Hi Cool Mom Picks, I know you’ve tested so many lunch boxes every year and I was hoping you could tell me what you think really are the best lunch boxes. I want something I don’t have to get rid of at the end of every year! And it should be sturdy and cute, so not just practical. Thank you! – Anna R

Hi Anna! Well, you’ve come to the right place because wow, have I tried a lot of lunch boxes over more than 15  years and I definitely have some strong opinions about what I would buy again.

And actually, which bags I have bought again.

While these lunch bags won’t last for all of eternity, these are the 5 I’ve found that you can count on to get you through the year and beyond — provided, of course, your kid isn’t dragging it through mud puddles and snowbanks (or at least yogurt smoothie spills on the cafeteria table or day camp picnic benches) every day.

While a couple of them may cost a little more than the big box store specials, I find that the investment will pay off for the environment and your wallet in the long run. – Liz

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Pottery Barn Kids Classic Lunch Boxes

As far as big brands go, major props to PBK which really has the classic lunch bag naled down. It’s soft but structured, well designed with a smart mesh pocket inside, insulation, and an incredibly convenient water bottle pouch on the outside. The fabric is wildly durable, though I always recommend choosing darker fabrics or more complex patterns.

Speaking of which, they have all kinds of fun designs, whether your kids are into mermaids, superheroes, sports, animals, or just their own names or initials. A few favorites: The Rifle Paper x PBK lunch box above is beautiful. The NBA and MLB team lunch boxes look great and happen to glow in the dark. That Minecraft lunch box will make lots of kids happy. And the Disney collabs with Marvel and Star Wars lunch box designs are still classics. Pro Tip: While kids may outgrow the characters before the PBK lunch boxes wear out , Star Wars is one that just might be in rotation for a good many years.

Dabbawalla Lunch Bags

Dabbawalla lunch bags hold up just beautifully, and my kids are hard on their bags! I used this Union Jack lunch bag (now on clearance for $15!)  for my kids for 6 straight years (!) and while it wasn’t used every single day, it was in great shape right up until they outgrew it.  The neoprene keeps its shape, and — hooray — they’re washable by hand or machine.

I’d stick with the darker colors, as with all lunch boxes and bags if you really want to minimize that not-so-new feeling. Maisonette has a great collection; check out designs like the rockets ship above, the panda, the Captain America-esque star and stripes, and the black scotty dog on red background.

SoYoung Lunch Boxes

These have been staple in our roundups of the best lunch boxes and bags for kids since we first discovered them. It’s worth checking the stock now available on Amazon, and the lunch poche collection (cooler bags) exclusively on Target. but you’ll find the more artistic, kid-friendly designs on the SoYoung site, like vintage trucks, dinosaurs, subtle pastel rainbows, and an adorable robot playdate. The construction is A+++;  they’re made of coated raw linen which means they have that great fabric look, but wipe clean pretty easily and resist stains and dirt. The small cooler bags include a removable insulated interior and, yay — the exterior can now be machine washed on gentle. (Though I haven’t tried it.)

The small cooler bags have a depth that can hold a whole lot — especially good if your kids require after-school snacks along with their lunch.The  more conventional soft lunch boxes are terrific too; nice and compact for stuffing into backpacks in the morning. Oh…and be sure to visit us.soyoung.ca — you can imagine the confusion if you type it in a different way.

MilkDot Lunch Boxes

My love for MilkDot goes back to 2009, when I first discovered these smartly structured, insulated lunch bags at the NY Gift Show. They brilliantly collapse flat when not in use, but have more structure than your typical soft bag — smart, should your kids tend to bonk their lunch bags around and bruise the apples and bananas inside. Plus they hold a whole lot of stuff! Even when you’re kind of taxing the construction with lots of snacks and food (think about what you may do to an expandable suitcase from time to time) I’ve found these snap right back without looking frayed. And they hold up at least three school years if you take care of them, which is why I rank them among my picks for the best, most durable lunch boxes.

Patterns will show dirt and wear less than the solids, of course, so check out the stripes, or the gorgeous new metallics, in addition to the solid dark colors.

Built NY Gourmet Getaway Lunch Bags

If you’ve got kids who are outgrowing the cute designs, or you’re thinking ahead to the days that they will, I’m a stalwart fan of Built NY lunch bags, including their classic Gourmet Getaway neoprene lunch tote, which is a lunch bag with similar shape and construction as Dabbawalla, only with more sophisticated designs. They also happen to go on sale for as low as $14.99 on Amazon, in more than a dozen styles and colors. Neoprene is just so convenient and durable, so I recommend it highly for lunch bags, if you’re cool with a soft bag with less structure.

But also now make a 4.5-star rated water-resistant, insulated lunch box with shoulder strap in a more classic style, if you want some structure. I haven’t tried it, but the raves can’t be wrong.

Yay for good investments.