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Yeti

Best overall lunch box

Carhartt Deluxe Lunch Cooler Bag

It doesn't get better than this. For a job site, fishing trip, or day hike, nothing's as good as this insulated box from Carhartt. There's space lunch, snacks, and a couple post-work drinks. Plus, it's insulated, so ice or an ice pack won't melt over the course of a day.

Best Personal Cooler

Pelican Elite 8 Quart Personal Cooler

For something more robust and temperature regulating, Pelican makes an amazing little personal cooler. Easy to carry and the perfect size for a couple of drinks, lunch, and a snack. The thing it has on all the other options on this list is ice retention. Like any rotomolded cooler, this thing will keep consistent temperatures for days on end.

Best Packable Lunchbox

Lunch Box

With Yeti, you get one of the most impenetrable lunch boxes around, with intensely strong insulating layers, a leak-proof zipper, a water-resistant outer—all look sleek in its tough-as-nails form. It's got space for five 12-ounce cans, which translates to plenty of volume for your daily lunch. Plus, it's slim enough to toss into a larger bag.

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Best Old-School Lunchbox

Stanley Classic Lunch Box, 5.5-Quart

Tap in to that lunch pail mentality with Stanley's classic steel box. Hold on, like the big water cup people? Yes, before the company had teenagers and adults fighting each other of big gulps at Target, it made the perfect lunch box.

It's nothing special. Five-and-a-half quarts will hold a standard sized lunch, but that tough steel build will last for the rest of your life. This is an heirloom lunch box

Best Bento Box

monbento Leakproof Bento Box

If you want to put your cooked food directly into a lunch box sans plastic wrap or Ziploc, a bento box is the way to go, but you need a good leakproof one. This bento box is leakproof, with two layers and several compartments within that you can use as separate bowls. All layers are separated by lids but held together with a strap in an airtight, leakproof silicone seal. It can carry plenty of food and probably an ice pack, if you need it.

Best waxed canvas lunch box

ASEBBO Insulated Waxed Canvas Lunch Bag

Now 30% Off

When in doubt, brown-paper-bag it. Or rather, brown-waxed-canvas-bag it. This 10-liter lunch sack is good for use after use, especially since it comes with a nice tote-like handle and a shoulder strap that resolve the biggest hassle of paper-bagging-it—no comfortable means of carrying. Better yet, it's remarkably easy to clean—and waterproof—thanks to the wax finish, and will keep the content insulated for a long while.

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Best Packing Lunch Box

REI Co-op Pack-Away 6

If you're short on storage space, this personal cooler lays completely flat when you're not using it. Then, thanks to a nifty little side clip system, it pops up to a surprisingly sturdy lunch box.

Most convenient lunch box

W&P Porter Lunch Box

W&P's Porter comes with a handy divider as well as a removable tray to make sure your contents won't be cross-contaminated. Then, a nice snap-strap seal will put an end to sauce leakage.

Most classic lunch box

Herschel Supply Co. Pop Quiz Insulated Lunch Box

When it doubt—especially in the style front—go for Herschel, the can't-go-wrong brand for any timeless, classic accessories, like its Pop Quiz lunch box. It makes lunch time feel cooler with insulation, and look cooler with that trademark emblem. It has only one compartment within, so the freedom to arrange your food is yours.

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The versatile lunch box

Bellroy Cooler Caddy

If a sack will more than do the job for your lunch, Bellroy makes a great cooler sack with a grab handle, and can be squished down for easy packing. You could even call the cooler caddy stylish—it stays to the trend of half-moon, lunar shapes in handbags. Otherwise, it's damn useful with insulation and even a built-in bottle opener, since you probably won't mind a beer for lunch at work or wherever.

Best small lunch box

Igloo Modern Lunch Box

This one's for those who don't want to keep their lunch box under the radar. Nothing's wrong with that. Igloo, the OG cooler brand, sells a delightfully out-there—courtesy of the logo—yet old-school option that's also crush-proof. It takes to the smaller side, only holding up to four cans, but still enough for a decent lunch.

Best budget lunch box

L.L.Bean Flip-Top Lunch Box

This is your basic, budget lunch box, made by L.L.Bean. In a rugged form that can take a beating, it won't look out of place next to your briefcase in your workplace or hanging off your shoulder from the included strap. It has 6 liters of storage space, a mesh pocket within, and a storage lid that holds smaller bites or drinks.

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Best Meal Prep Containers

Reli. Meal Prep Containers - 45 Pack

Sure, it's not a lunch box, but the little take out meal prep containers are perfect if you just work a normal desk job. They're pretty leak resistant, and will fit in most work bags. Plus, if you eat enough takeout from the same place, you can amass a matching set for free.

Best Fashion Lunch Box

Modern Picnic The Luncher

If you want something more femme, more fashion-y—or are buying for someone who would—Modern Picnic makes a sneaky good looking lunch bag. They're designed to look like handbags but have some decent insulation on the interior. And, they're pretty roomy.

best sandwich lunch box

Onyx Two-Layer Sandwich Box Set

Lunch never need be more complicated than a really good sandwich—and we strongly advise against putting it in a Ziploc. You're a grown ass man for crying out loud. Anyways, Onyx's stainless steel stacking boxes dedicate one layer to your sandwich, and the other to your sides.

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Best vacuum lunch box

ZWILLING Vacuum Lunch Box

More Styles & Sizes at Zwilling

Zwilling really made a box—no handle, no strap, just a box. It's something you'll likely put inside other means of carriage, where it'll sit safe and sound, protecting the food within in fantastic plastic. Moreover, it's light and breakproof. But to bring out the best of it, consider getting Zwilling's vacuum pump which is meant to work in tandem with the lunch box by sucking any remaining air out of the container.

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PlanetBox Explorer Leakproof Lunchbox

Now 20% Off

Similar to the old-school Stanley lunch pail, this stainless steel bento box will last a lifetime. It's leakproof, so you can pack saucier offerings, and the bottom compartment is great for packing sides and snacks.

The craziest thing, though, is that the removable tray is microwave safe. I've got no idea how they made stainless steel microwave safe, but it's been done.

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