First day of school is always an exciting time especially for children. In preparation for this, parents and kid’s gear up and look for the right school supplies as well as the appropriate children’s backpack. Choosing the supplies can be easy as most schools have standard list of the must haves. Choosing the backpack however is a different story. There are many things to consider when purchasing a backpack for kids and thus, parents should be aware of these.

There are a number of reasons why children’s backpacks are the most popular types of bags children use in school. Primary among these is the fact that these bags can accommodate more supplies compared with other types of bags. Moreover, despite the weight of the supplies carried in the bag, they can still be carried easier as they distribute the bag’s weight across the back. However, it is important to carefully choose the best type of backpack to use as a number of cases of back pains and injuries relating to the use of overloaded bags have been reported among elementary and junior high students.

In order to maximize the benefits that can be derived from the use of children’s backpack while significantly reduce the downsides of their use, it is important to carefully choose the best one children should use in school. Among the important factors that should be considered when shopping for these items is the size of the bag. It is important to look for a bag that is proportionate to the user’s body size-it should be slightly smaller than the user’s back and should rest 1 to 2 inches below the shoulders and about 2 inches above the waistline. Also, the bag’s size should not be too large that it may hinder the user’s movement, nor should it be too small that it may not accommodate too much stuff.

Also, it is recommended to look for children’s backpacks that are lightweight and durable. Cotton and vinyl are among the most popularly used materials in the manufacture of lightweight bags. However, a number of bags made from vinyl or polyvinyl chloride were discovered today to contain toxic substances that may bring about hazard to a child’s health.

Among the safety features, on the other hand, that should be checked when shopping for children’s backpack are the straps-they should be able to distribute the weight of the bag evenly on the shoulders, hence should be wide and cushioned. Also, to prevent the pack from flopping around, and hence, stabilize the contents of the bag, it is recommended to look for a bag with waist straps. Lastly, after singling out the bags that passed the previously enumerated criteria, one should then decide on the bag’s design. It is important to consider the personality of the child who will be using the bag when deciding on this factor.

Children’s backpacks are indeed important items in any student’s school life. Today, these items can be purchased in a huge variety of types, materials, and designs. As such, it is important to carefully choose among these options the best one your children would use.

Keira Michaels is a mom of a second grade boy. Among the things that Keira ensures before her kids go to school is the weight of her children’s backpack or “Schulranzen” as it’s called in German.