The soft ice packs we use in our PlanetBox lunch bag

Our recommendations

Our family’s pick

Cool Coolers by Fit & Fresh Soft Ice, Teal (2 Pack)

I am happy with this pair so far. They fit our bag, and neither has broken. I will need more time with them before saying much about durability.

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Worth knowing.

• They fit in our PlanetBox lunch bag.
• I can find them in the freezer without much hunting.
• They feel decently thick and have stayed cold in use.

Hard-shell stackers

Bentgo + Bluey Reusable Ice Packs (4-Pack)

Consider these if you prefer a hard shell. I have not compared their cold holding with our soft pair.

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Worth knowing.

• Bentgo includes four reusable packs.
• The maker lists each pack at about half an inch thick.
• Wipe the exterior clean after lunch.

Long, narrow alternative

PlanetBox ColdKit

Check the ColdKit’s dimensions if you want a PlanetBox-branded pack. Owning a PlanetBox lunch bag does not require this particular ice pack.

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Worth knowing.

• PlanetBox lists a 9.5 by 3.9 by 0.5-inch shape.
• The coated polyester sleeve can be wiped or hand washed.
• Its long shape will not suit every bag.

Pack perishable lunches with enough cold sources

An ice pack feeling cold does not tell you the temperature of the food beside it.

• USDA recommends an insulated lunch bag with at least two cold sources for perishable lunches. Place them above and below the food, and refrigerate the bag on arrival when a refrigerator is available.
• Freeze packs before use and follow their care labels. Replace a pack if its cover splits or it leaks; keep gel away from children and food.

How I narrowed it down

We use the teal Cool Coolers soft two-pack, Amazon B0D79JJ1GW, in a PlanetBox lunch bag. My comments about fit, thickness and freezer visibility come from that setup. I have not used the other packs below or compared thaw times. The teal packs lie flat beside a generic bag in the editorial scene; that is not our lunch setup.

• Matched our Cool Coolers pair to Amazon B0D79JJ1GW. The maker’s Navy Sketch page describes a different variant, so I have not applied its measurements to our teal pair.
• Checked the current Bentgo Bluey and PlanetBox ColdKit product pages.
• Used USDA lunch-packing guidance for cold-source advice; I did not infer food safety from a pack feeling cold.

I'm Matt, a dad of two boys. If we've used something at home, the card says personally tested. The rest I read up on. I keep a weekly list of kids' product recalls. How I pick.