Standing in front of a wall of lunchboxes (or scrolling a website at 9.45pm) trying to work out which bento is actually going to work for your kid? You're not alone. "Which one do I need?" is one of the questions we get asked most, and the honest answer is: it depends on your kid, not on which box has the nicest print.
Between the silicone bento boxes and the modular bento range, there are eight different shapes, seals and configurations to choose from, and every one solves a slightly different lunchbox problem. Here's exactly what each one does, so you can stop guessing and pack with a bit more calm tomorrow morning.
The Two Spixal Bento Families (Quick Overview)
Every Spixal bento sits in one of two families, and knowing which is which is the fastest way to narrow things down.
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The silicone range — soft, squeezable and fully leakproof. Every single compartment seals on its own, and it comes in five matching colours: purple, pink, blue, green and coral.
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The modular range — hard-wearing plastic (and one stainless steel) bentos that clip shut, some reconfiguring to change shape as your kid's appetite and school stage change.
The Silicone Range: Soft, Leakproof, Colour-Coded
If nothing-touching-anything-else is non-negotiable at your place, start here. The lip of every silicone bento seals completely around each compartment, so the whole lid is leakproof and every section inside it is too.
The Modular Range: Built to Grow With Your Kid
The modular range is plastic and stainless steel, with clip closures instead of a silicone seal. A few reconfigure, which is brilliant for changing appetites but means the lid only seals the whole bento, not each section, so keep that in mind if total leakproofing matters more than flexibility.
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Roundie bento box — a 6 compartment round bento with a 3 clip closure that reconfigures into a lunch bowl. Great for kids whose lunch needs change day to day.
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Duo bento & food jar — an extra-large 4 compartment bento with fixed, fully sealing compartments, paired with a small 200ml insulated food jar. Both use an easy 1-clip, gasket lift-open design made for little hands, which makes Duo our pick for first-timers and younger kids.
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Quad bento box — a 4 compartment rectangular bento with a 4 clip closure that reconfigures down to 4, 3, 2 or 1 compartments. One box that adapts as your kid's lunch needs change.
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Flexi snack box — a single-compartment square box with a 4 clip closure. Our pick for fruit break, recess or anything that doesn't need a full bento.
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Core stainless steel bento — a stainless steel base with a clear plastic lid and a removable T-shaped divider, so it works as 3 compartments or 1. The most grown-up looking option in the range, and a favourite with parents of tweens and teens.
Rounding out the system: insulated food jars for warm lunches, and kids water bottles to match.
How to Choose Based on What Your Kid Actually Needs
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Starting daycare or kindy: the Duo's easy-open, gasket lift lid is designed for little hands that can't manage a screw top yet.
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Won't eat if foods touch: the 5 compartment silicone bento or the Quad give the most separation, and the silicone range seals every section individually.
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Wants warm lunches: pair the Duo or Core with one of our insulated food jars for noodles, soup or leftovers that are still warm at lunchtime.
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Bigger appetite or heading into the tween years: the Core or a fully-opened Quad hold the most food and look a little more grown-up in the lunch bag.
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Just needs fruit break or recess sorted: a Flexi snack box or one of our mini snack boxes is all that's needed, no full bento required.
Leakproof or Not? What Actually Seals
This trips a lot of parents up, so it's worth spelling out. The entire silicone range and the Duo bento seal every compartment individually, which means you can pack it, tip your kid's bag upside down by accident, and nothing leaks between sections. The Roundie and Quad only seal the whole lid as one, not each compartment, because that's what allows them to reconfigure. Both are still spill-resistant for the trip to school, just not designed to survive a full flip in a backpack the way the silicone range and Duo are.
Keep Building the System
A bento is only half the lunch routine. A few related reads if you're building out the rest of the kit:
Shop the Full Bento Range
Still not sure which one's right? Browse the full bento range and filter by colour to match whatever your kid's already carrying.
Shop All Spixal Bento Boxes
FAQs
What's the difference between the silicone bento and the modular bento range?
The silicone range is soft, comes in five colours and seals every compartment individually, so it's fully leakproof. The modular range is hard-wearing plastic and stainless steel with clip closures, and some pieces (like the Roundie and Quad) reconfigure to change shape, which is why they only seal as a whole lid rather than compartment by compartment.
Which bento box is best for a first day of school or daycare?
The Duo is our go-to for first-timers. Its 1-clip, gasket lift lid is designed to be easy for small hands to open on their own, and it comes with a small 200ml insulated food jar built in.
Which bento box holds the most food?
The Core, opened out to full size, and the Quad reconfigured to its largest 4 compartment setting hold the most food in the range, which makes them popular for bigger appetites and older kids.
Can I mix and match bento colours with the rest of my Spixal kit?
Yes. Every bento in both ranges comes in the same five colours as our lunch bags and backpacks, so you can match the whole system or mix colours across siblings.
Build your full lunch system: Pair your bento box with a lunch bag and an insulated food jar for a complete, coordinated school lunch kit.
How to Choose the Right Bento Box for Your Kid
Standing in front of a wall of lunchboxes (or scrolling a website at 9.45pm) trying to work out which bento is actually going to work for your kid? You're not alone. "Which one do I need?" is one of the questions we get asked most, and the honest answer is: it depends on your kid, not on which box has the nicest print.
Between the silicone bento boxes and the modular bento range, there are eight different shapes, seals and configurations to choose from, and every one solves a slightly different lunchbox problem. Here's exactly what each one does, so you can stop guessing and pack with a bit more calm tomorrow morning.
The Two Spixal Bento Families (Quick Overview)
Every Spixal bento sits in one of two families, and knowing which is which is the fastest way to narrow things down.
The Silicone Range: Soft, Leakproof, Colour-Coded
If nothing-touching-anything-else is non-negotiable at your place, start here. The lip of every silicone bento seals completely around each compartment, so the whole lid is leakproof and every section inside it is too.
The Modular Range: Built to Grow With Your Kid
The modular range is plastic and stainless steel, with clip closures instead of a silicone seal. A few reconfigure, which is brilliant for changing appetites but means the lid only seals the whole bento, not each section, so keep that in mind if total leakproofing matters more than flexibility.
Rounding out the system: insulated food jars for warm lunches, and kids water bottles to match.
How to Choose Based on What Your Kid Actually Needs
Leakproof or Not? What Actually Seals
This trips a lot of parents up, so it's worth spelling out. The entire silicone range and the Duo bento seal every compartment individually, which means you can pack it, tip your kid's bag upside down by accident, and nothing leaks between sections. The Roundie and Quad only seal the whole lid as one, not each compartment, because that's what allows them to reconfigure. Both are still spill-resistant for the trip to school, just not designed to survive a full flip in a backpack the way the silicone range and Duo are.
Keep Building the System
A bento is only half the lunch routine. A few related reads if you're building out the rest of the kit:
Shop the Full Bento Range
Still not sure which one's right? Browse the full bento range and filter by colour to match whatever your kid's already carrying.
Shop All Spixal Bento Boxes
FAQs
What's the difference between the silicone bento and the modular bento range?
The silicone range is soft, comes in five colours and seals every compartment individually, so it's fully leakproof. The modular range is hard-wearing plastic and stainless steel with clip closures, and some pieces (like the Roundie and Quad) reconfigure to change shape, which is why they only seal as a whole lid rather than compartment by compartment.
Which bento box is best for a first day of school or daycare?
The Duo is our go-to for first-timers. Its 1-clip, gasket lift lid is designed to be easy for small hands to open on their own, and it comes with a small 200ml insulated food jar built in.
Which bento box holds the most food?
The Core, opened out to full size, and the Quad reconfigured to its largest 4 compartment setting hold the most food in the range, which makes them popular for bigger appetites and older kids.
Can I mix and match bento colours with the rest of my Spixal kit?
Yes. Every bento in both ranges comes in the same five colours as our lunch bags and backpacks, so you can match the whole system or mix colours across siblings.
Build your full lunch system: Pair your bento box with a lunch bag and an insulated food jar for a complete, coordinated school lunch kit.