I purchased the first lunch sack almost 4 years ago and I am replacing that one only because it is starting to show some wear on the inside liner. I never expected to get that many years out of one lunch box!!! I purchased my two other sons each one about three years ago and they are still in excellent condition. These are well worth the price and the backpacks are just as durable. Throw them in the washing machine and they look brand new.
I bought htis lunch box for both of my daughters. It is very difficult to clean and within a few weeks had developed moldy spots all along the bottom. I called LLBean and they gave me some "hints" about how to clean it but even those weren't very effective. I was surprised since we buy from LLBean frequently and have never run across an item before that we would not recommend to our friends.
We purchased 2 butterfly critter lunch boxes and the matching backpack last year for our daughter for Grade 2. It's been a full year and they look great. I've washed them in my front loading machine (cold, gentle cycle and hung them to dry) and they still look like new. No rips or tears on the inside or outside. We purchased 2 in case she forgot it or it needed to be washed, that way she would always have a lunch bag. It's big enough to hold a full lunch (drink, sandwich and 3 re-usable snack containers plus a small sized ice pack and there is even extra room for more food). We often use it for walks to the park to hold snacks and juice boxes.
The lunchbox is great. I wish that it would have a shoulder strap. The food stays cold. I make my lunch at 6:30 and eat at noon, and everything is excellent.
