The best backpacks for kids, tested and reviewed

NBC Selected independently determines what we cover and recommend. When you click on or buy through our links, we earn a commission. Learn more.LifestyleThe best kids’ backpacks for back to school, according to a mom (and her 5-year-old)Durability, ease of use and design were all important factors in our testing.Aug. 15, 2026, 8:54 AM EDTBethany HeitmanCommerce EditorSkip to table of contentsAfter asking a number of parents for recommendations, an overwhelming number of them recommended a State backpack. Courtesy Bethany Heitman-SamudaIn this articleHow I tested the best backpacks for kidsWhy trust NBC Selected?My daughter starts kindergarten this fall, and if you’d told me a year ago that backpack shopping would send me down this much of a rabbit hole, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are. Between the endless folders, snacks, lunch box, water bottle, extra clothes and whatever “special item” she insists on bringing each day, I quickly realized not just any bag would do. I needed something that could actually hold everything, survive a full year of playground drop-offs and cafeteria spills, and — maybe most importantly — make her excited to walk through those doors on day one.So I did what any slightly obsessive mom does: I polled every parent I know for their tried-and-true recommendations, then my daughter and I turned our living room into a full-blown backpack testing lab. We checked zippers, tested straps, packed them full and let her be the final judge on which ones actually felt good to wear. After weeks of trial and error (and a few strong five-year-old opinions), we landed on a list of backpacks that made the cut. Here are the best ones we found — the ones that are as practical for parents as they are exciting for kids.RelatedselectedselectedMy kid is starting Pre-K so we tested a bunch of school supplies, these are the ones that are actually built to lastBest overallState Kane Backpack$135.00STATE BagsWhen I started asking other parents which backp...