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Top 3 Best SoYoung Lunch Bags – Raw Linen, Eco-Friendly, Retro-Inspired, and Easy to Clean
Our Rating:
These raw linen lunch boxes are a zip-up fabric lunch box for kids with a removable insulated insert for easy cleaning. Each one has an attached handle on top and a removable shoulder strap as well. It is made from raw linen for that retro feel and features various cute animal designs on the front of the box. The box is beige (raw linen) and the trim various colors depending on the design of each individual lunch box.
Features of the SoYoung Kids Lunch Boxes
- Removable insulated insert with a pocket for cutlery and love notes
- Detachable strap
- Machine Washable
- PVC Phtalate Lead & BPA Free
Removable Insulated Insert
This lunch box has an insert that helps keep the temperature of the contents inside, which is helpful when your kid has a drink and a sandwich inside. It will keep the food at the right temperature and ready to eat when lunchtime comes around. It also has a pocket for utensils and/or love notes! It can be removed when school is over and easily cleaned and re-inserted into the box.
Detachable Strap
There is a teal strap with hooks on either end (it is also adjustable). This will allow the box to be carried like a messenger bag across the shoulder so your child can easily have hands free to carry books or tote bags or whatever they decide to get into on the way to school! It is a nice touch that many other lunch boxes simply do not have. It looks nice as well since it matches the teal trim of the box.
Machine Washable
Being linen, you can simply toss this in the washing machine and clean it up. Take the insert out before washing! Since it is linen, which is an extraordinarily strong material, it will not tear or rip in the laundry. It is nice to be able to just toss it in the wash since just about everything a kid owns gets filthy almost instantly for some unknown reason.
Free of BPA & Other Harmful Chemicals
This is a must these days. This is an eco-friendly lunch box and is made from safe materials, so your child does not have to touch potentially harmful surfaces, especially when eating. The manufacturer is focused on safety and makes it clear to mention these boxes are safe and not harmful to the environment.
Negative Points?
With overwhelmingly positive feedback from buyers on these lunch boxes the only complaint that shows up a few times is that some people had issues with the zippers. They do have a 30-day return window, so our advice is to wash it right away (don’t put it in the dryer, it’s linen) and if the zipper still works, you should be good to go. All the problems with zippers that people reported tended to happen after washing. A word to the wise!
Summary
We love the designs on these! The cute animals are awesome and the trim colors against the raw linen is a cool retro look. The fact that you can remove the insulated insert is nice, and the detachable strap is a convenient bonus. This is a snappy retro-styled extremely functional environmentally safe lunch box for your kid. These are not the cheapest lunch boxes you can get but for the price, you do get significant value. High quality build, safe materials, will last for a long time…what is not to love?
Look at our top 3 favorites below and decide for yourself which one is the best. However, if you think the narwhal one is not the best, you would be wrong!
#1- Teal Narwhal Lunch Bag
This is our favorite. The narwhal with baby narwhal on the front just captured our hearts. The teal trim has a really striking effect against that raw linen. Like the other boxes on our list you can take out the insert on this to clean it and it comes with a detachable strap. This is the clear winner, what do you think?
#2- Orange Fox Lunch Bag
Super cute and of course orange, this one strikes us as a close second. It comes with all the same features as the others and is also machine washable. Like we said earlier these are not the cheapest lunch boxes, but you get what you pay for and this manufacturer stands behind their products. The cute fox is a close contender for the cutest lunch box by SoYoung.
#3- Blue Dinosaur (T-Rex) Linen Lunch Bag
Who does not love dinosaurs? T-Rex is the king of the dinosaurs and he looks fierce on the face of this linen lunch bag. The bag zips up like the others and comes with the strap and insert as well. This is the most popular bag with young boys. What little boy does not want to cruise around with a dinosaur? We loved this one and it almost made it to the #2 spot, but the fox is just way too cute.
Final Thoughts
As you can see these lunch bags are unique and stylish solutions for kids. These were just our top 3 but you can find a wide variety of designs and styles from SoYoung on Amazon. We think these are the coolest little bags we have come across. Since you are probably wondering what these are doing on an Asian cooking website… keep reading, there is a connection!
Top 3 Best Lunch Bag Poches & Cooler Bags (Day Packs) by SoYoung
Our Rating:
These cooler bags are like the lunch boxes in how they are made and the key features. Let us look at the key features and learn a little more about these Poches.
- Linen Outer Shell
- Detachable Strap
- Insulated & Leak Proof
- Free of Harmful Chemicals
Linen Outer Shell
The shell of these is a tight woven raw linen with its attractive color and cross hatch look. Linen is one of the oldest known textile fabrics that has been used for many years due to its strength and versatility. It is a safe material and a bit rough to the touch. Linen lasts a very long time but does not like high heat (it will shrink in the dryer).
Detachable Strap
Like the lunch boxes, these poches and coolers have a detachable strap. You can attach the strap and carry them like a messenger bag to free up your hands for other tasks. Also, messenger bags have come back in to style lately so being seen carrying one of these will surely give you at least a few style points. The straps are adjustable so you can make them longer or shorter as needed. They have high-quality spring-loaded hooks that will not easily fall off once attached.
Insulated & Leak Proof
The poches by SoYoung are insulated with a removable insert that can easily be removed and scrubbed clean. They have a lining that is sealed and will not leak if something happens to spill inside the bag.
Free of Harmful Chemicals
Much like the lunch boxes, these poches are made with safe materials and do not contain PVC, Lead, or other nasty chemicals that could be harmful to you or your food. This is all part of the manufacturer’s idea of making safe products that do not harm you or the environment. You can feel good about buying these bags.
Differences Between Poches & Lunch Boxes
These are like the lunch bags above with a few key differences.
- Bigger
- Made for Adults or Kids
- More Mature Designs
Bigger
These are about 3X 10X 7.5 inches as opposed to the smaller kids’ lunch bags. This means they can hold a lot more stuff for a longer trip or even carrying a small number of groceries that are temperature sensitive.
Made for Adults or Kids
These are intended for adults or kids, as opposed to the lunch boxes which are clearly for kids with cute child-friendly designs. We will not judge you if you got one of the narwhal lunch bags for yourself though, they are super cool.
More Mature Designs
These have designs more suited to adult tastes. Some are more abstract while some would still be at home on a kid’s lunch box. Overall, they are more well suited for grown-ups but still suitable for kids who need a bigger bag.
Summary
We love these poches and coolers! The designs are unique, the bags are well made and easy to clean, and safe! We also really like supporting this manufacturer since the founder has such an uplifting story. As we go through our top 3 favorite poches, keep in mind that any purchase you make will be supporting a business that is backed by a person that has overcome unbelievable odds to get where she is. More on her story later!
#1 Best SoYoung Cooler Bag- Curious Cats
As huge cat fans, we could not pass this one up! The multicolored kitties on this bag grab your attention. We also really like the light blue trim against the rough linen shell. This would look great on anyone in a park having a picnic, especially if they brought along their cat!
#2 SoYoung Linen Cement Color Block Lunch Poche
This is the utilitarian choice. No frills no fancy print, just a solid brown bag that you can take anywhere and will go with any outfit. Not very fancy as far as the design goes, but there is beauty in simplicity and we really liked this one. A solid choice that will never look out of place!
#3 SoYoung Red Poppy Large Cooler Bag
The red poppy is a vivid floral designed bag that really stands out. It has bright red trim and the poppies on the bag are a nice retro touch. We loved the look and feel of this cooler bag, but because it is floral it is not going to appeal to everyone. It is the most striking of the 3 but flowers are a bit of a niche choice so it had to be #3. A great choice if you love flowers (we do!)
We hope you like these unique bags with an Asian connection. The company that makes them is a great success story and the products are well made and designed to last!
As promised earlier, here is a look at the people behind the products!
SoYoung- Learn About This Unique Manufacturer of Unique Eco-Friendly Products
SoYoung is an uplifting success story with its roots in Asia (Korea to be precise.) The company’s founder, Catherine Choi was born to Korean immigrant parents in Montreal, Canada. She was never given the kind of positive support as a kid growing up that many kids get these days, and as a result she ended up having a very unhappy childhood filled with self-doubt and no hope for the future.
The Dark Days
Catherine has successfully overcome a terrible heroin addiction. For over 3 years she struggled with the addiction while she was in college and hit rock bottom in 1997. She was working at a bank and lost her job. The only goal in her life was to get enough money for the next fix. She even started taking money from her dad’s bank account. This was the bottom. She knew she could not go on like this and had to get clean. With some faith in god and some help from going to detox in Montreal she successfully overcame this terrible and life-threatening addiction. We are all thankful too because what she is doing now is awesome!
Perspective
This dark past is important to know to understand the perspective of SoYoung products. The creations made by Catherine and her team are informed from a place of pure joy and happiness to be alive. You can see it in the designs and feel it in the products themselves. This really is a special company with Asian roots that has overcome great odds to get the place it is now at.
Keep in mind how hard and painful it was for Catherine to get to the point where she could feel empowered enough to even undertake such a difficult job. Creating a business from scratch where you design all your own products while raising children (yes, she is also a mom) is not an easy task.
Summary- Why We Love SoYoung Products
We love these products, first and foremost. They are unique and well-made, and the designs are often simple and come from a place of love and caring. We hope you enjoyed this list of our favorite SoYoung products as much as we enjoyed creating it!
If you love Asian food as much as we do, be sure to check out our awesome recipes!
