I must confess, my wife talked me into this purchase as I was quite happy with my lunch box and plastic bag for several years.
However, after quite a few thrills and spills using the old lunch box-plastic bag combo on the back of my bike, I thought I’d take her advice and get myself one of these insulated Tatay lunch bags with microwave- and dishwasher-friendly containers.
As you will see below, there a quite a lot of points to consider about this lunch box, or I should say ‘lunch bag set’, if you’re going to use it on your bike commutes.
I really enjoyed using this site and I think I probably should have got one sooner but hopefully you can figure out if it will help you on your journeys to and from work by bicycle.
Now, let’s have a look at some of the detailed points around this product and see if it will work for you.
Tatay Lunch Bag and Containers
The Tatay Urban Food lunch bag set comes with four containers in all white making a great set for anyone as it is a lunch bag that is backpack friendly (and even panniers if you use them).
The containers close quite well but are not leakproof in the standard version. That said, as it is upright, unless you are going to be doing something crazy, you should not have any leaks or spills using this lunch bag with its containers on your commute to work.
Editor’s Note: if you want to go up a price point, you can get the Tatay Urban Shell lunch bag set which, in addition to having a hard ‘shell’ exterior (think luggage), it also comes with airtight containers inside which are indeed leakproof. The only drawback of the shell lunch bag set is that it is slightly bigger, but still fits comfortably in most commuter bags when upright.
Back to the Urban Foot lunch bag set, the bag itself is an insulated bag but it does not come with any cool blocks. It’s also not as thick as a standard Thermos cool bag lining, so I’d recommend keeping it in your fridge overnight as it will keep the food at a cooler temperature that way.
Accessories with this Lunch Bag
This commuter lunch bag set comes with an adjustable shoulder strap and a carry handle.
Although this seems fairly trivial, having this means that you can then just take your lunch bag set wherever you want to go and eat in a different place, rather than having to awkwardly carry a lunch box without any
This is a pretty standard addition to most commuter lunch bags and is a very handy thing to have on this particular set.
The Tatay Urban lunch bag set has a mesh inner pocket, this fits a slimline cool block (not included) but not much more. I have put the cool block in here several times but never when I’ve been commuting to work because I don’t trust keeping a call block on me while at the office! I say this because I think condensation from the defrosting block will cause everything to get a little bit wet in my bag.
The lunch bag also has an outer velcro pocket – fits a smartphone and would fit cutlery without a cover
The lunch box containers are indeed dishwasher-friendly. The containers, which come with the bag, are also microwave friendly so they work really well for reheating your food at the office.
They have markings for different measurements. The 2 longer containers can carry up to 0.5l each (a very large portion of food). The 2 smaller, rounded containers will hold up to 0.2l, which gives me the perfect portion for rice of some fruit like grapes (and I eat a lot between cycling and going to the gym before work!).
What this Lunch Bag Set Does Not Do
The does not come with silverware or a drinks bottle, and has no real space to hold either item.
Some fruit does not fit in the containers like oranges, pears or larger apples. That said, it’s quite easy to fit these kinds of fruit into the bag if you just leave one or two of the containers at home.
I’d recommend getting a set of the Al Desko cutlery to supplement this as it is dishwasher-friendly and hardwearing enough to last you years. The cover that comes with the Al Desko cutlery set also means you can carry this set loose in your bag without fear of your bag or cutlery not being clean at the end of a commute or day at the office.
Should also point out that the lunch bag itself has an aluminium lining but it does not do much more Offer a light insulation from the temperature outside.
If you’re looking for something to keep food at the same temperatures when you put it in, this is not the lunch bag for you. However, I think you will find it very difficult to find one that does because this adds bulk and many of these are very small!
I would instead suggest adding a thermos or insulated soup flask or container as well as this item if you need to use liquids regularly in your lunch for your bike commute.
Will this Lunch Bag Fit in Your Fridge at the Office or Work?
Ideal for the Office Fridge
It also fits perfectly into the door of the tiny office fridge we have at work. If you don’t have that kind of space, each of the containers with this commuter lunch bag fit perfectly into
Cleaning
The inside of this can be wiped clean and is very user-friendly in that respect. Online
I find that I only wipe it every weak and that is plenty keep it nice and clean inside.
Having a single compartment also makes things a bit easier because it’s not Intricate and is therefore quick cleaning job.
Other Versions of this Lunch Bag Kit
Since purchasing this item, I’ve also seen online that you can get it bundled with silverware, although this is not the official top 30 offering.
Having looked at the silverware of cutlery on offer in this bundle, I would suggest not buying it as the country does not come in a proper case, only a simple neoprene one.
The reason for this is that it could get easily and it will be a pain to clean If it is made of neoprene rather than plastic can simply go in the dishwasher.
Remember that there is a good chance that you will be putting dirty cutlery in here so there is the possibility for it to get a little bit dirty very often.
Leakproof containers
I’ve also seen that there is a premium version of this lunch bag set which comes with leakproof food containers. I would suggest getting this instead because they are still dishwasher microwave friendly, but you also have the peace of mind of not worrying about leaks or spills.
That said, these containers will still not insulate or keep food warm very long as they are simply containers rather than thermal food containers.
Summary of the Tatay Urban Lunch Bag Set For Commuters
Pros:
- ? Perfect size for a good lunch and comes with a good range of containers which fit snugly inside.
- ? Easy to clean and functional design means I’ve been using mine every day.
- ? Reasonable price
- ? Dishwasher and microwave friendly containers for easy cleaning
- ? Insulated to maintain foods at same temperature for long enough so that there is no impact.
Cons:
- ? Food containers are not leakproof (but premium version is available)
- ? Pockets don’t hold much
- ? Can’t fit silverware or large fruits inside the containers (but you can always leave a couple of containers at home to make room!)
So, I just wanted to round up by saying that it’s been a great bag for me on my bike commuting journeys.
The only thing I would suggest is that you go for the premium version which is a few more dollars but having those leak proof containers I think will be worth it.
Otherwise, I can’t fault this lunch bag set for bike commuters and would highly recommend it if you are on a budget and just need something to get started.
