Plastic or stainless-steel lunch box: which one fits where you sell
We make both kinds. Neither is better in general; each one fits some customers and disappoints others. The right choice starts with where and to whom you sell.
The two types
| All-plastic (PP) | Stainless-steel inner tray | |
|---|---|---|
| Microwave | Depends on the specific model's marking | No — metal does not go in a microwave |
| Weight | Lighter | Heavier |
| Look and feel | Colourful, printable, playful designs | Reads as durable and premium |
| Stains and odour | Can stain from strong sauces over time | Resists staining and odour |
| Knocks and drops | Flexes; clips are the weak point | Steel can dent; the outer box still takes the knocks |
| Decoration | Colour, print and moulded shapes are easy | Decoration sits on the outer box |
Match the type to the channel
- Supermarkets and value retail: all-plastic. Price, colour range and a clear microwave marking on the pack decide the sale.
- Office workers who reheat lunch: all-plastic, with a microwave-marked model. Selling a steel-tray box here leads to complaints from people who cannot heat it.
- Schools and children: usually all-plastic for weight and colour; a steel tray suits parents who pack food that does not need reheating and prefer metal in contact with it.
- Premium gift, outdoor and lifestyle shops: the stainless-steel tray, where durability and a 'no plastic in contact with food' story carry the price.
- Online marketplaces: either, but the listing must say plainly whether it can go in a microwave. This single line drives most returns on lunch boxes sold online.
What to put on the pack
The biggest risk with a steel-tray box is a customer who assumes it can be microwaved. The biggest risk with an all-plastic box is a microwave claim the product was never tested for. Both are solved by clear marking.
- For steel-tray models: a clear 'not for microwave' instruction on the box and in the listing.
- For plastic models: a microwave claim only if it is backed by the test for that model, with the conditions stated.
- For both: whether the seal comes out for cleaning, and which parts are dishwasher safe.
Mixing both in one order
Many buyers carry both: a plastic range for volume and a steel-tray range for the premium shelf. They can share one container, so a first order does not have to commit to only one type. Approve samples of each side by side, and check the leak and latch behaviour of both, since the lids and seals are often different.