|
|
|
|
When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
As a high school teacher, I've seen backpacks in all states of disrepair, so I know how important it is to find a bag that is durable enough to be used day in and day out.
For kids and teenagers, it's much more about how the backpack looks than how functional it is, so the tough job as a parent is to find one that is durable, well-designed, and suitable for all your child's school supplies and lunch box, but that also looks cool. For most students today, backpacks also need a secure space to store a device like a Chromebook or iPad.
To help you find the best backpacks for your kids, whether they're a preschooler or college student, I combined my experience as a teacher and student with advice from an occupational therapist and two teachers. I also researched and tested the top backpacks on the market. Below, find tips for selecting a quality backpack in our "what to look for" for explainer.
The best backpacks for students in 2021
Best backpack for preschool: Wildkin 12-Inch Backpack, $37.99 from Amazon
The Wildkin 12-Inch Backpack is just the right size for the littlest of school-goers, and it comes in tons of fun patterns young children will gravitate toward.
Best backpack for elementary school: Cat & Jack Kids 17-Inch Backpack, $18 from Target
Target's 17-Inch Cat & Jack Kids Backpack includes a reflective strip for bus-stop safety, and it meets all the needs of an elementary-schooler at an affordable price.
Best backpack for middle school: L.L.Bean Original Book Pack, $39.95 from L.L.Bean
The L.L.Bean Original Book Pack is well-organized, just the right size for middle school kids, and machine washable.
Best backpack for high school:The North Face Jester Backpack, $69 from The North Face
The iconic Jester Backpack is ergonomically designed, and it comes with a lifetime warranty.
Best backpack for college students: The North Face Recon Backpack, men's or women's, from $69.30 from The North Face
The North Face Recon Backpack looks sleek and professional, but it's still large and durable enough to carry all the essentials.
Best backpack for preschool
The Wildkin 12-Inch Backpack is just the right size for the littlest of school-goers, and it comes in tons of fun patterns preschoolers will gravitate toward.
Pros: Size appropriate, many pattern options, simple for young kids, includes an insulated food pocket
Cons: Padding is thin, spot clean only
This Wildkin 12-Inch Backpack is the ideal size for young kids going to preschool. Plus, it comes in fun colors and designs like Horses in Pink or Dinomite Dinosaurs, helping kids get excited for their first-ever day of school.
We were impressed by this backpack for the preschool age range because it's uncomplicated. It simply has a main pocket, a front pocket, and a water bottle holder, making it easy for little kids to pack and unpack themselves. The smaller front pocket is insulated to hold food and snacks, so you could forgo a lunch box with this bag. Despite its simplicity, we were able to pack all of our preschool items described in our methodology in this backpack with room to spare.
One drawback of this bag, particularly for the preschool crowd, is that it's spot clean only. However, when we spilled water on the bag for our water-resistance test, none made it through to the main compartment. If you clean spills shortly after they happen, you should be able to keep this backpack in good shape. You can wash the interior of the insulated pouch with mild soap and a damp washcloth.
The Wildkin Backpack has padded straps and a padded back, though we found them to be a bit thin. However, preschoolers don't typically need to load up their backpacks with heavy books, so this isn't a deal breaker.
Target's 17-Inch Cat & Jack Kids' Backpack includes a reflective strip for bus stop safety, and it meets all the needs of an elementary schooler at an affordable price.
Pros: Affordable, unique pattern options, chest clip, reflective strip
The Cat & Jack 17 Inch Kids Backpack combines ergonomics, affordability, and the cuteness factor for the perfect backpack for your young scholar. In our testing, we found this backpack to be very comparable to other, more expensive, kids backpacks.
Elementary school covers a wide range of ages, and although this backpack is small enough for little backs, it's still big enough to fit standard-size folders, notebooks, a laptop, and anything else they might need. There is a nice device sleeve for kids who need to bring iPads, laptops, or other devices to and from school.
Many elementary-schoolers spend time waiting at the bus stop, sometimes in the dark. The Cat & Jack Backpack has a reflective strip to help keep them safe at the bus stop.
We found the straps to be thinly padded, while the back had a nice thick padding. This backpack also has a chest clip, which is ideal for distributing the weight of the backpack.
Like most other backpacks, you won't be able to throw this one in the washer. It's spot clean and wipe clean only.
The L.L.Bean Original Book Pack is well-organized, just the right size for middle school kids, and machine washable.
Pros: Machine washable, reflective strip, ideal size and organization
Cons: No device compartment
The L.L.Bean Original Book Pack has been a go-to for tons of school kids for decades. The backpack has a roomy main compartment that's perfect for notebooks, folders, and lunch boxes, while the small front pocket is handy for pencils and other small items. It provides just enough room for middle-schoolers to bring what they need without giving them so much room that they'll pack too much.
Since younger kids may not be carrying as many items to and from school, the L.L.Bean Original Book Pack is a good option for this crowd. If your child is approaching their later middle school years, though, it would be a good idea to take a look at our high school pick instead.
When it comes to organization, we were disappointed to see that this backpack doesn't have a device sleeve or compartment. If your middle-schooler needs to bring a device to and from school, consider purchasing a separate sleeve or case.
Parents of middle schoolers who need to wait at the bus stop can breathe easy - this backpack includes a large reflective strip to make kids more visible to cars. It also includes a padded back and straps.
Another reason for parents to rejoice: L.L.Bean Original Book Pack is machine washable in a mesh laundry bag (it will need to line dry).
Although L.L.Bean provides personalization options, we suggest opting out of personalizing your child's backpack with their name, nickname, or initials. This creates a safety concern that gives strangers information on your child.
The iconic The North Face Jester Backpack is ergonomically designed, and it comes with a lifetime warranty.
Pros: Ergonomically designed for comfort, many pockets and other organizing features, lifetime warranty, chest clip
Cons: Not machine washable
Today's high school students are notoriously busy. When I was a teacher, some of my students got to school at 6 a.m. for sports practice, then went to class, volunteer activities, or even part-time jobs, and didn't get home until after dark. They need a backpack that can keep up with them, and the legendary The North Face Jester is up for the job. In our space test, this backpack handily fit all of the high school materials with room to spare.
High school students also need backpacks that are extremely durable to support textbooks while also protecting expensive devices. I've seen students walk around with broken straps, zippers, and even holes in backpacks that just weren't up to the task.
This durable pack features a padded laptop sleeve in the back, and it's ergonomically designed to help protect their growing backs. The backpack has a nicely padded back and straps, and it has a chest clip. Occupational therapist Karen Jacobs, program director of online post-professional OTD at Boston University, says that chest clips can help take weight off the shoulders, particularly for older kids.
Best backpack for college students
Men's
Women's
The North Face Recon Backpack looks sleek and professional, but it's still large and durable enough to carry all the essentials.
Pros: Professional look, padded device sleeve, chest and waist clip for ergonomics and comfort
Cons: Not machine washable, back is a bit stiff
College students typically leave their textbooks at home, instead bringing laptops and notebooks to class. They may not need a backpack that can stand up to mountains of textbooks, but they do look for something durable and stylish. Additionally, many college campuses are large, requiring students to walk miles per day in some cases (shout-out to my alma mater, Penn State). The North Face Recon Backpack checks all these boxes, and it can seamlessly transition to a professional bag.
The backpack features a medium-size main compartment along with a front mesh pocket, two water bottle pockets, and a padded cell phone pocket. The main compartment also has a padded device sleeve.
A major selling point for this backpack is the chest and waist clip, which can help distribute weight more evenly and take pressure off the shoulders on long walks across campus. The only complaint we had when it came to the comfort of this backpack is that the back feels a bit stiff and may get uncomfortable after a long day.
The backpack has adequate padding on the straps. As with most other backpacks, you can't throw this one in the wash if it gets dirty. The North Face Recon is spot clean only.
Because this backpack has a minimalist design on the outside, it's also a great option for someone who might not always use the backpack for school. Use it at the office, as a carry-on, or anywhere else you want to look put together while carrying your belongings around.
The North Face Jester Backpack is available in several different colors and comes in men's and women's fits. It's also covered by the North Face's lifetime warranty, so returns are simple and always free.
The backpack features reflective surfaces on the exterior and is made of breathable material. The North Face does not recommend machine washing their backpacks, so you'll need to spot clean this one.
Our backpack testing methodology
We put each through a series of four tests, described below:
Space
To make sure each backpack could hold everything kids need, we packed each one with the following items:
- For preschool backpacks, we packed a small water bottle, lunch box, extra set of clothes, and a couple of toys.
- For elementary school backpacks, we packed a water bottle, lunch box, folder, notebook, book, and iPad.
- For middle school, high school, and college backpacks, we packed a water bottle, three-ring binder, notebook, textbook, and laptop.
All of our top picks neatly fit each item for its age group with room to spare.
Water Resistance
Kids spill things. It just happens. To test how each backpack would hold up to spills, we spilled 3 ounces of water on the outside of each backpack. After five minutes, we checked the inside of the bag for any wetness. All of our top picks were bone-dry inside.
Ergonomics and Comfort
Backpacks need to be comfortable, particularly when they're heavy and kids are wearing them all day long. We noted whether each backpack included padded straps, a padded back, a chest clip, and/or a waist clip.
Organization
For each backpack, we took note of the number of pockets and compartments, how the pockets are organized, whether there was a device sleeve, and whether the backpack included water bottle pockets.
What else we've tested
What else we recommend
Jansport Big Student Backpack: Jansport has long been known as a top backpack brand. There's nothing inherently wrong with the Big Student Backpack, it simply wasn't as good as some of the others we tested. For kids who bring a lot of things to school, this one is very roomy.
Jansport Superbreak: Again, Jansport is a trustworthy and reliable backpack brand. We found this bag to be very basic, with minimal padding and no device compartment. However, it is the most inexpensive high school backpack we considered, making it a reasonable option if you're on a budget.
Amazon Basics Sport Laptop Backpack: We really liked the Amazon Basics bag; it has plenty of room and organization and passed all our tests with flying colors. Unfortunately, we left it out of our top picks because it is out of stock at the time of publication.
L.L.Bean Junior Original Book Pack: The L.L.Bean Original Book Pack is a solid bag for younger kids that features good organization, padding, and a reflective strip. We left it out of our top rankings because it was very comparable to our top pick but costs $10 more.
What we don't recommend
Pottery Barn Teen Gear-Up: The Pottery Barn Teen Gear-Up backpack is a stylish option with a lot of fun pattern choices. Unfortunately, it did not pass our water-resistance test - water that we spilled on the cover seeped right through to the main compartment.
Pottery Barn Kids Mackenzie: Like the Teen Gear-Up bag, the Pottery Barn Kids Mackenzie didn't pass our water-resistance test. Passing this test is particularly important for younger kids who may be more likely to spill things on their backpacks.
Kane Kids Backpack: The Kane Kids Backpack performed similarly to many of the other elementary school backpacks we tested. It included a device sleeve and had plenty of room for school supplies. However, it is more than double the cost of any of the other elementary school backpacks we tested.
Fjallraven Kanken: The Fjallraven Kanken backpack is wildly popular. While it passed our tests, it didn't quite live up to the hype. The material on the backpack is very thin, and overall it didn't feel nearly as sturdy as our top picks.
What to look for in a backpack
Safety: While monogrammed backpacks are fun for kids, we strongly advise against putting your child's initials or name on their backpack, a sentiment that Jacobs and teacher Whitney Rancourt share. It provides a perfect avenue for child predators to appear friendly and familiar by knowing your child's name. Jacobs also recommends backpacks that have reflective material to keep kids safe at the bus stop or while walking to and from school.
Size: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that a backpack shouldn't "weigh more than 10 to 20% of the student's total body weight." The size of the backpack should correspond accordingly. Additionally, Jacobs recommends looking at your child's back as if it is a rectangle and making sure the backpack fits nicely within that rectangle. For this reason, she also recommends buying a backpack your child can try on, whether that means buying in store or from a retailer that offers free returns.
Comfort and support: Look for a backpack with a padded back and wide padded shoulder straps. The AAP advises against narrow straps that tend to dig into shoulders, as they can restrict circulation and cause pain. Jacobs also advises buying a backpack made with breathable material. She also recommends older kids make use of a chest or shoulder strap, which can help take weight off the shoulders.
Features and organization: Besides the main compartment, a good backpack should have multiple interior and exterior pockets for organizing items. Popular features include water bottle holders, laptop pockets, charger pockets, key chains, and pencil pockets. With many students carrying devices in their backpacks, a water bottle pocket is very important to prevent water from spilling on the device. Additionally, "organization systems (compartments that fit folders, pens, erasers, and every school supply in between) are important - especially for children that might have executive functioning issues," explains Jessica Prohias Gardiner, a learning specialist at LREI (Little Red Elisabeth Irwin) High School in New York City.
Appearance: We all know that kids want backpacks that look cool, but it's important to strike a balance between cool and practical. "Avoid backpacks with detailing like sequins or glitter that won't hold up well to regular machine washing," explains Rancourt. "The most eye-catching backpacks in the first week of school usually look the worst by the end of the year." She also says that backpacks should be washable, as students tend to place them in less-than-clean places.
How to pack a backpack
Jacobs provided some excellent tips to help students pack a backpack that isn't too heavy and that feels comfortable:
- Put the heaviest item closest to the back.
- Check backpacks daily to make sure your child isn't lugging around unnecessary items.
- Pack backpacks the night before.
- Use compartments to help stabilize items.
- Pack backpacks on a table or raised surface. This makes it easier to pack and easier to slip on your child's back.
- If your child complains about their backpack being too heavy, investigate why and see what can be taken out. Most schools can provide digital textbooks and/or an extra copy of books to keep at home.
Jacobs also emphasized the importance of connecting with your school's occupational therapy practitioner if they experience an issue with backpacks.
Expert sources
Jessica Prohias Gardiner is a Learning Specialist at LREI (Little Red Elisabeth Irwin) High School in New York City.
Karen Jacobs, EdD, OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA, is a clinical professor of occupational therapy and the program director of the distance education post-professional occupational therapy programs at Boston University. In addition to being an occupational therapist, Jacobs is also a certified professional ergonomist (CPE). Jacobs founded National School Backpack Safety Awareness Day a decade ago to raise awareness of the harm heavy loads worn incorrectly can cause children and even adults.
Whitney Rancourt teaches third- and fourth-grade reading and writing at a Title 1 school in Texas. She's also the owner of Mama Manages, a blog dedicated to helping parents and teachers raise confident and happy kids.
Check out our other buying guides for school supplies
Your guide to back-to-school essentials, from the best backpacks and tech accessories to COVID-19 safety supplies
5 best kids lunch boxes
6 best school notebooks
5 best binders for school
The 13 best planners for staying organized, including tips and tricks from experts
Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.
You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here.
Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@insider.com.
|
|
