My daughter starts kindergarten this fall, and if you’d told me a year ago that backpack shopping would send me down this much of a rabbit hole, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are. Between the endless folders, snacks, lunch box, water bottle, extra clothes and whatever “special item” she insists on bringing each day, I quickly realized not just any bag would do. I needed something that could actually hold everything, survive a full year of playground drop-offs and cafeteria spills, and — maybe most importantly — make her excited to walk through those doors on day one.
So I did what any slightly obsessive mom does: I polled every parent I know for their tried-and-true recommendations, then my daughter and I turned our living room into a full-blown backpack testing lab. We checked zippers, tested straps, packed them full and let her be the final judge on which ones actually felt good to wear. After weeks of trial and error (and a few strong five-year-old opinions), we landed on a list of backpacks that made the cut. Here are the best ones we found — the ones that are as practical for parents as they are exciting for kids.
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Best overall
When I started asking other parents which backpack they swore by, one name came up again and again: State Bags. I’m talking multiple moms telling me their kid is on their fourth or fifth year with the same one, still going strong. That kind of loyalty is hard to ignore, so we had to try the brand for ourselves. Sized for ages 4 to 8 (K through 3rd grade), State’s Kane Backpack has a 15-liter capacity that swallowed up everything my daughter needed, with room to spare as she grows into bigger binders and books over the next few years. My daughter zeroed in on the metallic purple butterfly design immediately, and it’s still her favorite of everything we tested.
What sold me, though, was how practical it is underneath all that style. The main compartment fits folders, textbooks, and her sizeable lunchbox and snack box, while the interior is genuinely organized, with zip pockets, slip pockets, and pen holders so her stuff isn’t just floating around loose. My daughter could zip it herself with zero struggle, no sticking, no fighting with it, which matters a lot when you’re five and trying to be independent. The straps were just as easy: adjustable enough that we could cinch them down to actually fit her small frame, rather than the bag hanging off her. And when the inevitable spilled juice box or dropped snack happens, you can just wipe it down with a damp cloth and it looks brand new. Between the design she picked out herself and how easy the whole bag is for her to use on her own, it’s the one that made her genuinely excited. Also nice: the backpack comes in a mini size for kids ages 2-4 and a double-pocket style for kids over 7.
Most comfortable
The Calpak Miffy Kids Medium Backpack was an easy one to fall in love with. The Miffy Pink Zoo Trip print is genuinely cute and colorful without being overwhelming. Sized for ages 5 to 8, it holds 15 liters and one detail I didn’t expect to notice actually ended up really wowing me: the rounded square corners actually gave us more usable interior space than the traditional rounded-top backpacks we tried, so folders and books slid in without getting squeezed into an awkward curve.
My daughter also loved how comfortable the padded straps felt on her shoulders, even on days when the bag was packed full. And because she’s still pretty small, the adjustable sternum clip made a real difference. It kept the bag snug and centered on her frame instead of sliding around or pulling her backward, which is such a small thing but makes a big difference for a kid who’s still getting used to carrying her own stuff around all day.
Best budget pick
I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting much from a $16 backpack, but this bag pleasantly surprised me. It’s genuinely spacious for the price, with enough room for a lunch box alongside books, a pencil case, and the usual daily clutter, and the front-zip and side mesh pockets give her a place to stash smaller items separately. I also appreciated that it’s black, since it hides stains and scuffs far better than a lighter bag would, but it still has a fun strawberry print scattered across it that my daughter thought was “the cutest.” It doesn’t feel quite as sturdy or built-to-last as some of the pricier options on this list, but that’s to be expected at this price point, and for a budget pick or a backup bag, it more than holds its own.
Best larger style
The L.L.Bean Original Book Pack is one of the roomiest options on this list, with a 24-liter capacity that easily fits a lunch box, books, worksheets and art projects with space to spare, but it never felt bulky or heavy on my daughter’s back. That’s because it’s made from a tough, weatherproof polyester that’s noticeably light while still standing up to daily wear, and it wipes down easily whenever it comes home a little worse for wear. My daughter was instantly drawn to the bold, bright print, since L.L.Bean offers a handful of really fun patterns to choose from, not just the classic solid colors. Beyond the look, it’s packed with practical details, like a key clip and organizer panel up front, a water bottle pocket, padded and reinforced shoulder straps, a padded back panel for comfort and reflective trim that gives me a little extra peace of mind for early mornings when the sun is still coming up.
Best smaller style
My daughter is tall but slender, and a lot of the bags looked comically big on her. Not this one. It runs slightly smaller than the other options on the list, making it a good choice for younger kids. Of everything we tested, it was the one that fit my daughter best, and given that she’s only five, that made a real difference in how comfortable and manageable it felt on her back rather than looking oversized or throwing off her balance. It has a fun metallic finish that adds a bit of shine without feeling over the top. And the pops of pink accents were delightful for my girlie girl daughter.
Best organization
I put the Simple Modern Fletcher Backpack to a real stress test during my daughter’s forest summer camp. Days spent traversing our local reservation meant she needed to haul more than the usual school-day essentials: sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, a full change of clothes, a snack, lunch and a water bottle, just to name a few. This is where the backpack’s interior organization really earned its keep. Between the large zip-closure front pocket, a separate zip-closure stash pocket, a padded tablet sleeve, and two expandable side sleeves for bottles, everything had its own designated spot. My daughter and I both loved that she could find what she needed without digging through one big jumbled compartment, which made those hectic camp mornings and pickups go so much smoother. I also appreciated how the adjustable straps and chest buckle kept it secure and comfortable on her small frame even when it was fully loaded down, and it held up well through a month of dirt, sunscreen smudges, and general outdoor chaos.
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How I tested the best backpacks for kids
To find the best backpacks for kids, I enlisted my daughter as my official tester for a full month. We took each backpack through the paces of real life, from summer camp to play dates to everyday errands, so I could see how they actually held up. I focused specifically on backpacks appropriate for elementary school-aged kids, not middle or high schoolers, since their needs (and their strength) are pretty different. Here’s what I looked for:
- Ease of use: A backpack is only as good as a kid’s ability to actually use it on their own. If she can’t get it on and off by herself, or if she’s fumbling with a stuck zipper while a line of classmates waits behind her, it’s not going to work. To test this, I loaded each backpack with the kind of stuff she’d realistically carry, like a lunchbox, water bottle and books, then had her put it on and take it off repeatedly. We also paid close attention to whether the zippers glided open and shut smoothly or tended to snag and stick.
- Durability: I wanted a backpack that could survive an entire school year, and ideally hold up for multiple years after that. That meant looking for materials that wipe down or clean easily, since spills and dirt are inevitable, and fabric sturdy enough to withstand being tossed on classroom floors, dragged across concrete on the playground and generally treated the way only a kid treats a backpack (translation: rough).
- Size: The right fit matters more than people think. I wanted something proportional to an elementary school kid’s frame, so it wasn’t so big that she’d topple over once it was loaded up, but not so small that it couldn’t comfortably hold a lunchbox, water bottle, snack and homework at the same time.
Why trust NBC Selected?
I am a commerce editor at NBC Selected and a journalist who regularly covers wellness, beauty, home and lifestyle. I have written about the best roll-on deodorants, whether beef tallow is a good moisturizer and whether or not makeup wipes are good for your skin. I am also a mom of two — with a daughter who is entering kindergarten at our local public school. For this story, I surveyed other moms for their backpack recommendations and then tested top brands with my daughter.
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