The Best Kids’ Backpacks for the 2026 School Year

Adrienne SoGearAug 2, 2026 6:01 AMThe Best Kids’ Backpacks, Tested by Actual KidsYour kid’s little lunch hauler takes a brutal beating every day. These are the options our own kids have tried and loved.CommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyFeatured in this articleBest OverallL. L. Bean Deluxe Book PackRead more$55 L. L. BeanBest UpgradeState Bags Kane Double Pocket BackpackRead more$98 State Bags (Mini)Best Heavy-DutyGoRuck KR1Read more$65 GoRuckA Cool First BackpackStorq Cool Kid BackpackRead more$55 $47 (15% off) NordstromAs an adult gear tester, I have one major problem with looking for the best kids’ backpacks: Ultimately, the decision is not up to me. My 8-year-old and 10-year-old are the ones who have to carry their backpacks to school, camp, and beyond. The bag has to protect iPads and Chromebooks; fit lunch boxes and water bottles; and endure getting kicked around cars, bikes, and school gyms. Most importantly, it has to be comfortable. Less important but still crucial, it has to be a good fashion accessory. And you have to be able to find it quickly when you hang it on a hook next to 50 virtually identical backpacks.To find the best kids’ backpacks, children of WIRED’s Reviews team tested the following for weeks, if not years, by stuffing them into lockers and under plane seats. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our parenting coverage, which includes the Best Laptops for College Students, the Best Paper Planners, and the Best Subscription Boxes for Kids.Updated August 2026: I’ve added new backpacks from The North Face, Simple Modern, Kindred Bravely, and Go Ruck, and ensured up-to-date links and prices.Love WIRED? Add us as a preferred source on Google to see more of us.Best OverallCourtesy of L.L. BeanSave to wishlistSave to wishlistL. L. BeanDeluxe Book Pack$55 L. L. BeanMy parents bought me a new JanSport backpack every fall, but I’ve taken a different approach with my daughter. She got three years out of her pint-sized Deuter and is now entering her second year with this L.L.Bean pack, in her favorite shade of teal, which is embroidered with her name.This is a large pack, able to hold more heavy stuff than a fourth grader has any business carrying. It’s got a mesh side pocket for a water bottle and a couple of flat zippered pockets to hold things you want to separate from the main compartment. What we both like about it (other than the embroidered name) is that it’s incredibly sturdy without looking overbuilt. After a trip through the washer to clean out the past year’s spilled yogurt and stains from capless markers, it’s basically back to its original condition. —Martin CizmarSpecsAge range10 and upCapacity37 LMaterial420-denier (420D) nylonWater resistant?YesBest UpgradePhotograph: Adrienne SoSave to wishlistSave to wishlistState BagsKane Double Pocket Backpack$98 State Bags (Mini)$115 State Bags (Double Pocket)When my son found out that my daughter was going to get her own tester State backpack to match her State carry-on suitcase, he immediately demanded his own. State is known for its fantastical matching patterns that extend from luggage and backpacks to lunch bags ($48). Its products are pricey, but the kid bags are not worse in quality or fewer in features than the adult bags, which I appreciate. It makes sense, considering kids are often harder on their bags than adults are on theirs.The Kane kids backpacks come in several sizes. Now that my kids are 8 and 10 years old, they each have the largest double-pocket backpack, which has two separate compartments so that they can separate their dirty clothes or muddy shoes from delicate electronics. Its 23.6-liter capacity can fit up to a 15-inch laptop and is more than capacious enough for a Chromebook, sweatshirt, Omie lunch box, and mini Nalgene water bottle. In fact, these items don’t even use all of the space; my kids probably could’ve stuck with the medium-sized backpack for a little while longer.On a weekend trip,