Get a flat bento, not a lunch box

A slim insulated pouch or flat bento box is your best bet for a high schooler’s backpack. The classic rounded lunch box wastes space and gets crushed under textbooks. Go rectangular and low-profile.

For durability, skip anything with flimsy zippers or soft foil lining. Look for reinforced nylon or canvas exteriors, and a puncture-resistant inside liner. If you want something that will survive a semester of being shoved in a locker, stainless steel tiffins or hard plastic bento boxes are nearly indestructible. Brands like Bentgo or PlanetBox make flat versions that fit like a large tablet.

Packing matters too. Put the lunch pouch upright against the back panel of the backpack, not among the heavy books. A flat ice pack on top keeps things cold without adding bulk. And for the food itself, think vertical: stacked containers and wrap sandwiches instead of using tall Tupperware.

You don’t need a giant lunch bag. A slim pouch plus a flat bento takes up about the same space as one textbook, and that’s exactly what your kid’s backpack is built to hold.