With school right around the corner, this is the ideal time to start shopping for back-to-school needs, such as backpacks. They’re indispensable. Everyone uses them to carry books, notepaper, pencils, pens and the important stuff needed to get through a day at school. They’re also with you day after day after day. You change clothes, shoes and jackets, but you seldom change backpacks.
While it might seem like just one of many necessary purchases, it’s one that should be made with care. And it’s a good idea to check with your child’s school to see if there are any rules about backpacks before spending money on one.
While there are no district wide guidelines on backpacks in the San Antonio area, individual schools frequently are given the option of specifying what types of backpacks their students may use.
Several schools allow only clear plastic or mesh backpacks. Among those are both campuses of Judson High School and Kirby Junior High School in the Judson School District, where the student councils sell the backpacks at cost or students can buy them on their own.
Judson High School started the policy two years ago.
“It was primarily so we could see the contents,” explained Jeff Duffield, director of public information for the district. “It was from a discipline standpoint. Some kids were taking things from people’s lockers in PE. And from the preventive aspect, it makes it more difficult if a kid ever wanted to bring any kind of weapon to school.”
Other schools requiring mesh or clear plastic backpacks are Breckenridge, Fox Tech, Sam Houston and Lanier high schools in the San Antonio School District.
Otherwise, here are some tips from Carol Schmitz, children’s luggage manager for Land’s End catalogs:
- Look for age-appropriate sizes and features.
A preschooler will deal better with Velcro tab closures than a latch that might pinch his fingers. As dexterity improves, kindergartners can use zippers, but give them help by looking for ones with big tabs attached to the zipper pull for an easy grip. Save the brass hardware closures for older kids.
Reflective tape is a good safety feature, especially for younger children. If your child thinks reflective tape is only for babies, look for packs where the tape is incorporated into the design and is less noticeable.
- Look for function and ease of use.
A shell without inner and outer pockets means there’s no way to organize the contents. Pockets need to have enough depth to hold pencils, computer disks, Pogs and other items. Flat pockets may look nice, but they don’t always work well.
- Look for durable fabric.
The last thing you need is a flimsy backpack. Look for lightweight but tough nylon, reinforced canvas, suede, rip-resistant polyester or leather.
- Look for reinforcement factors.
Outward appearances count, but what’s inside counts more. Look at seams to see if there is binding to prevent unraveling. Check to see if the backpack has a tested weight limit. Make sure the bottom has a tough base, reinforced by board, sewn-in leather or heavy nylon, because that is where the most weight will be.
- Look for quality zippers.
Zippers should be covered to protect contents from rain. Two-way zippers are nice for smaller children because they can be opened from either side.
- Look for key fobs.
Younger kids don’t need key fobs, but they’re good for older children to help them keep house keys in a safe, easily accessible place.
- Look for padded backs and curved back straps.
Comfort is important, especially if there’s a long walk to school or the bus. Curved straps and padded backs help. Try backpacks on and make sure the point where the straps meet is narrow, or they are likely to slip off.
- Mark backpacks with name tags.
In a jumble of packs, it’s easy to get confused about which one is your child’s. You can help her by having her initials monogrammed on the outside. Or if there’s a clear plastic window, slip an identifying mark inside. For safety reasons, it’s best not to spell out your child’s name where it’s easily seen. Be sure to put her complete name, address and telephone number somewhere inside the pack.
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