Built NY Built All Day Insulated Lunch Bag
Skip until Built NY discloses waterproof treatment chemistry.
Built NY does not disclose the waterproof coating used on this insulated lunch bag. Insulated bags often use water-repellent finishes that may contain PFAS, but the brand provides no transparency or testing data.
The better-graded swap
Pyrex
Pyrex MealBox Glass Food Storage Container
80/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Polyester exterior with waterproof coating (unspecified type)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Built NY Built All Day Insulated Lunch Bag is made of, ingredients and materials
The Built All Day bag uses a polyester exterior fabric paired with an unspecified waterproof coating. Polyester itself does not leach into food under normal conditions, but the waterproof treatment applied to the fabric is the chemical unknown. Built NY has not publicly disclosed whether this coating contains PFAS, silicone, or another class of water-repellent agent. Without transparency, you cannot assess whether the coating will degrade, flake, or migrate into food contact surfaces over time.
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
PFAS
The unspecified waterproof treatment may contain phthalates, silicones, or other chemical classes. Without disclosure, you cannot rule out migration into food contact during normal use or degradation over time. No testing data for this specific product is publicly available.
Source, ATSDR ↗Microplastics
Polyester fabric can shed microfibers, particularly if the bag is washed repeatedly or rubbed. If interior insulation fibers contact food, ingestion of microplastics is theoretically possible but would be limited by the low contact time and sealed food storage typical of lunch bag use.
Source, EPA ↗Coating degradation and flaking
Polyester waterproof coatings degrade with age, UV exposure, and washing. User reviews and forums document peeling or cracking of waterproof layers on similar lunch bags after 1-3 years of use, though no chemical hazard from flakes has been formally documented.
What’s reassuring
Insulation material composition
Built NY does not publicly specify the insulation type (foam, aerogel, or other). No safety alerts are on record for this product's insulation, but the material choice affects heat retention and potential off-gassing or fiber shedding characteristics.
Azo dyes in polyester fabric
Polyester textiles can be dyed with azo dyes, which may include restricted amines in some jurisdictions. No specific testing or disclosure from Built NY is available; standard textile dye regulations in the US and EU apply, but color migration into food is unlikely given the sealed food-contact design.
The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Built NY maintains a minimal public stance on material safety disclosures and has not issued statements addressing PFAS content in their insulated bags or waterproof treatments. No independent recalls or safety complaints specific to this product line have been published. The company does not advertise third-party certifications (such as GOTS, Oeko-Tex, or PFAS-free verification) for this item, which is standard practice for brands prioritizing chemical transparency in food-contact products.
How it compares in its category
Most insulated lunch bags on the market use similar polyester-plus-waterproof-coating construction, making specific comparison difficult without disclosed chemistry. Brands offering higher transparency (e.g., those certifying PFAS-free or using non-fluorinated water repellents) are available at comparable price points. The absence of any chemical disclosure from Built NY places this product in the middle-to-lower tier of category transparency, though the polyester base itself is not a concern.
If you buy it
Hand wash the bag in cool water; do not soak or use hot water, as heat can accelerate coating degradation and potential leaching. Inspect the interior and exterior annually for cracking, peeling, or discoloration of the coating, and retire the bag if visible wear occurs. Do not allow the bag to sit in direct sunlight for extended periods, as UV exposure degrades polyester and waterproof treatments. Store it dry and well-ventilated; damp storage can promote mold and bacterial growth in the insulation layers.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 35% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Built NY has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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More lunch boxes grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.