Choosing lunch bags for kids that will keep food cold, work well with a lunch box, and be easy enough to open and carry is no small task. But this list has the best options to make it much easier for you to choose the best one for your kid’s lunch!
Lunch Bags for Kids
When I pack lunches for school or daycare, I use a kids lunch box and put it into an insulated lunch bag with a thin ice pack. This way, the food is contained and it’s packed in a way that easily stays cold.
And it’s easy to carry from the classroom to the lunch room as needed.
Since you want the school lunch or toddler lunch to stay cool for a few hours until lunchtime, using an insulated lunch bag is a great option.
That’s what I’ll mainly be focusing on here, though I do have a few reusable lunch bags that aren’t insulated at the bottom should you not need an insulated option.
(You may also like Bento Lunch Boxes, Water Bottles for Kids, Snack Containers for Kids, and Favorite Toddler Highchairs.)
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So Young Lunch Bags
We’ve had one of these eco-friendly (and easy to wipe clean) bags for years. It fits an Easy Lunchbox perfectly (with room for an ice pack) or an Omiebox. Or, you could do an Easy Lunchboxes Snack Box and a drink inside.
It has two handle options, comes in a wide range of cute designs, and is super durable.
TIP: You can remove the shoulder strap if the handle works better for your child. (That’s what we did.)
Skip Hop Lunch Bags
With the popular designs that every kid loves (my girls are fans of the ladybug and the owl, and I have the dog for the baby!), these insulated bags are easy to clean and to open and close.
They fit smaller lunch boxes like the Lunchbots Trio or the Easy Lunchboxes Snack Box, or a stack of smaller containers. These are great for preschool snacks or baby lunch boxes, too.
TIP: These are best for smaller lunch boxes or a smaller group of containers. (They won’t fit something like a Planetbox.)
Pottery Barn Kids Lunch Bags
So many moms swear by the vast selection of PB lunchboxes and I can see why. They come in 4 sizes, a crazy variety of designs, and they can be monogrammed with a child’s name.
Many have room for a drink, which can help kids keep track of their water bottles, and they have handy zipper pockets for storing silverware. Price:
TIP: Check the size of the bag against the size of any lunchbox you plan to put inside—though any would work with smaller containers or sandwich lunches.
Built NY Kids Lunch Bags
With super cute designs and easy-to-carry backpack straps, these lunch bags are a great option for packing small lunch boxes or separate components in smaller containers. They’re water resistant and easy to wipe clean.
Each has a top strap and a backpack strap for easy carrying. These fit smaller lunch boxes and kids thermos well.
Price: $16
TIP: This bag has a backpack-type strap, so would be a great choice for taking food to a playground/beach/trip/daycare, or for easily carrying to the cafeteria if school age.
OmieBag Lunch Bag
We have two of these and use them often for family trips and also kids lunches. They are somehow both large enough for bigger lunchboxes but also compact—the roll down top is very handy.
These also wash easily.
Bentgo Kids Insulated Bag
Available in a handful of seriously cute prints, these fit the Bentgo Kids lunch boxes or smaller ones from other brands. It even has a mesh bottle slot on the side of the bag and an interior zipper compartment—which is so handy for holding silverware!
Frequently Asked Questions
The best lunch box for kids is one that is durable, easy to clean, easy to open, and works for the style of food you like to pack. My favorites are the Easy Lunchboxes. You can see my kids lunch boxes for all of the info.
Pack their lunch in an insulated lunch box with a thin ice pack to keep the food cold and safe.
Most lunch bags can be washed in the washing machine or the dishwasher. Check the tag for information specific to the one you purchase. You can also just wipe them out with a sponge and air dry.
Easy Kids Lunch Ideas
I have so many lunchbox ideas and school lunch recipes on my website that you can explore. Or check out lunch wraps, pizza lunch ideas, pasta lunch ideas, bento lunch box ideas, and cold lunch ideas.
Top Rated Lunch Boxes
If you’re in need of a lunch box, check out my top lunchboxes for kids. I’ve tested a LOT of boxes over the years and find these to be the best for daycare lunches, toddler lunches, and school lunches. And my top kids thermos may help, too.
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I’d love to hear if you have a favorite lunch bag that didn’t make my list, so please share below in the comments!
This post was first posted June 2020.
Hi! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful content. Any suggestions about how to pack a separate morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack for a 2.5 year old? Not sure how to get it all into one insulated lunch bag.
You could use snack containers that stack together (like the Beaba Clip Containers) so the care provider could pull out one set for each snack. Or pack snack foods that don’t need to be refrigerated and can be sent in a separate small bag? Whether it fits into one insulated bag may depend on the size of all of the containers you’re using.
Hey there, the insulated lunch bags are the best choices to pack your kids food as they help to keep food fresh all the day long. I would like to recommend one can go for Mitz Accessories as they also have such wonderful collection of kids insulated lunch bags.
Could you recommend anything that is insulated and could hold an easy lunch box and 3 sippy cups? Our new daycare doesn’t have a fridge and I’ve been looking for a bag that will keep everything cold. Right now we have one that just barely does the job, but ends up a mess of milk and food at the end of the day.
Check these out:
This is big enough based on dimensions:
http://www.builtny.com/spicy-relish-lunch-tote
This is big enough based on dimensions:
http://www.rei.com/product/870748/rei-coolcube-personal-cooler#tab-specs
You may or may not be able to fit everything depending on the size of the cups, but it might work:
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/83540?feat=70705-pprrtop
This again would depend on the size of the cups:
http://www.landsend.com/products/print-classmate-soft-sided-lunch-box
Thank you!