5 Backpack Basics for a Healthier School Year

Do an online search for “backpack safety” and you’ll find a host of online websites filled with expert tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the National Safety Council to the American Physical Therapy Association.

What’s more, the American Occupational Therapy Association celebrates their annual National School Backpack Awareness Day on the third Wednesday in September when ergonomic experts offer safety tips for students, parents, educators, school administrators and community members alike.

While experts continue to debate the finer points of backpack safety, they agree on three essentials to protect your child’s health: choose a backpack that fits your child, teach them to pack it properly, and make sure they wear it correctly. Focusing on the right size, packing, and use can help prevent discomfort and keep your child focused on learning.

Read on for five features to help you choose a backpack your child will find comfortable (and actually want to use).

Five Basics for Choosing a Backpack

The school year can be tough on your child’s backpack. After all, it not only needs to survive the daily toting of textbooks and other school supplies, but also the drop-and-toss style of most energetic kids. With the typical school year lasting about 180 days, all those snaps, clasps, zippers and seams take a beating, which is why choosing a sturdy, well-constructed backpack is essential. A sturdy backpack that’s also lighter in weight is best, as you want the backpack itself to contribute as little weight as possible.

1. Look for sturdy, lightweight construction.

The school year can be tough on your child’s backpack. After all, it not only needs to survive the daily toting of textbooks and other school supplies, but also the drop-and-toss style of most energetic kids. With the typical school year lasting about 180 days, all those snaps, clasps, zippers and seams take a beating, which is why choosing a sturdy, well-constructed backpack is essential. A sturdy backpack that’s also lighter in weight is best, as you want the backpack itself to contribute as little weight as possible.

2. Consider a trendy design.

While you’re looking for a backpack that’s sturdy and well-constructed, your child has an eye on one with a trendy color or design. Blend the best of both worlds by encouraging your child to be part of the decision. With so much variety in the market, you can easily select a sturdy brand that’s perfectly sized for your child’s height and weight in a color or design that they prefer. The result: A sturdy backpack that your child will want to wear.

3. Make sure shoulder straps are comfortable.

Backpacks with two straps that are wide and padded allow your child to carry their pack across both shoulders. This helps evenly distribute the weight, making it more comfortable. By contrast, carrying a backpack over one shoulder can lead to fatigue, poor posture and lower back pain that can stifle learning. When adjusting the straps, make sure the backpack rests on the curve of your child’s back. It should sit 1 to 2 inches below shoulder level on the curve of the back and never more than 4 inches below the belly button.

4. Choose a padded back.

A padded back certainly offers your child more comfort, but it also protects the body from pencils, pens and other sharp objects that can accidentally puncture through and cause harm.

5. Pack smart to ease back strain.

Experts tend to agree on how to organize the contents of the backpack: Place the heaviest items on the bottom, in the center and closest to the back. The debate continues, however, on how much weight your child should carry. As a general rule, children should carry backpacks that weigh no more than 15% of their body weight. Keep the load light by encouraging your child to pack only items used for the day.

Here’s a simple way to check. Fill your child’s backpack with what they’d carry for a normal school day and weigh it on a bathroom scale. Then weigh your child by themselves. If the backpack is more than 15% of your child’s weight, reduce the load.

Here’s to a backpack that fits right—and days that feel a whole lot lighter!

Lorna & Kathleen
Co-authors of Eating for A’s

P.S. Like this tip? For more, check out Eating for A’s: A month-by-month nutrition and lifestyle guide to help raise smarter kids. Kindergarten to 6th grade. (Second Edition)

FAQs about Backpacks for Children 

1. How heavy should my child’s backpack be?

As a general rule, it should weigh no more than 15% of your child’s body weight. If it goes over that, it’s a good idea to remove a few items.

2. How can I tell if the backpack is too heavy?

Fill it for a typical school day, weigh it on a bathroom scale, then weigh your child separately and compare the two.

3. What should I look for in a backpack?

Choose one that is sturdy, lightweight, and the right size for your child so the pack itself does not add unnecessary weight. And, of course one that your child will want to wear.

4. Why should my child wear both straps?

Wearing both straps helps keep the load balanced and can reduce strain on the back, neck, and shoulders.

5. Why do padded shoulder straps matter?

Wide, padded straps help spread the weight across both shoulders, which makes the backpack more comfortable and easier to carry.

6. How should the backpack be packed?

Put heavier items low and close to the back so the weight stays centered and easier to carry.

7. Why is a padded back helpful?

It adds comfort and helps protect your child from sharp items inside the backpack poking through.