Compare Lunchboxes
PlanetBox Rover Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box scores higher on safety - here's why.
R3 scored the PlanetBox Rover Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box 8.0/10 and the LunchBots Large Cinco Stainless Steel Lunch Container 7.2/10 on the same lunchboxes scoring system, weighing safety, efficacy, and usability. The PlanetBox Rover Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box comes out ahead, led by its safety score (10.0/10 vs 9.0/10).
The most important dimensions, side by side.
See which one actually scores higher — and why
Free account unlocks full safety scores, spec-by-spec breakdown, and the R3 verdict on PlanetBox Rover Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box vs LunchBots Large Cinco Stainless Steel Lunch Container.
Unlock the full PlanetBox Rover Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box vs LunchBots Large Cinco Stainless Steel Lunch Container breakdown
Free account unlocks all safety scores, complete spec comparison, scoring rationale, and the R3 verdict on which one to buy.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
Chemical safety is your top priority — 304-grade stainless steel tray means zero food-contact chemical risk, no exceptions.
You want a lunch box that will last all five years of elementary school under a single warranty.
Your child's lunches are primarily dry or semi-dry foods — sandwiches, fruits, veggies, crackers, with wet items in Dippers.
You want stain and odor resistance so the box still looks clean at the end of the school year.
Your child is 3+ and you want the simplest possible latch for independent opening at lunchtime.
You primarily pack dry lunch components — sandwiches, crackers, fruit chunks, cut vegetables, cheese cubes, or dry snacks.
You want zero plastic, zero rubber, and zero silicone touching your child's food during the entire school day.
Your child is 3+ and struggles with latches — the lift-off lid is the easiest lunch container to open independently.
You want a one-time purchase: the all-stainless construction and lifetime warranty mean this container should last through elementary school and beyond.
Dishwasher convenience matters — the entire container (no gaskets to remove) goes straight into the dishwasher.
The main thing to know
The Rover is built with the safest possible materials for a children's lunch box — 304-grade stainless tray, no gasket, 5-year warranty — but it is not leakproof, and sauces or wet foods will spill during backpack transport unless packed in the separate Dipper containers.
The LunchBots Large Cinco is the cleanest all-stainless lunch container in this category — no gasket, no latch, no plastic anywhere near food — but it is definitively not leak-proof. Pack only dry foods or budget for separate leak-proof cups for sauces and wet items.
Skip this if you...
You pack soups, heavy dressings, or other wet foods that need full leakproof containment — the Rover is explicitly not leakproof.
Budget is the primary constraint — a $69 stainless box versus a $20-25 plastic alternative is a real cost difference, even accounting for longevity.
Your child is under 5 and already has a heavy backpack — at 1.25 lbs empty, the Rover adds meaningful weight before food is loaded.
You pack yogurt, dressings, sauces, hummus, or any liquid — they will leak without a separate sealed container.
You need a standalone container for a backpack without a dedicated lunch bag — the latch-free lid is not secure for loose transport.
You require published third-party PFAS panel testing documentation — LunchBots does not publish PFAS-specific lab results for the stainless steel line.
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Lunchboxes options at every price pointEvery Lunchboxes in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated PlanetBox and LunchBots across 3 independent criteria: Safety (48%), Efficacy (22%), Usability (30%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
I'd start with PlanetBox PlanetBox Rover Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box - it scored 8.0/10 overall in our scoring system. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy, and usability. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Lunchboxes across Safety, Efficacy, Usability using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects how we weight those three pillars, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
Not the right match? Explore these alternatives in the same category.
