Comments on: Packin’ it In

By: Eilish

Eilish — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:53:59 +0000

I’ll second The Children’s Place. I found a great backpack for junior that he’s still using 1 1/2 years later.

By: sarah

sarah — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:47:10 +0000

Another good backpack place is LL Bean. I got my 7 year old one there last year and it survived first grade and a trip to Italy.

By: Phyllis

Phyllis — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:16:17 +0000

Yup, I’ve never seen a Target backpack wans’t in shreds by March.

By: Glinda

Glinda — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:01:12 +0000

@Kiri8- I’ve not seen those, but this year my son will only be in kinder, and won’t have lunch. But I know that our school has portable shelving that the kids put their lunch bags on when they get there, so squashing is not a factor for us.

By: Kiri8

Kiri8 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:19:43 +0000

Actually, my favorite kids’ backpacks are the ones that come with a lunch box and a way to attach the lunchbox. I always got them from the Gap, but now Children’s Place has great backpacks with pouches for the lunchbox, and at very reasonable prices. After all, who wants to eat a lunch that has been squished from being inside the backpack with all your books?

By: Glinda

Glinda — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:41:02 +0000

I did not find any Jansport that was made specifically for ages 4-7. They had a small one, but the Land’s End was rated “best backpack for ages 4-7″ by Real Simple Magazine. That sold me right there.

By: Steph

Steph — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:11:59 +0000

We did go with a Target backpack last year for kindergarten. I am totally with you on the character thing, and we found a cute, but non-character, bag that my daughter liked. But, big surprise, it was falling apart before the final school bell rang. This year I picked up a Jansport at Costco.

By: Obi-Wandreas

Obi-Wandreas — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:13:08 +0000

Lands End is okay. If you really want durability, however, go with Jansport. I’ve got a Jansport backpack which is around 15 years old and is still as sturdy as ever. I still use it as a carry-on on flights, each time carrying a ton of stuff.