Get the PlanetBox

The best non-plastic lunch box for kids is a stainless steel bento, and PlanetBox does it best.

Most “non-plastic” options have a catch: bamboo often has a plastic or glue lining, glass breaks when it hits the cafeteria floor, and silicone is only good for toddlers. Stainless steel is the one material that’s actually safe, actually durable, and actually washable. It won’t leach anything, it survives being thrown in a bag, and it doesn’t smell like last week’s grapes.

PlanetBox wins because they figured out the fun part that other steel lunch boxes ignore. The Lunchbox models have a magnetic, customizable exterior—your kid can swap the face plates and magnets to make it their own. The interior is all 304 food-grade stainless, divided into sections so you don’t need plastic wrappers for everything. The Rover even has a leakproof lid for yogurt or dips, which is rarer than you’d think in the steel world. They’re not cheap (around $70–100), but they hold up for years and survive multiple kids.

If you want a simpler, cheaper option, ECOlunchbox and LunchBots make solid non-leakproof steel bentos in the $30–50 range. They last a long time, but they’re plain. Kids outgrow their favorite cartoon pretty fast; they don’t outgrow liking to be in charge of the design.

Skip anything marketed as “eco-friendly” that still relies on plastic liners. Read the spec sheet, not the label. Steel is steel.

Your kid will have the coolest lunch in class, and you won’t be wondering what’s seeping into their food.