Children's lunch boxes...

High School Musical - €12.99

Obviously we wanted to hate this Disney product because of the picture on the front but the three-year-old who helped in the testing fell in love with it at first sight so we think it might be with us for some time to come. Horibbleness aside, it is actually quite natty and is the only lunch box to come with its own plastic sandwich container. It also has a perfectly fine pink water bottle, is insulated to keep lunches cool and has a replaceable name tag on the base. The handles look a little flimsy. Oh, and did we mention how horrible it looks?

Verdict:Horrible but . . . ***

Polar Gear - €7.99

Bought in Dunnes, this is the cheapest box reviewed. We are told that nothing destroys a child’s lunch faster and more efficiently than a leaking drinks bottle so the fact that this comes with a bottle holder on the outside is a good thing. It has a detachable shoulder strap and is thick and squashy so will protect little lunches. The 500ml bottle withstood our special leak test – okay, we just filled it with water and shook it over the sink. It is top loading which may make it more tricky to get at a complicated lunch.

Verdict:Cheap and sturdy ****

Baker Lunch Box- €29.99

This ridiculously tasteful lunch box is the cutest and is also very well made so should last for more than a single year. There is, however, a huge “but” here – there is no way we could countenance spending €30 on a lunch box no matter how cute, well-made or tasteful. Price aside, it is also small and lacks anything by way of insulation to keep lunchtime fodder chilled. To be fair, it is a long way from insulated lunch boxes Pricewatch was raised and room temperature sarnies never did us a blind bit of harm.

Verdict:Lovely but . . . **

Thermos Cool Fresh Lunch Kit - €9

We bought this in our local Tesco and at this price, we think it represents excellent value for money. It is well made, comes with a good sturdy drinks bottle and is plenty big enough for a hearty lunch for a little one. The handle is nice and padded and the zip is easy for little hands to open. It is also ever so slightly less pink than most of its rivals although that might be a plus or a minus depending on who is using it.

Verdict:Good value ****

Is there something you would like us to test? Email suggestions to pricewatch@irishtimes.com