Tips for Buying Kids Backpacks
Young Bodies Need Special Care

Searching through the vast selection of kids backpacks can be daunting for any parent trying to find the right pack for their child.

First, realize that young bodies grow and change very fast so its important to make the transition from toddler backpacks to packs for elementary age kids that tend to increase the bag load as they advance from Grades 1 to 6.

Research studies show that elementary students carry more pack pounds than the American Occupational Therapy Association recommendation of 15% of a child's total body weight. One reason for this dilemma is that over 95% of parents never check their child's backpack weight and nearly 35% never check the contents.

Young kids are prone to back injuries too, due to carrying heavy packs for long periods of time, lugging them up stairs and wearing only one shoulder strap that increase stress.

If your youngster is dragging the pack on the floor, it's time to pay attention to the load and find a solution.

No matter what brand or style you choose, the following factors should apply to all Kids backpacks so that your children survive the daily school routine without fatigue.

Kids Backpacks: Factors For Selection

Practical Decision - Though kids may pressure you to buy trendy designs and dazzling colors, kids backpacks deserve more consideration as a practical item used every day. Decisions based on construction, usable features and safety aspects shoudd outweigh price or fashion factors to ensure that the pack fits well and protects your child's health.

Fabric Options - Preschooler packs are made from thin, plastic vinyls that clean well but are not long lasting. Elementary age Kids packs are usually sturdier with nylon or synthetic fabrics that take the abuse of daily use at school or outdoors. Other materials such as canvas provide good quality, but they tend to be thicker and heavier than lighter weight nylons. Leather backpacks also add more weight to carry and tend to have waterproof problems due to open seams.

Quality Check - Shopping in person, as opposed to online, has the advantage of being able to inspect and compare a variety of kids backpacks. Turn the pack inside out and look for double seam stitching versus a single stitch, with material left away from the stitching to prevent holes from appearing. Sloppy stitching and loose threads mark poor manufacturing and raw, exposed fabric edges tend to fray and eventually weaken the seam.

Size To Fit - One size does not fit all. Young kids are very different and each body changes from year to year and deserves some special attention. The bottom of kids backpacks should align with the child's lower back and not drop beyond four inches below the waistline. Shoulder strap anchor points should rest one to two inches below the top of the shoulders to avoid extra stress.

Age Appropriate - Be aware that Kids packs may be marketed from the ages of 6 to 20, so ensure your child gets the most appropriate pack for his or her age group. Check the measurements and compare new packs with old packs and note the differences in size, capacity and features. Pay attention to earlier grade versus later grade elementary school bag requirements and the transtion, for both bodies and bags, into junior and high school grades.

Kids Backpacks: Tips For Buyer Satisfaction

Cheap Packs - The tendency to buy cheap for young students is tempting. In reality, those heavy loads in younger years can lead to stress, tiredness and sore shoulders. Spend a few more dollars for a quality kids backpack that lasts the whole school year and prevents the discomfort of poor designs and construction.

Comfort And Safety - Wide shoulder straps with contoured designs, instead of narrow, and good padding prevent numbness and helps to distribute the pack weight for more comfort. Chest straps are important to secure the pack during movement while walking or riding a bike. This keeps the pack snug and prevents excessive bouncing of a full load. Reflective strips or patches increase visibility of students for motorists and should be easy to see from a distance.

Zippers And Seams - Whether zippers are plastic or metal, it's the quality that matters. Check zippers for easy pull open and closure when the bag is weighted down or stuffed for a better evaluation. Despite the hassle of getting stuck inside the zipper, fabric flaps that extend over zippers are actually good for keeping out the rain. Just find the best technique to keep the material out of the way.

Color Splash - Add a splash of bright color not only for fashion, but to help find your pack among the bag pile. It's much easier to search for a strong, bold color patch that makes your bag stand out from the rest. And for parents trying to identify their child during school pick up time, a distinctive splash of hot pink, neon green or bold orange might be seen more than cool blue or basic black.

Kids Backpacks: Popular Brands and Models

These backpack brands are suited for use as school bags or use on family vacations and outings. For external frame hiking packs for youth on camping trips, there are several good models made by Mountainsmith and Kelty. And Deuter markets a few internal frame packs for young climbers and hikers.

	North Face Backpacks - Among the leaders in providing a number of quality packs for high school students, North Face also has kid models such as the Swerve and Scatter with specific straps for younger ages that rank well with some consumers.
	JanSport Backpacks - The leader in backpacks for kids of all ages, JanSport has a wide variety of packs suitable to meet the needs of young children and growing teenagers. The Half Pint combines snazzy styles for smaller frames with less capacity to avoid overloading. For elementary students, the Big Student and Superbreak models top the list for capacity and consumer satisfaction. High schoolers may prefer the Right Pack and Wasabi models.
	Sports Backpacks - For students needing to combine both school work and play, there are specialized packs for ball sports or skateboarders and surfers from Adidas, Burton, Billabong, Nike, DaKine, Quiksilver, Volcom, Puma, Oakley and Element. Check out these cool and functional packs to satisfy both classroom and physical education requirements.
	High Sierra Backpacks - Gaining ground on the leaders with quality products, High Sierra packs are getting good marks from many satisfied consumers seeking alternative choices. Check out their variety of models for older kids from the Swerve , Loop , Boost and Access .
	LL Bean Backpacks - Recognized for quality gear that lasts, LL Bean may not have a wide variety of backpacks, but a few models stand out for satisfaction. Check out the Original Plus Book Pack, Deluxe Book Pack, Quad Pack and Original Book Pack that rank well with some consumers.
	LeSportsac Backpacks - For stylish floral motifs with a colorful punch, the LeSportsac Basic is a smaller capacity pack to keep the load light for elementary students and others seeking a compact alternative. Check out the unique designs and find your favorite.
	LEGO Backpacks - For wheeled packs and regular packs from the same company that makes the famous toys, The LEGO® collection features bags made for travel and bags specifically designed for carrying toys or school supplies of young students. Choose among favorite toy cars, dinosaurs or robots.
	Dante Beatrix Backpacks - With versions for toddlers and elementary students, Dante Beatrix combines bold colors with large graphic designs for simple and fun bags that pack some personality with the regular school supplies. Featuring a large front zipped pocket with two side pockets and an interior zipped pocket, these handsome bags are sized for ages five to ten.

Discounts on Kids Backpacks