During Term 1 of The 5 Minute Healthy Lunchbox System™ eCourse, one of the participants who is in Queensland (Qld) asked about the safety of sending meats to school. FYI, here’s a previous post about food safety – Three Lunchbox Food Safety Tips.
The top tip is to have a great insulated cooler bag. As the enquiry was directed from Qld where the temperatures are consistently in the high 30 degrees, I decided to research cooler bags to see if there were any that stayed really cold all day. In the course of this research, I found the Fridge To Go company and their cooler bags. It was reported that these cooler bags stayed completely cold for 8 hours. Children are at school on average 6 hours a day, so to me, this was music to my ears. I decided to get one to try out – Here’s my review:
Visual Appearance
It might seem odd that visual appearance is the first thing I review, but when you have an 8yo daughter, visual appearance is important. Both our 8yo daughter and 4yo son have given the Fridge To Go two thumbs up. They both think it’s cool, particularly how it looks like a little fridge.
Coldness
The ice brick that comes with the Fridge To Go is the key. This frozen ice brick definitely keeps the food cold for 8 hours. I pack my lunchboxes at 7.30am and it’s still cold at 3.30pm.
I put the bag through a thorough test of leaving it in direct sunlight for a couple of hours, and to my surprise, the bag and its contents were still cold.
When we are doing our road trips, I put the whole Fridge To Go in the freezer the night before. I also pack the lunches the night before and pop them in the fridge. The combination of these two factors allows us to have yummy and healthy food that’s still fresh and cold despite being on the road for 10 hours or so.
Sturdiness
When I’ve been at schools teaching my Mad Food Science Program™ I have seen the way children throw their lunch bags around, so sturdiness I feel is important.
The Fridge To Go cooler bag is strong – with double stitched handles, piping around the seams and a strong zipper too. The website states it is BPA free, PVC and lead-safe.
Functionality
This is possibly the most important aspect to consider. Here’s a great list:
- the cooler bag comes equipped with a purpose built ice brick
- an attached zippered pocket for the ice brick – this means the ice brick is never in contact with the contents of the lunchbox, so it stays dry
- a zippered pocket on the front which is great for securing cutlery, coins etc
- a pocket on the back – we always have spare serviettes in there
- a window in the back pocket to put your child’s name in
- a mesh pocket inside
- padded walls of the bag help to protect the contents of the lunchbag
- a mesh pocket on the side which would be good for a small drink bottle – our drink bottles are too big for this though
- a strong carry handle on the top of the bag
- an adjustable shoulder strap
Cleanliness
This bag is so easy to clean inside and out. Simply use a damp sponge and wipe over.
Please note, at the time of writing this, I am not sponsored or affiliated with Fridge To Go. I do not receive any payment from Fridge To Go for this post – I am merely sharing this with you as a service to you because I use and believe in the product.