16 Insulated Lunch Bags (That Are Easy to Clean)

Say goodbye to the era of overheated and mushy sandwiches, all thanks to the ingenious redesign of the humble brown paper bag into colourful insulated lunch bags for kids.

Designed to keep kids food fresh for hours, Insulated lunch bags are multilayered insulation bags with a cooling panel that keeps food fresh for hours, without the need for refrigeration. Perfect for school lunches, family picnics, or road trips, an insulated lunch bag makes all the difference when deciding what you can and can’t pack for lunch.

So, grab your cooling panels, channel your inner canteen lady and let’s dive in!

If your drink bottle is a different brand from the lunch bag, always check that it will fit into any external bottle pockets on the lunch bag. Not all do.

OUR PICK OF THE CROP
16 Insulated Lunch Bags Mums Recommend

As baby product experts with 16 years of experience and a community of over 100,000 Australian mums, we’re committed to helping you pack a healthy kids school lunch that stays fresh in an insulated lunch bag.

Below you’ll find 16 insulated food containers, all mum-approved and recommended by our Grapeviner crew, in no particular order.

TRIXIE

TRIXIE Thermal Lunch Bags ($29.95)

This thermal lunch bag ensures your little one’s food stays warm or cold, while its waterproof coating offers added protection. Adorable animal designs and a convenient handle make it playful and portable. The large zipper, name tag and bonus snack pocket enhanced its practical charm.

Materials: 100% cotton outer
Size: 20cm x 14cm x 14cm
Washability: Spot clean only

Nudie Rudie Lunch Box

Nudie Rudie Lunch Box Lunch Bags ($39.95)

Super lightweight and waterproof, Nudie Rudie Lunch Box Bags feature a sturdy zip opening and front pocket for handy cutlery. Big enough for most stainless steel bento boxes, there’s room for extra containers and an ice pack. We love that they’re machine washable and have an internal name label.

“A very lightweight and easy to clean lunchbox bag. Love it. Room for lunchbox plus snacks packets and pockets for ice blocks to keep items cool.” said one happy customer.

Materials: 4mm neoprene
Size: 26.5cm x 19cm x 6.5 cm
Washability: Machine washable

Tinyme

Tinyme Personalised Lunch Bags (from $43)

Featuring a moulded silicone lining that is removable (& washable) and a convenient padded carry handle, this lunch bag is guaranteed to be a hit in the playground! With so many designs to choose from, you can personalise your little one’s name on the bag ensuring it comes home.

A mum left the review “Love the lunch bag. My children use these daily and they make for a great gift. Especially for kids that don’t have off-the-shelf names. The removable insert makes for easy cleaning.”

Materials: 600 denier polyester outer
Size: 24cm x 20cm x 8cm
Washability: Spot clean

Penny Scallan

Penny Scallan Lunch Bags (from $34.95)

BPA-free and water-resistant, Penny Scallan’s 100% coated cotton canvas lunch bags are designed to keep lunch boxes insulated for hours. The zippers are chunky so my toddler had no trouble opening and closing, and the cute name-tag included was a bonus.

It comes highly recommended by parents, such as this one who left a five-star review saying, “The size is so good my bento box fits perfectly in it, easy to clean and the design and colour just stand out. This is my eleventh piece – the quality is so good.”

Materials: 100% coated cotton canvas outer
Size: 20cm x 14cm x 14cm
Washability: Spot clean only

Ecococoon

ecococoon Lunch Bags ($34.95)

Designed with top-notch insulation and added durability this lunch bag has plenty of room for snacks and ice bricks. The quick-release handle was a favourite feature for tying it to their backpacks and the extra pockets provided a safe space for spoons or notes.

One happy parent gave a 5-star review and said, “We love this lunch bag. It is spacious – but not too big, love the clip that enables attaching the lunchbox to the school bag too. Highly recommend.”

Size: 27cm x 21 x 11cm
Washability: Hand wash

Kollab

Kollab Lunch Bags (from $22.95)

Explore the range of exclusive designs, made in collaboration with Aussie businesses and artists, with Kollab’s collection of insulated lunch boxes. Constructed from recycled plastic bottles, and featuring reinforced cotton-look handles for extra durability – they’re the perfect lunch companion for kindy or school.

Materials: Premium padded PEVA lining
Size: 22cm x 17.5cm x 14.5cm
Washability: Hand wash

Confetti Kidz

Confetti Kidz Insulated Lunch Bags ($36.95)

Discover the joy of fresh lunches with these vibrant insulated lunch bags. Perfect for school, they offer ample space for snacks and treats. Durable and stylish, they are water resistant and have a separate back compartment for an ice brick.

Materials: Water-resistant with an insulated interior
Size: Internal: 21cm x 24cm x 8cm, External: 22cm x 25cm x 9cm
Washability: Machine washable

MontiiCo

MontiiCo Lunch Bags (from $37.95)

Available in medium and large, MontiiCo insulated lunch bags are made from water-resistant fabrics and thick-quality insulation to keep food cold for up to eight hours. We love the handy zipped pocket for the gel ice pack so no condensation reaches the sambos.

“Great size, keeps food cold, is durable and my daughter loves the funky colours. Fits perfectly in her backpack. The ice packs are well made.” said one happy mum online.

Materials: Water Resistant fabric outer & aluminium lining
Size: Medium: 22cm x 24.5cm x 9cm, Large: 29.5cm x 24.5cm x 10cm
Washability: Machine washable

The Somewhere Co

The Somewhere Co Mini Lunch Satchel ($39.95)

With their signature fun colours and styles, The Somewhere Co Mini Lunch Satchels are sure to have your little one standing out at lunchtime. Made from recycled plastic water bottles, we love the velcro closure with the plastic clasp that makes it easy for little hands to manage.

Materials: RPET (recycled PET bottle) polyester
Size: 20cm x 28cm x 11cm
Washability: Hand wash

Little Renegade Company

Little Renegade Company Lunch Bag ($39.95)

Roomy and versatile, these lunch bags are equipped with an ice pack compartment, mesh barrier and a durable canvas exterior, keeping food fresh and cool. Easy to clean, featuring name tag pockets and a comfy carry handle it’s a great addition to your little one’s lunchtime.

Materials: Durable canvas
Size: 22cm x 27cm x 7cm
Washability: Hand wash only

More of our favourites…

Know an insulated lunch bag to add to our list? Contact us and let us know, we’ve been curating Australia’s best baby products into helpful lists for over 15 years and we’re always happy to support new brands and businesses.

Read next …

• 15 Bento Lunch Boxes Kids Can Open
• Making A School Lunch: What You Need To Know
• 7 Sandwich Cutters To Get Little Lunches Shipshape
• 16 Lunch Box Ideas You Can Freeze In Advance

Ask other mums

Looking for an insulated lunch bag and still not sure if any of these are right for you? Join the huge Grapeviner community in one of our private Facebook Due Date Groups and ask thousands of other mums with babies the same age as yours which ones they recommend. Get answers today!

We want you to know

We’re Mum’s Grapevine, a team of mums who’ve been there and done that (we have a combined 19 kids, so we know a thing or two about parenting!). We’ve been writing about all things baby and parenting for over 16 years, and we’re passionate about helping new mums find the best products for their little ones.

Sometimes, we do include paid inclusions in our reviews, but we promise that we only recommend products that we truly believe in and have either used or personally seen. Our goal is to give you, our Grapeviner mums, the inside scoop on the latest and greatest parenting products, and we’re always striving to maintain our high standards of quality and honesty.

Thanks for trusting us to be your go-to source for all things baby-related!

xoxo