Primary school
Book bag or backpack for primary school?
If the school asks for a book bag, use one for reading books and letters home, and if your child also carries lunch, a bottle or PE kit, add a backpack about 10 litres in size that the book bag fits inside flat.
Updated
The classic UK book bag is a flat A4 folder bag with a handle, often in school colours. It is good at one job: keeping a reading book and letters together between home and the classroom tray.
It is not good at the walk to school, which is where the question of a backpack comes in.
plop in short
- 10L waterproof roll-top backpack for children aged 3 to 10.
- 32 cm high, 25 cm wide, 13 cm deep and about 450 g, so A4 books sit flat.
- Soft matte TPU fabric with welded seams, a reinforced base and a hidden magnetic roll-top closure.
- Padded adjustable shoulder straps and a chest strap a three-year-old can clip alone.
- £39 with free UK shipping, 30-day returns and a 2-year guarantee. Made by plopkids LTD.
What a book bag is for
Book bags fit in classroom trays and drawers, so schools like them. They carry a reading book, a reading record and letters home.
They are carried in one hand, are rarely waterproof and leave no room for lunch, a bottle or a coat.
When a child also needs a backpack
If your child brings a packed lunch, a water bottle, PE kit or a spare set of clothes, those need to go somewhere. A backpack keeps the weight on both shoulders and their hands free.
- Packed lunch most days.
- A walk or scoot to school.
- Forest school, swimming or after-school club kit.
- Wet weather, which ruins reading books in an unlined book bag.
Will a book bag fit inside a backpack?
A standard book bag is a little larger than A4. It fits inside a backpack with at least about 31 cm of internal height and 23 cm of width.
plop is 32 cm high and 25 cm wide, so a book bag can sit flat inside it with lunch beside it, staying dry on the way in.
Common questions
- Do children need a book bag in reception?
- Many UK schools ask for one for reading books. Check your school's uniform list; some accept a backpack instead.
- Is a book bag or a backpack better for a 4 year old?
- For carrying, a backpack: the weight sits on both shoulders. Many families use both, with the book bag inside the backpack.
- Can a school bag replace a book bag?
- Sometimes. If your school allows it, a backpack tall enough for A4 does the same job and keeps books dry.