The Best Kids Backpacks for the 2024-2025 School Year
Top-tested backpacks that also bring the 'cool' factor for kids.
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Not long after summer break begins, it feels as if it's time to start back-to-school shopping. That means it's also time to ensure your child has the best backpack to match their age, grade and personal style. A good kids' backpack should be spacious to hold everything they need and durable to last throughout the school year and beyond. Not to mention, it should look cool so that your child enjoys wearing it every day.
As a fiber scientist in the Good Housekeeping Institute, I've been testing kids' backpacks for over a decade in our Textiles Lab. We've evaluated everything from durability and comfort to the design and ease of packing. I also have two kids in elementary school and have been trying out a variety of backpacks with them to get a sense of how these bags perform in the real world. The 10 backpacks featured ahead are top-tested styles along with popular models that have rave reviews online. After reading through our recommendations, you can find more information about how we test backpacks and what to look for when you shop for your own child.
Our top picks:
- Best Overall: L.L.Bean Original Book Pack
- Best Value: Bansusu Geometric Print Backpack
- Best for Elementary School: Pottery Barn Kids Mackenzie Backpack
- Best for Middle School and High School: Columbia Zigzag Backpack
Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute and a lead reviewer of products in the bedding, travel, lifestyle, home furnishings and apparel spaces. She has over 15 years of experience in the consumer products industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Lexie serves as an expert source both within Good Housekeeping and other media outlets, regularly appearing on national broadcast TV segments. Prior to joining GH in 2013, Lexie worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries.
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