To think it's blardy impossible to find decent lunch boxes for the DC?

[badtasteflump]

Boring I know but I need to rant

All I want is a couple of hard plastic lunch boxes (ie not made of that squashy soft 'insulating' stuff because you can't wash that type properly and they always go stinky).

They need to be big enough to fit everything in (ie sandwiches, a drink, a teeny box for fruit/cheese/etc and a packet of crisps (so shoot me ). They need to have one big compartment, not lots of annoying little ones which take ages to dry after washing every night.

How hard can it be? I've tried all the supermarkets & obvious online places (Amazon, etc). FFS I haven't even started on new uniforms/rucksacks/shoes yet.....

Um - an old man with a big lunch box

That's what I googled to find him, anyway......

I think I win, mine were famous lunchboxes :o

we've got the Gruffalo lunch box tins in the shop.

but they're tin.
and not suitable for older children.
they're fab, though.

I bought my niece a really cool space one for her birthday, but it was one of those floppy ones.

I've gone for neoprene lunch boxes this year too dabbawalla ones

Not cheap, but properly washable and a good size for getting a drink and ice pack in too.

I find the insulated ones do deteriorate after a few whizzes around in the washing machine.

So do you have to put a box in the neoprene bag, or just wrap the sandwiches in foil or something and bung them straight in?

I've got this one for my DS

He had the Woody one last year. Before that we had the padded ones, I found he got yoghurt all over the inside, mixed with juice. So it stank and even cleaning nightly didn't get the sicky smell out.

I didn't know about chucking them in the machine, but even then it would have to have been more frequent than weekly, such was the grot.

I wash the squishy insulated ones in the washing machine and sit them out to dry, the ones fromLandsEnd. last really well and are very well insulated.
www.landsend.co.uk/Multi-Dot-Lunch-Box/P_23547,en_GB,pd.html

We also have Hanna Andersson ones and love those too.

Whoops www.landsend.co.uk/Multi-Dot-Lunch-Box/P_23547,en_GB,pd.html

I tend to stick sandwiches and fruit in mini plastic boxes anyway so I'll continue to do that then bung it all in the neoprene thingey. I hate squished sarnies

I tend to stick sandwiches and fruit in mini plastic boxes anyway so I'll continue to do that then bung it all in the neoprene thingey. I hate squished sarnies

LOL me too, I have a load of little plastic boxes for the sarnie, grapes, cucumbers etc and nice ice blocks to keep it all cold.

Classic

Thats a lunchbox.

I have a couple of these and one of those insulated bag thingies that fits it for the summer.

We had Concentrate and a couple of the Built New York neoprene lunch totes and they were fantastic. DD1 is home schooling now but DD2 took a packed lunch for whole of primary school and 2-3 times a week in yr 7 and she found the BNY best as they roll up small when they are empty

The squashy insulted ones are cheap and great. I turn them inside out, do the zip up and stick them in the washing machine every friday and they come out like new. Have just bought these ones for the DC.

www.matalan.co.uk/ProductDetails.ice?ProductID=58342

www.matalan.co.uk/fcp/product/fashion-to-buy-onlineStrawberry-Lunch-Bag-&-Bottle-Set/58340&resultsPerPage=100&attrList=Dept,brand

Cheap n cheerful.

www.matalan.co.uk/fcp/product/fashion-to-buy-onlineZhu-Zhu-Pets-Sandwich-Container/56347&resultsPerPage=100&attrList=Dept,brand

and these for DDs sarnies, they have loads of wee pots and bits for £1 in there just now.

Disclaimer: I do NOT work for Matalan!

Toys r us sell the plastic ones with Barbie characters like I used to have for school (child of the 80's) so DS will be having one when he goes to school I think!

I just got this for dd2

Not arrived yet but i have high hopes for it!

And this for dd1.

These are good lunch boxes. I got fed up of the insulated ones cracking and mould growing in the fabric (even after going through the wash) so swapped DD1 to a pink plastic one of those. I bought two as I thought if it did a term or two of Y1 I would be lucky (given that she had 3 insulated ones in Reception) she's going to be using the first one in Y2 as it's still in good condition.

They also do allergy ones so DD3 will be having one for playschool

But the plastic ones don't insulate and keep food cold, isn't everything warm and manky by dinner?
Cheese would get all sweaty and yogurt would be questionable depending hot hot the box got. When oldest Ds was in UK school the cloakroom where all the bags and coats were was like a sauna.
Here the bags are outdoors on pegs, out of the sun but still hot, I have freeze the yogurt and it's defrosted by lunch at 11.30am and in the summer I have to add two ice blocks. One has disney princesses on and the other id a peace sign sort of like these.www.amazon.com/Crocodile-Creek-Ice-Pack-Ballerina/dp/B007Z3T8MQ/ref=pd_sbs_k_20

www.amazon.com/Crocodile-Creek-Ice-Pack-Ballerina/dp/B007Z3T8MQ/ref=pd_sbs_k_20
Flip

Putting up links redirect to give ad revenue is a bit rich is it not.

I don't think it's rich at all, I think it's giving a reason too look into other options. Mum of 4 (2 now adults) 2 still children.

Why not tupperware? Or would that be tricky for them to open?

I use the clip boxes from Tesco and then put them inside an insulated lunch bag with a cool pack, my kids then put all their rubbish inside the empty clip boxes and hey presto, no mess inside the "pretty" insulated bag.
I didn't know you culd put them in the washing machine though! That's useful.