Lets Talk Laptop Lunch boxes!

[Staraglimmer]

What did you buy? The bento is a given, but what about the bento buddies or the carying bag?

Can you fit the bento into a regular lunch box?

Is this thing really woorth the money?

What makes you love it?

Thanks in Advance!

[KrisM]

We have the bento and the buddies. We also have the carrying case.

I really like it. I makes me think about lunch a bit more. I normally don't use the lids, unless I'm sending apple sauce or yogurt or something liquidy like that. With only 20 minutes for lunch, I like that it's all out and in front of DS1 when he opens his lunch box. There's no open box 1 eat box 1, open box 2 eat box 2, going on.

I have read it fits into other lunch cases, but haven't tried. I wish I didn't have the carrying case that it comes with because it's limiting. It holds the bento and the drink and that's it. We have another lunch case that's bigger so I can send a Thermos some times.

I don't really like the drink container either, as it's tall and narrow and I find it difficult to clean.

I wish the containers were a bit more interchangeable. For example, the big square in the buddies set takes up the space of 2 large rectangles. But, the large rectangle does not fit where 2 small rectangles go. So, I can't send 3 large rectangles, for example. They aren't quite like unit blocks :).

But, I plan on getting another next year for DD, as I do overall like how it works.

[MelissaTC]

We had a laptop lunch system and M was not a fan. It was hard for him to open some of the container lids (I know other people have not had this issue). I recently bought him the easy lunch box system and he and DH are loving it. http://www.easylunchboxes.com/ You can get a lot in the lunchbox and the container holds a bunch. M likes it because he only has to worry about one lid and one container and it is big enough not to accidentally go in the trash. DH has been using the containers for lunch as well.

[wellyes]

Do you want it for a kid or yourself? For a kid, I think it'd be fun. For yourself..... I bought it but ended up almost never using it. I felt constricted by the little packages.

Not that you have to be, there are truly endless variations of possible lunches - for ideas, see http://www.flickr.com/groups/laptop_lunches/pool/

[hillview]

We have the system and LOVE it. Used it for 2 years now. I put it in the LL bean critters lunchbox and it will fit the whole laptop lunch hard case (with the little boxes inside it) plus a cold pack and a milk box and yogurt stick. I like it because it makes packing easy (fruit, veg, carb, protein) and because it doesn't waste materials. It has held up really well. It goes through the top rack of the dishwasher fine we also often hand wash.

I LOVE it.

When DS1 was 3 he couldn't open the hard case himself. He is 4 and he can now.
/hillary

[KrisM]

I put it in the LL bean critters lunchbox and it will fit the whole laptop lunch hard case (with the little boxes inside it) plus a cold pack and a milk box and yogurt stick.

Can you link to this? I just see regular lunchboxes. Is it the same size?

[egoldber]

I don't see the Critters lunchbox on the website right now. They match their critters line of backpacks, which I also don't see at the moment. The critters lunchbox is a bit bigger than their standard lunch bag.

But we have always just used a variety of small containers to pack lunches in. I've never understood why the laptop lunch is better than that.

[KrisM]

I don't see the Critters lunchbox on the website right now. They match their critters line of backpacks, which I also don't see at the moment. The critters lunchbox is a bit bigger than their standard lunch bag.

But we have always just used a variety of small containers to pack lunches in. I've never understood why the laptop lunch is better than that.

Thanks. I'll keep checking and maybe it'll be back in the summer.

For us, when I see the kids at school eat, they open one container and eat what in it and then open the next and so on. This might mean they only eat the fruit and snack and then run out of time or decide they're full. I don't use the covers often, so when he opens it all the food is there and I find he eats a lot more than other kids. Now, maybe he'd do the same with smaller containers, but I'm not sure. I just like that he sees it all at the same time.

[mom2224]

Can you link to this? I just see regular lunchboxes. Is it the same size?

Here you go-

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/58263?from=SR&feat=sr


We love out Critter lunch box and matching backpack.

[WatchingThemGrow]

But we have always just used a variety of small containers to pack lunches in. I've never understood why the laptop lunch is better than that.
For us, when we eat lunch out, I'm opening one laptop for each big kid, then moving on to the baby. Yesterday, I took several small ziplocs and it just about drove me crazy. First I had to arrange something for them to eat ON, then open 3-4 little bags, then the next kid's napkin, then 3-4 little bags. It was 10 fidgety things instead of 2 laptops to pop open.

Same thing for when I was teaching K. "Setting up" to eat can take so long that kids miss out on eating items b/c they had to wait to get something opened or don't have the dexterity to get certain containers open. It works for us.

By the way, OP, you'll notice there are regular LL and LL 2.0. ReusableBags.com has the original style. I need to order at least one more since we'd like our stuff to be interchangeable. Oh, and maybe one for a spare.

[egoldber]

Huh. I hope they are just on sale and not being discontinued! Although that is a seriously good price for both the lunchbox and the backpack!

And I use small reusable plastic containers, so there isn't a need for them to eat on anything, they just eat out of the containers. I dunno, I've eaten with the kids at school and they seem to do fine. But like anything else, it varies by kid. :)

[hillview]

Can you link to this? I just see regular lunchboxes. Is it the same size?
It is a little larger.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/58263?page=critter-lunch-box
/hillary

[KrisM]

Huh. I hope they are just on sale and not being discontinued! Although that is a seriously good price for both the lunchbox and the backpack!

And I use small reusable plastic containers, so there isn't a need for them to eat on anything, they just eat out of the containers. I dunno, I've eaten with the kids at school and they seem to do fine. But like anything else, it varies by kid. :)

I think I'll be ordering something when they're this cheap. Do you know if a Funtainer fits too? I can measure, but thought I'd ask. I send mac n cheese sometimes.

DS1 likes to put his on the lunch table. I'm not sure if he'd just hold it if was just smaller containers. When I'm there I open a lot of containers for the kindergarteners. I was there last week and there are still a lot of kids who can't open the parts of their lunch.

[egoldber]

Oh yes, I'm always very careful to send in containers that she can open. I have a whole system. ;) But now that she's older it's less of an issue. And my younger DD can open child proof caps, so that's a whole other problem. :p

I love these containers:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=15985453&RN=204

But really, my only point was that you can still do the whole modular lunch thing without investing in a system if you don't want to. If it works and you have one, great. Personally, I am too cheap for the laptop lunch. ;)

Not to mention about half the time older DD forgets her lunch bag at school, so I'd need at least 3 of them, if not 4 because sometimes younger DD's bag does not come home either. Sigh. But that's probably a post for the BP.

[caleymama]

We had a laptop lunch system and M was not a fan. It was hard for him to open some of the container lids (I know other people have not had this issue). I recently bought him the easy lunch box system and he and DH are loving it. http://www.easylunchboxes.com/ You can get a lot in the lunchbox and the container holds a bunch. M likes it because he only has to worry about one lid and one container and it is big enough not to accidentally go in the trash. DH has been using the containers for lunch as well.

We have 2 sets of laptop lunches and more often use something similar to the above. It's a ziploc brand container with three compartments. It holds plenty for either DD and is not nearly as fussy as the LL. It's the Ziploc Divided Rectangle (http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/ContainersSmartSnapSeal.aspx?SizeName=Divided%20Re ctangle). The girls do okay with the LLs but I got really tired of washing all the parts every day really quickly, especially this year now that DD2 is taking lunches too.

I have the LL Bean critter lunchboxes b/c they fit the LL and they also fit the Ziploc container. I usually pack a 12oz Klean Kanteen or rubbermaid juice box, ice pack, and untensil(s) and it all fits fine.