Rubbermaid · Lunch Boxes & Food Containers
Rubbermaid Sidekick Small Ice Chest Cooler Lunchbox Flip Top Purple &
Likely lower PFAS concern, but no brand transparency on water treatments.
Rubbermaid does not disclose PFAS in coolers. Plastic lunchboxes typically use waterproof coatings that may contain PFAS, though modern soft-sided coolers often use non-fluorinated water barriers. No lab data available.
The safe swap
Klean Kanteen
Klean Kanteen Lunch Food Box
100/100 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
Plastic (PE/PP) with waterproof/insulating liner
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
food packaging is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
Microplastic shedding or leaching
While PE/PP are stable at cold temperatures, mechanical wear from repeated opening, closing, and ice contact can cause microscopic particle shedding. Risk is minimal for typical lunch-box use (days to weeks per cooler) but cumulative over years if the cooler is heavily used or stored with ice permanently.
Bacterial or mold growth in foam liner
Closed-cell foam liners can trap moisture and become sites for microbial growth if not dried between uses or if food residue is left inside. This is a hygiene risk, not a chemical hazard, but is common in hard-sided coolers and often goes unnoticed until odor develops.
Off-gassing or odor from new plastic
New PE/PP coolers may emit a faint plastic or chemical odor for the first few uses due to residual manufacturing volatiles. This typically dissipates within days and is not associated with toxic exposure, but may indicate incomplete rinsing or off-gassing of low-volatility additives.
What’s reassuring
BPA & bisphenols
Modern PE/PP rigid plastics in food-contact applications do not contain BPA or BPS as standard formulations. No recalls or test data suggest their presence in Rubbermaid coolers of this type.
Source: FDA ↗Phthalates
Phthalates are not typically added to rigid PE/PP cooler bodies or foam liners; they are more common in soft vinyl and adhesives. No industry data or recalls implicate phthalates in this product category.
Source: ATSDR ↗The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
This cooler is constructed from polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) rigid plastic shell with a polyurethane or PE foam insulating liner sealed between layers. These polymers are food-contact approved by the FDA and do not contain BPA or phthalates in standard formulations. The flip-top design and waterproof seals are typically made from the same base plastics, chosen because they resist cold temperatures and moisture without degrading or leaching. This material class is considered one of the safer rigid food-storage plastics because it remains chemically stable when kept below 50C (well above freezing, well below heat-sensitive thresholds).
The brand's record and disclosure
Rubbermaid, owned by Newell Brands, has not published specific chemical safety disclosures or third-party certifications (e.g., Cradle to Cradle, GreenGuard) for this product line. The company has faced no documented recalls or litigation specific to chemical leaching from rigid plastic coolers. Rubbermaid does not publicly commit to PFAS-free manufacturing, though no evidence suggests intentional use of PFAS in cooler bodies (PFAS concerns typically arise in non-stick coatings or water-repellent treatments, which are not standard in this product class).
How it compares in its category
Rigid PE/PP coolers dominate the affordable lunch-box market and are generally regarded as chemically safer than soft-sided insulated bags (which may use adhesives or flame retardants in liners). This product sits in the mainstream tier: no premium eco-certifications, but also no unusual material choices that would raise red flags compared to Igloo, Coleman, or store-brand equivalents. Hard-sided coolers of this type have not been subjects of chemical safety investigations in peer-reviewed literature or regulatory action.
If you buy it
Use this cooler only for cold or room-temperature foods and beverages; do not fill it with hot liquids or place it in direct sunlight for extended periods, as PE/PP can soften above 60C. Hand wash the interior and exterior after use and dry thoroughly to prevent bacterial or mold growth in crevices and the foam liner. Replace the cooler if the seals crack, the foam liner becomes waterlogged or visibly degraded, or interior surfaces show permanent discoloration or odor (signs of microbial colonization). Do not microwave, freeze, or leave food inside for more than 24 hours without ice replacement, as the cooler does not sterilize contents.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 62% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Rubbermaid has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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More lunch boxes & food containers 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.