Qualities to Look for in a Child’s Backpack

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Kids express their personalities through their clothing and accessories. And their backpacks are no exception. Superheroes, princesses, and other pop culture characters grace the fronts of many of these school bags they carry with them every day. But as you probably already know, there are some more important factors that should go into choosing one. Here are some qualities to look for to help you make sure you buy the best backpack available for your child’s needs.

Size

According to some medical professionals, carrying a backpack that’s too heavy causes muscle strain. This can lead to long-term effects, especially if they do it throughout all their years of school. Ideally, your child should carry no more than 10 percent of their body weight in their bags. That may not seem to difficult to do until you realize that if your fourth-grader weighs 80 pounds, he should only carry eight pounds in his backpack. To put that into perspective, some of their textbooks can weigh two to three pounds. Granted, the younger children usually don’t have too many heavy books, but they definitely get bigger starting in junior high.

One tip for managing backpack weight is to try and distribute it evenly by carrying half the books in your arms and half in the backpack. Also, stick to the bare minimums when packing your child’s pack, and help them clean it out when they get home. Make sure they remove any unnecessary items each day when they come home. Another tip is to make sure they are using both straps on their  kids backpacks. This will ensure that the bag’s weight is centered and not causing one side of the body to bear too much at once. Most of all, make sure your child’s backpack is the right size for them and their needs. A backpack that is too big could encourage them to cram excess papers and supplies into it. But one that’s not big enough for all the materials they’re carrying could damage it, causing you to replace it prematurely.

Quality

One of the most important features you can look for in a backpack is quality. After all, you’d probably like it to be durable and last as long as possible. Otherwise, what’s the point in spending your money?

A lot of the character backpacks you can buy at discount stores won’t even make it through the school year. But that’s not always the case. There are some things you can look for to help you pick a quality bag. First of all, look over the pack thoroughly, inside and out. Check for tight, even stitching that looks durable. Then look at the edges of the bag. Stay away from backpacks with frayed or loosely-woven fabric. Also, check the zippers to make sure they open and close smoothly and that the stitching around them is tight.

Style

Even though we’ve glossed over style as a less-important quality in a backpack, your child may feel differently, and it’s still a factor you want to consider. Since it will be a permanent part of your child’s wardrobe for the next ten months or so, it’s important that you consider his or her preferences. The problem is that a lot of children, especially younger ones, gravitate toward the cheap plastic flashy backpacks that will tear in a week. You can avoid this by avoiding the local discount stores while you shop for supplies together. Instead, you can find a few quality packs you think they’ll like and let them choose from those. This way, you can make sure you buy a quality product that also makes your child happy.

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