PlanetBox - is it really all that?

[zinemama]

One of the containers in my son's Laptop Lunchbox has sprung a leak, giving me the excuse to ditch the thing. It's been a fine system (we got it when he was in preschool and he's now in 6th grade), but I am getting really tired of washing out all those little containers.

PlanetBox looks good. I've seen them mentioned here a few times. Here are my questions:

1. Is the main compartment big enough for a regular-sized sandwich? Website says yes, other reviews I've read say no, you have to trim the bread to fit, it's frustrating. What's the deal?

2. Do you need the carrying case or will the thing stay latched shut if you just toss it in a backpack? We never used the LTLB case; I put a rubber band around it and it was fine.

3. If I don't buy the "dipper containers" (and I don't want to, because of the price) will a small, flat tupperware-type container fit in there just as well, for wet stuff?

Any other thoughts?

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by zinemama 


1. Is the main compartment big enough for a regular-sized sandwich? Website says yes, other reviews I've read say no, you have to trim the bread to fit, it's frustrating. What's the deal?

I don't have a planetbox (I've been looking at them, but I want the whole deal - case, dippers, and all - and that's a lot of money for two kids), but I've read the website. Their site does mention that the main compartment should accommodate sandwiches, but they do allow for the varying sizes of bread out there. I'd look at the measurements, and then measure your bread, and see if it will fit.

[LuckyMommaToo]

We're on year two of our PB with a not-very-careful boy. I did buy a new carrying case for him this year because a year of his abuse killed the first one. I vote that yes, it would stay latched. The latch is pretty secure. I use Trader Joe's whole wheat bread, and I do have to trim two sides of crust to make a sandwich fit. It's not too much and doesn't bug me.

Hmmm....offhand I can't think of any plastic containers I've seen that are flat enough to fit inside. But assuming one DID exist, yes, it would totally work.

hth,

-e

[zinemama]

Thanks. On the website it shows a bagel fitting in there. But if it's only 1.5 inches high, I'm not seeing how that could be. What about putting a muffin in there. You'd have to cut it up?

[bartleby]

My first grader is using a Planet Box this year and despite some little annoyances, it's been great.

I say yes to staying latched, even though we do use the carrying case. It seems pretty secure to me.

The sandwich issue is one of the little annoyances. We use pretty standard-sized bread, and a sandwich won't fit without trimming the crust. However, since the only kind of sandwich my daughter will eat is almond butter and jelly, which has been banned at her school due to an allergy, I don't use that compartment for sandwiches. We get Rudi's bagels, which are the perfect size for the sandwich compartment.

I never use the little dipper. The big one I use for cut fruit. I think a smallish container could fit inside the Planet Box, but I think you might have a hard time finding one low enough.

Oh, and if you do get the Planet Box without the carrying case, but you do get the optional decorative magnets, I could see the magnets getting easily shoved off of their little spaces if it's being stuffed in a backpack day after day.

I think it'd have to be a pretty small muffin to fit without getting squished. Or, you know, you could just use the top o' the muffin. It is the best part, after all.

[tinuviel_k]

I have a Planet Box for my daughter (she is 8), and for the most part I like it. But no, I am not able to fit a whole sandwich in the sandwich area without trimming. And the bagels from our local bakery are too tall to fit in there effectively. The other compartments are too small to fit an entire piece of many fruits, which I don't like. I can fit in 2/3 of a banana, apple, or peach into one of the side dish compartments, but my daughter would love to eat the whole thing.

I feel that overall the lunch box just does not have enough room in it for what we need right now (My daughter needs to bring lunch AND a snack or two to school). If she was doing lunch only it would be okay probably.

Overall I like the box, and my daughter loves it. Would I pay that much for it again if we lost it? No, probably not.
Edited by tinuviel_k - 10/4/11 at 10:48am

[velochic]

This is the start of the 3rd year we've used it and have had no problems with it.  It has always sealed everything up very well.  No leakage problems these past 2 years and none so far this year.   Overall, we love it and have never had a problem with things fitting.  Dd never eats a whole sandwich, though, so I only put halves in the main compartment.  We use fairly large artisanal bread and I doubt that a whole sandwich would fit.  I almost never send sandwiches, though.

We don't use the compartments the same way others might, though, and I don't think I've ever sent a muffin for lunch.  I do send bagels and have had no problem with them fitting. I put things in odd places in the planetbox, though, like I said.  For example, this morning dd has a big salad in the main "sandwich" compartment.  We use the outside pockets a lot to add things.  Snack is packed separately, so there is plenty of room for the foods she'll eat at lunch and having enough room is not an issue. 

Is it all that?  IMO, yes.  Would I buy it again?  Without hesitation.  It has been the BEST lunch system we've had for dd in her (now 7th) years at school.  I would NOT have it without the carrying case.  Drinks, condiments, utensils are all part of the meal every day and without the carrying case, they simply wouldn't fit.

We also have an organic cotton lunch bag that is used when I send hot foods in a thermos.  For me, the only limitation of the planetbox is not being able to put hot foods in it and is the only reason I have any other "system".

[zinemama]

Thanks, everyone. This is kind of disappointing, as I see the PlanetBox isn't going to work for us. Ds is a growing 11yo and eats a whole sandwich. That won't fit. I make big batches of carrot-zuke muffins and freeze them and generally pop one in the kids lunches every day. Those won't fit, either. My kids love bagels as sandwich material too, and those won't fit. Darn. This looks like a great design. Oh, well.

[quantumleap]

I have no PB input, but would a tiffin work for your son? Stainless, still has three compartments, etc, etc. 

[zinemama]

Yes, I've looked at those, but they seem kind of bulky. I like the flat, streamlined aspect of the Laptop and PlanetBox.

[grumpybear]

Originally Posted by zinemama 

Thanks, everyone. This is kind of disappointing, as I see the PlanetBox isn't going to work for us. Ds is a growing 11yo and eats a whole sandwich. That won't fit. I make big batches of carrot-zuke muffins and freeze them and generally pop one in the kids lunches every day. Those won't fit, either. My kids love bagels as sandwich material too, and those won't fit. Darn. This looks like a great design. Oh, well.

The Go Green Lunchbox might work well for you. We have both (PB and GG) and I actually prefer the GG because  the GG has deeper compartments as in I can fit a banana in it. Each compartment is sealed from the other so I don't have to use a separate container for applesauce or canned fruit. The only advantage of PB for me is that it is (slightly) easier to open and the drink pocket on the outside. The GG comes with a water bottle that fits inside the lunchbox itself but my son prefers drinking out of a straw bottle so the bottle does not work for him.

[zinemama]

Originally Posted by grumpybear 

The Go Green Lunchbox might work well for you. We have both (PB and GG) and I actually prefer the GG because  the GG has deeper compartments as in I can fit a banana in it. Each compartment is sealed from the other so I don't have to use a separate container for applesauce or canned fruit. The only advantage of PB for me is that it is (slightly) easier to open and the drink pocket on the outside. The GG comes with a water bottle that fits inside the lunchbox itself but my son prefers drinking out of a straw bottle so the bottle does not work for him.

Wow! Now this looks like it might be the ticket. No little containers to clean (like Laptop), but deep enough for a muffin and wide enough for a regular sandwich (like Laptop). My only question: I'm not inclined to get the carrying case. Will this stay securely shut when put in a backpack?

ETA: On second thought, I don't know. Those things are quite large It's 3.5" longer than the Laptop (whose dimensions seem fine to me) and an inch wider, plus half an inch taller. Sigh. Where are you, perfect lunchbox?
Edited by zinemama - 10/4/11 at 10:13am

[Polliwog]

Would a Goodbyn work for him?

[zinemama]

No, it looks to cutesy for a 6th grader. And from what I've heard, closing them is a real pain.

[Polliwog]

Really? We've got a two Goodbyns- one with ears and the newer one without. I like using the earless one when I've got to pack a lunch. My kids have never had a problem closing them up. You just need to know where to push. They are big, though. I want to get a snack-size Bynto.

[onlyzombiecat]

One of these might work:

Stay-Fit Lunch 2 Go container

Slimline Quaddie Lunchbox

Klip It Lunch Cube

Eco-Vessel Smashbox

[zinemama]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I emailed PlanetBox, just to say I would have liked to buy their product if it had been the right size. The founder of the company wrote back to say that they are coming out with a new box which she thinks will fit my needs at the beginning of the year. So maybe I will hold off till then.

[LaughingHyena]

I just bought the klip it cubes for my kids. So far (5 weeks) they are working well. We stick them straight in their backpack and haven't had any problems with them staying closed, or food getting mixed up. The one downside is that the way they unfold means they would take up a lot of space in the dishwasher so I wash them by hand.

A sandwich fits in the larger compartment and the others are tall enough for a small fromage frais pot or a muffin. We have water bottles form the same company and I've been quite happy with them too.

I did look at the slimline quaddie by the same company, however the compartments were quite shallow.I doubt a muffin would fit, there was no way to fit the fromage frais in. Also the drinks bottle in the box was quite small

[karne]

Originally Posted by zinemama 

Thanks for the suggestions!
I emailed PlanetBox, just to say I would have liked to buy their product if it had been the right size. The founder of the company wrote back to say that they are coming out with a new box which she thinks will fit my needs at the beginning of the year. So maybe I will hold off till then.

Were there any more details?  I have been meaning to get this, ds really wants it, but haven't gotten to ordering yet.  Maybe I'll wait for the new one.
 

[zinemama]

No more details; what I said is all she told me.

Laughing Hyena, can you put stuff like applesauce or juicy fruit (watermelon, etc.) into the sections of the Klip It and have it stay separate and not leak?