Best backpacks for kids: choices by age, load and budget
Reviewers’ 2026 picks range from preschool packs to elementary and rolling bags, with fit and daily gear driving the choice.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
The best backpacks for kids depend on a child’s age, comfort and what they carry each day. Reviews published for the 2026 school year point to different strong options for preschoolers, elementary students and older children, rather than one bag that suits every student.
Parents should check a backpack’s fit with the child’s usual school load, including folders, lunch and a water bottle where relevant. Reviewers repeatedly assessed comfort, storage, organization and durability; some also considered laptop protection for older children.
What are the best backpacks for kids by age?
BabyGearLab named the Bentgo Kids Backpack its overall favorite after hands-on testing of 11 popular packs. The outlet said the Bentgo and the Simple Modern Toddler Backpack fit children comfortably, felt durable and included organizing pockets. It listed the Bentgo at $30 and the Simple Modern at $45.
For preschool, BabyGearLab selected the VASCHY Preschool Backpack as its budget choice, listing it at $26. Its review said the pack has a large pocket intended for a lunch box and a change of clothes. The same outlet called the Skip Hop Little Kid Backpack, listed at $24, a first-backpack option for toddlers.
For elementary-school children, Wirecutter said L.L.Bean’s 24-liter Original Book Pack and 17-liter Junior Original Book Pack rank among the highest-quality kids’ bags it has tested. WIRED separately named the L.L.Bean Deluxe Book Pack its overall choice, with a quoted $55 price.
BabyGearLab labeled the High Sierra Loop, listed at $45, as a quality option for older kids. It also named the J World New York Sunrise, listed at $75, its best rolling backpack.
The State Kane family is another elementary-school option, but its versions should not be treated as interchangeable. NBC Select named the standard Kane its overall pick after a writer and her kindergarten-age child assessed straps, zippers, packed capacity and comfort over several weeks. The reviewer said the 15-liter bag held folders, textbooks, a lunchbox and snack box; her child could close its zipper independently, while the adjustable straps could be fitted to her small frame.
State Bags says the standard Kane is for ages 4 to 8, while the Kane Double Pocket is for ages 7 and up and the Double Pocket Large for ages 9 and up. In a separate yearlong household review, Forbes reported that the Double Pocket version had two main compartments, two bottle pockets, padded straps and a laptop pocket. That experience was one reviewer’s, not a controlled durability study.
How should parents compare kids’ backpacks?
Start with the gear the child actually brings and whether the child can comfortably wear and operate the bag. A younger student may need room for a lunch box and spare clothes, while an elementary student may need folders and books; older children may also need device storage. Padded straps and back panels, bottle pockets and interior organizers can help, but their value depends on the child’s routine.
Prices are snapshots and configurations differ. For example, another tester listed a Bentgo large pack with an integrated lunch compartment at $40 and reported padded back and shoulder panels plus interior pockets, while a version without that compartment was listed at $30. State Bags pages captured standard Kane listings of $118 and $138 for different print and material configurations, both marked waitlist at the time. Review rankings reflect each outlet’s testing and do not establish a universal order.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.