The Best Lunch Bags, According to Real Simple Editors

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Once upon a time, lunch bags were exclusively functional—big, bulky, and there to hold whatever you made to eat that day. These days, they’re smarter, cuter, and will keep your food cold until noon (because let’s face it, your lunch break is the best part of the workday).

Whether you're commuting, meal prepping, or packing a sandwich before soccer practice, the best lunch bags are leakproof and water resistant, durable, easy to clean, and well-insulated.

After testing, we found nylon and polyester exteriors to be the strongest fabrics that tend to come with a waterproof lining that can be wiped clean if spills happen.

It’s incredibly durable and roomy enough to hold multiple bento boxes, large tumblers, snacks, and more.

Items can shift around when the bag isn’t full, and it can be tricky to clean due to limited access to corners.

We like this lunch bag so much we’d pay $30 for it rather than its reasonable $13. It’s one that actually fits your lunch—and then some. The spaciousness, durability, and additional compartments is what sets it apart.

It easily held two large bento boxes, two drinks, fruit, yogurt, and an ice pack. Even fully packed, it stays balanced and is comfortable to carry on your forearm, thanks to sturdy construction and reinforced straps.

We’re impressed with the thoughtful design and surprising versatility. It has a breathable mesh pocket ideal for delicate snacks like fruits and granola bars, or to keep your ice pack from making everything soggy. On the outside, two deep side pockets each hold a 30-ounce tumbler—our oversized Stanley and 16-ounce Gatorade went in comfortably.

While it's incredible how much this lunch box holds, it is the largest on our list, so if you're looking for something more compact, keep scrolling.

Material: Polyester | Dimensions: 13 x 9 x 4 in. | Compartments: 3 | Insulation Time: Up to 5 hours with an ice pack

The handles are strong and easy to carry, and the durable fabric resists tearing, staining, and odors.

There’s no designated place for an ice pack, and insulation is less effective than pricier options.

Inexpensive, dependable, and surprisingly roomy, the Coobiiya Lunch Bag proves you don’t have to spend a lot for a cute, functional lunch bag. With durable fabric, an insulated main compartment, front pocket for napkins and utensils, and side cupholder for your water bottle, this bag packs in the essentials without overcomplication.

We packed this at full capacity many times, loading it with three plastic containers, two ice packs, snacks like apples and breakfast bars, and a 16-ounce water bottle—even then, it was easy to carry, thanks to the two comfortable top handles, and nothing moved around enough to cause any leaks or spills.

The zippers glide smoothly and the fabric resists tears, wear, and stains, and doesn’t retain odor from the food.

When we didn’t keep the bag in the fridge and instead left it in our office with the two ice packs, lunches would generally get a bit closer to room temperature compared to when we’d left the house. It’s not the most feature-packed bag in the bunch, but it nails the basics—and for $10, it’s perfect as a no-fuss option for daily lunches.

Material: Nylon | Dimensions: 11 x 6 x 7 in. | Compartments: 3 | Insulation Time: 4.5 hours with an ice pack

It’s ideal for bigger lunches, long family outings, and active days, and maintains temperature well even without an ice pack, thanks to thick insulation.

It has no shoulder strap, which can be inconvenient when your arms are full with other items.

We found this bag amazing for those of us with children, as it was great for long-day activities like picnics and sports practices. This lunch bag has a roomy compartment, strong carrying handles, smooth zippers, and a rigid shape that doesn’t buckle under pressure.

It’s made to transport oversized containers, multiple meals, and a mix of snacks and drinks. Our lunches stayed cool for over an hour and a half without an ice pack, thanks to the high-quality insulation, which also adds as additional padding so items don't shift around too much.

Add an ice pack and you’re in even better shape; there’s plenty of room to tuck one in without crowding your food. Extra pockets provide room for smaller essentials like napkins, utensils, or accessories.

We packed mostly fruit, salad, and cottage cheese in heavy glass containers; even then, the lunch bag was easy to hold. When we placed it on the floor of our car, it stayed upright the entire ride.

While it's too large to nest inside a backpack or work bag, it stands on its own and is easy to clean with a damp cloth. The only thing it’s missing is a shoulder strap—something that would make juggling other items even easier, since we often had our hands full with keys and water bottles.

Material: Recycled polyester | Dimensions: 12 x 7 x 10 in. | Compartments: 3 | Insulation Time: 4 hours with an ice pack

The built-in freezable gel insulation eliminates the need for separate ice packs.

The boxy shape makes it tricky to fit inside other bags, like totes.

The Packit Freezable Lunch Bag is the definition of hands-off temperature control. With built-in freezable gel insulation lining the entire bag, it keeps your lunch chilled for hours without the hassle of separate ice packs.

Simply freeze the entire bag overnight, and it’s ready to go when you are, keeping food fresh and cool when you’re on the move.

The ice inside the bag fully melted after about eight hours. It didn’t need an additional ice pack; the built-in freezable gel kept our lunch cold until noon, even when the bag was left out for a few hours. It keeps cold for even longer when we place the entire bag in the fridge.

We’re fans of the cleverly designed strap, which has a side clip that lets you carry it by hand or attach it easily to another bag. It folds flat when empty for easy freezer storage, but expands fully to fit a surprising amount of food without shifting. We fill it with sandwiches, salads, bottled drinks, frozen meals, bags of chips, and Uncrustables.

Since everything fit snugly inside, there was minimal shifting, although some days the bag felt bulkier than others, depending on how full it was. At max capacity, it expands into a boxy shape, which made it a bit tricky to put the bag inside our work tote, but it still fit.

The sturdy zipper and thick construction make it feel like it can take on anything, while the sleek black exterior and wipe-clean plastic lining make maintenance a breeze.

Material: Polyurethane | Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 6 in. | Compartments: 1 | Insulation Time: 8 hours

It comes in fun prints and the compact size makes it easy to fit into larger bags.

The simple design would benefit from compartment dividers.

If you want to bring a little style to your lunch game, the Baggu Puffy Lunch Bag makes a fun fashion statement. It’s minimalist—just one compartment with a zipper, which makes it sleek and compact.

It slips easily into larger bags like our gym tote, so it’s perfect for those days when we’re juggling a million things.

The insulated interior does its job well, thanks to the shiny foil lining: Hot food stays hot, and cold food stays cold. When pre-packing lunches, we would keep the lunch bag overnight in the refrigerator, and our meals would stay cold for several hours after removal.

The exterior is the best part: cute prints that catch the eye and make a simple lunch feel a little more special. It’s easy to clean with just a sponge and towel, too. The material is strong and durable.

However, it demands your hands (or a bigger bag to put it in). There’s no shoulder strap, so if your arms are already loaded, carrying this can get tricky. A lot of our food containers also didn’t fit in the lunch bag. It’s not super spacious, but it can work if you bring just one big tupperware, or a handful of small items.

While we appreciate the insulation and the prints, the price leans on the steep side for something so simple with a lack of special features.

Material: Recycled nylon and polyfill | Dimensions: 7 x 9 x 6 in. | Compartments: 1 | Insulation Time: 3 hours with an ice pack

If you want a lunch bag that does it all, our top pick is the Built Puffer Lunch Tote for its roomy build, impressive insulation, and durable construction. If you’re shopping on a budget, the Coobiiya Lunch Bag is our favorite inexpensive pick. At $10, it proves you don’t have to compromise on function for price. It’s easy to carry, even filled to the brim, has separate compartments for better organization, and is made of super durable fabric.

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Throughout the course of two weeks, we tested nine different lunch boxes. We picked our products after looking at top-selling brands and narrowed our focus on soft-sided lunch bags for adults since we wanted them to fit in our work bags.

Once the testers had their lunch boxes, they used them throughout the work week and on some weekends to get a feel for how much food would actually fit in each bag. We added ice packs along with leftovers, frozen meals, apples, clementines, and energy drinks, then timed how long everything stayed cold.

We also asked every tester to put a disposable bag of ice in the lunch box to see how long it takes to melt to evaluate insulation. We'll keep testing these lunch boxes and will report back.

A good lunch bag should keep your food hot or cold for a hefty amount of time without needing a fridge or microwave right away. Insulation is one of the most important features to consider, especially if you’re carrying perishable foods.

Look for bags with room for ice packs, like the Built Puffer Lunch Tote, an insulated main compartment like the Coobiiya Lunch Bag and Hydro Flask 8 L Insulated Reusable Travel Lunchbox, or built-in freezable gel, like the Packit Freezable Lunch Bag, as these give superior temperature retention.

Some bags can even go straight into the freezer, like the above-mentioned Packit and the Baggu Puffy Lunch Bag.

“My tip on insulation is to consider your own personal lunch setup. If you’re in an office setting with access to a fridge and microwave, insulation will likely fall low on your priorities list,” says Erica Adler, co-author of Meal Prep Made Simple. “But packing lunch for a kiddo or an on-the-go situation definitely warrants an option that will keep your lunch cool (or hot) for a few hours.”

When shopping for a lunch bag, style and durability go hand in hand because you need something that’s not only functional but lasts.

Consider whether you want a traditional option with one, simple, no-fuss compartment or a bag with extra pockets and dividers, where everything has a place.

“I love to be able to separate different components of a meal, like the dressing or a dip for veggies,” says Abigail Koffler, co-author of Meal Prep Made Simple. “That way things don’t get soggy in transit.”

A well-designed lunch bag should be made of leak-resistant materials like nylon and polyester (all of the bags on our list are made of one of these), strong carrying handles, smooth, sturdy zippers, and a structure that maintains its shape whether full or empty.

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Think about what you typically pack: Are you a multi-container meal prepper, or do you keep it simple with a sandwich and a drink? A good lunch bag should comfortably fit your go-to food storage containers, drinks, ice packs, and other essentials without forcing you to cram or distort its shape.

If you often tuck your lunch into a work tote or backpack because you commute, a more compact option is ideal, like the Baggu Puffy Lunch Bag.

If you’re looking for one that acts as a mini cooler for beach and road trips, or can fit multiple lunches for family activities or long days, you need one that’s larger yet still easy to transport, like the Hydro Flask 8 L Insulated Reusable Travel Lunchbox.

This article was written by Nusrat Sultana, an editor at Real Simple with years of experience testing products that make life easy. She and her family have cycled through more than a few lunch bags over the years, so they know what makes one worth your money. For her, the most important things are good insulation, a lightweight build, and durability.

Additionally, Hannah Baker, senior home editor at Real Simple, spoke with meal-prep experts Abigail Koffler and Erica Adler, authors of Meal Prep Made Simple.