Our Favorite Lunch Box: PlanetBox Launch Review

 With the new school year starting, many people are out shopping for new lunch boxes. I remember doing this when Lucy first started preschool 2 years ago. I searched online for something that was cute, functional, sturdy, and safe.  All my research led me to PlanetBox.

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The PlanetBox Launch

Disclosure: PlanetBox kindly sent us a complete set of their Launch lunch packing system to try out. All opinions of total love for this product are solely my own! This post may also contain links to Amazon.

Two years ago I ordered Lucy a Rover lunchbox set from PlanetBox complete with a pink carrying case and some adorable rainforest magnets. (PlanetBox allows you to customize their stainless steel lunch boxes with a huge variety of magnets! How cool is that?!)  Can you believe that lunch box has lasted us two years of preschool and is still going strong? (And PlanetBox does offer a 5 year warranty which I love.)

The PlanetBox Rover

There was actually no need to even get another lunch box for this school year, but since Lucy will be attending school five days a week instead of three, I thought it might be handy to have a second lunch box. So I checked out PlanetBox’s website and saw they now offer a new lunch packing system called Launch. I was so thrilled when PlanetBox agreed to send me one for free in exchange for me providing my honest opinion about the product.

So Many Benefits

After trying out our Launch system, I was extremely pleased! Here are my favorite benefits shared by both the Launch and Rover lunch box system:

• These lunch boxes are made from stainless steel and are extremely sturdy. Our original lunch box has withstood being used for two years so far, being dropped numerous times (and who knows what else it’s been through at school). The stainless steel lunch box is also dishwasher safe! It has survived numerous dishwashings, even on the bottom rack!

• The lunchboxes close with a little metal latch. Lucy at age 3 had no problem opening and closing this on her own. And we’ve never had an issue with it accidentally popping open (which I LOVE because I’m thinking I’ve been saved from having to clean out many icky backpacks thanks to this awesome feature!)

• PlanetBox products are independently certified to be safe from lead, phthalates, and BPA.

• Both systems have individualized compartments. At first I simply loved this because it kept all the food nicely separated and in it’s own spot, but over the last few years I’ve learned having these separate compartments has encouraged me to pack healthy, balanced meals for Lucy. Packing these has helped me really see and think about what I’ve packed- it’s all just right out in front of you.

• Less waste! We really try to do our best to reduce the amount of waste we produce. (This can be hard, but luckily Lucy’s school is an Ocean Guardian School where the school community is actively participating in ways to protect our local oceans and watersheds.) One of the ways the students help is by being encouraged to use reusable lunch boxes instead of paperbags or baggies which contribute to waste. I love that no plastic baggies or plastic wrapped foods are necessary to pack lunches in these lunch boxes.

• Using these lunch boxes can help save money over time. The lunch boxes do cost more up front than most others, however in the long run, I’m able to save money over time. I know these are guaranteed to last at least 5 years, so that’s at least 5 years of not having to buy a new lunch box. I also don’t have to buy baggies and plastic food containers to store the food since it already has nice compartments.

• I love how you can personalize these lunch systems with the type and color of case and with the selection of magnets you can use to decorate the outside. I know starting off the school year with something new and different can be exciting for kids, so at the start of the year we let Lucy pick a new magnet set for her lunchbox.

• The carrying cases are very nice too! Both carrying cases have nice pockets to store things like these reusable cloth napkins I made for Lucy.

There’s pockets in the carrying case for things like napkins and utensils.

Packing Lunches

And it’s also tons of fun packing them! Have you seen all those super cute ideas for packing bento-type lunches? They totally work with these! I don’t really have much time to make Lucy super fancy lunches, but sometimes I’ll put a little extra effort into the cuteness department around the holidays.

And to help make packing lunches fun and simple, PlanetBox has a meal planning app.  I’m having so much fun with it. It helps you create lunches for the week with a visual planning system and even allows you to share your meal ideas with others. It’s a great resource!

Which One to Buy

So it’s pretty obvious we are in love with both our PlanetBoxes! They both have the same benefits, although there are a couple differences. The Rover actually holds less food than the Launch and has more compartments that are smaller. This makes the Rover more suitable for Lucy’s needs as a younger student. She’s not eating huge portions of food, and I can give her more variety in the Rover. This is not to say we never use the Launch, but I usually go for the Rover most often. If your child is older, the Launch system might suit them better. There’s fewer compartments, but they are deeper and can hold larger quantities of food.

Here’s a side-by-side view of similar lunches in both the Rover (left) and Launch (right) to give you a comparison of the size.

Where to Find PlanetBox

This is definitely one of my favorite purchases in the past and I’m also loving the new one sent to me by PlanetBox.  PlanetBox is definitely worth a look next time your in the market for a new lunch box for your family. They have a Facebook Page you can visit if you have any questions or to read rave reviews from PlanetBox owners. You can buy PlanetBox Lunch Systems on the PlanetBox website or on Amazon.com.