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There’s no shortage of options when it comes to buying a new back-to-school backpack for your kid. In fact, it can be pretty overwhelming to make a choice. Fortunately, you can eliminate the headache of having to go to the store to sort it all out. We spoke with two experts on school-age kids — a pediatrician and a veteran teacher — about what makes a good backpack, and picked out the best ones for kids of all ages that can be delivered straight to your door through DoorDash.
How to Choose the Best Backpack for Your Kid
Find the right size and shape.
There are many things to consider when buying a backpack for your child. Weight is one of the most crucial factors — you certainly don’t want to saddle your 8-year-old with a 20-pound load that will cause lifelong back problems. “Regularly wearing a too-heavy backpack can cause back, neck, and shoulder pain, and in severe cases can lead to nerve damage and issues with balance,” says Dr. Erin Mauny, MD, a pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child's backpack should weigh no more than 10% of their body weight.
Size and construction are also important. “A backpack should not be wider or larger than the child’s torso and should not hang more than 4 inches below the waistline,” Mauny says. “Wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back panel can help with comfortable weight distribution.”
Consider specific needs.
Once you have these calculations out of the way, more complicated factors enter the picture. What activities does your child participate in, and what kind of gear do these activities require? Do they need space for iPads, textbooks, packed lunches, laptops, sports gear? What style of backpack will they like enough to actually want to wear to school? There’s only one way to find out…
Give them the gift of choice.
“Giving your kid the autonomy to choose a backpack or to collaborate in the process of picking one out is extremely helpful,” says Julianne Williams, a fifth grade teacher at Shirley Chisholm Elementary School in Washington, D.C. “A lot of students wear uniforms, so a backpack can be a form of representation or expression of style. It can also incentivize them to use it properly. As a teacher, I see the amount of things that get ‘lost’ in the depths of a backpack. If a kid is invested in the pockets and fun gadgets a backpack might offer, they’re probably more likely to use it.”
Below, we present some of our top school backpack picks for each age group. Of course, all of them are available for delivery via DoorDash.
The Best School Backpacks for Every Age Group
1-4 Years
Animal Planet 18M+ Animal Harness Backpack
For the tiniest kids — we’re talking as young as 18 months old — keeping track of them is your biggest goal. This adorable little plush monkey backpack looks more like a stuffed animal, and features a detachable leash tether strap that will keep them close to you while also giving them the agency of carrying their own things, like board books, small toys, or a snack.
Nike Kids' Brasilia JDI Mini Sherpa Backpack
This little pack is perfect for the 3-5 set, thanks to its appealing fuzzy exterior, padded shoulder straps, and surprisingly spacious interior. At 13 inches high x 10 inches wide x 5 inches in diameter, it’s big enough to carry a lunch bag, some art supplies, or a few books. An internal pocket keeps small storage items secure and a water bottle pocket ensures proper hydration. Gotta start ‘em early!
5-8 Years
Cat & Jack Kids Flip Sequin 16" Purple Cat Backpack
Elementary school is when kids start getting really opinionated, which means fashion is key. This enviable rainbow glitter bomb of a backpack is perfect for animal lovers with a bit of a sparkle complex (I would have lost my mind over this thing back when I was 6) and the size — 16.19 inches high x 12.25 inches wide x 4.25 inches in diameter — is perfect for the 3-9 year age range. It features not one but two water bottle pockets, and the 13.81-liter capacity will easily fit laptops or tablets up to 13 inches.
Bioworld Kids 5-Piece Super Mario Medium Multicolor Backpack Set
If your kid is more into games than glitter, this Super Mario backpack is a guaranteed hit. It includes not just the backpack (16 inches high x 12 inches wide x 5 inches in diameter) but a matching flap lunch bag and a utility case (we called them a pencil case in my day but okay!), along with an ID badge attached by a carabiner in case they lose it — which they probably will. The fact that it’s also very durable and made from easy-to-clean fabric comes with the territory.
9-12 Years
Herschel Supply Company Youth Heritage Backpack
Once kids start nearing their middle school years, they become much more aware of the world around them; teach them to take care of that world by prioritizing environmental sustainability. This bag is made entirely from EcoSystem™ recycled fabrics, sourced from 100% post-consumer water bottles, and proves that eco-friendliness needn’t come at the expense of style.
Roomy and durable with plenty of pockets, it measures 15 inches high x 12 inches wide x 5.75 inches in diameter, which is ideal for 8-12 year olds. A floating sleeve holds up to a 14-inch laptop or tablet, a mesh water bottle pocket expands to fit different sizes (“water bottles are all the rage right now — especially those Stanley bottles! — so good external pockets are clutch,” says Williams), and the zippered front pocket includes a clip for keeping house keys secure, since they’re now reaching stay-home-alone age.
Solo New York Polyester Cover Laptop Heathered Gray Backpack
Like it or not, the vast majority of middle school students are using a laptop or tablet at school, and this backpack acknowledges that fully with a padded compartment for laptops ranging from 11-15.6 inches. It’s so stylish you may want to steal it for yourself — yet at 14.75 inches high x 11.25 inches wide x 7 inches in diameter, it’s small enough for a middle schooler’s frame. Made from recycled PET bottles, it includes a front zipper pocket with key clips and also doubles as a travel bag, since it slides easily over most telescoping luggage handles.
13+ Years
Jansport Cool Student Backpack
With its extra-large capacity and 15-inch laptop sleeve, this classic backpack brand is an ideal choice for high school students. Measuring 17 inches high x 12 inches wide x 8 inches in diameter, it includes ergonomic S-curve shoulder straps and a fully padded back panel for long-wear comfort no matter how many textbooks your kid packs into it.
High school is when things get more complicated, and this bag takes that into consideration with two main compartments and a front pocket with a full organization panel and key clip. It also comes in a wide variety of colors and fabrics to suit individual styles.
Student athletes require a backpack that will take them seamlessly from classroom to playing field, and this one from Nike — designed specifically for holding sports gear — delivers on just that. Unlike most backpacks, the Utility Elite splays open for easy access, and measures 19 inches high x 13 inches wide x 6 inches in diameter for plenty of storage space.
An interior mesh sleeve and eyelet vents let sweaty post-practice clothes breathe, and a zippered sleeve keeps a 15-inch laptop safe. There are even durable loops for holding extra accessories like racquets and mitts. Adjustable shoulder straps with Nike’s signature Air Max cushioning provide personalized comfort, and a sternum strap keeps the bag close to the body, even when it’s on the move.
The North Face Jester Backpack
If you’re looking for an all-around workhorse of a bag, look no further. This versatile pack from North Face is water-repellant and reflective for visibility and protection no matter the weather, making it ideal for those who walk or bike to school. It measures a roomy 18.13 inches high x 11 inches' wide x 8.25 inches in diameter and stands up on its own for easy loading and unloading.
Thoughtfully designed for balance, the bag’s straps and back panel are connected through a sophisticated and super-comfy suspension system that prevents it from swinging as you walk and is certified by the American Chiropractic Association. A padded 16-inch laptop sleeve, separate tablet sleeve, key-fob loop, and two external water bottle pockets mean it’ll fit just about everything.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photography: Paul Quitoriano
Art Direction: Sarah Ceniceros Gomez
