Anonymous wrote:LL Bean Junior hands down. My child has used it for 3 years (including camps) and it still looks pretty good. If we weren't ready for something a little bigger she'd still be using it next year!

great but you do not say how old she is

Bought a regular sized one for each kid when they started K. LL Bean. DC1 is still using it, going into 5th grade, and same for DC2 going into 2nd. And we use them for summer trips, camp supplies, etc.

LL Bean backpack!! Bought my daughter a regular sized one for kindergarten and it’s held up well. She’ll be using it for 2nd grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to Target and let your kid pick out whatever backpack they like, whether it is a plain one, design or a character. It doesn't matter much in K and they will definitely need a bigger one within a couple of years. Their style and interests will also change. Our cheap Target backpacks lasted for all of K and 1st. Enjoy this time before they care about brand names and have to lug around a lot of stuff.

I disagree. The Target ones will fall apart. We've had our lands end ones for 4 years now, washed them regularly, and they still have a lifetime of wear in them. Get a high quality one.

I agree with this PP. Get a high quality one from LLBean or Lands End. We have had the same LLBean backpacks for several years. They hold up very well.

We did not go with smaller backpacks for K with either child. With the size of folders & library books, you need something large enough for those. Add lunchbox, snack, water bottle, and change of clothes, you need the standard size (even though it looks enormous).

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I'm the poster who buys Jansport. I remember I bought my older child a Lands End backpack and matching lunchbox for K. The backpack fell apart by October (stitching came open in several places). I returned it and I have stayed away from Lands End. It sounds like others have had better luck with them. I stand by the Jansport though. I still have the one I took to high school and college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to Target and let your kid pick out whatever backpack they like, whether it is a plain one, design or a character. It doesn't matter much in K and they will definitely need a bigger one within a couple of years. Their style and interests will also change. Our cheap Target backpacks lasted for all of K and 1st. Enjoy this time before they care about brand names and have to lug around a lot of stuff.

I disagree. The Target ones will fall apart. We've had our lands end ones for 4 years now, washed them regularly, and they still have a lifetime of wear in them. Get a high quality one.

I agree with this PP. Get a high quality one from LLBean or Lands End. We have had the same LLBean backpacks for several years. They hold up very well.

We did not go with smaller backpacks for K with either child. With the size of folders & library books, you need something large enough for those. Add lunchbox, snack, water bottle, and change of clothes, you need the standard size (even though it looks enormous).

Anonymous wrote:Definitely get the standard size. They look huge but there’s still much stuff the kids bring back and forth- lunch, extra clothes, reading packet and take home folder, and the assorted projects. There were times we could barely fit everything in the big backpack.

Definitely standard and not junior. If you get a good quality backpack it can be used throughout elementary school.

Anonymous wrote:Similarly here, we got the LL Bean Original backpack (they call it book pack for some reason) last year for my then-rising kindergartner after reading posts here. She is petite, and it did look huge on her, but something smaller would not have worked. We got the matching lunch bag, too.

Another vote for LL Bean. I bought my then kindergartners the Discover Backpack with matching lunchboxes and they still look like new going into 4th grade. I put the lunchboxes in the washing machine about once a week and they still look great. The nice thing about the matching set is that the lunchbox fits in the backpack nicely which is one less thing to carry and lose.

LL Bean Junior hands down. My child has used it for 3 years (including camps) and it still looks pretty good. If we weren't ready for something a little bigger she'd still be using it next year!

I never got my kids the smaller backpacks for school. Their cubbies never fit everything they needed especially during the winter. Backpacks held the folder and lunch and a water bottle. A lot of times their rain boots, snow boots and sometimes snow pants needed to be in there when they were in aftercare. My kids are going to six and seventh grade. They both have had just two backpacks since kindergarten. I buy them the Jansport big student. We have been more than satisfied with the size and the quality over the years

As a Kindergarten teacher, I recommend you get the standard size. It doesn't need to be huge, but the cute little ones just do not fit enough. All the folders, lunches, and extras for special days or after school activities and extra snacks or other stuff we send home... definitely go with standard size

LL Bean Junior.

My kid used it from preK up until 4th grade! It washes amazingly and we still use it for things.

Anonymous wrote:Go to Target and let your kid pick out whatever backpack they like, whether it is a plain one, design or a character. It doesn't matter much in K and they will definitely need a bigger one within a couple of years. Their style and interests will also change. Our cheap Target backpacks lasted for all of K and 1st. Enjoy this time before they care about brand names and have to lug around a lot of stuff.

No. We did this in preschool and they basically fell apart. In K on, they have books, folders, etc, and the bags basically just disintegrate. My kids have had PBK backpacks since my oldest started K - they don't even know what Pottery Barn is.

OP - get the regular sized bag. That way, everything fits in it. The folders, books, lunch boxes, jackets, water bottles, etc. You want your kid to not have to hand carry anything.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to Target and let your kid pick out whatever backpack they like, whether it is a plain one, design or a character. It doesn't matter much in K and they will definitely need a bigger one within a couple of years. Their style and interests will also change. Our cheap Target backpacks lasted for all of K and 1st. Enjoy this time before they care about brand names and have to lug around a lot of stuff.

I disagree. The Target ones will fall apart. We've had our lands end ones for 4 years now, washed them regularly, and they still have a lifetime of wear in them. Get a high quality one.

How did you wash them? Just in the washing machine? What cycle? We have a PBK one that's in great shape but in desperate need of a good wash.

Pre-treat any stains, wash on the gentle cycle, and then hang to dry.

For those who got the lands end or PB backpacks with chest clips, did your child take school bus? Were they able to take on and off the backpack by themselves on the bus? We have PB kids backpack but my rising K child still can't do the straps himself and I am having doubts how he can manage on the bus.

Just get the bigger one from Pottery Barn. It will last for years, and while it will seen big in K, it will be just fine in 1st. It's not heavy as all it will hold is a folder and a lunch box and water bottle. We have the large.