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    Home » Bento Lunches » Lunch Boxes & Accessories

    Polar Gear Bento Box Review

    Oct 8, 2014 · 125 Comments

    37 shares

    As you may have noticed, I love to try out new lunch boxes, and when Polar Gear approached me recently to see if I would like to try some of their products, I jumped at the chance! I had seen their bento boxes and really wanted to try them, but I couldn't justify buying yet another box to add to my rather ridiculously large pile, so I was delighted to be offered the chance to review one.

    Eats Amazing UK - Polar Gear Bento Box Review

    The Polar Gear Bento Box looks a lot like a traditional Japanese tiered bento box, with two main compartments which stack one on top of the other. With a 1.1 litre capacity, it holds a lot more than the Japanese ones designed for children that I have tried, which makes it great for packing western style foods which tend to need more space than traditional Japanese foods such as shaped rice and sushi.

    The two main compartments are separated by a white cutlery tray, complete with a matching spoon and fork, which sits on top of the bottom compartment.  The cutlery isn't particularly sturdy, but would be easily replaced if necessary.  The tray rests inside the bottom compartment, so you have to be careful not to overfill that layer, leaving a little space on top of your food for the tray.  The top box is divided into two, with the divider built into the box.

    I was very impressed with the design of the lid - it has built in clips which hold the whole box together.  It does mean that you can't use the layers individually, as the whole box needs to be put together in order for it to clip closed, but on the plus side there is no need for the bento strap that is normally needed to hold a traditional Japanese bento box closed (one less thing to lose!).  Six year old Small Child had a little trouble getting the layers stacked correctly in order to clip the lid back on the first time (they have to be 'just so' in order for it to work), so it would be worth getting a young child to practice a few times before taking this box to school.

    Eats Amazing UK - Polar Gear Bento Box in Blue - Review

    Small Child was delighted when I packed his first lunch in this box - he loves trying new lunch boxes and he really seemed to like the look of this one. In the bottom half of the box I packed tortilla wrap spirals (wholemeal tortilla wrap, cream cheese and ham, rolled and cut into slices), cucumber chunks (to get the flower effect, cut a chunk of cucumber in half by cutting a zig-zag pattern with a small sharp knife around the whole thing before pulling apart), and an orange mini pepper, cut in half and de-seeded.  I used a lettuce effect silicone divider and silicone cup to separate the foods, and decorated them with a silicone flower pick and some animal forked picks.

    In the top layer of the box I packed an apple, cored, sliced into wedges, dipped in orange juice and arranged up and down in a row, green grapes and some Organix animal biscuits in a square shaped silicone cup. I finished it off with a couple of bright animal fork picks which I added to the grapes. I didn't need the cutlery for this lunch, so I would have had space to add a small cereal bar or similar in the cutlery tray if I had wanted to pack anything else, but the box held plenty of food so there was no need.

    Eats Amazing UK - Simple School Lunch packed in the Polar Gear Bento Box

    Small Child really enjoyed this lunch in his new bento box and ate the lot!

    Overall, I am really impressed with this box.  It's a great size for this style of bento box, and if packed well, would be suitable for an adult as well as a child.  It seems sturdy, looks really nice and would be great for a variety of foods. The only real downside I can find is that it can be tricky for a very young child to open and close, but a bit of practice should help there.  The clips hold it together well and the cutlery tray would be handy for extra bits and pieces.  This box is definitely a keeper - I can see myself using it regularly (despite my teetering lunch box pile!), as it would work well for every family member.

    This box comes in four colours; black, pink, berry and turquoise.  It is available directly from the Polar Gear website or from Amazon UK. You can click on the pictures below to be taken to their Amazon UK listings.

     

    Disclosure; I received a free Polar Gear Bento Box for the purposes of carrying out this review, however all opinions expressed in this post are my own.  I have no affiliation to Polar Gear, and was not otherwise compensated for this review. 

    This post contains Amazon affiliate links; I may receive commission on items purchased through the links.

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    Comments

    1. Tabetha Howell says

      October 08, 2014 at 10:28 am

      Would love to win. Master 7 is slowly coming round to bento style lunches instead of just sandwiches x

      Reply
    2. Lisa Don says

      October 08, 2014 at 10:42 am

      I'd love to win one of these boxes, soamy great ideas from you to try out, it would be great to try them in a different box to our current sistema!

      Reply
    3. Tracey Peach says

      October 08, 2014 at 10:50 am

      I would pack lots of different things to entice the little one

      Reply
    4. Haylee Hibbert says

      October 08, 2014 at 11:49 am

      I would pack, cookies cutter animal shaped sandwiches, fruit, biscuits and a yougurt. Decorated with cute picks and acessories of cousrse 🙂

      Reply
    5. Hannah Elliott says

      October 08, 2014 at 12:38 pm

      I LOVE the purple!

      Reply
    6. Nicky Reeve says

      October 08, 2014 at 12:42 pm

      My little boy loves a 'picky' lunch so i'd definitely use a bento box to carry all of his favourites - cheese, any veg, hummous, breadsticks and any fruit!

      Reply
    7. heather says

      October 08, 2014 at 12:47 pm

      I would pack a different theme every day taking advice from different websites...it would also be a great help for portion control x

      Reply
    8. Charlene McConnachie says

      October 08, 2014 at 1:02 pm

      We would pack ham salad wraps, cucumber stars, cheese squares and carrott and bread sticks, then we would have a fruit layer with Apple bites, satsuma segments, raisins and grapes mmmmmmm!!!

      Reply
    9. Lauren (@laurenbigeejit) says

      October 08, 2014 at 1:19 pm

      Rice salad in the bottom, with some veg sticks and dip in the top!

      Reply
    10. Helen says

      October 08, 2014 at 1:47 pm

      I'd pack lots of little 'picky' things - it would save using lots of individual containers every day!

      Reply
    11. Raquel Williams says

      October 08, 2014 at 2:59 pm

      I'm a newbie to Bento Boxes but have been tyig with the idea of starting. I would pack lunch for my picky 8 year old to grab her attention & let her know healthy food can be fun & for my 2 year old!

      Reply
    12. Ola says

      October 08, 2014 at 3:34 pm

      I like that this one is a bit bigger and so would work for adults too - am a bit jealous of all the amazing lunchboxes available for kids!

      Reply
    13. Tina Mahoney Maxwell Gaynor says

      October 08, 2014 at 5:56 pm

      I have been wanting to try making this type of lunch!

      Reply
    14. Eilidh says

      October 08, 2014 at 5:58 pm

      My daughter doesn't like sandwiches so I make picky lunches for her. This would make a fantastic lunch box for her.

      Reply
    15. Natasha Mairs says

      October 08, 2014 at 6:39 pm

      I'd pack my cheese and ham shooting stars for my little man

      Reply
    16. Hayley F says

      October 08, 2014 at 6:42 pm

      i would pack pasta salad and anything else i fancy in it x

      Reply
    17. kim plant says

      October 08, 2014 at 6:50 pm

      wraps for the hubby x

      Reply
    18. olivia Kirby says

      October 08, 2014 at 7:39 pm

      boiled eggs, olives, peppers, dipping pot, pitta strips

      Reply
    19. Victoria says

      October 08, 2014 at 10:08 pm

      I think I might pack lunch for me in this one! It looks like it would fit well in my work bag, and why should the children have all the fun? (In reality, no doubt my 6 year old would see it and insist she got to use it!).

      Reply
    20. Helen at Casa Costello says

      October 09, 2014 at 12:20 pm

      I'm into mini kebabs and sweet salads at the minute so would pack them for 8yo. I like the look of this that it could be large enough for an adult. x

      Reply
    21. oana79 says

      October 09, 2014 at 3:06 pm

      Emma's or hubby's lunch.

      Reply
    22. Louise Perry Fairweather says

      October 09, 2014 at 5:34 pm

      My lunch for when we go to Legoland

      Reply
    23. Natalie Crossan says

      October 09, 2014 at 8:24 pm

      salad and fruit x

      Reply
    24. Jo welsh says

      October 09, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      I would put my hubbies lunch in it

      Reply
    25. clair downham says

      October 10, 2014 at 7:09 pm

      lots of different things like pasta cucumber carrots raisons and fruit

      Reply
    26. melanie stirling says

      October 10, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      Rice salad and vegetables.

      Reply
    27. Shons Sweeney says

      October 10, 2014 at 9:40 pm

      Been looking at Bento Boxes for a while now. My little girl is desperate to be like her big school boy brother. I'd love something like this to give her a big girl lunch. x

      Reply
    28. Rebecca Beesley says

      October 10, 2014 at 10:48 pm

      I'd make a bear themed lunch. x

      Reply
    29. frances hopkins says

      October 11, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      Pasta and salad x

      Reply
    30. Cat Culmer says

      October 11, 2014 at 12:57 pm

      I'd use it for pretty bites for my little mans lunches

      Reply
    31. Lorraine Gatton says

      October 11, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      Ham roll ups, cheese cubes, cucumber/carrot/pepper batons, ,strawberries, grapes, apple slices & a small treat 🙂

      Reply
    32. denise says

      October 11, 2014 at 8:37 pm

      Would love any colour of these fab boxes. Working in a busy emergency department I need something quick at break times. This box could hold all for my shift. Brilliant design .

      Reply
    33. Lynsey Buchanan says

      October 11, 2014 at 9:38 pm

      My daughter gets a packed lunch we would use these everyday

      Reply
    34. Sharon says

      October 11, 2014 at 10:38 pm

      Looks like a lovely box! I'd pack for my little one some fish fingers, carrot sticks (plus dip), pasta and some fruits for desert:)

      Reply
    35. Raizel says

      October 12, 2014 at 8:33 am

      I'd selfishly use this for my own lunch! It is such a great size, I'd fit salad, wraps, fish and other yummy goodies.

      Reply
    36. Lorraine Tinsley says

      October 12, 2014 at 10:33 pm

      My hubby is on a diet so I would pack him a waist friendly lunch of loads of fruit, some boiled eggs, a nice little salad with a maybe a little, tiny chocolate bar

      Reply
    37. Felicity Kelly says

      October 12, 2014 at 11:32 pm

      I would pack it with delicious things for my work lunch to stop me heading to the chocolate box!

      Reply
    38. Stacey Carnell says

      October 12, 2014 at 11:42 pm

      Lots of little fruit & vegetables, pitta pockets and homemade oat bars 🙂

      Reply
    39. Zoe G says

      October 12, 2014 at 11:49 pm

      I would take inspiration from all of the fab bento ideas all over the internet and make it an exciting lunch for my son

      Reply
    40. mai says

      October 13, 2014 at 12:01 am

      Kimchi pancheon with side of bibimbap

      Reply
    41. Isabelle Smith says

      October 13, 2014 at 1:00 am

      fruit

      Reply
    42. elizabeth doody says

      October 13, 2014 at 5:54 am

      A pasta salad

      Reply
    43. winnie says

      October 13, 2014 at 8:03 am

      panda shape sushi 😀

      Reply
    44. sharon mead says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:19 am

      cornish pasties and some chopped fruit for desert

      Reply
    45. Louise says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:31 am

      Sushi, salad bits, sandwiches, crisps, cake

      Reply
    46. Jan Roberts says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:32 am

      What a great piece of kit. My head nearly exploded thinking of variations on the theme of 'lunch' !

      Reply
    47. Lorraine Foster says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:50 am

      Some rice and salad

      Reply
    48. Pamela Gossage says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:51 am

      My husbands lunch as I pack it for him every day

      Reply
    49. darren hay says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:55 am

      i would pack chicken and bacon wraps, a mixed salad and nuts for nibbles

      Reply
    50. Natasha M says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:58 am

      Sandwiches, cheese cubes, grapes & a pudding

      Reply
    51. EMMA WALTERS says

      October 13, 2014 at 10:31 am

      great for fruits & veggie snacks as they can be bulky

      Reply
    52. kelly says

      October 13, 2014 at 12:46 pm

      I love Bento Boxes - perfect for sandwiches/wraps/ pittas with veggies and fruit for a nice healthy lunch! 🙂

      Reply
    53. Marycarol says

      October 13, 2014 at 2:37 pm

      Love this for sandwiches, fruit and cheese

      Reply
    54. leanne weir says

      October 13, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      I would pack lots of different things to entice the little one

      Reply
    55. Gillian Holmes says

      October 13, 2014 at 4:06 pm

      Sushi and wasabi peas

      Reply
    56. Caroline H says

      October 13, 2014 at 5:19 pm

      I'd go for pesto or tomato pasta with olives and cherry tomatoes, some mixed berries and satsuma segments and possibly a couple of cheese and pineapple sticks.

      Reply
    57. Hutch2 says

      October 13, 2014 at 7:49 pm

      A healthy pack lunch with a couple of naughty nibbles

      Reply
    58. Stephanie Whitehouse says

      October 13, 2014 at 8:02 pm

      a nice picnic to go to the beach. I know it's not summer any more, but the Norfolk coast is still beautiful

      Reply
    59. Mark Johnson says

      October 13, 2014 at 8:05 pm

      sushi lunch

      Reply
    60. Holly Smith says

      October 13, 2014 at 10:26 pm

      Ham Sandwiches

      Reply
    61. Stephanie Tsang says

      October 14, 2014 at 10:07 am

      I would pack some onigiri, some fruit and some carrot and cucumber sticks.

      Reply
    62. Helen says

      October 14, 2014 at 3:03 pm

      Love the look of these lunch boxes. I would probably pack a ham wrap, cucumber sticks, raisins, frozen yogurt, and a pack of cheesy nibbles! They are Lily and Declan's favourites!

      Reply
    63. sam swain says

      October 14, 2014 at 7:33 pm

      Crispy duck wraps

      Reply
    64. Jayne T says

      October 14, 2014 at 10:03 pm

      Some pasta and salad for my daughters lunch.

      Reply
    65. Jenny Harper says

      October 14, 2014 at 10:29 pm

      Salad wraps with a portion of nibbles and Hummus

      Reply
    66. Jayne @ Tenacious Tinkering says

      October 15, 2014 at 4:37 am

      I'm participating for my brother who's studying in Wales now! He's gotten very good at cooking his own lunches and dinners. He mentioned that he packs sandwiches to bring to campus for lunch with a couple of snacks so I think this bento box will be absolutely perfect for a frugal student. 🙂

      Reply
    67. Karen Barrett says

      October 15, 2014 at 2:23 pm

      My tuna salad and grapes

      Reply
    68. Karla T says

      October 15, 2014 at 4:53 pm

      sandwich roll ups and fruit salad

      Reply
    69. Kate @ Family Fever says

      October 15, 2014 at 7:57 pm

      Love the look of this. My daughter likes a cold pasta salad, so we would pack that and use the cutlery. Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested

      Reply
    70. Louisa says

      October 15, 2014 at 8:03 pm

      I saw these on sale in Matalan last week and almost bought two. I wish I had got them! #triedandtested

      Reply
    71. stephen holman says

      October 15, 2014 at 9:13 pm

      lots of room for my work sandwiches, saves having to squish them into tupperware like i normally do!!

      Reply
    72. leigh boyle says

      October 15, 2014 at 10:08 pm

      pasta its mainly all my eldest eats

      Reply
    73. Naomi Hutchins says

      October 16, 2014 at 11:02 am

      My daughter likes the idea of getting inventive with food instead of just 'boring sandwiches'.

      Reply
    74. barbara madden says

      October 16, 2014 at 4:33 pm

      this would be great for our days out just the right size and sturdy we would have our salad and sandwich all packed well i love the purple one, and being different colours ,everyone would have there own colour so no getting mixed up JUST BRILLIANT

      Reply
    75. laura jayne bates says

      October 16, 2014 at 5:23 pm

      my daughters lunch

      Reply
    76. Mark Palmer says

      October 16, 2014 at 8:17 pm

      Sandwiches and cherry tomatoes

      Reply
    77. Keshia Esgate says

      October 16, 2014 at 8:26 pm

      Healthy salad and fruit portions

      Reply
    78. Heather Simpson says

      October 16, 2014 at 9:33 pm

      a lovely chicken salad, some fruit and carrot sticks

      Reply
    79. Diana says

      October 16, 2014 at 10:09 pm

      Sandwiches, fruits and a piece of cake 🙂

      Reply
    80. Gemma says

      October 16, 2014 at 10:39 pm

      Salad, fruit and of course some sushi!

      Reply
    81. Katherine Coldicott says

      October 17, 2014 at 9:58 am

      Couscous salad & grapes.

      Reply
    82. Laura Cooper says

      October 17, 2014 at 11:42 am

      I wuld pack lunch for myself and my 1 year old daughter when we're out and about.

      Reply
    83. Laura Kevlin says

      October 17, 2014 at 2:23 pm

      I'd pack cream cheese and crudites, fruit, snack pitta sandwiches and a homemade biscuit ro cake x

      Reply
    84. Jenny Rogers says

      October 17, 2014 at 4:47 pm

      I would pack snacks and fruit for a day out. The purple one looks very smart.

      Reply
    85. Fern says

      October 17, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      cheese, bread sticks, apple, grapes, lots of picky bits

      Reply
    86. Laura W says

      October 17, 2014 at 5:45 pm

      Delicious Caesar salad

      Reply
    87. Alison says

      October 17, 2014 at 6:52 pm

      Love these, would pack salad, fruit and break sticks

      Reply
    88. Sarah Buckley says

      October 17, 2014 at 7:12 pm

      I love bento boxes with a theme so would pack it with a different theme each day to cheer up my boyfriend when he opens his lunchbox at work - after all we are both big kids!! On days when I can't be bothered I'd probably pack it with BLT sandwiches & chocolate, nuts & raisins for snacks!

      Reply
    89. louise e bennett says

      October 17, 2014 at 7:46 pm

      salad

      Reply
    90. Jess Howliston says

      October 17, 2014 at 8:20 pm

      Cold pizza pin wheels, boiled eggs, ham slices and salad! xx

      Reply
    91. Maria Jane Knight says

      October 17, 2014 at 8:26 pm

      Im mummy to a 4 year old fussy eater and this magical box looks great for creating fun lunches...i would create sandwich fingers that olooked like catapillars xxx

      Reply
    92. Lisa Wilkinson says

      October 17, 2014 at 8:28 pm

      My little girl's lunch. She prefers lots of things to pick at rather than a sandwich

      Reply
    93. RACHAEL JONES says

      October 17, 2014 at 9:09 pm

      Pasta & salad

      Reply
    94. Barbara Handley says

      October 17, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      Sandwiches, fruit, yoghurt and bottle of water.

      Reply
    95. Emma Davies says

      October 17, 2014 at 9:18 pm

      Some salmon, cucumber and spring onions in a soy sauce/chilli dressing with some cold rice x

      Reply
    96. Karen R says

      October 17, 2014 at 9:32 pm

      I'd love to pack in some different raw vegetables, fruit and nuts 🙂

      Reply
    97. Ellie M says

      October 17, 2014 at 10:02 pm

      Some cheese, crackers and lots of colourful fruit. These look amazing!

      Reply
    98. Pete Schofield says

      October 17, 2014 at 10:06 pm

      I would pack tiny tiny cheese and cucumber sandwich triangles. Some grapes and some chocolate.

      Reply
    99. Robyn Logan Clarke says

      October 17, 2014 at 10:24 pm

      Lots of fresh vegetables and fruit

      Reply
    100. ESME MCCRUBB says

      October 17, 2014 at 10:46 pm

      LOVELY SALAD FOR LUNCH

      Reply
    101. Helen Garner says

      October 17, 2014 at 11:13 pm

      I could take a whole three course lunch to work with me

      Reply
    102. Denise S says

      October 17, 2014 at 11:28 pm

      fruit mini quiche and slices of pittas

      Reply
    103. Jamie says

      October 18, 2014 at 12:19 am

      Cream cheese wraps and salad 🙂

      Reply
    104. lisa86x says

      October 18, 2014 at 2:07 am

      very handy wee box to have

      Reply
    105. cathyj says

      October 18, 2014 at 4:37 am

      my daughters lunch, sandwich, cake and tomatoes,

      Reply
    106. Stephanie Burchatt says

      October 18, 2014 at 9:27 am

      We call it a deli lunch - lots of little things my son can pick up and eat: Cocktail sausages, cheese chunks, bread sticks broken into 4, cherry tomatoes, grapes, raisins all work well

      Reply
    107. Annamarie Riddiford says

      October 18, 2014 at 9:50 am

      I would use this as an interesting lunch for my daughter

      Reply
    108. DENISE WILDEN says

      October 18, 2014 at 11:00 am

      What a great lunch box I would take a chicken salad wrap with a fresh fruit salad.

      Reply
    109. Deborah Dixon says

      October 18, 2014 at 11:18 am

      Salad, fruit and pittas

      Reply
    110. Caroline James says

      October 18, 2014 at 12:09 pm

      I'd put little sushi rolls in, sliced cucumber, chopped cheese and tiny crackers.

      Reply
    111. Cheryl says

      October 18, 2014 at 12:44 pm

      perfect for my sons lunchbox ~ sandwich, fruit, cucumber, and raisins

      Reply
    112. Joanna Sawka says

      October 18, 2014 at 2:01 pm

      I would pack sandwiches, fruits and yoghurt

      Reply
    113. sarah pearce says

      October 18, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      pasta salad

      Reply
    114. JACQUELINE ROBERTS says

      October 18, 2014 at 3:35 pm

      My youngest loves wraps and lots f fruit, this would be great.

      Reply
    115. Mary Chez says

      October 18, 2014 at 3:44 pm

      Sandwiches and fruit

      Reply
    116. chirag P says

      October 18, 2014 at 4:04 pm

      pack the perfect fruit salad

      Reply
    117. Lelia says

      October 18, 2014 at 4:14 pm

      Pasta! 🙂

      Reply
    118. jen jackson says

      October 18, 2014 at 4:44 pm

      Lots of healthy snacks

      Reply
    119. twopointfourchildren says

      October 18, 2014 at 8:29 pm

      I would finally make myself some lunch!

      Reply
    120. sam fernley says

      October 18, 2014 at 10:20 pm

      Lots of cheesy goodies and veggies.

      Reply
    121. Kiran Parry says

      October 18, 2014 at 10:38 pm

      Fruit, veg snacks and some cheese treats.

      Reply
    122. Alisa Moore says

      October 18, 2014 at 10:41 pm

      Sushi

      Reply
    123. Jayne B says

      October 18, 2014 at 11:24 pm

      banana, grapes, falafels, homous and crudites

      Reply
    124. Rosie says

      October 18, 2014 at 11:29 pm

      I'd use it for hubby's lunch 🙂

      Reply
    125. Angela Webster says

      October 18, 2014 at 11:30 pm

      I'd pack a little salmon sushi, fruit salad and a bit of chocolate cake. Nom!

      Reply

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