If you're on the fence about which bento box to order for your child (BENTGO KIDS or YUMBOX), I will compare the two brands in this review. My family has used both kinds for about a month.
**BENTGO KIDS**
My 5 year-old kindergartner takes this box for his lunch, and it is truly the better choice for YOUNGER CHILDREN in my opinion. It has a more juvenile color scheme, five small food compartments, DURABLE RUBBER TRIM on the top and bottom, and overall exudes a higher quality product that will withstand more abuse than the Yumbox. The latches are more HEAVY-DUTY than the Yumbox, and although it can be a bit difficult for kids to close at first (it's a tight seal around the inner tray), my son got the hang of it after a couple tries. The Bentgo Kids trays come in three different colors and seem more durable than the Yumbox trays.
The Bentgo Kids box doesn't hold a LOT of food, but it is plenty for my son, and I imagine it will provide ample food until he's in second or third grade (probably a good box for 3-8 year-olds?). The largest compartment will fit a half sandwich unless your bread is huge, but then you can just cut it in quarters. The Bentgo Kids shell is a bit larger than the Yumbox, so it's a tight squeeze into my son's soft-sided LL Bean box, but we manage to fit the Bentgo and a Lifefactory water bottle into the LL Bean box.
*UPDATE* - We recently purchased an LL Bean Discovery lunch box, and this easily fits either the Bentgo or Yumbox as well as a water bottle and extras. The Bentgo also fits in a Lands' End ClassMate soft sided lunch box with a Goodbyn water bottle (see photo).
Does the Bentgo Kids leak? Nope. The rubber gasket on the lid is impressive, and ranch dressing has stayed neatly in the center dip compartment. The gasket on the Yumbox doesn't seem to be as good, so this is another reason why I like the Bentgo Kids better for younger children. It's pretty much foolproof. To clean, simply remove the inner tray and put it in the dishwasher. I always hand wash the outer shell or at least give it a wipe-down each day.
**YUMBOX PANINO**
I purchased this Yumbox Panino for my 9 year-old third grader. I like the Yumbox Panino colors and design better for OLDER CHILDREN (maybe 7-12 year-olds?). It's less juvenile than the Bentgo Kids box, and the Panino version has room for a larger sandwich. Since its tray has thin dividers, it will HOLD A BIT MORE FOOD too. The Yumbox has a slightly SMALLER FOOTPRINT than the Bentgo Kids, and it fits snugly in my son's LL Bean lunch box, but his water bottle does make his lunch box lid bulge out - not a big deal. We have since upgraded to the LL Bean Discovery lunch box, which is much deeper and has plenty of room. If you only have room for a small, narrow water bottle, the Goodbyn bottle is a great option (found on Amazon).
We have packed ranch dressing in the center, and as long as I press down tightly while latching the lid, it doesn't leak. The inner tray has printed text underneath (they are not removable stickers), but it does have a more grown-up look to it than the whimsical designs on other Yumbox trays. Yumbox sells plain trays on their website. The tray easily snaps out for washing in the dishwasher, but we always wash the outer shell by hand.
FOUR compartments or SIX? Yes, Yumbox offers two different versions - same size, but the trays have either more or less compartments. I debated greatly over which to buy, but ultimately I decided that the Panino (4 compartment) style would grown with my son better than the 6-compartment Yumbox, and on days when he doesn't pack a large sandwich, I simply use silicone baking cups as dividers. Links to the cupcake liners and leaf-shaped food picks shown in my photo are at the end of this review.
SUMMARY:
Both boxes have different features, so the box to choose really depends on your child's needs. The YUMBOX PANINO is my favorite for OLDER CHILREN or those who eat larger lunches because of the tray design and color combinations. The BENTGO KIDS is terrific for younger kids as it seems MORE DURABLE yet holds plenty of food for little ones. I do wish the Bentgo Kids box came in more colors, but perhaps this is in the works. For now, my son enjoys using his different-colored trays to switch things up a bit.
Links to other products shown in my photo:
Silicone Cupcake Liners (this set has red, which my sons had to have):
http://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Cupcake-Kitchen-Buddies-Included/dp/B00LR84HXA/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1425867226&sr=1-1
Leaf Food Picks:
http://www.amazon.com/Tornado-P-2759-Leaf-pick-10P/dp/B0019XLGLE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1426438596&sr=1-1&keywords=leaf+food+picks
Goodbyn Bottle:
http://www.amazon.com/Goodbyn-20064BT-Bottle-Blue/dp/B0050O92PK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442187692&sr=8-1&keywords=goodbyn+bottle
February, 2017 UPDATE:
My second grader is still using his Bentgo Kids nearly every day, as it holds more than enough food for his appetite. The rubber trim began to peel off a bit on the outer container (though I always hand wash it), and Bentgo sent me a replacement! What a wonderful product and equally great customer service!
Ib123Steven
Hook's Hollands
