Monbento is overpriced garbage that is made of cheap plastic and warps after a few uses. I don't understand the hype.

I'm incredibly disappointed with my Monbento boxes that the internet has hyped up to be "the best bento boxes."

I ordered two bento boxes for myself and my partner. Straight away, I noticed that they were made of cheap plastic, and the internal airtight lids on my partner's bento box did not fit. We tried for a long time to put them on. First, gently and carefully. Then, forcefully and exasperatedly. But the rubber seals around the edges were ripped up by the time we actually got the lids on properly. Before you ask, yes we did read the instructions and watched the videos. Yes, we were putting them on as they are supposed to be.

But hey, maybe they'll get easier to use the more we use them. Break them in, you know.

I put my partner's bento in the dishwasher (Monbento says they're supposed to be dishwasher safe). Well, they came out and the lids no longer fit at all. They had been warped in the dishwasher, even though they're marketed as being dishwasher safe.

But hey, maybe my dishwasher just uses hotter water than other standard dishwashers.

I contacted the company and they sent me replacement lids for free. Their customer service does respond fast and they're very nice, and shipped the replacement parts immediately. I no longer put them in the dishwasher and I just hand-wash them.

The lids can now go on the boxes, but it takes a crazy amount of effort to get them on right (and especially when you're trying to not rip the rubber on them).

The tabs that you're supposed to pull on to remove the lids are a complete joke. They're completely useless. They do not work at all and I do not understand how this passed QA.

The plastic stains very, very easily. My bento box permanently has brown and orange spots in it.

And tonight, while about to prepare lunch for tomorrow, my bento box, that I've never put in the dishwasher), I found that I could not get the lids back on. At all. Even with the rubber seals ripping. This time, it wasn't the lids that were warped... it was the boxes themselves. Again, these ones have never been in the dishwasher, yet the sides curved inwards. I have no idea how this happened, because honestly I've barely used mine since buying it. The $40 bento box is now completely useless.

Before you say that any of this was user error, it's not. I followed the instructions that come with the box itself as well as the instructions and guidelines on the website and the videos too. They are supposed to be microwave safe and dishwasher safe. The lids aren't supposed to take several minutes of trying to get them on and a LOT of force to get them off. The rubber is not supposed to rip in the first use. And these were not knock-offs -- I bought directly from their website to specifically avoid any possibility of getting a knockoff (like Amazon does sometimes).

All of that, plus the outer lid on top doesn't actually attach to any of it, and the boxes don't attach to each other (if you get a box with two compartments) and have to be held in place with the band. That's known before you buy them, so I can't really complain about that, but it is an extra annoyance if you're considering buying one.

I just do not understand why people rave about Monbento being one of the best bento boxes there is when I can find store brand leftover containers that are sturdier, easier to use, easier to carry, don't stain, and are dishwasher safe for less than a quarter of the price of a Monbento. I really tried to give these boxes the benefit of the doubt so many times, because surely there is a reason why people love these boxes. But I truly have no idea why.

If you're looking at buying a Monbento, DON'T. There are so many other brands out there that are so much more budget friendly, are all around better quality, and aren't extremely frustrating to use. I also know that seeing something made right in France and not a Chinese factory is alluring, but I promise, it's not worth it. I wonder if a lot of these positive reviews I see on Reddit for Monbento are just astroturfing.

I want my $80+ dollars back.