Back To School: Lunchbox 101
Ok, as I say every year, Yuck! I love spending summer with my kids. And, I’m always sad to see them go back to school.
With that said, preparing for back to school always centers around buying uniforms, school supplies and preparing for packed lunches. Last year I showed lots of cool lunch storage containers that can make packing what goes inside the lunchbox a breeze.
This year, I want to focus on the lunchbox itself. Between my two kids, they’ve had just about every type of lunchbox imaginable and there’s one that has come out the clear winner for my family.
Our favorite, by far, is something we stumbled upon last year, the PackIt. I had seen this product advertised on TV, and ever the skeptic, I didn’t order it. But, when my kids found a whole rack of PackIt lunch boxes in a store, I couldn’t resist their pleas and bought a couple. I justified this by figuring I saved some money on shipping.
The gist behind the PackIt is that you never need to use freezer cubes to keep lunch cool again. The freezing gel (for lack of a more scientific term) is actually in the walls of the lunchbox. So all you have to do is stick the whole lunch box flat in the freezer and pull it out when you need to pack it.
I have to say, this really is convenient; although, you will still need some freezer cubes handy for the days your kids forget to put their lunchbox in the freezer when they get home. The PackIt stayed cool right through lunch and would even be a little cool when my kids got home. One piece of advice, it’s best to lay the PackIt flat when it’s in the freezer, otherwise the gel freezes in weird formations that can interfere with the way things get packed the next day. The Packit comes in two different sizes; and we used both. After a full school year of daily use, I will say that the velcro started to wear out a little. But, that’s it. This was definitely the best lunchbox my kids have used so far.
As for the off-the-shelf lunchboxes you can find everywhere, we still keep those on hand because sometimes my kids like to be a little more “stylish” and a lot of them are really nice. I do have a few features that I look for in this type of lunchbox. First, the lunchbox has to have a large opening to fit all the different types of juice boxes etc. Second, it goes without saying, the interior has to be easy to wipe clean. And third, I always look for sturdy handles since I’ll often use a carabiner to attach lunchbox and backpack. As for personal preference, I do not like the tall lunchboxes with the separate compartment below. Unless you always keep something sturdy below, the lunchbox sags.
So, take some time to consider your back-to-school lunchbox purchase. It’s something you’ll have to deal with most every day for the next ten months.
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