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A bento box packed lunch

Best bento boxes to take out for delicious lunches

Published: August 28, 2024 at 2:27 PM

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Pack a filling lunch in a bento box, full of handy compartments to keep your snacks separated. Discover our best buys plus plenty of recipe inspiration too

In need of some packed lunch inspiration? If you're headed back into work or school, bento boxes make packing a filling lunch easy. These Japanese-inspired lunchboxes are separated into compartments, making sure your snacks stay separate. They're a lot less bulky than individual bags and boxes, too.

We've picked out some of our favourite bento boxes available for delivery in the UK. They're versatile enough to work for kids and adults, in a variety of designs and colours. Most are easy to clean and some are even microwaveable. Some of our choices even come with cutlery.

Looking to fill up your bento box with a hearty packed lunch? Discover our top 50 easy lunch ideas for the ultimate inspiration, or fill up on nutritious picks with our healthy lunch ideas for work. See our lunchbox recipes for wraps, salads and sandwiches. If you're looking to stay traditional with bento box ideas, see our Japanese-inspired recipes for dishes like miso ramen, okonomiyaki and sushi.

For more like this, head to our reviews section for over 400 reviews and gift guides, including round-ups of the best lunch boxes, best water bottles and best picnic rucksacks for transporting your carefully packed feast in summer.

Best bento boxes to buy at a glance

Best bento boxes to buy 2024

Black + Blum bento box

Black + Blum Bento Box against a white background

Best blow-out bento box

Pros:

Cons:

Stainless steel is a lightweight and durable choice for lunch on the go that's dishwasher-safe and plastic-free. This box's first airtight (and leakproof) lid doubles as a chopping board there's a hidden cutlery compartment beneath it. We love the adaptability of the movable stainless steel divider inside the second box, perfect for different dishes. If you don't need both compartments, just leave one at home as its elasticated strap will do the same job at keeping everything together.

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Mepal bento lunch box

Mepal_bento_box-removebg-preview

Best versatile bento box

Pros:

Cons:

In pretty sage green, this versatile bento box has plenty of compartments to keep food separate and use for a variety of lunches. There's a small box with separate lid, plus two removable compartments to keep elements apart so they don't go soggy or get squashed together. The whole box is microwave safe for hot lunches and dishwasher safe for easy clean up.

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Sistema to go bento lunch box

Sistema bento box

Best budget bento box

Pros:

Cons:

For a simple option, this Sistema bento box is a wallet-friendly, practical choice. It has an easy locking clip to secure the box closed and inside are several removable compartments that would be easily customisable to suit your lunch needs. This box is also notable for it's lidded yogurt pot included, great for breakfasts too. Four colours are available, although Argos does not give the option to choose which you'll receive when ordering.

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Munchkin kids bento box

Munchkins bento box

Best colourful bento box

Pros:

Cons:

Brighten up lunchtimes with this rainbow bento box, ideal for packing kids lunches. Inside are five compartments that are perfect for smaller amounts of food, plus stainless steel toddler-friendly utensils that fix into the inside lid. The box has a handle for easy carrying on the way to school, plus is all dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning at the end of the day.

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Jungley personalised bento box

Personalised bento box

Best bento box for personalisation

Pros:

Cons:

Make sure your lunch is always safe in the office fridge with this simple, minimalist bento box. You can add a name or initials (up to 12 characters) along the fabric strap that holds the box and included cutlery (a three-in-one knife, fork and spoon) together. The box has an airtight seal to keep food fresh and removable divider inside to create two separate sections. Five neutral colourways are available, including black, blue and grey.

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Mochi Mart eco-friendly bento box

Mochi Mart Eco friendly bento box

Best eco-friendly bento box

Pros:

Cons:

If you're concerned about bento boxes being full of plastic, opt for this sustainable option made from wheat straw, a low-impact and compostable alternative to plastic. The box has three layers and a movable divider to keep all your elements separate (or remove the dividers and layers to use the 900ml capacity in its entirety), plus a wooden fork and spoon. The set is available in three pastel colours and is dishwasher- and microwave-safe.

Available from:
Not on the High Street (£19.95)

Monbento original bento box

Monbento

Best for big lunches

Pros:

Cons:

Monbento specialises in sturdy, well-made bento boxes, so this investment is sure to last a lifetime. We love the original line, available in a wide range of colours and styles. It's BPA free, made with high-quality PBT and completely airtight due to an internal lid fitted with a hinge. The two tiers are open compartments, better suited for large adult-sized portions. It's microwave safe, dishwasher safe and fully recyclable, too.

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Umami premium bento box

Umami bento box

Best accessorised bento box

Pros:

Cons:

Looking to go all out on a deluxe bento box? This gorgeous option from Umami comes with all the bells and whistles. The two-tiered box comes with clever adjustable dividers to fit whatever you happen to pack that day, plus it comes with a screw-cap jar for sauces and sides. A full cutlery set is included, all of which lock into place. The sleek, black box is topped off with a natural bamboo lid for a stylish finish.

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Bibury bento box

Bibury bento box

Best kid's bento box

Pros:

Cons:

Kids are sure to love this colourful bento box from Bibury. This one is unique in that the inner tray can be removed and cleaned separately, or used to mix the components of your lunch together. Cutlery is included in the lid, plus it's microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe. This durable lunchbox is made from food-grade PP material, BPA-free and it's non-toxic.

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Lunchbox recipes

Lunchbox recipes
Healthy lunchboxes for adults
Top 10 lunchbox ideas

Enjoyed these bento boxes? See more inspiration...

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