Fridays in August are all about the gear! This week we’re looking at that essential item on a student checklist the Backpack. Heading back to school with a bag that is reliable ~ durable ~ as well as fashionable can be a tall order! So I thought I would give you a checklist you could refer to before making the big purchase.
Weight
- How much does the bag weigh without anything in it?
This is a checklist item I often see get overlooked. Students are paying attention to the patterns while parents are paying attention to the price tag.
No one really bothers to pick up the bag and think “hmm, how heavy is this WITHOUT anything in it?” And yet, by the winter holidays I hear the grumbling coming from parents about how heavy their students backpack is.
Granted, the weight of what our students carry from school to home each day isn’t entirely the bag, but why not give the kiddos a little help in determining if they’re choosing the best bag for their shoulders and back.
Support
- Padded straps
- a cushioned back {the part that lays against their back}
- and the science of the company focusing on weight distribution.
The backpack my kiddos have used for the past several years is a Timbuk2. One of the reasons I invested the money was the support the backpack provided. My checklist at the time is listed above.
Clearly, I can’t keep them from loosening the straps and carrying the darn thing on their buttocks but I can at least give them a backpack that tries to help with support!
Pockets
- How many individual pockets are there?
- What items could/would be placed in the pockets like a “cubby hole”
Pockets can be like cubby holes for your student. Offering too many can lead to an overwhelmed kiddo and a frustrated parent or teacher.
Count out how many pockets there are … large and small. Then discuss with your student what they would or could put in each spot.
Help them to understand their own organizing personality by answering questions like “what supplies would you put in that big front pocket” or “where do you keep your house key now, would that key fob be something you could see changing over to?”
Access
- Put a few binders in the backpack while in the store
- Pay attention to any “difficult” shoving or pulling to make things fit or work
- Imagine you’re in a hurry, how easy is it to do quick actions like throwing a binder in & zipping up the main compartment
The actual anatomy of a backpack is critical to the successful long term use by a student. While younger kiddos can easily handle just about any style of bag you throw at them, a middle and high school student needs a little more thought behind the purchasing decision to their daily access.
Considering a “bucket style” opening allows a student to pull a dump & run at the end of one class and into the beginning of another.
When you’ve narrowed down the final candidates use the checklist above to eliminate the ones that don’t make the cut.
Quality
- check all zippers
- look at all seams
- count how many actual pockets
- evaluate the clasps
- try it on
Of course we all know to check the seams but often I see students with bags that have dysfunctional zippers or straps they’ve had to tie due to the plastic clasp breaking before the second month of school is even complete.
Use a critical eye to evaluate the quality of the product. Also, pay attention to any ‘warranty’ the company offers. We all know I’m a huge fan of Timbuk2 bags, one of the reasons is their lifetime warranty.
Teach the student how to look at a bag for more than the trendy pattern. Create a routine together with the checklist above.
Price
- How much use can you get for the initial investment
I know, in this economy it’s hard to shell out the extra money for a quality backpack. I hear you. But as I shared in my Tidy Thursday post Back to School Checklist there are certain supplies I advocate spending a little more on up front. The backpack is one of those items.
Consider it this way:
- If you spend $20 on a backpack in August that lasts until December
- You spend another $25-$40 on another backpack around the winter holidays
- Then you find things are hanging by a thread come spring break and find yourself back in the store spending yet another $25-$40 AGAIN just to get your student through the end of the year ::
Have you spent about the same amount you would have on the higher quality backpack?
Oh, and did I mention? The higher quality bag can be used for at least few years? So really, when you break it down your backpack investment has only cost you about $20 a year.
Think about it.
I’m curious, is a new backpack on your student checklist? If so, how do you {or your kiddo} choose a backpack for back to school?
Suggested Reading: School Supplies: Just Follow the List.
Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on choosing a backpack ~ what’s worked and what tips helped you here?
