VS - 2 tier bento boxes
Welcome to the first in a series of blog posts where we take 2 products and compare them to each other to see which one suits your needs better. If you want to see up close photos and a detailed comparison of any products, please let us know.
Today we stepped in to the bento box category of the store to compare the popular Green Essentials Sustain A Stacker with the Bentgo All In One 2 Tier Bento Box. Why these two? They are a similar volume, both 2 tier bentos yet one is completely bpa free plastic, the other is completely stainless steel.
Measurements
Green Essentials - 13 x 18.5 x 8cm
Bentgo - 11.5 x 18 x 10cm
... so they're both virtually the same length, the Green Essentials is wider by a little and the Bentgo is taller
Are they suitable to put whole pieces of fruit in?
If we're talking apples, oranges and bananas, no, not really. You're best to get a roomy insulated lunch bag and pop the fruit in outside of the lunch box. Bento boxes are not designed to hold whole pieces of fruit.
Are either of them leakproof?
No. They're not suitable for liquid meals. We have other things that are, but if leakproof is a deal breaker, pop back to our lunch box category and keep looking. All the lunch boxes that are leakproof are clearly marked for you.
Can you use them as a 1 tier lunch box?
Green Essentials - No. the clamps are designed for the fixed height that requires both levels in the lunch box to be in use.
Bentgo - Yes. Because this bento box is held closed with elastic, you can use just one level and put the elastic on over the long edge rather than the short edge.
Do they contain cutlery?
Green Essentials - No. If you want to stick with the 'no plastic' theme and don't want to put full sized cutlery in to a stainless steel lunch box (it will clang about and make noise and more than likely be too long anyway), we do sell a range of bamboo cutlery and sports that will fit inside the lunch box or pop inside your lunch bag.
Bentgo - Yes. There is a bpa knife fork & spoon that comes with the lunch box. They sit flat on the inner lid, away from food.
Are they easy for kids to open?
Green Essentials - Small hands may need some help getting the clips undone and the lid off the top container.
Bentgo - This one is as simple as removing the elastic band and the lids are easily removed once the elastic has been removed.
Do any of the compartments have dividers?
Green Essentials - No, but there is a small snack stainless steel pot in the top layer. You can choose to use it inside the lunch box, outside of the lunch box or to remove it completely.
Bentgo - Yes, the top layer has a fixed divider, making this a 3 compartment bento box on 2 levels.
