As many of us head back to school or the office, looking for convenient ways to bring lunch from home can be a challenge. The OmieBox is an adorable bento box that has a 4.3-star rating and more than 5000 reviews on Amazon, plus it comes with a stainless-steel thermos and promises to keep hot food warm and cold snacks chill. But, does it actually deliver on the hype? To find out, I had Omie send me one of its boxes to test out.
One of the first things that I noticed about the OmieBox when it arrived was how it was packed—the unique bubble wrap inside the shipping container was as cute as the bento box itself. It came with a manual, which seemed extensive for a simple lunch container. Inside, the instructions outlined how to take care of the box. According to the company, high temperatures and certain detergents commonly used in dishwashers can damage the OmieBox, so washing it by hand is recommended. This seems like a big ask, though, especially for a product intended for daily use.
After opening the box and installing the lid seal, I inspected the interior compartments. The OmieBox is made with BPA-free double insulated plastic walls and features two rectangular sections—one horizontally at the top of the box, another on the left side with one adjustable wall—and a central square section that holds a circular thermos bowl. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with utensils. The small rectangular compartments are ideal for carrot sticks, a juice box, and maybe some grapes, but if you’re looking to have a side salad with your lunch, this bento box probably won’t offer enough space.
My biggest problem with the interior of this bento box pertains to design—mostly, the circular thermos in the main square section and its lid. I understand the central area is square, so you could swap out the thermos for a sandwich or something similar in size, but why isn’t the thermos square, too? A design tweak like this seems like it could maximize the amount of hot food you could bring with you and cut down on plastic usage, which is better for the environment.
When the thermos is in the box, it has a plastic square collar. The only function of that is to hold the circle in place while another lid makes sure that warm foods (like soup or pasta) don’t spill out. When a friend and I tried to screw the lid back onto the thermos, we couldn’t get it to work, especially when the plastic square collar was in place. The helix of threads didn’t connect easily and seems like it could be frustrating to use every day.
As the thermos is stainless steel, I can’t imagine an adult—let alone a child—handling it while trying to screw on the lid, because it would get very hot. I’d be worried food would spill out into the box, or that the thermos lid, which has a tiny handle, would pop off. Overall, this bento box looks great, but left a lot to be desired.
To learn more about OmieBox products, head on over to Amazon.
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This Bento Box Has More Than 5000 Reviews On Amazon—Is It Worth The Hype?
Source: Philippines Wonders
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