15 Lunch Boxes That You'll Own Forever
And also because taking a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one to work isn't appropriate anymore.
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So here you are on the Internet again, trying to solve one of life's nagging but important questions.
You're an adult. You eat lunch. Often, you pack a lunch and take that lunch somewhere to store and, eventually, eat that lunch. You like eating that lunch. You sort of like packing that lunch, because, hey, look at you go, entrusting one of the meals you eat during the course of your day to yourself—not to some fast-food grease house.
But it's that middle part that's been bugging you: What the heck kind of lunch box does an adult carry?
When you were a kid, this was easy. The answer was clear: You carried a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunch box and only a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunch box. And if one of your parents bought you, by mistake, say, a Street Sharks lunch box, well then you let them have it.
But you can't carry a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunch box as an adult. Or, you could, but that's not really an adult look.
Don't worry. You're in good hands. Because like a good parent—a parent that actually listens to you for once—here are 15 lunch boxes (and bags!) designed to help you carry that lunch you so lovingly prepared for yourself until its time to relish in all its glory.
In your desperate search for answers, you may find other lists like this on the Internet. But this list is more like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and those lists are more like the Street Sharks.
WAAM Industries Waxed Canvas Lunch Bag
It sort of looks like a brown bag, but it's actually made of waxed canvas. If you're a ham-and-cheese kind of person, this is your no-frills bag.
By comparison, if you're more of a ham-and-cheese kind of person, but also with a heaping helping of coleslaw and potato salad and some leftover brisket and your work entails the use of a protective helmet, then this one is more your style.
And here's your middle road. It's a soft cooler with ample space for a satisfying lunch—and a buckle to ensure that no one makes it less so by pilfering from it.
Built IceHouse Cube Lunch Bag
Okay now this one has a little more style, which may or may not be your jam, but it's good to have options. Also interesting: The bag has three removable freezable gel packs on its various panels for greater cooling power.
Earth Hero 3-Tier Stainless Steel Tiffin
Meal prep to-go containers, the massive pieces of plastic that they are, are fridge space hogs. This setup operates on the same concept as those containers (different components of the meal go in different sections), but stacks them vertically to save space.
Carhartt Deluxe Dual Compartment Insulated Lunch Cooler Bag
This same company that makes your favorite overalls for farming also makes this soft-sided lunch box that can fit a full six-pack of beer. (Disclaimer: a six-pack of beer is not a nutritious lunch.)
Igloo Retro Limited Edition Playmate Mini 4 Qt Cooler
Remember that busted-up cooler your dad took on vacation after vacation? Igloo still makes it—or at least the throwback version. Buy one for Dad too.
Factory Entertainment Jaws Beach Closed Tin Tote
Dun dun. Dun dun. Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun DUUUUUUUUN.
You score two bags for one here, and they nest into one another for easy storage on the weekends.
You've used this kind of lunch bag before—cold storage on the bottom, not-so-cold storage on top. But the dimensions are larger than most, a substantial 10.2 x 7.9 x 11 inches.
Jaxx FitPak Insulated Cooler Lunch Box
And speaking of substantial, here's this beast, which store four two-cup containers, two one-cup containers, and one 28-ounce shaker bottle. Oh, and there's a vitamin case in there too, if you're a vitamin taker. A vitamin case!
Upper Order Durable Insulated Lunch Box
Here's an option if you need a lunch bag, but don't love the idea of a lunch bag. This thing looks like a piece of designer luggage.
Bright and Sweet Large Insulated Lunch Bag
And this one looks like something a bicycle messenger may sport. It's lightweight and durable so if you ARE a bicycle messenger you'll love it even more.
Here's your workhouse res-usable bag. Its shell is oxford cloth. Its insulation is EPE foam. And it's pretty nice to look at too.
Insulated on the inside. Looks like a paper bag on the outside. Clever, right?
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