Rolling backpacks are fairly new to the back-to-school supply scene having only been around for five or six years, but are a terrific alternative to the standard school backpack. This style of backpack is much like a set of rolling luggage with a retractable handle, and carries the weight of homework over a set of wheels instead of your child’s back.
We purchased our first rolling backpack at the beginning of fourth grade. My daughter’s teacher was concerned about the weight of the new textbooks and felt a rolling backpack would be a safer way of transporting the students homework. All the parents in the class bought those rolling backpacks immediately, and quickly discovered that there’s quite a range in both quality, price, and style in those packs.
Rolling backpacks range in price from $15 to $60. The inexpensive store or house brands are on the low end of the price scale, with brand names such as Jansport and Levi on the upper end of the range.
In my daughter’s class, all types of rolling backpacks were purchased and parents and kids quickly figured out which brands and styles were the best.
Under $20 price point: These rolling backpacks tend to be covered with flashy graphics, have only 1 or 2 pockets and are extremely lightweight. Most seem to be made of either plastic or a light weight vinyl, and are budget priced “house brands”. Within a couple of weeks, parents who bought these cheaper versions discovered that wheels were sticking and the handle no longer retracted. One child even managed to break a strap on the second day of school.
$25 – $35 price point: The bulk of the class purchased these backpacks, which tended to be the “upper end” of the house brands. While they were sturdier than the cheaper versions, most of these rolling backpacks ended up falling apart by Christmas break and had to be replaced. Common complaints were that the handles no longer retracted, that zippers no longer worked, and that one or both of the shoulder straps had also broken. Another thing we noticed is that because are kids weren’t very tall, the base of these backpack grazed the ground and shredded the fabric to pieces.
$40 plus price point: With the name brand backpacks, there were some style variations that gave kids a few options. Some of the rolling backpacks were more like a traditional backpack with shoulder straps, while others resembled a duffle bag with handles. These premium backpacks made by either Jansport, Wilson, or Levi lasted for the entire school year.
When choosing a rolling backpack, there are a few things that a parent should pay attention to:
… Is the handle long enough to allow the child to pull the bag without having to stoop?
… Do the zippers glide easily?
… Do the wheels roll easily ?
… Is the backpack strong enough to carry a heavy load of books?
… Does the frame of the backpack clear the ground when your child pulls it along?
… Are the shoulder straps reinforced?
If the answer to all of these questions is “yes,” then you’ve found a backpack that will last for the entire school year.
Rolling luggage: For kids that carry a great deal of weight in their backpacks, even the Jansport models won’t handle the daily abuse of 35 pounds of books, gym clothes, and other junk. When my daughter entered 6th grade, she asked for Dickies brand rolling luggage case instead. These single compartment bags are slightly larger than a standard backpack and are designed to transport gobs of stuff. Because the Dickies luggage was designed to be luggage and not a backpack, the wheels are sturdier and the retractable handle work so much better. My daughter got a few odd looks her first day of school, but after Christmas break we noticed that several other families were also sending their kids to school with rolling luggage. My daughter got two years use out of her rolling luggage, and these days it’s seeing a second life as camp luggage. Dickies overnight bags cost between $110-120 but seem to go on sale quite frequently at price points between 25% to 50% off.
Worth noting is that the downside of a rolling backpack is the size. Most are large and bulky, and might not fit in the cubby or locker provided for your child at school. Before buying a rolling backpack, it’s always best to check with your child’s teacher first to make sure that there is adequate space for storing it at school.
