What to look for in a school backpack

When you’re selecting a new backpack for your children it can be tempting to just let them pick the one that takes their fancy – usually the most flashy, shiny one with unusual features. 

But, if you’re going to get value for money and ensure you end up with a backpack that’ll last for more than one school term there are a few other things to think about:

• School bag quality.
• School bag size.
• School bag weight.
• School bag fit.
• School bag features.
• School bag style.
• Shopping tips.

School bags have to put up with a lot. Not only do they quickly become stuffed with heavy textbooks, they also have to contend with spilled food and drinks, being dropped and chucked around haphazardly, being used as goalposts and a whole host of other abuses…

So, it pays to buy a quality, well-made backpack. 

But how do you know if a school backpack is any good?

These are the main things you should look for:

• Check the stitching on the backpack. It should be uniform, with even spacing and tightly bound. If you spot any loose, careless or uneven stitching, give that backpack a miss!
• Look out for any raw or frayed fabric edges. Any edges that are not properly seamed will quickly fray, tear and come apart.
• Check the zippers. These will often be the first thing to break if they are not good enough quality. Generally, you want the zipper on a school bag to be as chunky as possible. Look for a metal slider and chunky plastic teeth.
• Any zippers should be tucked away behind a small flap of fabric. If zippers are openly exposed, they are more likely to get damaged and allow the elements into the bag.
  

Check these things and you’re more likely to end up with a school bag that’ll last!

How big does a school bag need to be? That’s the next question you need to answer.

Picking the right size school bag will be partly based on where your child is in the school system. If your child is at secondary school they could find themselves having to carry around as many as 8 textbooks each day. So bear this in mind when selecting a backpack,

As well as their textbooks, the backpack should also have sufficient room to fit their exercise books, pencil case, calculator, lunch box, water bottle and other essentials.

When looking at potential backpacks you should check their content size. This is normally given in litres. 

For the average child at secondary school a backpack that is 20-25 litres in size should be more than sufficient.

Your child will be using their school backpack a lot. There’s the journey to and from school, trips between classrooms during the day, the lunch break etc. So, it’s important that you make sure their backpack fits them properly.

If your child is in primary school, then an adult backpack will be far too big for them and won’t be comfortable to carry. On the other hand, if your child is at secondary school then they’re probably about the right size for an adult backpack.

As well as the size of the backpack in relation to your child, you should also pay attention to the shoulder straps. You want to make sure these are sufficiently wide and padded to be comfortable.

The internals of the backpack should allow items to be carried in a symmetrical and balanced way. If the backpack has awkward, uneven internal sections, and can only be filled in an unbalanced way, this could cause your child back pain.

Where do you start when it comes to features on school backpacks?! There are so many different things to choose from, it can be a challenge figuring out what’s essential, and what’s not.

To help you, we’ve listed some core features that you might want on your child’s backpack below.

Pockets and compartments

A range of different pockets and compartments can be really handy on a school backpack. 

Look for a mix of external and internal pockets so that your child will be able to evenly distribute items. Internal dividers can be used to separate textbooks from folders. External mesh pouches or expandable pockets can be used to hold drinks bottles. 

Ideally, you should select a backpack with pockets and compartments that will allow your child to store heavier items closer to their back and lighter items on the outer areas of the backpack.

Reflectors or reflective tape

These are a useful safety feature and are particularly relevant if your child walks or cycles to school. Some backpacks come with reflective panels and strips already integrated into the design of the pack. 

Alternatively, you can buy self-adhesive or sew-on reflective panels and add these to a backpack.

Keychains and fobs

Some backpacks come with keychains and fobs which will allow your child to connect locker keys, hall passes or other useful items to the outside of their backpack for quick and easy access.

Shopping tips

We know that shopping with a child is not always the easiest of endeavours, so to help you we’ve set out some of our top shopping tips below.

Select a bag together

Whilst it may be tempting to take over and select a backpack that offers the best quality at the best price, it’s important that you involve your child in the decision. You’re much more likely to have a happy shopping experience that way!

Remember, a backpack is an important fashion accessory at school, so your child will almost certainly want to look at a wide range of packs before making a decision.

Set some parameters 

Before you start spending lots of time researching backpacks, make sure that your child is actually happy to have a backpack. There are other options out there such as satchels and messenger bags.

Backpacks are by the far the best option for carrying things around at school, but talk to your child and make sure that’s what they really want.

Agree a budget

This is a particularly important one for parents! Be sure to set a budget before your child starts looking at potential backpacks for school.

The last thing you want is for your child to set their heart on a particular backpack, only to find it’s way outside of your budget.

School backpack care tips

Once you’ve bought a backpack for school, you’ll probably need to give it an occasional clean. As you can imagine, school backpacks find their way into all sorts of places; from sliding along the floor of the bus to being grabbed with dirty hands, they quickly pick up dirt and grime.

To properly clean a school backpack, do the following things:

• Empty everything out. This is your opportunity to find those ‘missing’ report cards, or worse yet, the parts of your packed lunches that haven’t been making the grade.
• Check the washing instructions. Washing/laundry instructions will vary from backpack to backpack, so check the instructions before you chuck it in the washing machine. Washing instructions are normally found on a small label on the inside of the bag.
• Turn it inside out when putting it in the washing machine. This will help you best get rid of all the accumulated dirt.
• If you can only spot clean or handwash the pack, then do so with a mild detergent.
• Dry it in the sun. Whether you’ve machine or hand washed the backpack, it’s best to hang it outside to dry where it can soak up some fresh air.

With all of that information in mind, what are some of the best school backpacks available right now? 

We’ve set out some of our most popular options below.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to the best backpacks for school. At Winfields Outdoors we have an ever changing and expanding range of backpacks that’ll be great for your kids. Explore our site to see the whole range (and other school essentials), and don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter to receive 5% off your first order!

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