to my backpack. However I am a grazer do I have several items in there today there are

3 drinks (one fizzy and 2 waters)
Packet of crisps -treat
2 satsumas
1 rice and chicken lunch
1 pack with rice cakes
1 pack of raisins

That's fairly normal bar the 3 drinks (on site visits today) usually I have 1 drink and fill water bottle throughout the day.

I just got it off Amazon, a generic no name rectangle.

I want one of these SO badly. Hoping my endless hints will pay off for my 50th birthday this month.

OP I treated myself to one of the Kind bags. Roll down top so size adapts and keeps my food nice and cool. Use a small ice pack in summer but don't bother in winter.
https://www.kindbag.co/collections/lunch-bags

These look lovely and I like that I can modify the shape depending on how much I carry, I think I might treat myself to one! Does the food stay cool enough without the ice pack for the commute? Sometimes I noticed there is limited fridge space so would like to just keep my food in it for the whole day

I keep my good in it all day - hour commute to work then keeps cool until lunch. It stays properly cold with a little ice pack thing but cool enough without it.

Lunch bags? I’ve always taken lunch, always just had a 1.2 L lunchbox (think Tupperware), or the Ikea 1 L I’ve found have plenty of depth. It goes in a plastic supermarket ‘bag for life’ in my rucksack. I’ve only bothered putting yoghurt in the fridge in the summer, otherwise it sits in my bag and has always been fine.

I also love my contigo cup though, they last for years so well worth it, and hold heat for 4 hours. I’m not being paid to advertise them unfortunately cos I would take that quite happily!😁