The 5 Best Thermal Lunch Boxes – [Reviews & Rankings]

While there are several ways you can carry packed lunch, none is as organized, practical, and convenient as a thermal lunch box. Are you currently shopping for the right thermal lunch box? You must have realized that there are numerous options to choose from.

The right choice of a lunch box depends on various factors. For instance, some of the products available today are designed to keep your food warm or cold for long periods (Source).

Such thermal lunch boxes are some of the most preferred lunch boxes today for obvious reasons. With the right thermal box, you do not need to pack ice cubes or blocks alongside your lunch in order to keep it cold for a long period.

If you don’t want to miss your favorite beverages on your next trip, bring one of the best coolers with wheels along with the thermal lunch box.

In order to buy the right thermal box for carrying your lunch, you need to consider such factors as the capacity, flexibility, insulation, portability, and ease of cleaning on the product.

What is a Thermal Lunch Box?

Thermal lunch boxes are the perfect solution for anyone who struggles to keep their lunch hot or cold over the course of a day. These lunch boxes feature a thermal lining that work to effectively insulate them. This is what helps to keep cold food cold and hot food hot.

Using a thermal lunch box with ice packs is one of the best ways to get the most out of these containers. Since they’re insulated from the inside, it works like a cooler, keeping the ice packs from melting for a long period of time. This is perfect for packing cold lunches hours in advance.

Alternatively, you can pack warm foods into the lunch box and even the coldest weather won’t affect it. It will naturally cool down over time, but it will take much longer thanks to the insulated liner.

While thermal lunch boxes may seem like trivial products, they can be used as a survival tool and there are many people out there who depend on them every day. Mountaineers and avid outdoorsmen rely on thermal packs to keep their food and water fresh while out in the wilderness.

What is the Best Thermal Lunch Box?

The best thermal lunch box is the Coleman 9-Can Soft Cooler with Hard Liner. This product’s name just about says it all, it is a thermal lunch box that can hold up to 9 cans. Coleman is a very well-known brand, so you know that this product is built to impress.

Its soft body construction is reinforced by a hardliner, making it comfortable to carry while also keeping your food from being crushed. This is a very underrated feature of most lunch boxes, as a strictly hard container is very awkward to transport. The importance of a sturdy structure within these soft body lunch boxes cannot be understated.

An adjustable shoulder strap is included and is padded for comfort. This further enhances the portability of this lunch box, making it easy to take to and from work or school every day.

The interior compartment of this thermal lunch box is lined with insulating materials and even treated with antimicrobials. These help to resist the growth of mildew and mold, which would ruin the container. Its 9-can-storage capacity is the perfect size for an afternoon out.

Also, it is even heat-welded at the seams to prevent any leaks from occurring. This is the level of detail that you simply cannot find anywhere else.

Comparing The Best Thermal Lunch Boxes

1. Coleman 9-Can Soft Cooler With Hard Liner – Best Overall

No products found.

Are you looking for a lunch box that is not only thermal but is also flexible enough to accommodate an array of food items? Well, you should give the Coleman 9-Can soft cooler a try right away.

With regard to flexibility, this food box features nine spacious compartments. In this regard, you can use the inside of the bag to pack the items that require controlled temperature. Even so, you will still have some space left on the outside for other food items that do not require controlled temperature.

This product is also loved for the protection it offers to the packed items, especially against mildew and mold. As such, the box may be used for an array of outdoor food carrying applications. The product is designed to resemble a conventional backpack bag, hence is relatively easy to carry around.

For enhanced portability, the product features an adjustable shoulder strap. The liner material used on this back pack is FDA approved, hence it is safe for food contact.

2. PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag – The Best Freezable Lunch Box

Get a thermal lunch box that offers a superior cooling technology and an array of beautiful style options. The PackIt Freezable lunch bag is designed for users who are looking for a compact, functional, effective and highly portable lunch box.

In addition to its affordability, this product is loved for the wide variety of features it offers. To begin with, the cooling technology offered by this product is one of the best in the industry today.

In this regard, the product features an effective freezable gel liner. Once you have frozen the bag, the walls will be able to chill the food and drinks you pack into the bag for extended periods. You may think of this bag as a fridge that will keep your lunch fresh for a long period.

The bag features a beautiful design and quality construction. Having been constructed using quality and nontoxic materials, the product is safe for food contact and is relatively durable.

In order to make the bag more spacious, the manufacture equipped it with a built-in cooling system. Not only is this more convenient, it ensures that you have plenty of room in the bag for packing various food items.

3. Rubbermaid LunchBlox Sandwich Kit – The Best Lightweight Thermal Lunch Box for Sandwiches

Are you looking for the easy or just convenient, yet a lightweight way of carrying food to school or work? The Rubbermaid LunchBlox Sandwich kit will not only offer you this, but it will also keep your food fresh for a long period.

With this box, you will have an easier time packing healthy food for lunch comparatively easier. The product comprises of several containers that stack on to each other in the spacious back pack. The reusable Blue Ice packs used on this product are specifically designed to keep your food chilled throughout the day.

In order to keep the food chilled in this bag, you need to keep the bag in the freezer overnight. As such, it will keep the packed food chilled for many hours without the mess associated with melting ice. With many containers at your disposal, you can pack an array of food items and drinks for lunch with this product.

The lids used on each of the containers features a secure locking mechanism. This ensures that the food remains fresh for a long period and prevents spills. You will also find the various components of this kit relatively easy to clean

4. Everest Cooler Lunch Bag – Lightweight & Durable

The Everest Cooler Lunch Bag may appear to be small from the outside. However, the product is spacious enough for all the food you need for your lunch.

The cooler bag has compartments both inside and outside that you may conveniently use to pack an array of food and drinks that you may need for your lunch. Regardless of being a spacious option, this bag is considerably lightweight. This makes it easy for kids to carry to and from school every day.

The product is available in an array of attractive color options and is made of quality materials. The insulated lunch bag features a vinyl-lined interior. Owing to its quality constriction, this bag has been proven to be comparatively durable. The strap used on the bag is adjustable, hence offering a comfortable fit for both children and adults.

5. Fit & Fresh Jaxx FitPak Meal Prep Bag and Container Set – The Best Thermal Lunch Box for Dieting

Are you dieting? You should consider buying a lunch box that allows you to regulate your food portions. One such product is the Fit and Fresh Jaxx FitPack Meal Prep Bag and container set.

As a result, the product is considered to be ideal for those training ahead of a competition or just individuals looking forward to eating healthier. The product comprises of 6 food packing containers that fit perfectly into a compact and durable, insulated bag.

In addition to the differently sized containers, the product comes with a 28-ounce Jaxx Shaker bottle. Other features that make this dieting thermal lunch back a favored product include a reusable ice pack and an additional pocket for either medication or supplements.

Types of Thermal Lunch Boxes

Although most people don’t give their choice of lunch box very much thought, there are a number of different types of thermal lunch boxes that each have their own appealing features.

Of course, there is the standard sandwich box that most of us are probably familiar with. These hard containers are usually designed specifically with sandwiches in mind, meaning that they might not comfortably fit other types of food.

Soft body lunch boxes are usually made to be ultra-lightweight and portable. They will commonly feature handles or straps that help you to always keep your lunch by your side. These are perfect for kids’ lunches thanks to the simple zipper access and side pouches for little snacks.

Meal prep specific and other specialty bags out there are designed for people with unique needs. These often feature multiple compartments to store your separate supplements and shaker bottles, making it quick and easy to stay healthy at the gym.

Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Thermal Lunch Box

You may be looking for the right lunch box for your kid or just for yourself. Regardless of the case, this choice may not be as easy as it may seem to be. This may be attributed to the wide array of variety and types of lunch boxes available today.

Basically, the right lunch box should be able to keep the food fresh until lunchtime. Since you will not have a means of warming the food, it is advisable to buy a lunch box that will keep the food warm for an extended period.

This is probably why thermal lunch boxes are so popular today. Also referred to as insulated lunch boxes, these products are known to keep food warm and fresh for extended periods.

Besides, depending on the intended application and your personal preferences, the choice of the right insulated box will vary. If you are looking for the best thermal lunch box, here are some of the things you should consider:

1. Insulation

If you would like to maintain the packed food items at the same temperature, whether cold or warm, you will need a box that is well insulated against heat loss and gain.

With boxes that are not insulated, you are often required to pack an ice brick along with the packed food items, especially vegetables and drinks, to keep them fresh. With the right level of insulation on your lunch box, you will not need to pack ice cubes to keep the food cold and fresh.

However, the various products available today do not have the same level of insulation. Basically, thicker insulation is known to be more effective at keeping the food items either cool or warm. If you intend to keep the food warm or cold for a longer period, it is advisable to go for thicker insulation.

2. Capacity and Expandability

How big is your preferred lunch box? The capacity of the box is another aspect you need to consider while shopping for the right one. In this regard, your preferred product should be large enough to accommodate the food you would like to carry.

Rather than getting a fixed size box, it is advisable to purchase one that is a bit flexible. Most of the leading thermal lunch boxes today feature multiple partitions, which make them expendable.

Such boxes allow you to pack a small or large amount of food items without having to use another lunch box. In this regard, the leading products today come with adjustable and removable dividers. Such dividers allow you to create an array of partitions, depending on what you would like to pack for lunch.

Partitions will also make your unit more flexible, allowing you to pack different food items and drinks in the same lunch box.

3. Portability

While the various thermal food boxes available today do not have the same design, all of them are meant to be portable. Unfortunately, not all the available products are good at this. Whether you are buying one for an adult or a kid, it needs to be easy to carry around. With regard to portability, there are many options to choose from.

For instance, there are some thermal lunch boxes that are designed to attach to a backpack. Such products feature clips that will attach to a backpack. Such lunch boxes are more suitable for kids who carry backpacks to school.

What if you do not carry a backpack? In such a case, you should go for the products that have shoulder straps, handles or even padded straps. Depending on your preferences, you need to buy a product that is comfortable and easy to carry around.

4. Easy to Clean

However careful you are, your lunch box is bound to get messy from time to time. In this regard, your preferred box should be relatively easy to clean. Basically, the fewer the parts, the easier the box will be to clean and dry. As such, it is advisable to buy a box that has a single lid.

Additionally, a dishwasher safe thermal lunch box will come in handy in this regard.

Ready To Buy The Best Thermal Lunch Box?

While there are numerous lunch box choices today, none can beat the convenience and practicality offered by thermal lunch boxes.

While looking for the right container for carrying food to school or work, there are several aspects you need to consider.

For instance, you have to worry about the capacity, ease of cleaning, portability, and the ability of the box to preserve your food for a long period.

While this choice can be confusing, this guide will help you purchase the best thermal lunch box today.

Want to include omelet on your next short trip? Please check out the review of the best omelette makers. It will help you to prepare a delicious omelette that you can eat any time of day.