10 Resoundingly Nerdy Lunch Containers

In the past, lunch boxes have acted as vessels for nerdy self-expression by providing a portable canvas for many of the culture’s most cherished properties. Truly, to some, a lunch container without a sparkly vampire is like a summer without a superhero movie: a most obvious missed opportunity indeed.

Manufacturers have been retooling what a lunch packs can be of late, expanding the realm to include many a size and shape. Therefore, this list is not solely targeting rectangular bins, but aims to show a diverse range of triumphantly nerdy ways to bundle a sandwich. Without further delay, here are 10 lunch containers that irreparably draped themselves in some of nerd-dom’s greatest worlds and never looked back. (If we missed any, it’s your duty to point them out in the comments — lunch is at stake!)

10) Spider-Man’s Head

This Thermos kit released for the latest Spidey movie is both inescapably nerdy and simultaneously awesome. Why? Because taking this container to lunch simulates the act of carrying Spider-Man’s mask around, and if you’re carrying Spider-Man’s mask around, you must either be Peter Parker, or the guy tough enough to be showboating his head like a trophy. Either way, the noon hour is yours, heroic/villainous person!

9) The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo

Even when examined from multiple angles, this bag does a fine job of epitomizing the gang’s famed crime-solvin’ hippy van. In a world filled with monochromatic, velcro boringness, this semblance of the trusty lime green and teal contraption is truly a superior way to transport snacks to your lunch surface of choice, or on your way to solving a gnarly mystery.

8) Oscar Goldman’s Briefcase from The Six Million Dollar Man

Kenner’s take on Oscar Goldman’s briefcase was like the ultimate little kid spy fantasy come true. Yeah, this version is just a nicely decorated tin capable of carrying stuff like a sandwich or apple, but at least there’s no risk of a mealtime explosion. Plus, you could become known as “that guy who has a special briefcase just for his lunch,” and wouldn’t that be something?

7) TMNT Turtle Shell

This shell pack (featuring the original show’s logo) may make the perfect match for any fan of the famous green bros, past or present, as long as you can get over the fact there’s nothing particularly teenage, mutant, or ninja about it. While still most excellent, we merely ask that future releases come with the appropriate belt buckles to clip on for ultimate turtle customization. That aside, your sandwich and/or slice of gummy bear pizza is a mere shell-unzip away with this device. Just another reason to fight for the side of good.

6) Pok?mon Pok?ball

Plenty of crazy awesome has been unleashed via these white and crimson spheres on the road to Pok?greatness over the seasons. Your Capri Sun might not be the most memorable of these inclusions, but that’s no reason to stop trying to be the very best at lunch. Forged to sync with bento-sized meals, you’ll have to dig a little deeper to find one of these, but fret not, your courage will pull you through!

5) Darth Vader’s Head

If you feel that lunchtime is running low on the intimidation factor, then this version of the Darth Vader lunch box (with breathing sound effects) may do the trick. The contents of the supreme Sith’s helmet aren’t usually viewed as delectable, (and, if the asthmatic breathing doesn’t get your stomach rumbling, you’re not alone) but this is brazen nerdery at its finest, a dynamic force of nature we won’t question, much like the saber-wielding menace himself.

4) The TARDIS from Doctor Who

In an effort to spotlight the more egregious instances of lunchtime nerdery, as a whole, the list you’re reading is generally omitting the traditional lunch coffer. However, this Doctor Who TARDIS box is an exception, mainly because it does such a accurate, and efficient, job of capturing the popular time travel device which is, of course, a box in its own right. It’s just about the perfect way to take food… anywhere, and even works with scones! A Sonic Screwdriver utensil might fit nicely in here, though, hmmmm?

3) A Giant Lego Brick

Trading in your commonplace lunch pale for this plastic rectangle might seem redundant at first glance. Redundant, that is, until you realize that it’s a giant Lego brick with a removable top, at which point your life may transcend the outcomes you once believed probable. Perfect for storing the makings of your midday’s meal or just a collection of select minifigs, this item is the ideal fit for the builder on the go.

2) Batman’s Torso 

It’s a lunch bag that looks like Batman and has a cape, you guys. It also has some sneaky compartments added in a way that would hypothetically net the pointy-eared detective’s approval. Life isn’t always this generous… take what it gives you.

1) R2-D2

Artoo already sort of looks like a futuristic mini fridge, but it’s this thing’s sheer audacity that leaves us no choice but to give it the number one spot. Yet another nerdy license snapped up by Thermos, this bag could be overlooked and considered as commonplace by nearby lunchers, that is until the famed, whistle-y bee boops start to spring out of it, catching them off guard. Oh, and it lights up. Probably could’ve said that first.