Divide and Conquer?

Not so fast! Here’s why we don’t do dividers and why we prefer modular designs instead.

Periodically we get requests for food containers with removable dividers. Adding dividers to a lunchbox sounds like a fruitful plan of action. We know that, for little kiddos and their taste buds, a leaky lunch box is one soggy mishap. And food fraternizing with one another? Your picky eater won’t have that.

It would seem to make sense to design a food container with removable dividers. This way every snack, veggie, and food topping has a designated nook. While it sounds convenient, it turns out unfortunately that assigning “homes” (square cubby holes) isn’t such a homerun after all.

We’ve considered adding welded dividers and removable dividers and here’s what we found. So our ECOlunchbox engineers went to work building mock-ups and testing durability. First we tried removable dividers because we thought these would be handy, providing extra functionality for our containers and easy cleaning.

We welded together a grid that could be put into the lunchboxes to create little food nooks. We were excited, because we thought the design would allow use of of our containers in two ways. First, you could use it as one big open lunchbox. Secondly, we hoped, you could sometimes add the lunch fencing grid and divide it up. Sounds great, right?

But unfortunately we found that the removable dividers allowed wet to seep from one nook to another along the bottom of the container and kids generally don't like flavors mixed. When we tested these designs, for example, we noticed that damp fruit was a common culprit. The juices would leak over into the crackers area and the eating experience was soggy and unpleasant.

There are so many tasty, colorful snack options out there. Little snacks for lunch is one of our favorite things. What is yours? Photo by @thenaturalnurturer	This looks like a perfect litte lunch! We'd love to hear what recipes and snack combos work best for your eco kids! Photo by @nikimo.ch
This good lookin' lunch gives us sunshiney vibes. Zero waste, plant based, and makes our mouths water?! Yes please!! Photo by @zerowastefamily	So tasty! So fresh! We love seeing the new #lunchinspiration ideas from everyone. This one from Dorothy is picture perfect! Photo by @shockinglydish
Your child's lunch does NOT have to be boring! Photo by @bentovivlove	EcoLunchboxes are great for outdoor lunches and snacks too!

 When we struck out, we decided to give more thought to adding welded dividers or snack containers with dividers. But in our prototypes we found it cumbersome to get the nooks and crannies clean and dry. Then there was the issue of food fraternizing! The issue of dampness leaking along the bottom the container was persistent even though the fences were welded down. Additionally, we noticed leaking between the tops of the dividers and the one-lid-fits-all top when the lunchbox is (heaven forbid!) flipped on its side or upside down in a kiddo’s school pack!

So these are the reasons why we launched ECOlunchbox 10 years ago in 2008 with the Three-in-One Classic modular design and stuck with that concept. This lunchbox fit the needs of our founder’s children and over the years we’ve sold hundreds of thousands of these to families across the globe. Our preference for modular designs addresses the same use needs of lunch packers -- the desire to subdivide containers into smaller parts .

So we’ve designed our  lunchboxes to be used in sets with smaller containers, like our leak-proof ECOlunchpod nesting in the top layer of our Three-in-One Classic. Same thing is true for our Blue Water Bento Splash Pod, which is designed to be used either separately or nested in a Splash Box. We sell the items either separately or at a discounted price as a bundle in a Splash Box and Pods Set. The Splash Box can accommodate either one Splash Pod or two depending on what you’re packing. You can put the no-leak silicone lid on the Splash Pod when you nest it if you’re packing wet foods. If the foods are not damp and soggy isn’t a concern, then you can leave the lids off for an open concept presentation that younger children will find convenient.

We also launched recently the 3-in-1 Splash Box, which is a mash-up of the original 100% stainless steel Three-in-One Classic and our no-leak Blue Water Bento line with silicone lids. This lunchbox includes two layers and a pod that work modularly. 

Also fabulous for nesting and mixing and matching are our Blue Water Bento Seal Cups in six different sizes either sold separately or at a discounted price as a bundle. Pack a salad in a Seal Cup XL and use the Seal Cup Mini for the dressing, tucking it on top of the greens inside the Seal Cup XL. Options are endless. At end of the day when it’s time to go home from work or school, the empty containers all nest inside each other very compactly for easy transport.

We wanted to give our consumers complete control over how you’ll prep and organize food content. With this came the birth of our leak-proof individual containers and pods, also known as our Blue Water Bento Lunchboxes Collection.

Pack one or two Splash Pods, with or without the lid, and place inside our popular Splash Box and 3-In-1 Lunchbox. Or, use our 100% plastic free Seal Cups (five sizes to choose from) to separately carry your fluffy greens, dressings, and side dishes. Same great portions with a leak-guard protection to satisfy even the most persnikitty eater (maybe you?).

All of our lunchboxes are 100% dishwasher safe. No need to hand wash lids separately since ours are made from rugged steel and silicone - not plastic. And you won’t get any leaking with our modular designs so your lunchbags and backpacks are safe from soggy, too.

We realize that life can get messy sometimes, but your lunch needn’t be. Fresh, flavorful, and wholesome goodness should always be a staple. What do you think? Has this “divide and conquer” strategy worked for you? Do you have any new product ideas for us to consider? Please share with us here on Facebook.