Guides
School bag guides, without the affiliate links
Sizes, fit, waterproofing and cleaning for children's school bags and nursery backpacks. We make a bag, so every figure here is either ours or taken from another brand's own product page.
Choosing a school bag
- Size and fit guideSchool backpacks for kids: the right size and fit by ageMost children aged 3 to 10 are well served by a school backpack of about 10 litres that takes A4 flat, sits between the shoulders and the waist, and has adjustable shoulder straps plus a chest strap that moves up and down as they grow.
- School bagsKids school bags for girls and boys: what actually mattersThe best school bag for a girl or a boy is the same bag: about 10 litres so A4 sits flat, a reinforced base and wipe-clean waterproof surface, padded straps with a chest strap, and a colour the child chose themselves.
- Primary schoolBook 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.
Toddlers and nursery
- ComparisonBest toddler backpacks and rucksacks: what to compareA good toddler backpack holds about 2 to 10 litres depending on age, closes in a way the child can manage alone, and wipes clean, because a toddler's bag spends its life on the ground.
- Buying guideNursery backpacks and nursery bags: what to look forA nursery backpack needs about 10 litres, roughly 32 cm by 25 cm, to hold a full change of clothes with lunch, a bottle and a folder, and it should wipe clean and open without adult help.
Sizes and fit
Waterproof and roll top
- Buying guideWaterproof kids backpack – Plop roll top 10LA backpack is only genuinely waterproof if the material itself keeps water out, the seams are welded or taped rather than sewn, and the opening closes without leaving a gap.
- Buying guideWaterproof rucksacks for kids: roll top, welded seams, no rain coverA kids rucksack is only waterproof if the material itself blocks water, the seams are welded or taped rather than sewn, and the opening closes with no gap, which in practice means a roll top rather than a zip.
- Roll topRoll top backpacks for kids: how they work and why they stay dryA roll top backpack closes by folding the opening down on itself two or three times and fastening it, which leaves no zip teeth or gap for rain to get through, so it is the most reliably waterproof closure a child's bag can have.
Outdoors and care
- OutdoorsKids hiking backpacks: what a small child can actually carryA child's hiking backpack should be about 10 litres, weigh under about half a kilo empty, have a chest strap and padded straps, and be waterproof, so it carries a drink, a snack and a spare layer without slowing them down.
- OutdoorsKids beach bags: keeping sand out and wet kit inA good beach bag for a child is a small waterproof backpack around 10 litres with a roll top, so wet swimwear stays sealed in, sand brushes off the smooth surface, and they can carry it on their own.
- How toHow to clean a school bag: mud, paint, spills and smellsEmpty the bag, brush off dry mud, then wipe it with warm water and a little washing-up liquid and air dry it away from heat; keep any waterproof bag out of the washing machine.