Kids backpacks: the size for the age, and what the straps are made of

A backpack is sold by a character on the front and bought, if it is bought well, by the height on the spec sheet. The height decides which child it fits, and the straps decide whether it is carried or dragged.

What the category is

Backpacks from 10-inch toddler bags to 18-inch teen packs, most in polyester, some in nylon or canvas; single bags and sets with a lunch bag and a pencil case; clear backpacks for schools that require them; character licences on most of them. The cheapest are one compartment and two straps; the better ones add a padded back, a sternum strap and a laptop sleeve.

How to read the spec sheet

Height is the first line and the one that maps to age: 10 to 12 inches for toddlers and preschool, 14 to 15 for early primary, 16 to 17 for older primary, 18 and up for secondary. A pack should not sit above the shoulders or below the hips, and the sheet’s height lets you check against the child.

Capacity in litres: 8 to 12 for a preschooler, 15 to 20 for primary school, 25 and up for secondary. A folder is 12 inches tall and needs a 15-inch bag to lie flat.

Straps: width, padding and whether they are S-curved; a sternum strap and a padded back panel are what stop a heavy bag pulling backwards. The sheet names them or does not.

Fabric: polyester denier (600D is the school standard; 300D wears through in a year), nylon for lighter and stronger, canvas for heavier and softer. Water-resistant coatings appear by name.

Pockets and sleeve: a front pocket, side bottle pockets, a padded tablet or laptop sleeve with its size, a key clip. A clear backpack lists its PVC thickness.

Weight empty: half a pound to a pound and a half. On a small child it is the difference before a single book goes in.

Sets: what is in the box — lunch bag, pencil case, water bottle — and whether the set price is a bargain or a bundle of the bits that break first.

Who it suits

A 12-inch bag for a toddler who wants to carry something; a 15 to 16-inch with a padded back for primary school; a 17 to 18-inch with a laptop sleeve and a sternum strap for a teenager; a clear bag where the school demands one.

Who should skip it

A child whose school bag weighs more than a tenth of what they do: a rolling backpack takes the load off the shoulders. And anyone buying by the character first and the height second.

Where to start

Or answer four questions and let the kids’ bag finder narrow the 465 to the ones that fit how you sleep.

Six of the 465 kids backpacks bags reviewed on this site, one per model, across manufacturers. Every review is written from the manufacturer’s published specifications — how, and what that leaves out.

• Skip Hop Big Kid Backpack
• JanSport Backpack
• Bentgo Kids Backpack 20L
• Camtop 20L Backpack for Kids, Boys & Girls
• VASCHY Kids Backpack 15L
• Trail Maker 15 Inch Kids Backpacks

All 465 kids backpacks bag reviews

Newest first. Consumables, accessories and parts that were once filed here are excluded.