Compartment lunch boxes, also known as bento boxes, are extremely popular thanks to their convenience, ease of use and leak-proof design. They are ideal for school kids and they help parents separate snacks and portion food out for their little ones.
Munchbox and Yumbox are two of the leading brands of Bento style lunch boxes. These lunch boxes are kid-friendly, come in bright colours and are reusable. We love them and it’s no wonder their popularity has been increasing over the years.
The biggest challenge is choosing between them but this side by side comparison takes a look at the key similarities and differences so you can figure out which one is the best fit for your family.
Popular Yumbox and Munchbox products
Yumbox Panino 4 Compartment Lunch Box
Munchbox Maxi 6 Bento Box
Key similarities
Child-friendly latch
Both of these bento boxes are made with kids in mind. They have a safe, child-friendly latch that means parents can pack the food in securely and kids are able to open the lunchbox themselves when at school. The latch is made to be opened by little fingers and it is robust enough to last a good amount of use too.
As well as the easy to open latch, the lid stays attached to the lunch box even when open. This means parents don’t need to worry about the lid getting lost during the school day. These simple features make using these lunch boxes is easy whether your child is a 5 year old or a 9 year old.
Leak-Proof
One of the pros of these lunchboxes is the ability to pack a range of food and snacks inside without it leaking. Although both are advertised as “leak proof”, they recommend wet food such as dips are placed inside but not liquids.
The compartments keep the food separate so you can pack yoghurt, dips etc. in without worrying about the food leaking out of the box or between compartments. This is great for variety and is one of the big pros of these boxes. Neither can be used for liquids as they are unable to keep them contained so if you would like to include a drink of some kind, it needs to be stored separately in a sealed container or bottle.
Lightweight and Compact
One of the many things we like about these lunchboxes is how compact they are. Kids can easily hold and carry them and put them into their school bags. They won’t weigh down their bag much and won’t take up too much room either. Despite being compact, the internal compartments make sure each lunch box can fit enough food in healthy portion sizes.
Pre-Portioned Tray
The Yumbox and Munch box both help to encourage a balanced diet through portion-controlled trays. The pre-portioned tray helps to keep the foods separate so there’s no leaking between the compartments and no soggy sandwiches or squashed fruit.
These illustrated trays can also help to teach youngsters about different food groups and the importance of eating healthily. Another bonus is that the tray can be removed and placed into the dishwasher after use (all Yumbox versions and the Munchbox Maxi 6 and Mini 4 are dishwasher safe. )
Safe & Non-Toxic Materials
Each of the lunch boxes from both brands is made with a ABS outer box, a Tritan tray and a Silicone seal. These materials are both eco-friendly and food safe so parents love using these new lunchboxes without worrying about whether it is safe or good quality. Both brands pride themselves on being kind to the planet and creating lunch boxes that are BPA-free and Phthalate-free.
Not Insulated
These kids lunchbox options are not insulated so any hot foods should be placed in at room temperature. Placing hot foods inside the lunchbox can cause leaking, damage and deterioration of the silicone seal. The box is not a cooler either so you can’t place ice cream or cold foods inside and expect it to stay at that temperature for any length of time.
Most lunchbox products for kids are not insulated but the box can be placed into a cooler bag if you want to help keep the lunch cool on those very hot days.
1 year warranty
These bento style boxes come with a 1 year warranty and are designed to be high quality. They should be able to withstand children, school life and many uses. When you buy a new reusable lunch box you expect it to last at least a year and the warranty helps to give you that peace of mind.
Key differences
Price
At the time of writing, the Yumbox original will set you back $39.95 while the Munchbox costs $64.95. This is quite a price difference considering the small number of physical differences seen between the two products.
Size
The Munchbox is larger but the difference is only slight. The Munchbox is 22cm x 16cm x 6cm compared to the Yumbox’s 21.5cm x 15.5cm x 5cm. You will be able to get a little bit more food in if you buy the larger box but don’t expect drastically different results.
Easy to Clean
One of the key factors of a kids lunch box is whether or not it is easy to clean. It’s best to get a dishwasher safe option for easy cleaning.
The Yumbox lunch box is dishwasher safe, the removable tray simply pops out and can go onto the top tray in a dishwasher. The newer models of the Munchbox are dishwasher safe but the older products are handwash only. It’s important to check which product you have before putting the lunchbox tray into the dishwasher.
Age Range
Both lunchbox options are great for kids. However, Munchbox may be the better option for older children. It offers slightly more capacity to fit more food. They also offer a good variety of trays to suit different dietary needs and portion sizes. The Munchbox website says their boxes are suitable for kids and adults.
The Yumbox is best for toddlers up to around 10 years but they do offer a larger, Yumbox Tapas box that is suitable for older teens and adults.
Interchangeable Tray Inserts
As mentioned above, there are interchangeable trays available for the Munchbox lunch boxes. There are actually 5 tray options so you can select the ones that offer the appropriate portion sizes and meal types for your family.
It should be noted that extra trays are not cheap at $24.95 each. Different versions of the bento box suit different inserts but the Munchbox Maxi6 can be used with any of the lunchbox inserts. The customer service information states that using an incorrect tray will void the warranty of the lunch box so keep this in mind too.
Making your selection
Munchbox and Yumbox offer very similar lunch boxes. They share many of the same features but depending on the age of your child and the intended use of the box there are a couple of differences that may sway your decision.
If your child is older or has a bigger appetite, we would recommend the Munchbox. The Munchbox is slightly larger and offers more tray insert options for portioning versatility but it does cost more (which is one of the biggest cons of the product).
With that said, if you are buying a lunch box for a young child and you are looking for an affordable option that has bright colours, great capacity and would be perfect for school then the Yumbox is fantastic. It’s built to last and is $25 cheaper, so there’s not much to complain about with this bento lunch box.
Yumbox Panino 4 Compartment Lunch Box