Sistema beats the cute lunch boxes

The best budget-friendly lunch boxes under $15 are the Sistema Bento and the Rubbermaid Brilliance containers, with a Thermos stainless steel food jar as the smarter pick if you want hot food.

Sistema’s bento boxes run about $10–12 and hit the sweet spot. They’re BPA-free polypropylene, the hinge is one solid piece so nothing gets lost, and they handle the dishwasher plus the bottom of a work