I still have the Jansport backpack I bought before my freshmen year in college almost 20 years ago. Looks great. Though it's only been used a handful of times a year since 2005 or so. But still holds up just fine.

No. In fact, I still have my own K backpack. It's LL Bean and in great shape. I used it through 3rd grade, then got one of those enormous LL Bean ones that everyone seemed to have in the late 80s/early 90s, which I used though 11th grade. Switched to a much smaller one at that point and used it all the way through law school.

We used a small PBK one for my rising 1st grader from daycare through K. It's not large enough to fit the folder contraption for 1st, so I'm getting her an LL Bean one. I expect that to last through 5t grade, at least, at which point she might need a larger size.

Anonymous wrote:Buying new character backpacks each year is for the poors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So wasteful. Where do they go after one year? In a landfill. Even poor people don't want your used stuff, OP.

Yes, poor people -- and people who just want or need to save money -- do want gently used items. Why do you think places like Goodwill, consignment shops, etc. are in such high demand?

Oh gross. Skip getting your kids a new one and buy a new one with supplies for a kid in need.

+1

wtf. backpacks get all kinds of junk ground into the insides. food, glitter, etc. you think someone wants your nasty old backpack? it's not as easy to wash as something like a t-shirt.

Umm, what? We just throw it in the wash. What kind of food ends up in the bottom of your kids' backpack?

I wash ours usually every long weekend and break. Both the lunch boxes and backpacks. You need to wash regularly. Ours look like new, even the cheap character ones as long as they are fabric.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest is in 7th grade and he's on his third backpack since K. This upcoming school year will be his third year using his current backpack.

Also, my fourth grader is on his second backpack. The only reason he switched backpacks is because he outgrew his old one (he's pretty tall for his age).

Same here DS. used the same backpack from K - spring of 2nd grade when it was just too small.
The old one is in great condition. If I could get the embroidery off I would donate it.

Buying new character backpacks each year is for the poors.

I will agree that lunch boxes (even from Lands End and LLBean) can take a beating. Our LLBean lunch box which is used every day probably could be replaced after 2-3 years. But, it is pretty tough. the Lands End ones used to just last a year b/c the inside liner would tear. Not sure if they are stronger now.

Quality over novelty!

Anonymous wrote:In conversation with a neighbor, we were discussing the stores and school supplies. I mentioned that my daughter would be excited to pick her new backpack and lunch bag. My neighbor was in disbelief that I bought both new each year. Growing up, it's what my mom always did, and most of my friends had new bags. Not only that, my daughter's bags were pretty grody by June.

How about you?

My rising 8th grader is still using the same LLBean backpack that we bought in kindergarden. It looks like new pratically and it still works. Fortunately, it just has a butterfly on it. My son also has a similar (shark, not butterfly) from LLBean backpack. He's a rising 6th grader. I think we got his for first grade. (Traded in the Thomas the Train backpack he used in kinder).

Maybe you are buying the cheapie backpacks -- those probably only last a year. The $50 backpacks last many many years.

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. Use them until they wear out. To do otherwise is wasteful of materials and money.

+1

My daughter carried the same school backpack for the first three years of elementary. That said, she also had a separate backpack for travel soccer, so she was carrying that one on the days she had practice. That saved some wear-and-tear on the school backpack.

I bought her a new rolling pack for this year. Expensive, so hopefully it'll last 2-3 years. (she'll use the soccer backpack again for soccer practice days.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So wasteful. Where do they go after one year? In a landfill. Even poor people don't want your used stuff, OP.

Yes, poor people -- and people who just want or need to save money -- do want gently used items. Why do you think places like Goodwill, consignment shops, etc. are in such high demand?

Oh gross. Skip getting your kids a new one and buy a new one with supplies for a kid in need.

+1

wtf. backpacks get all kinds of junk ground into the insides. food, glitter, etc. you think someone wants your nasty old backpack? it's not as easy to wash as something like a t-shirt.

Umm, what? We just throw it in the wash. What kind of food ends up in the bottom of your kids' backpack?

No way. My kid is going into 3rd grade and still using the LL Bean Junior that we got for him in preschool. He doesn't carry much back and forth so we haven't needed a bigger one.

I do replace the lunch box. Maybe every 2 years? Just seems to wear out.

We always got new backpacks as kids. They were generally pretty beaten up by the end of the year. Buying a new one was part of the fun of back to school. And you're all acting all high and mighty about throwing out a backpack every year, but come on -- the demographic on this forum buys more useless shit, throws the most opulent parties with so much junk that gets throw out daily.... a backpack every year is nothing relative to all the junk you are all producing.

That said, my son has been using the same backpack for 3 years of preschool. It is in horrible shape right now so we'll be buying a new one for K, and I look forward to new ones in future years!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So wasteful. Where do they go after one year? In a landfill. Even poor people don't want your used stuff, OP.

Yes, poor people -- and people who just want or need to save money -- do want gently used items. Why do you think places like Goodwill, consignment shops, etc. are in such high demand?

Oh gross. Skip getting your kids a new one and buy a new one with supplies for a kid in need.

+1

wtf. backpacks get all kinds of junk ground into the insides. food, glitter, etc. you think someone wants your nasty old backpack? it's not as easy to wash as something like a t-shirt.