The 9 Best Bento Boxes to Buy for Easy Meal Storage, Expert-Tested

Best Overall: Bentoheaven Deluxe Bento Lunch Box

4.7

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Bento box purists will love this classic-designed box. Sleek and minimalist, it is composed of two tiers held together with a thick elastic band; one tier has an adjustable divider, and a lidded container for sauces or smaller food items like berries or crackers. Our tester noted that its compact shape is surprisingly roomy, giving you plenty of room for a traditional bento lunch of rice and meat, a side of vegetables, and even a sweet treat.

Each layer's lid has a gasket around the edges, ensuring the tiers are entirely leakproof. The lids also feature a vent to allow hot air to release during reheating in the microwave. Our tester found that the tight-fitting lids were a little difficult to open, so this set would be best for teens and adults with better grip strength.

To clean, this box can be run through the dishwasher on the top rack. Made of thick, recyclable polypropylene, they are very sturdy and showed no dings or scratches after several uses. This bento box is available in several colors and also comes with a full set of utensils—a fork, knife, spoon, and set of mini chopsticks.

Materials: 100% recyclable BPA-free plastic, silicone | Compartments: 2-3 with a sauce container | Size: 40 ounces

Best for Kids: Bentgo Children's Lunch Box

4.8

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Kids will love this colorful bento box. It has five compartments that are portioned for a child’s appetite​ and is designed for kids aged three to seven, but it would also make a great snack container for adults.

This bento box has rubber-coated edges and internal hinges that help make it drop-proof and sturdy enough for the most active kids. The box is leakproof and has two kid-friendly latches that make it easy for small hands to open and close. Our tester packed lunch for their son in the Bentgo box for a week and was thrilled to find that nothing leaked at any point.

The removable compartment tray is microwave- and dishwasher-safe, while the outer shell should be hand washed to preserve the seal. This includes a booklet with 30 kid-friendly recipes and meal ideas. It's available in green, purple, or blue, and there are also options with bright colors and multiple fun prints to suit any taste.

Materials: BPA-free plastic | Compartments: 5 | Size: 20 ounces

Best With Utensils: Grub2Go The Original Japanese Bento Box

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Fully equipped with a set of utensils, this bento box can travel to work or a picnic with ease. It has two generous compartments that can be modified with the two adjustable (and removable) dividers, great for keeping side dishes separated or sectioning fruits away from more savory foods. Also included is a small lidded container for sauce or dressing.

Our tester liked how snug the lids are on the leakproof tiers, but felt that young children would have a hard time opening these boxes. She also noted that the dividers will not prevent liquids from running into other compartments within the main container, so you'll want to take extra care if you're packing multiple sections of sauce or soft foods like yogurt or pudding. This model holds a fair amount of food already, but an upgraded larger model is available (found on Amazon) for those with heartier appetites.

You can warm up your food by reheating in the microwave (open the vents to let hot air escape while heating). When you're done with it, cleaning this bento box is easy—it's top-rack dishwasher safe, and can be run through a cycle with no worry of damaging the sturdy plastic construction.

Materials: BPA-free plastic | Compartments: 2-4 | Size: 40 ounces

Best Stainless: Ecolunchbox Three-in-One Classic Bento Box

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This stainless steel bento box has two stacking tiers plus a lidded snack pod that can keep your sweet treats from decorating your salad. It's a smaller bento box than most of the other models we tested, but it's big enough to hold a sandwich, side, and snack—perfect for a kid's lunchbox. This style of bento box is not leakproof, so you won't want to use this for anything that has sauce or liquid.

Our tester filled this lunchbox with a sandwich, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and cherry tomatoes, and used the snack pod for a serving of berries. The durable stainless construction kept the sandwich from being crushed when the box was jostled around in a bag during transport. Since it’s made entirely from stainless steel, this bento box can't be used in the microwave, so it's best suited for meals that are eaten cold or at room temperature.

The latches are easy enough for kids to use but latch securely, so the box will stay closed until it’s time for lunch. If this bento box isn’t big enough, the giant version holds a whopping 8 cups of food (found on Amazon), so it’s great for folks with big appetites, for carrying fluffy foods like green salads, or for sharing. This model can be run through the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

Materials: Stainless steel | Compartments: 2-3 | Size: 32 ounces

Best for Salads: Bentgo Salad BPA-Free Lunch Container

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If you find yourself frequently packing salads to go, this bento box is uniquely designed for such a task. It features a large, 6.75-cup bottom container for greens, three upper compartments (one 10-ounce and two 5-ounce) for chopped vegetables, croutons, or whatever salad toppings your heart desires.  It also includes a lidded container that nestles in the center section to hold salad dressing, so you can add it when you're ready to eat.

Our tester packed a hefty amount of greens into the bottom section, and loaded the top compartments with all of the ingredients for a Greek salad—vegetables stayed separate from the feta and kalamata olives, and the dressing stayed put without leaking. When it came time to eat, it was easy to top and dress the salad, and the included fork (stored in the lid) was comfortable to use, spearing greens, olives, and cherry tomatoes easily.

This is top-rack dishwasher safe, which makes it a cinch to clean up any oily residue left behind by salad dressing. Available in a variety of colors, it's a great choice for anyone who wants to make salads a regular part of their lunch routine.

Materials: BPA-free plastic and silicone | Compartments: 5 | Size: 77 ounces

Best Slim Design: Modetro Ultra Slim Leak Proof Bento Lunchbox

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While classic design bento boxes are typically multi-tiered, this modern bento box features a slim design in a single layer. It has three compartments—one large 14-ounce section and two smaller 7-ounce sections. This is a smaller capacity than some other bento boxes we tested, but it is large enough to hold a decent sized entree, a side, and a bit of dessert. Since the compartments won't leak into each other, you can put soup or salsa in one section without worrying it will seep into the other foods.

Another fantastic feature is the ability to keep foods cold—just put the lunchbox body into the freezer overnight, and pack your cold lunch in the morning. The included carrying case will help further insulate your meal. To heat, you can put the tray (minus the lid) into the microwave for warming. One drawback to the design is that its shallow height doesn't allow for tall foods, like a multi-layered lasagna, but our tester liked the slim design for tucking into a work bag or briefcase. 

All in all, it's a sturdily built lunchbox that also looks grown up. Cleaning it is easy—it's top-rack dishwasher safe, perfect for getting rid of any greasiness or stickiness left behind by food.

Materials: BPA-free plastic (bento), 100 percent polyester (bag) | Compartments: 3 | Size: 28 ounces

Best Budget: Jeopace Bento Box

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This single-layer bento box has three compartments—one main section for an entree and two smaller sections for sides or dessert. This was large enough for an adult portion of spaghetti and meatballs, a hunk of garlic bread, and a serving of vegetables, but it would also lend itself well to a sandwich, veggie sticks, and a serving of fruit.

Our tester loved the simplicity of its design—the box is leakproof and easy to open and close making it a great choice for kids' lunches. However, it isn't leakproof between compartments, so if you have sauce or dressing, you'll want to pack it separately to prevent seepage. This model includes a fork, but our tester found it to be quite small and uncomfortable for an adult to hold, so you may want to invest in a full-sized silverware set instead.

This set is top-rack dishwasher safe, but hand washing is recommended to avoid warping the lid. The bento box holds about 38 ounces, so there’s plenty of space for lunch or dinner, making it a versatile box for kids and adults alike.

Materials: BPA-free biodegradable wheat straw plastic | Compartments: 3 | Size: 30 ounces

Best High-End: monbento MB Original Bento Lunch Box

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Monbento has been making these incredibly attractive, French-designed, luxe bento boxes since 2009. Each classic bento box is streamlined with a minimal look and feel but exudes softness with delicately rounded edges, a comforting color palette, and a BPA-free plastic that's soft to the touch.

Each bento box is constructed with two equally sized boxes, each with its own airtight lid, and a small food cup that fits into either box (great for berries, crackers, garnishes, or sauce packets). Our tester liked its slim design and slightly rubberized exterior, making it easy to hold and transport. It is shallower than some other styles, but easily held a traditional bento meal of tonkatsu and rice, a shredded cabbage salad, and tamagoyaki. The lids have a pull tab to open the vents which let hot air escape during reheating in the microwave.

While this box doesn't come with utensils, there is some space to store a coordinating Monbento cutlery set (available on Amazon) right under the lid. This bento box is dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe to make transporting and reheating your food a breeze, as well as cleanup when you're finished. Previous versions of this lunchbox included dividers, but they have been replaced with the small food cup. Monbento also offers a variety of food containers for both liquid and solid foods, all to match the elegant designs of the classic bento lunch box.

Materials: BPA-free plastic | Compartments: 2 | Size: 34 ounces