When it’s "back to school" time (and sometimes during the year too!), students need a new backpack. Easy enough, right? Two straps? Check. Big area to stick stuff in? Check. But it's not that simple any more.

 

by Ryan G. Van Cleave, Ph.D.

There's no single perfect backpack for every student. While features, size, and color are important factors, safety should always be the first choice. Here are some questions to consider before seriously considering purchasing any backpack:

• Is the bag appropriately sized for the intended wearer?
• Does it have two sturdy shoulder straps? (Having two straps ensures far better weight distribution and helps wearers keep their balance.)
• Are the straps wide and padded enough? (Comfort matters!)
• Does it have a waist strap? (Even better weight distribution)
• Does it have multiple compartments? (Again, better weight distribution)
• Does it have any reflective surfaces?

How heavy is too heavy?

Even if the answer is "yes" to all of the above, backpack users can still hurt themselves. The main way this happens is by lugging around a backpack that is too heavy.

When full, a backpack "shouldn't be more than 15 percent of a person's weight," recommends Charles Shubin, M.D., the director of pediatrics of Mercy Family Care in Baltimore, Maryland, who has also been the "school doctor" at Baltimore's Polytechnic Institute high school for 30 years.

Additionally, Dr. Shubin suggests getting a backpack with wheels (though many schools specifically say "no" to wheeled options—check with your own school). It's also a good idea to back the heaviest things close to the student's back, where the strongest muscles are. It may not look the coolest, but it's far safer. Plus students should always bend at the knees and use two hands when lifting the backpack.

One fallacy about backpack safety issues is that it causes scoliosis, which is where the spine curves sideways in an S or C shape. While it's true that overly-heavy backpacks or improperly used ones can harm joints and muscles as well as create neck or shoulder pain, scoliosis occurs in three percent of people and is not linked to backpack use or other activities.

Cool (and safe) new options

Once safety issues are out of the way, it's time to pick the perfect bag. Fortunately, the day of having only a few choices for backpacks—superhero, cartoon character, Plain Jane colors, or whatever Toys“R”Us had on sale—are over. Here are just a few of the latest options beyond Columbia, L.L. Bean, and JanSport to suit all parenting styles, and for which kids will be thankful:

● Land's End – They've got options for small, medium, large, or extra large students. One-stop shopping for kids of all ages.

● Mojo Backpacks – For kids who want hip, cool backpacks, these sturdy bags are a great option. Get free shipping on all orders, too, plus free Mojo headphones with orders over $40! (You'll love the return policy: "any bag, any time, any reason.")

● Powerbag – These handy bags are the ultimate charging system "disguised as the coolest bag you'll ever use." Smartphones? iPods? eReaders? Tablets? Power them all up with one of these terrific bags that are perfect for the tech-savvy kid on the go. (This line of bags won't be available until September 2011, so you might need to make do with last year's bag for a month or so.)

Chillin With My Tiger by Sprayground SLIMS● Simply Bags – Pick up one of these fashionable backpacks and they'll embroider a student's name or initials on it for free. No more "Whose bag is this?" dilemmas.

● Sorting with Style – These super-stylish bags also come with removable cell phone holders. Some students will appreciate the option of getting trendy matching accessories (pencil case, file folders, and legal pads).

● Sprayground SLIMS – These urban-cool, affordable backpacks for elementary-aged students are popular at Hot Topic—a good sign that kids love them. It also doesn't hurt either to have The Black Eyed Peas, P-Diddy, and Perry Reeves promoting Sprayground's products.

It really comes down to this: You tend to get what you pay for. Buy a $5 backpack from a local discount or drugstore, and the straps might break by February, which means another new bag is in order. Worse, kids have fallen down and in some cases, broken ankles or arms when a backpack malfunctioned like this. For a toddler who wants to carry around a few stuffed animals, these are fine. For heavy duty school use? Spend a little more and you won't have to worry.

While all the bags listed above are quality, chic products, it's not always easy to tell which is right until you try a few out. So take your time and do exactly that. Most of these options are readily available in department stores, specialty shops, and other outlets.

But no matter how you decide to go about buying a new backpack, definitely let your student have some input. Plenty of kids are far more excited about wearing their new Star Wars LEGO backpack than catching up with friends they haven't seen all summer long.

Read on:

• Backpack Safety America
• “Backpack Basics,” by TeensHealth

 

The father of two, Ryan G. Van Cleave teaches writing and literature at the Ringling College of Art & Design. His writing has appeared in many venues, including The Christian Science Monitor, National Geographic Adventures, Mommy Magazine, and Writers' Digest.

© Lead photo by Stemlund | Dreamstime.com • Tiger backpack by Sprayground