New K Parent - Recommend your Lunch Box and Backpack

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else have experience with PBKids? I like the designs and that the lunchbox attaches to the backpack. Haven't used them so wondering if they hold up as well as the Lands End or LL Bean brands.

We use the PBK bags. We are on year 2 of the book bag and lunch boxes for my DD and year 3 for DS. If you can convince your kids to go for the dark colors/patterns, it's better.

Get a full size bag for K.

I bought two different patterns of backpacks and lunch boxes and they are both holding up well. They wash well, too. The lunch boxes are showing a bit of wear around the edges. The Yumboxes fit perfectly inside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, FFS, go away snarky asshat poster. I have a kid who has multiple special needs starting K at a school where he was going to get minimal lunchtime help. He is at the bottom of the height and weight scales and has very poor fine motor skills. So yes I did invest quite a bit of time researching this, but hey, thanks for your super helpful post.

I don't think that person was being snarky, just making a joke.

[Anonymous]

http://www.stopthestomachflu.com/Home/which-lunch-boxes-keep-food-at-safe-cold-temperatures

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[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, FFS, go away snarky asshat poster. I have a kid who has multiple special needs starting K at a school where he was going to get minimal lunchtime help. He is at the bottom of the height and weight scales and has very poor fine motor skills. So yes I did invest quite a bit of time researching this, but hey, thanks for your super helpful post.

I don't think that person was being snarky, just making a joke.

This is DCUM. I think most people lean toward snark.

[Anonymous]

We did fun character/print backpacks until about 3rd grade and then went with LL Bean.

[Anonymous]

LL Bean backpack and LL Bean lunchbox. I put the lunchboxes through the washing machine & dryer every couple of weeks and they are good as new. Backpack on year 3 has some scratches on the reflective part, but otherwise looks as good as the day I bought it.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for the LL Bean (Junior) backpack and the LL Bean lunchbox.

I've thrown the backpack in the washer and then hung it to dry, maybe once or twice a year. It has held up GREAT. And, DD is going into 3rd grade next year. Like the PP, some of the refectlive areas are a little scratched.

We tried the Lands End lunchbox, but it fell apart for some reason. Then got the LL Bean one and it's been good. I learned about putting the lunchboxes in the washer here on DCUM, so started doing that also.

[Anonymous]

One piece of advice is that if you can afford it and have a child who tends to forget things it might be a good idea to buy an extra lunchbox.

It's very inconvenient at least for us to go back to school to claim a forgotten item and a number of times DC has come home without a lunchbox. Before I got the extra it was kind of a pain to have to scramble around for an appropriate bag to bring the lunch or to pack a non-perishable lunch in a brown bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, FFS, go away snarky asshat poster. I have a kid who has multiple special needs starting K at a school where he was going to get minimal lunchtime help. He is at the bottom of the height and weight scales and has very poor fine motor skills. So yes I did invest quite a bit of time researching this, but hey, thanks for your super helpful post.

What on Earth are you talking about, and why are you attacking me?? I saud thanks because I found this information helpful to me, as the parent of a rising kindergartener too. There is so much information about lunchboxes, etc., that it is very, very difficult to sort through. Your response is beyond weird.

[Anonymous]

Don't buy a cheap backpack from the Disney store. Ours literally had a broken strap after the first day. To their credit, they were great about processing the refund.

We have a great LL Bean one that has lasted two years and is still going strong. We typically start each year with 2 lunchboxes she can rotate between (depending on her mood); those are just from Target or wherever.

[Anonymous]

Also, yes to 20:52. Lunchboxes get misplaced all the time, or left in the classroom. And stock up on water bottles - we're always losing ours.

[Anonymous]

Lands End lunch box has been great. I almost bought an LL Bean one but I really wanted one that has a water bottle holder on the outside. We also use the easy lunch box containers and they are awesome and save us on plastic bags. The Lands End lunch box easily fits these and a carton of milk. I also use 1 or 2 of these to keep things cool -

https://www.amazon.com/Fit-Fresh-Coolers-Lunch-Packs/dp/B003FO2B5U/ref=pd_bxgy_79_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=C0R3JGHTVSJZFGNNDASF

[Anonymous]

Our experience with PBKids is that the backpack their web site says is for kindergarteners is definitely too small. Also, the monogramming was weird. I would have returned it but there was no time b/c I got it at the last minute. Lesson learned...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ETA, just looked these up on Amazon-I purchased 8 in August 2012 and 7 of them are still in our rotation. Have some even older ones. Seriously a great product.

https://www.amazon.com/EasyLunchboxes-3-Compartment-Bento-Containers-Classic/dp/B004S129AQ

With the Lands End backpacks, you want a medium sized. It will look big for your K-er but it will last for years and they bring home a lot of big artwork so it ends up working out fine.

No!!! Easy Lunchboxes suck so bad. They are not leakproof and the covers don't even snap tight. They get good reviews on Amazon because someone is invested in burying the bad reviews. Unless you pack your kid all dry food each day, these won't work. Fruit causes juice by lunchtime. It's just not a workable container for normal lunches.

[Anonymous]

^^poster from above. I learned about yumbox on here and they are very good. They seal tightly, are easy to open, and easy to clean. They are a bit on the pricey side, so only get them if your kid gets to hang onto their lunch stuff. This is not something you want to replace often. An ollies label stuck on the side is working great for us too.