Backpack recs for Kindergartner (durable, affordable)

mom2juliarose · Jun 17, 2009

My DD starts all-day K in the fall. I'd like to get her a good, sturdy backpack that could last her a year or two.

When I was a kid my mom bought us all LL Bean backpacks and they lasted us for YEARS.

Something along those lines, but they seem HUGE...

Any suggestions? It needs to be able to fit a folder or a thin (think floppy covered) 3-ring binder.

TIA!

ZephyrBlue · Jun 17, 2009

My girls' backpacks from Lands End have held up really well- we got a Junior sized something or other for my tiny (stats are in my sig) kindergartener and it fit well, was comfy, and didn't swallow her whole. The cheap backpacks that their classmates have always wind up looking like crap by October.

mish · Jun 17, 2009

I love backpacks from the childrens place. They hold up really well and aren't that expensive. They even have smaller ones for young kids. We have used the small ones for preschool and kdg and moved on to the regular size for 1st grade.

MOM25BOYS · Jun 17, 2009

I second Zephyrblue's recommendation.:thumbsup: I LOVE my boys Land's End Junior backpack. It lasted DS1 from K-2nd grade with no problems.

If you don't see a good sale on them right now another great alternative are the L.L. Bean kid sized back packs.

I got the boys Lizard print ones for under $20 last fall and they have held up just as great as the Land's End one.

scatterbunny · Jun 17, 2009

I still have my L.L. Bean backpack from high school.

For first grade we just got H a cheapy ($10-$15 on sale, but closer to $30 full price) backpack at Fred Meyer for first grade, but the zippers started falling off within a couple of months. :thumbsdown:

We got a Children's Place backpack for second grade, and she finished the year with it still in like-new condition. It's great quality, IMO, very close to the L.L. Bean backpack I have, and much cheaper.

sirrahn · Jun 17, 2009

My kids have always had Lands End packs and I've been very pleased.

They just put out their new styles for this year and they've made them more "fun" it looks like. The new TinyTake looks perfect for K. My DD used their older style Preschool pack for K last year. The Jr. Classmate Size was still too big for her IMO and all she ever had to carry was a folder and a few papers so it was plenty big.

melniemi · Jun 17, 2009

I get my kids the LLBean Jr back packs when they are around 3-4 and they use those through kindergarten. 1st grade ended up having too much stuff to haul around so I got my boys the Lands End backpacks that have a big pouch on the front - perfect for wet snowpants. I've been happy with both. LLBean replaced one of my jr packs that ended up with a broken zipper after 3 years - no questions asked:thumbsup:

rochelle · Jun 17, 2009

sorry to threadjack,

any recommendations for rolling backpacks?

most of the kids in DS1's kindy are using the rolling ones for walking home. and my DS1 love the small rolling backpack that he uses for gym and foreign language classes but is too small for a folder.

scatterbunny · Jun 17, 2009

Check into your school policy, our school has a no-rolling-bag rule, though many kids do not comply, and apparently they get away with it.

keri1292 · Jun 17, 2009

I'd get the regular size, not Jr. if you need to pack snowpants, lunchbox and sneakers in addition to the folder and binder. Dd would never make it with a Jr., even in Kindy.

sirrahn · Jun 17, 2009

keri1292 said:
I'd get the regular size, not Jr. if you need to pack snowpants, lunchbox and sneakers in addition to the folder and binder. Dd would never make it with a Jr., even in Kindy.

I had my DD try on her brother's old Jr. size from LE before she started K and it hung down below her knees with the straps cinched up. She's not tiny...pretty average sized. I did get her one for 1st grade and she's gotten just tall enough now that I think it will be ok. I can't imagine having sent her with the regular size last year. If DD ever had to take something bulky...like if it was her turn for class snacks, she just toted it in a grocery bag. She carried her lunchbox or used the carabiner clip.

I'll admit though that I don't think I've ever even seen a pair of snowpants IRL

rochelle · Jun 18, 2009

scatterbunny said:
Check into your school policy, our school has a no-rolling-bag rule, though many kids do not comply, and apparently they get away with it.

Thanks.

the rolling bag can be noisy so I understand why some schools wont be happy.

DS1's kindy is a K-8 school and the school policy just says to get as big a bag as possible to fit folder/binder and stuff. nothing about what kind of bags are allowed or not allowed.

I have plenty of kindy size backpacks (my own and in boy colors) at home in case the school decide to ban rolling bags.

momto2princes · Jun 18, 2009

I would have to 2nd the Children's Place backpacks are awesome! I got one for DS back in Sept and it still looks brand new. He says it is very comfy to wear. I got it on sale too for like $12.50 canadian dollars so.

firemomof3 · Jun 18, 2009

My dd1 had a lands end backpack for K and she hated it. It would fall off her shoulders and its was HUGE! She used it for about 2mo. and then she used her little sister's Barbie backpack!

tanyaandallie · Jun 19, 2009

We also LOVE the Land's End backpacks. DD just finished kinder and used the Classic Classmate jr. It was awesome. Little girl down the street had something else and it really was falling apart. Allie's looks awesome after a full year of school. She will use it again next year. We live in TX so the outerwear thing is just not an issue. Her coat fits in it with her blue folder for school and her lunch box. It's the perfect size for a 5/6 year old.

Forgot to add, the only thing I didn't really care for was the monograming. It was WAY too small. I don't need her name to be huge but it's really way smaller than what I thought it would be. I would get it and take it somewhere else.

BW1426 · Jun 19, 2009

keri1292 said:
I'd get the regular size, not Jr. if you need to pack snowpants, lunchbox and sneakers in addition to the folder and binder. Dd would never make it with a Jr., even in Kindy.

E would have never made it with a Jr. sized one. Bubby is 2 and can easily carry the Jr. sized one on his back.

E actually has this backpack.

UlrikeDG · Jun 20, 2009

Roman & Eva both have Junior backpacks from LandsEnd. They were huge on them at age 5, but fit well now (all my kids are skinny to extremely skinny). LE has the ergo version on clearance for $10 right now. They also have an even smaller one for "preschoolers", but I haven't seen that one in person. It may not last as long, but it will probably fit better this year than the "junior" size.

lovinwaves · Jun 20, 2009

UlrikeDG said:
LE has the ergo version on clearance for $10 right now.

The link isn't work for some reason, and I am curious as to which backpack this is. This is the only $9.99 I could find, which is the Preschool one. http://www.landsend.com/pp/BoysPres...sku_0=::COB&CM_MERCH=SRCH_00001&origin=search

According to the dimensions it looks like the Preschool one and Junior one are pretty much the same size

Coupon code: SALE

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UlrikeDG said:
Roman & Eva both have Junior backpacks from LandsEnd.

Can a child, say about 3-4 years old, easily slide a standard fold inside of the bag? Our current Deuter backpack isn't working well with C according to his teacher, because the opening isn't quite big enough for him to manage putting his folder in there by himself. We are backpack hunting again.

UlrikeDG · Jun 21, 2009

lovinwaves said:
The link isn't work for some reason, and I am curious as to which backpack this is. This is the only $9.99 I could find, which is the Preschool one. http://www.landsend.com/pp/BoysPres...sku_0=::COB&CM_MERCH=SRCH_00001&origin=search

The one I looked at yesterday is gone today. Probably sold out. Here's another Junior that's only $12 (Lake Blue only).

lovinwaves said:
According to the dimensions it looks like the Preschool one and Junior one are pretty much the same size

...

Can a child, say about 3-4 years old, easily slide a standard fold inside of the bag? Our current Deuter backpack isn't working well with C according to his teacher, because the opening isn't quite big enough for him to manage putting his folder in there by himself. We are backpack hunting again.

I haven't seen the Preschool one in person, but I know the one I clicked on yesterday had a smaller volume listed than the Junior I clicked on. The Preschool one on clearance right now doesn't list volume, and the dimensions listed are the same, so...

Classic ClassMate® Backpack - 1345 cu. in.
Classic ClassMate® Junior Backpack - 1115 cu. in.
Preschool from memory - 10xx? cu. in.

You could always order both, and return the one you don't like (you can return LE orders to Sears).

I couldn't find a standard pocket folder, but I did pull out a 3-ring binder and a manila folder, and Kira (19 mo) was able to put both of those into the Junior pack, so I don't think a 4 year old would struggle at all. It unzips quite far (not quite flat, but nice and wide).

kanga · Jun 24, 2009

I got my girls ergo backpacks when they were on sale months back. This backpack is really nice. It has this neat adjustable back that is hidden. Hard to explain but it will last them for at least another 5 years. There are many organizers in the front zippered pockets. I love this backpack. One of my dds had a ll bean bag but it was lost. Its too bad they arent making the ergo anymore. My dds are tiny, only 38.5 lbs at 5 & 7 yrs old. The backpacks arent huge on them. I ordered the regular ergo and not junior.

http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/ergo-pack-76

Backpack recs for Kindergartner (durable, affordable)

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