The only truly plastic-free lunch box is a tiffin.

The best kids’ steel lunch boxes are PlanetBox and EcoLunchbox, but both use a little silicone for sealing. If you need zero plastic parts of any kind, you’re looking at a classic stainless steel tiffin.

PlanetBox and EcoLunchbox are the two names that actually deliver on “no plastic” in the way most parents mean it. Their bodies, lids, and closures are steel and magnets, with food-grade silicone seals or gaskets. Silicone is a rubber, not plastic, and it’s not going to leach anything into the food. These are also the ones designed for kids — compartments, easy openings, dishwasher-safe, durable enough to survive a desk drop.

Skip LunchBots and similar brands if the “no plastic” rule is strict. Their stainless containers are great, but the lids are usually plastic.

If you want a lunch box that’s literally 100% metal, get a stainless tiffin — the stackable Indian-style carrier with a metal latch. No rubber, no gaskets, nothing but steel. They’re awesome for keeping food separate and they last forever. The downside is they can leak a little and aren’t as tidy for a kid to open in class. But if “ent