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High school bags; how to choose the right backpack for your child

Well guys, it's here! Our oldest is in high school and is a real bridge beeper. That's what we used to call it, but when I inquire with Luc now, they don't seem to have a 'name'. This may be due to the fact that the first graders are still fairly shielded here at secondary school. What they are not protected in is the amount of courses and books. BAM! That's what it sounded like when he came home with all his books after the first day. If I wanted to cover them 'just for a while'. And as good as I am… I did. To transport all this stuff I have already looked for a break between all the high school bags. His group-8 backpack was really not able to withstand the high school violence. I already knew that in advance.

Scoring yourself a new handbag is not wrong homework. Not a difficult task either! But how do you find a good backpack for when your child goes to secondary school? Here you can read what you should pay attention to.

Table of contents

The world of high school bags

Have you finally chosen that high school… But then it starts! And then you suddenly browse all kinds of internet sites looking for the best backpack among all the high school bags. Hoping you'll find one (among that mountain) that:is fun. Which is good. Preferably not too expensive. Which is sturdy. Which has enough compartments. And which is appreciated by those who have to use it. Very important. Simple in color, it had to be.

Anyway. Not all of the features mentioned above can be found in the filters of a website, so a lot of poking around had to be done for a good end result. And what else are you looking for?

How do you choose the right backpack?

What you should in any case pay attention to is that you choose a backpack that suits what your child is going to do † And it fits how your child is put together.

Luc is not tall (he was already 33 weeks pregnant), but still relatively strong (he has been on Krav Maga for years). The amount of books he now has - and the weight of them - did surprise me. A condition in our case is  that many books fit in it 🙁 .

A 'tablet' backpack as a high school bag

If your child gets a lot of lessons on the laptop/ipad, you can go with a smaller backpack than they have 'regular' lessons and have to take a lot of books to school. A backpack with a capacity of about 20 liters should be sufficient † So pay attention to a special tablet / laptop compartment that is (preferably) also padded is for extra protection of the tablet or laptop.

There are plenty available in this category of secondary school bags that also have all kinds of handy compartments for agenda / calculator, etc.

A backpack for busy students

Unfortunately, at our school no tablet lessons, but heavy secondary school bags for a lot of books. A bit à la… hey bag where are you going with that boy?'

Normally, with a backpack of about 30 liters must be able to manage if your child has school days from 08.30 to 16.00. Long school days, many different subjects and therefore quite a few books to take with you.

tip :If you have the option to rent a locker at school for your child, be sure to do that. We pay € 25.00 per year (of which € 10.00 deposit). For that money I hope that my son does not suffer from back pain from the heavy book bag because he can switch all his books before and after the big break. At school, for example, he only has to carry half the weight with him between lessons!

The backpack I came up with

Still, I looked for a backpack that had just a little more content. Why? Because I know Luc 😉 . And he really doesn't go to school with 2 bags! Which means he just keeps cramming. Everything has to go in. Even if he has to take his gym gear with him. Because yes… I had forgotten that for a moment, but they also still practice gymnastics in secondary school. Even in 2 days! The only difference is that it is called LO (physical education).

Do you recognize this evil? Then look further, because in a backpack with a capacity of 30 liters Luc can no longer store his gym equipment, I'm sure of that. We have therefore arrived at the Eastpak Tutor Black.

Sturdy high school bags are a necessity here in the house

In addition, I looked at the firmness of the bag † Do you have a girl? Then I think you can secretly assume that she is naturally a little more careful with her stuff. I guarantee you… guys aren't! At least I haven't come across them yet! That's why I looked for one with a reinforced bottom † Better for the books I think.

The fact that you can completely open the backpack is so nice † Makes it a bit easier to find everything 'simple'. And of course the shoulder straps are padded, so that it 'scuffs' less.

What I didn't really pay attention to when picking out high school bags

What I didn't really pay attention to myself, and what I would like to say to you, is that you should pay attention when purchasing that the backpack is not too big † By this I do not specifically mean the content, but also the length of the shoulder straps .

Now Luc is not big in stature, and also only 11 years old. The shoulder straps are therefore a bit on the long side for him, so that the backpack hangs down slightly. This is not good for his back as it will pull him back slightly. The fact that the backpack we chose has a chest strap is irrelevant, because 'That's not cool Mom' ...

Fortunately, he now only has to cycle to school for 2 minutes, so the attack on his body is not really big, but next time I would pay more attention to that. He himself is 'very satisfied' with his high school bag and I am personally very happy about that. Still looking for a new bike!

Other interesting articles about going to school can be found here:

  • High school disrupts careers of working mothers
  • Hectic school weeks and changing schedules, who eats when?
  • Schoolyard mafia and part-time work results in few women in top positions
  • Passed the final exam; but what then?