Erin Porteous
So you’re excited about the next school opening day and can’t wait to meet your classmates? We understand your anxiety, but wait; you may be contemplating how you will carry all those school essentials to school. What better way to do this than a school backpack? School backpacks tend to take a beating and can often end up in irreversible state of despair after prolonged use. Based on this, you must get one that’s durable enough to survive everyday use. For teenagers and kids, it’s more about how the bag looks and its aesthetic value rather than how functional it is. This fact gives you the tough job of finding one that’s durable enough and still looks good.
Getting a good-quality school backpack can help alleviate a bit of the burden experienced during a busy high school or college year. All the books, class essentials plus a laptop will need a nice, strong backpack.
Lucky for you, there are a plethora of backpacks for school you can pick from. Although we aren’t guaranteeing the backpacks on this list are indestructible, truth is, you’ll surely be getting value for your buck with whichever option you choose based on your preference. Taking into consideration factors like durability, style, price, comfort, and space, here are some of the most notable backpacks for school.
Top 10 Backpacks for School of 2020 Reviewed
1. 12” Unicorn Skip Hop Toddler Backpack
- Easy-to-clean linings
- Phthalate-free
- Padded, adjustable straps
- The standard-sized folders won’t fit if they aren’t folded
- Not as spacious
- No chest strap
Best Backpack for kindergarten kids
If you’re looking for something functional but still fun for your school kid, look no further. Durable materials and whimsical details make this the ideal on-the-go school backpack. It can easily hold everything your preschooler will need for that busy day of both “work” and play.
The mesh pockets found on the side can adjust to fit a water bottle, sippy cup or juice box. The front pouch is perfect for snacks and also has extra pockets for pencils, crayons, and other travel necessities.
The multi-use front pocket offers easy access and has an insulated zipped compartment suitable for food storage. This perfectly sized backpack features friendly animal faces, crafted details, a top-hanging loop and a matching, fun zipper that has been specifically designed for small hands. It also has a write-on name tag area and padded straps for small shoulders.
2. J World New York Sundance Rolling Backpack
- A fully-padded laptop sleeve
- Reflective tape designed for increased night visibility
- Durable wheels and a unique bottom mould
- The laptop compartment is a bit small and can only fit a 16-inch laptop
- The T-handle doesn’t come out as smoothly as one would expect
- Hard to replace the wheels
Best Backpack for high school and college students
J World is known for its sophisticated designs and bold patterns. Their brand objective is to encourage individual style and personality. This backpack is inspired by the lifestyle of a New Yorker and accommodates different looks and needs for fashion-conscious and active students.
The backpack stands out with is its ingenious handle. The T-shaped telescopic handle is manufactured using aluminum pipes, and high-density PU coated material.This backpack also features ergonomic S-shaped, adjustable shoulder straps with a back panel cushioned with air mesh. This helps provide comfort for when the backpack is worn for long periods.
The front pocket organizer is easily accessible and comes with cardholders, pencil holders, a zippered pocket and a key fob. These are all convenient features that help ensure organization and helps you keep track of all your personal belongings as well.
3. Vaschy Unisex School Backpack
- Fully-padded back panels for optimum comfort to shoulders and back
- Water-resistant material.
- Considerably big bag with a large capacity
- Doesn’t have many color variations.
- Has a funky mothball smell when new
- The backpack sides do not expand as much as one would expect.
Best Backpack for middle school and high school students
Vaschy is all about keeping things neat and simple. The Vaschy unisex backpack, in particular, is manufactured using high-grade polyester. This type of material is among the most the ideal and popular component used in making heavy-duty, ultra-strong backpacks. Polyester is also heat-resistant, making it suitable for the outdoors. As far as durability is concerned, it’s resistant to both stretching and shrinking.
The Vaschy unisex backpack has a neat design and hangs comfortably on your shoulders. The differently sized pockets ensure you to organize everything needed for school properly. What’s more, there is more than enough room for books, a laptop/tablet, keys and any other school essentials you might have.
The zippers have leather pulls, and the SBS zipper feature allow for a smooth and easy slide. The laptop compartment is padded and will let most devices fit in snugly. The main compartment, on the other hand, is ideal for storing heavy books.
4. Jansport T Superbreak
- Offers a 25L capacity alongside a web haul handle
- 2/3 padded back panels
- Versatile and practical bag
- Zippers easily breakdown
- The zippers often get stuck easily as well
- Can be flimsy and isn’t sturdy enough
Best Backpack for high school students
Jansport is undoubtedly among the biggest and most respected brands as far as school backpacks are concerned. This feat is seen in the Jansport T Superbreak. The backpack has a spacious main compartment to store all your schooling essentials and much more.
The front pocket comes with its interior organizer, which helps make access to your items super easy. It is made from abrasion-resistant 600 polyester materials for more durability and endurance. It also comes in several different color variations. This variety gives you better options when seeking for a bag that’ll fit your own specific, unique personal style.
5. Mancro Durable Water-Resistant School Backpack
- Has anti-theft school backpack lock
- It’s a lightweight carry-on bag
- Has two convenient pockets on either side
- It can’t store laptops bigger than 15.6 inches
- The bottom padding is a little bit thin
- The laptop compartment has light cushioning
Best Backpack for water resistance
Mancro has always been focused on providing great shopping experiences through innovation. The Mancro Durable Water-Resistant School Backpack makes you feel its overall charm. This backpack is perfect for school and will fit the needs of both male and female teenage students. It can fit up to a 15.6-inch laptop, folders, binders, files and any other school essentials you might require for school.
The backpack is a used as multipurpose bag as it can be used for hiking and professional business matters as well. It is suitable for carry-on and commuting because it can easily fit under most seats.
The backpack features a USB port with an in-built USB charger on the outside and an in-built charging cable on the inside. This means you can literally charge your electronic devices while on the go. What’s more, it is manufactured from eco-friendly nylon fabric and helps ensure both sturdiness and comfort.
6. AmazonBasics School Backpack
- Reinforced shoulder straps designed to handle heavy loads.
- Front pocket and exterior water-bottle holder
- Easy to clean
- The see-through material doesn’t offer privacy to the user
- Not as spacious as it looks
- Not safe to store valuables
Best Backpack for heavy loads
This durable yet lightweight product is an ideal backpack for middle school and high school students. It’s convenient and reliable as far as carrying a lot of books daily is concerned. Measuring in at around 17x17x13 inches, the AmazonBasics backpack is spacious and provides plenty of room for your textbooks, folders, notepads, and any other personal belongings.
It also has a transparent design which allows you to see what is inside the bag. This means you can quickly find items without having to go through the stress of rummaging around.
One of the most notable features about this backpack is its versatility. You can use it to go to the zoo or beach, for hiking purposes, professional work-related matters (especially in the creative industry) and so on. Its long-lasting feature is specifically designed with everyday use in mind. The see-through material used is clear, heavy-duty PVC plastic material that is both water-resistant and strong.
7. Adidas Prime Backpack
- 100 percent Polyester
- Fully reflective accent panels for better visibility
- Has a sturdy build design to withstand wear and tear
- Susceptible to overloading
- The padding on the back panel and shoulder straps is a bit light
- Doesn’t have many color variations
Best Backpack for visibility
This backpack is the next evolution product from Adidas looks like the best one yet. It features an updated design structure, several zippered compartments for easy organization and padded sleeves to protect your electronic devices. Its load spring shoulder straps provide the wearer with added comfort and the reflective details on it increase visibility during low-light conditions.
The backpack has a lifetime warranty which means it’s been designed and built to survive the long haul. It also features a padded laptop sleeve which will help ensure the safety of your electronics. This makes this an ideal product for middle school students.
8. Leaper Floral School Backpack
- Padded reinforced straps that are adjustable for carrying comfort
- Its top handed loop makes it easy to hang and grab
- A padded laptop compartment that can comfortably fit a 14-inch laptop
- Not made using water-resistant materials
- It’s rather small and doesn’t provide the user with a lot of room
- Cleaning can be a challenge
Best Backpack for comfort
The Leaper Floral School Backpack is ideal for the female student. For over a decade now, Leaper has been focusing on creating unique and stylish backpack products to satisfy every need. In this case, they were looking to satisfy the needs of the girl child specifically. The backpack made using durable Canvas material with PU leather decorations.
Although it isn’t waterproof per se, it can also be used for outdoor activities. It can be carried either using the adjustable shoulder straps or by the hand handle. It’s an ideal backpack for school, but it can also be used for general daily travel purposes. The backpack has a chic design with various colors to choose from.
9. Vancropak Water-Resistant School Backpack
- Has a large capacity and provides the user with a lot of room
- Has a USB charging port to charge electronic devices on the go.
- Fashion-forward yet still both comfortable and durable
- Bulky
- Not as sturdy as it appears
- The headphone port located at the top lets water in
Best Backpack for middle and high school students
The Vancropak water-resistant school backpack is ideal for everyday use and is perfect for middle and high school students. It features large pockets and compartments that can easily store your headphones, pens, notebooks, folders, textbooks, school files, and any other personal items.
The backpack stands out with its classic color, combined with a simple style design. This means it can’t really ever go out of fashion. It comes with six color options; cyan, azure, pink, green, black, and gray. So, you can have a different color for every occasion if you want.
10. HIKPRO Water-Resistant Lightweight Backpack
- It’s foldable with a minimalist design profile
- Lightweight making it easy to carry around
- Abrasion-resistant SBS metal zippers
- Not easy to clean
- No internal pockets
- Shoulder straps could be reinforced more
Best Backpack for lightweight and durability
Made using high-grade, tear and water-resistant nylon material, this backpack provides long-lasting performance and with the lightest weight while at it. The side mesh pockets are made from resilient, tear-resistant materials.
The base of the bag has double fabric for extra strength. Besides that, fourteen other places at major stress points have been reinforced using the Bartak Process. The shoulder straps are comfortable and can be easily adjusted according to what works best for the user.
The 20L of internal space provided by this backpack means that you’ll have more than enough room to store all your day to day school essentials. It also has three zippered compartments which help ensure all school items are kept organized.
All you need to know before buying backpacks for school – Buying Guide
School backpacks have come a very long way over the past few years. Gone are the days when leather straps were the in thing for school children to carry their school essentials. With the advent in technology, it is becoming much easier to get access to state-of-the-art backpacks for school.
However, with the numerous options available in the market today, it can be hectic trying to find the right backpack. As such, you must take note of the various factors before you pick the shopping cart. This will ensure that you not only find a comfortable and spacious back but one that fits your personality.
Manageability takes the day
When buying school backpacks for kids, ensure to get one that can carry everything they need without hurting or straining their backs. For any age set, following backpack safety tips will help prevent spinal injuries, back pain, and poor posture. Development of good backpack habits should start during elementary school years and thus, picking the right backpack goes a long way. While kids at this age will most likely be completely preoccupied with the action hero or cartoon character on the product, it’s up to the parent to get the best-fitted and best-designed backpack
Should Be Easy To Clean
At kindergarten level and most of the elementary school, a kid’s school essentials often include snacks and lunches. In addition to enough space for this, consider insulation and compartments that are safe enough, and that can contain spillage. Backpacks used for school should not be too hard to clean, whether you’re using wipes or washing machine to do all the work.
Go for Sturdy Zippers
A good backpack with a broken zipper is as good as dead. When shopping for a school backpack for any age set, you need to strongly consider zipper quality. Usually, chain zippers are often much harder and stronger to break compared to their coil zipper counterparts, and Consumer Reports confirms this. Chain zippers contain two sets of interlocking teeth usually manufactured using metal materials while coil zippers are made using polyester material. As a rule of thumb, go for strength in the zipper as this will guarantee longevity.
Reflective and Weatherproof Material
Elementary and middle school kids prefer wearing their backpacks when crossing the street. Those in high school might have them on when riding their bicycles to class. For either scenario, reflective trims are good safety features for a backpack. This feature ensures that the student is visible from afar even by vehicle drivers.
On the other hand, find a backpack that’ll effectively keep belongings dry during the snowy and rainy seasons. Getting a bag made out of water-resistant material doesn’t necessarily render the product completely waterproof. However, if you don’t intend on submerging the bag in water, getting one that’s water-resistant should be just fine.
Shop Stylish and Sporty
As much as you may sometimes be too preoccupied with price and durability, it is also important to consider the backpack’s design and style. When it comes to high schoolers, a sporty styled backpack is a favorite. Interesting prints, bright and bold colors are always befitting for teenagers. As such, you should try as much as you can to incorporate that into your search. This will help give them a personal touch and bragging rights to their peers.
Mind its Durability and Price
How long do you want the bag to last? If you purchase a poor quality backpack, it may not last very long, and you might just need to replace it earlier than expected. In most cases, higher-priced backpacks may be taken to mean quality. However, this is not always the case. You can still find affordable but durable backpacks in the market. Consider the materials used and style of the backpack when determining its durability.
Comfort and Support for school essentials
Over the past few years, there’s been a strong emphasis on back support for school backpacks. In fact, backpacks used for schooling purposes are now built and designed to mirror hiking backpacks in terms of stability. This was arrived at after many school kids started complaining of tingling sensations in their arms and numbness after carrying around a heavy school backpack. So, when shopping, look for a school bag with a wide padded shoulder strap alongside a padded back. This is especially so if the backpack you’re getting is meant for a middle school student. During this time, they’re expected to carry a lot of textbooks throughout the school years.
Ensure comfortable Size and Capacity
Most pediatrics recommend that a school backpack should generally not weigh more than ten to twenty percent of the kid’s body weight. As such, the backpack’s size should correspond accordingly. If you get your preschooler a bag that’s way too big for them, it’ll be tempting for them to overload it, thus making it too heavy to manage.
Ease of Organization
Besides the main compartment, a good school backpack should have multiple exterior and interior pockets for proper organization of essential school items. This is especially so for older children with ballooning school needs. The most popular features to look out for include key chains, pencil pockets, laptop pockets, and water bottle holders.
Conclusion
Choosing the right backpack for school doesn’t have to be as stressful as some people make it out to be. In fact, you can have a little fun while you’re at it. All you need to do is take your time and figure out exactly what it is you’re looking for. For the best backpack, think about the style profile. However, don’t forget about important factors such as functionality, space, comfort, and fit. With this guide, you have no excuse for a poor backpack.
Hopefully, this guide will help get you on the right track when it comes to picking the best backpack for school. We’ve looked at a lot of options, and the ten on this list are some of the best ones you can find. From school bags for preschoolers to high school children, these highlighted backpacks will help your kid start everything off on the right footing.
