…and the environment. With the latest info about phthalates and BPA and the move away from plastic bags and non-reusable containers when it comes to packing your child’s lunch, a few companies have taken up the cause to create lunchboxes that are both child friend and earth friendly. I’ve reviewed both the Kids Konserve lunch bag and the OOTS! Lunchbox and today I have a new one for you.

Though my girls don’t pack their lunches very often I am still trying to take baby steps on my way to helping our family be a bit more “green.” A reusable, eco-friendly lunchbox is one way we can make a small change in our habits, which will hopefully lead to more changes as we go. yubo sent me their Deluxe Lunchbox in a snappy orange–a good color for a family with both girls and boys. Before the lunchbox even arrived I was pretty excited to review it because although the previous ones I’ve featured on the Daily Dish were nifty, other than choosing your color or pattern, they weren’t extremely unique. yubo’s lunchboxes not only have removable faceplates but you can personalize them with your child’s name of even one of your own photos!

yubo’s Deluxe version comes with the lunchbox (of course), faceplate set (ours came with the “peace” set), three containers (one square plus two small rounds), a custom ice pack and a name tag. The kids saw the new lunchbox on the counter and immediately called dibs on who got to use it first. (My oldest won that one.) Though I quickly hand washed everything you can stick pretty much every part of the yubo into the dishwasher (except faceplates, tags and the ice pack). We love easy! The night before school my daughter packed her lunch complete with PB & honey sandwich, pretzels, carrots and fruit snacks.

Because her sandwich container had a little room she was able to throw in a pack of fruit snacks on top before closing it. Other than that there isn’t much room for anything except the ice pack. Of course if you don’t really need the ice pack you could throw in a granola bar or other small snack on top. She put everything inside, snapped on the lid, slipped in the faceplates and was ready to go. It fit nicely in the fridge so it kept the carrots cold until it was time for school the next day.

I would say out of the three this is my kids’ favorite lunchbox, but I will say as fun as it is to be able to change the design or personalize it or add one of any number of cool tags, it doesn’t hold that many items…unless you get creative and don’t need the ice pack. Otherwise you have a sandwich, two sides and that’s pretty much it. Perhaps that should be all you need for a school lunch, but I know by the time my girls eat (5 or so hours after breakfast), they’re pretty hungry. Of course you can buy different size containers so you could have three oval ones or four rounds and one oval one. But I have to say though the OOTS! lunchbox stacks vertically, which can be a pain if you need something on the bottom, it does offer a little more room for packing a few more things.

We didn’t received the drink holder to test but I do love that yubo lunch boxes offer this option, though I do wish it came included with the deluxe version. It’s a holder that attaches to the outside so you can carry a reusable water bottle and it’s insulated, which is super nice!

Overall the yubo wins our vote for its ease of use (easy access to everything, dishwasher safe); custom ice pack that takes up very little space; BPA-free materials, food-safe, anti-microbial agent; soft handle (forgot to mention that earlier); 100% recyclable materials AND the super cool faceplates and tags. Plus it comes in pink, orange and blue…and did I mention it’s easy to clean? At $29.95 for the Deluxe and $21.95 for the standard lunch box, it is more of an investment than your typical lunchbox but you are helping save the environment, and who can put a price on that? –Emily

* Promotion! yubo is offering Daily Dish readers 15% off their orders. Simply use code boucaf15 when checking out. Offer expires December 25, 2009.

I haven’t purchased a lunchbox for my kids in a really long time. I was tired of en ever-growing collection of lunchboxes in various shades of pink and it seemed a waste to buy a new one every year when last year’s model still in perfect condition. Other than our newer Kids Konserve lunch bag, our current selection of lunchboxes don’t come with any sort of containers for food and snacks, which means we go through quite a few plastic bags, and in a world where we need to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible, it seems there are better alternatives out there. Fortunately I found one…and it’s stylish to boot!

I first discovered OOTS! when I reviewed their bbib back in October of 2006. It’s almost three years later and we’re still using our bbib–it’s one of our favorites because of it’s nearly full-coverage design. (I kind of wish they had a size that would fit my nine-year-old…) Because I’m already an OOTS! fan it was an easy decision (okay, I jumped at the chance) to review their newest product line consisting of super functional yet coolly modern lunchboxes.

We received the Deluxe version of the OOTS! Lunchbox in green, deluxe meaning it includes one large and four small containers. I love that those containers will cut down on our use of plastic bags so we can do our part to keep our carbon footprint in check. I love that the design offers a wide elastic strap that doubles as a placeholder for water bottle–a reusable one, of course! With your children’s health in mind, OOTS!’ lunchboxes uses materials that are food safe and kid-friendly; they’re made from BPA-free and phthalate-free polypropylene and safety tested for lead. Everything is dishwasher safe (hooray!) and even the containers are microwaveable.

When my son first caught hold of his new Lunchbox we had a lot of fun taking out and putting back the containers. Anything that entertains my son gets a thumbs-up in my book! The upright design proved pretty darn stable during playtime, which means it should do a great job keeping food from being tossed around. I hate when things get all mushed in a lunchbox! Here are a couple photos of George all excited about his new OOTS! Lunchbox:

I suggested washing the Lunchbox and its containers before using and George was all over that idea!

The Lunchbox comes in three different color combos: blue, green and orange. They are sold without the containers or as the Deluxe version, which is what we reviewed. (I recommend the Deluxe version; if you purchase the other you’re going to wish you had those containers!) What I love about the OOTS! lunchbox is that it’s kid friendly yet would make the perfect container for adults who enjoy packing their lunch for work or school. No hot pink stripes, polka dots or Barbie faces on these Dutch-designed, stylish-yet-functional lunchboxes!

*** Giveaway! OOTS! is giving away one Lunchbox Deluxe, winner’s choice! Please visit the OOTS! website and leave a comment telling us what other product you love. Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 13, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

** For a second entry tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.

** For a third entry blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

* PROMOTION! OOTS! is offering Daily Dish readers 30% off their dishes and bbibs! Simply use coupon code “oots30″ (without the quotes) when checking out. Offer expires September 30, 2009.

* Congratulations to Eloise C., the winner of the OOTS! giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!