The Best Kids' Backpacks of 2023

The MacKenzie by Pottery Barn Kids is truly made with children in mind. Available in dozens of playful and colorful designs, the kid-centric details make this bag a winner. Its sturdy construction makes this backpack durable enough to stand up to the rigors that grade schoolers put their belongings through.

We appreciate thoughtful details like the front daisy chain (ideal for fun charms or for hanging hand sanitizer), perfectly proportioned organizational pouches for school supplies, an interior label (for when the bag inevitably gets misplaced), and two sturdy pockets for water bottles.

The pockets are roomy without being cavernous, and the bag is made with rugged 600-denier polyester, a high-density, water-resistant fabric that is often used for camp chairs. The fabric, while durable, isn’t overly heavy or itchy.

This bag also takes into account kids' proportions and body shapes. The large size we tested fits well on kids ages 6 to 11—it doesn’t dwarf smaller kids and it offers enough room to fit everything an incoming fourth- or fifth-grader might need.

The MacKenzie is available in a range of sizes, too, so students can find the right bag no matter the age.

JanSport features classic backpack designs and has for just over 50 years; its styles are frequent favorites among the high school and college crowds, too. In fact, the JanSport Main Campus backpack is our classic pick among best backpacks for secondary and older students.

Like the JanSport Main Campus, the JanSport SuperBreak Plus is sturdy, rugged, and offers an unparalleled lifetime warranty. This makes it a quality backpack from top to bottom—and it’s a great value.

Super strong zippers on all of the pouches are protected with storm flaps, and the well-padded internal laptop sleeve showed no sign of tear during our testing. Even though the lifetime warranty is a big bonus when purchasing this workhorse of a backpack, it’s so well-made that we aren’t sure you’ll ever need to actually use the warranty.

While you can certainly get away with this backpack with younger kids, we recommend it for third grade and up. The JanSport SuperBreak Plus' size is a bit bulky for smaller kids and the styles are more sophisticated.

It has one main compartment and a small front pouch with barebones internal organizer pockets. It also doesn't have any special comfort details, which we think are necessary for younger kids.

The Lands' End ClassMate backpack is one of this classic retailer’s most notable products—along with swimsuits and basic comfort clothing.

This backpack comes in sizes small to extra-large, and it is spacious no matter what size you buy, with various pouches. Its straps are soft and sturdy, and it also features a padded back and adjustable chest strap for even weight distribution. Its zippers zip smoothly—we tested this hundreds of times.

Two sturdy mesh pockets will hold your kid’s favorite water bottle, there are loads of patterns to choose from.

The ClassMate has an interior folder pocket that you could confuse—or use—as a laptop sleeve, so if your elementary school kid really needs to lug around their Chromebook, you may want to look for another more secure option.

If the JanSport isn’t to your liking, but you want an affordable, classic backpack, check this one out.

Read our full Lands’ End ClassMate backpack review

We are huge fans of North Face products overall. The brand’s no-strings-attached lifetime warranty and the overall construction of all of its products is consistently impressive. This bag, the North Face Youth Court Jester, is no different. It’s made with quality materials that are built to last and thoughtful design considerations that make this backpack well-sized and well-suited for kids.

Standout features include 360-degree reflectivity and a durable design meant to withstand the wear and tear that children put the backpack through.

While this bag doesn’t come in a lot of design choices that younger kids can get excited about, middle schoolers will appreciate the more sophisticated style.

You can’t beat a classic. The L.L. Bean Original is virtually unchanged since its 1982 debut, and this consistency is mainly due to the fact that the Maine-based brand has done a lot of things right. This bag is sturdy, simple, and comes with a generous one-year warranty.

As you may expect from L.L. Bean, this pack has plenty of quality finishes. The bag and pouches are made from a seemingly indestructible nylon, the zipper to the main pouch is covered with a storm flap for protection against raindrops, a 3M Scotchlite reflective strip is placed on the front for any kids that get to school on foot or by bike, and it has well-constructed zipper pouches to keep smaller items organized. It’s also machine washable, which is the holy grail of kids’ backpacks.

While this backpack has minimal padding, there are no ergonomic elements and it lacks features like contoured straps and a chest strap. Smaller kids may feel uncomfortable wearing this. It also lacks a laptop sleeve to keep older kids' devices well-protected.

For a first school bookbag, the Wildkin 15-inch backpack is a solid choice—it’s affordable and comfortable for kids. It doesn’t have all the organizational pockets that other picks have, but preschoolers and kindergarteners don’t require everything secondary school students need.

This Wildkins model has one water bottle pocket that fits smaller bottles that younger students often use. Available in patterns ranging from dinosaurs to unicorns, this bag will allow your student to make a back-to-school fashion statement, too.