Customer Reviews

Laptop Lunch B630-Flower Bento System 2.0 with Outer Container, 5 Inner Containers, and Accessories

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been using the original Laptop Lunchbox for about four years now and have an assortment of outer & inner containers, as well as insulated bags & sleeves. I have other containers for packing my lunch but the LLB is the one I use most often. Now they've released this 2.0 system, which looks almost exactly like the original. The outer container is slightly deeper, which means the 2.0 inner containers will not fit into the older system's outer box. The 2.0 also comes with a medium lidded inner container, as well as one of the larger ones with a lid. In the past I always used Press N Seal when I wanted to pack something wet in the smaller containers, and now that's not an issue.

The other great thing about the new system is the optional Bento Buddies containers. The new 2.0 outer box doesn't have a dividing ridge between the spaces for the two larger containers. This allows a double size Bento Buddies container to fit inside. That also comes with a lid and is great for salads, full size servings of pasta, sandwiches that don't need to be cut & trimmed to fit. etc. The optional Bento Buddies container set comes with the double sized lidded container, plus lidded containers in the other sizes (large, medium, and dip). You can have a lid on every container packed in the new 2.0 system if you want.

The insulated bag on the flower system has a different type of short handle than the old bags. It's not a big deal but I do think it looks nicer. The 2.0 system also comes with all metal utensils so you can throw them in the dishwasher now without having them fall apart as the old metal/plastic ones did.

I really didn't need another set since I have quite a lot of the original ones but having that double sized inner container plus lids on the smaller ones makes it worth it. I pack my lunch for work almost every day and the money I spent on this would have bought me lunch for a week at most if I went out to eat instead.

The Laptop Lunch system combines two things. First is the American lunchbox, durable and reusable. Second is the Japanese bento, a way of quickly fitting a well-balanced meal into proper potion sizes. Both of these goals are accomplished very well in this elegant package.

On the first front, this system is incredibly durable. The inner compartments are Tupperware-style solid plastic, the lunchbox is heavy plastic, the knife and fork are real and sturdy stainless steel, the drink container is a good-quality sports bottle, and the insulating bag is the sort of material that you'd expect from quality camping gear. I was immediately impressed on opening the package- the whole system has obviously undergone thorough testing and is ready for years of use and abuse.

On the second, the system is very well-designed to accomplish a variety of meal choices. The Japanese bento comes in an infinite variety of flavors, but the basic system is supposed to adhere to a formula designed to give a perfectly-balanced meal with a minimum of effort. The proper ratio is 3 parts grain (incl. rice, pasta, bread), 2 parts vegetables, 1 part protein, with occasional fruits and fats. This box contains two small containers and two large containers, which you can add up as 3 units (large+small), 2 units (large), and 1 unit (small), satisfying the bento format. Newcomers to the field of bentos need not fear- the lunchbox is equally perfect for storing a more standard American lunch, you just have to keep in mind that American ideas about portion sizes do not line up with proper nutrition standards.

With portion sizes as a theme, this is actually a pretty big lunchbox. Filled to bento standards, which are likely to be lower in calories than most American fare, this kit can easily hold over 1,000 calories. If you're packing a Laptop Lunch for a child, you'll actually want to leave a decent amount of space open to give your kid a proper lunch in terms of calories. If you have a picky eater, there's plenty of space to pack in some variety so they can pick and choose and still get a full meal. Completely filled with some sides added in, there's plenty of room for enough food to satisy even a hard-working adult.

With obesity rates skyrocketing in America, portion control isn't just for kids, and failing to realize that is really the greatest downside to an otherwise perfect lunchtime product. The 2.0 system comes in too many kid-oriented colors and patterns, and the included instructional book (while wonderfully informative) is geared only toward parents preparing meals for kids to take to school. I'm a twenty-something adult, and my wife and I bought a pair of these for portion control reasons. Luckily we're a pretty geeky pair, so I'm fine with my powder blue and neon green and she's fine with her pink flowers, but this is clearly an obstacle for anyone taking lunch to work in a serious business environment. It is worthwhile to note that the same company has a line of "bento buddies" that lets you pick up some extra compartments to get a better overall color scheme, but it's still unfortunate that there isn't a better range of defaults out there. At the time of this review, there was an all-black bento system for sale that's pefectly executive, but at a more expensive price than the standard kit despite identical components, so I can't recommend it.

Despite my gripes about the kiddy-oriented materials, this really is a great and worthwhile investment for anyone. Families get a great system to portion out healthy meals for kids, adults get a wonderful and fun portion control system that will instantly inspire you to all sorts of creativity. You'll be amazed at how simple portion control changes your thinking about lunch, and you'll be thanking yourself for getting the Laptop Lunch kit to do it.

Note on lids: I didn't find this information in any clear spot on this website, so I'll cover it here- only three of the inner compartments have lids (counting the additional lidded dip container). That means two compartments- one large and one small- are not protected against spills. However, the compartments do tuck inside the outer lunchbox, so they're fine serving as anything that doesn't have to be completely sealed, including noodles. Also at time of posting, there was a customer image pointing to extra lids and containers- those extras are part of the "Bento Buddies" system, and are not included in this package.

My daughters' school requires waste free lunches so when I caught an add for the Laptop Lunch system in a magazine, I decided to give the product a whirl. Four years later, we are still on the original laptop lunch system (and a second set purchased last year for daughter #2). I buy a few extra inserts every year so that I always have a few spare ones. I put all the items into the dishwasher EVERY NIGHT. This product takes a regular daily beating and is a champ. The water bottle is pretty useless, but that is totally okay. Highly recommend.

So, at first when I bought these to make lunches for my husband and myself, it was really great. You make smaller portions, and it encourages you to cook more. However, I ended up getting frustrated, because I love soup and making things with sauces, and quite simply, the containers leak. My lunch would be ruined by the time I tried to eat it. So, although I'm happy to take them with me on a plane, or occasionally use it as a dinner box before going to the dance studio, I just can't fully endorse it. It didn't let me make the food I wanted to eat. I realize now that there's a whole field dedicated specifically to bento cooking, but I'm just not interested right now. I'm working really hard to eat healthy; I don't want to be limited by my container.

Great little lunch box, comes with a guide, and there are plenty of other recipes online for Bentos. It takes a few washings in the dishwasher to prepare the containers for food, though, and the containers are not going to be super-tight. Avoid things like fruit in juice--it will leak.

Only three of the containers have lids--if you absolutely must have lids, you'll have to go to the manufacturer and get a replacement kit, but (and here's the kicker) the lidded containers only fit in specific spots inside the box. Not a problem, though, as long as you don't have really wet foods in the open containers--the black box provides a lid for the open containers, which are perfect for vegies, sandwiches, etc. The flowered bag holds everything perfectly, and fits inside most backpacks. Since it's insulated, no need to throw in a cooler.

The great thing about bentos--the boxes are designed to hold about what you should eat in a meal. Obviously, if you fill them all with high-fat, high-caloric foods, it doesn't work, but a balanced meal, proportioned, is perfect, and the containers help you get a feel for how much of something you should actually eat.

Good price--same as the manufacturer. Ships in a hurry, too.

I got this Laptop Lunch bento system for my birthday and I love it. I needed something to pack my lunch and a little bit more in because I work ten hour shifts, and I have been trying to lose weight by taking notice of my eating habits. I looked into Japanese Bento boxes and I love that they applied those principles to Laptop Lunches.

Pros:

-Portion control: I can control how much food I eat and with the containers separate I can "see" exactly how much I am getting of one food group over the other.
-Useful: The entire system is really convenient, I pack my lunch before bed, and I put the wet lunch items in right before I leave for work. Having everything matching is also good because sometimes I forget containers at work and everyone knows by now that these are mine.
-Cute! I love how pretty the insulated bag is, and how it keep my lunch in the right temperature
-Mix and Match: some disposable containers are able to fit inside, with or without the black plastic overcase. Sometimes I use just the insulated bag and use my old plastic food containers.
-The book included gave me some great ideas for some new lunch choices

Cons:

-I need to drink more than than what the water bottle fills up to, but if this is being purchased for a young child, I believe the amount of liquid would be fine.
-It does not have water tight seals, but I wouldn't recommend packing soup or juicy items in the containers. However, I solved this by putting sealing plastic wrap before I close them up. Not for soup, just juicy items.
-Only two of the containers come with lids

This works so well for my daughter's lunch that I am purchasing one for myself. I love the truly trash-free lunch concept, and since my daughter does not eat sandwiches, I find myself using all the compartments for small nibbles and snacks. She does not have access to a microwave, but she's learned to eat food at room temperature, and I've learned to pack more traditional bento foods for her. She's only seven, but I found this to be a perfect size for her. The handy shoulder strap is crucial; due to its size, it will not fit into her backpack. In addition, I love that you can purchase additional compartments of various sizes. She's never complained of anything spilling or mixing together, and I appreciate the fact that everything is dishwasher-safe.

So I have to say up front that I really like this lunch box. I really do. It helps me portion items and gives me some good ideas for the lunches. But what I do not like at all is the quality. The quality seems good but after just 3 months of carrying this lunchbox to school it will have to be replaced soon. The little drink pouch on the side has a huge hole in it. The carry case has a few other holes. The plastic bento box barely closes anymore. So while I love the bento box ideas I don't know if I would replace my daughter's lunchbox with this one....and I will need to replace it before the school year is out. It's only December and I was hoping for it to hold out until June but it isn't going to happen.

The lunchbox is great for kid's lunches where you want several separated items. Not all of the containers inside have lids, so I purchased an extra set of the containers to mix and match. The seals weren't good enough to keep liquids contained. The kids love them.

Purchased for my 7 year old daughter, I love this set so much I am getting one for myself as well. I also got an extra set of inside containers and find having 2 sets very helpful. Mesh pocket is perfect for a thin ice pack. I find I am packing much better lunches now with a wider variety of foods.