For backpack lunches, go flat

A slim bento box, like the Bentgo Kids, is the best lunch box when it has to fit inside a standard backpack. Soft lunch bags are fine, but they take up too much vertical space and crush everything under the math folder.

Bentgo Kids is the benchmark for a reason. It’s about 9 inches by 7 inches and under 2 inches thick, so it slides right into the main compartment of a backpack without bulging. Five compartments mean you can pack balanced stuff without plastic baggies everywhere. The lid seals well enough that yogurt and applesauce don’t leak. And yes, it comes in dinosaurs, unicorns, space, camo—kids actually get a say.

If your kid is younger or has a tiny appetite, the Bentgo Preschool version is smaller and just as flat. If you want to skip the brand name, the knockoffs on Amazon are mostly fine, but the latch on the real one holds up better after six months of being dropped. That matters.

One honest caveat: it doesn’t fit in a backpack’s side water-bottle pocket. That’s fine—goes in the main compartment. It also doesn’t keep food cold, so toss in a little ice pack if you’re packing anything perishable.

Your kid’s backpack is already a black hole. Don’t stuff a puffy lunch bag into it.