Baby/Kids/Family

Lunchboxes & Water Bottles: Safer Picks for Kids (School‑Friendly)

AussieNut Staff Member

31 Mar 2026 — 2 min read

Kids gear gets banged around, chewed on, and heated. Choose materials that will not leach.

When we started looking into "BPA-free" lunchboxes, we realized a lot of them just swapped BPA for BPS or BPF—chemically similar replacements that might be just as bad.

Here is what actually matters when choosing lunch gear for kids.

Lunchboxes

Best: Stainless steel

(PlanetBox, LunchBots, Yumbox Metal)

Why: No leaching, durable enough to survive years of dropping, dishwasher-safe, no weird smells.

Downside: Heavier than plastic, more expensive upfront (but lasts forever—ours are still going strong after 4 years).

Good: BPA-free plastic

(if stainless is not an option)

Choose polypropylene (PP, recycling number 5). Avoid heating it in the microwave—even "microwave-safe" plastic can leach chemicals when heated repeatedly.

Avoid completely:

PVC (recycling number 3)—contains phthalates
Polystyrene (number 6)—leaches styrene
Polycarbonate (number 7)—often contains BPA or BPA alternatives

Water bottles

Stainless steel (Klean Kanteen, Swell, Cheeki)—our top pick. Unbreakable, lasts years, no taste transfer.
Glass with silicone sleeve (Lifefactory)—safe but heavier. Great for home, less ideal for school (breakage risk).
BPA-free plastic if needed (Camelbak Eddy Kids)—lighter for younger kids who struggle with heavy bottles.

We started with plastic for our 4-year-old (lighter to carry), then switched to stainless at age 6. Do what works for your kid.

What to skip

Avoid bottles with:

Soft, squishy plastic (often contains phthalates for flexibility)
"Microban" or antimicrobial coatings (unnecessary silver nanoparticles or triclosan)
Scratches, cloudiness, or wear (degraded plastic leaches more chemicals—replace it)

If a plastic bottle looks beat-up, toss it. Plastic degrades with use, and older plastic leaches more.

Where to buy (Australia)

Biome (online—widest range of stainless options)
The Nappy Collective, Nourished Life (also online, good for bulk orders)
Kmart (Oasis stainless bottles—budget option, surprisingly decent quality)

You do not need the fanciest branded gear. A twenty dollar Kmart stainless bottle works just as well as a fifty dollar imported one. Just avoid plastic where you can, and replace it when it wears out.

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