Back to school backpacks..

[mrsabbott]

So, after researching for ages, I finally broke down and bought LL Bean backpacks for my kids. I have 3 girls in school this year. My older two have needed a new backpack every year and at $20 a pop it can get expensive over time.. Some have barely made it the whole year.
I got each of my girls the deluxe original. I let them pick out the color and splurged on monogramming. $50 each.
I had a mini panic attack at spending so much BUT they are sturdy backpacks and have a lifetime warranty. If it tears up, I return it and they replace it. So it's an investment in the long run. I have friends who have had theirs for years..
It was a lot for us to spend right now.. About half my paycheck is after childcare expenses.. But, I hope that they will pay for themselves over time.

 

[motherof2boys]

Best thing I ever did was get my Boys LL Bean backpacks! I think the oldest was 2nd grade & I had bought a new character one each year too for $20 each. I got them both I think a lizard print with their initials. The zipper broke on the oldest (he slammed it in his locker) 3 years later. So I upgraded & got a bigger one for Middle School. I only had to pay the price difference. The youngest dragged his on the ground & it got a hole in it so we upgraded again to a solid color. About a year later one of the zipper pulls fell off. He decided he didn't like the color anymore so I figured it worth a try to get a new one. No questions asked they let upgrade this one too! So both Boys have have the big laptop size ones. Perfect for Middle & High School for all the binders they have to carry.
Long story short...it's a big initial payment but you'll never have to buy another crappy backpack. Just keep replacing for free or upgrade & pay the difference. You don't need to keep receipts either. I did but never needed them.

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

Got my son his first LL Bean backpack in 8th grade.
He'll graduate from college next May and still is using that backpack.
This will be the 9th year so it's cost us about 2 cents a day

What you have to watch out for is kids wanting something snazzier, more fashionable, etc.
My theory is I already spent the money for a great backpack that lasts.
Excluding the exceptions that motherof2boys listed, I'm not paying for another bag.

College is expensive enough

We live in such a "throw away" culture, and many things are not built to last.
I wish LL Bean made refrigerators and dishwashers and washers and dryers too

 

[RIDisneyFan]

I bought LL Bean backpacks for my two DDs three years ago, and they've been a wonderful bargain. Used to buy one every year for each of them. One is still fine and will be used again this coming school year. The other had a broken zipper and a small tear. Called LL Bean, they sent us an email, we printed out the shipping info to send it back (at no cost to us),DD picked out a new one, and we just received her new backpack last week.
Yes, they were a little more than what we were paying for one from K-Mart, etc, but those barely made it through one school year. These two have made it through 3 school years plus several Girl Scout camping trips and vacations. I would gladly buy from LL Bean again. Their customer service was wonderful when we had to have that one replaced, no hassle at all.

 

[Pooh2]

Our kids had the same LLBean backpacks all through middle school and high school (8 years). They only got new ones for college because they were tired of having the same one! The old ones were in great shape and passed on too a family at church. If the zipper breaks or material frays, beans replaces at no cost.

 

[theelfqueen]

My kids have Lands End and LL Bean bags and lunch boxes and they're SO Worth it!

 

[ThisIsTheYear]

Recently the thread came out of my back back that I had since 1992. They sent me a new one!

 

[zoemurr]

used his LE backpack for two years when the zipper broke. We contacted them and they sent us a check for the full price that we paid for the bag! I thought they would give us credit toward a new one (which I would have been fine with) but they gave us a refund instead.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

So, after researching for ages, I finally broke down and bought LL Bean backpacks for my kids. I have 3 girls in school this year. My older two have needed a new backpack every year and at $20 a pop it can get expensive over time.. Some have barely made it the whole year.
I got each of my girls the deluxe original. I let them pick out the color and splurged on monogramming. $50 each.
I had a mini panic attack at spending so much BUT they are sturdy backpacks and have a lifetime warranty. If it tears up, I return it and they replace it. So it's an investment in the long run. I have friends who have had theirs for years..
It was a lot for us to spend right now.. About half my paycheck is after childcare expenses.. But, I hope that they will pay for themselves over time.

It's worth spending the $ on a decent bag. I have teen boys that are sometimes hard on things and we're happy to get a bag around $50 since many are closer to $100. They usually get 2 years from a good bag. They would probably last longer buy after that they have ink stains & look like they've been dragged around by the Army.
Amazon has good deals.
Ds13 has been using his LLBean lunch bag for years. I love how their stuff holds up over time.

 

[Lisa in WV]

The L.L. Bean backpacks are worth the money. We got my older DD one when she started preschool. She used it for two years there and has used it for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. It's still in great shape, but we may need to get her a larger one this year.

 

[kreckl]

Just want to point out that LLBean does not have a "lifetime warranty". They want the customer satisfied, and if you feel like the item is bad quality or defective in any way they will replace it. Their policy isn't designed to have you upgrade your backpack size as your child grows or exchange it if you decide after using it ( and it's been fine) that you might like another color.

 

[roobug]

Just want to point out that LLBean does not have a "lifetime warranty". They want the customer satisfied, and if you feel like the item is bad quality or defective in any way they will replace it. Their policy isn't designed to have you upgrade your backpack size as your child grows or exchange it if you decide after using it ( and it's been fine) that you might like another color.

Why does their website say "lifetime warranty" on their backpacks then?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Why does their website say "lifetime warranty" on their backpacks then?

Here's what their website states:
Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L.Bean that is not completely satisfactory From kayaks to slippers, fly rods to sweaters, everything we sell at L.L.Bean is backed by the same rock-solid guarantee of satisfaction. It's been that way since our founder sold his very first pair of Bean Boots in 1912. Today we're proud to continue the tradition – by offering quality products and standing behind them.

GUARANTEED. YOU HAVE OUR WORD.®

 

[leebee]

As a seasonal customer service rep in the calling center here, it makes me smile to see that everyone is so satisfied with their LLBean purchases! Answering the phones at Bean's calling center is one of the happiest jobs I've ever had, because the customers (well, 99% of them) are so pleasant. I know it's a reflection of Bean's customer service, but after having worked holiday retail for years, it's such a pleasure to work for LLBean!

A previous poster mentioned that it's not Bean's intent for you to keep replacing your backpack, year after year, for free. While we hope that customers don't take advantage of the policy on a whim, we are more than happy to replace an item, or provide a discount on an upgrade, regardless of why you are dissatisfied (even if you don't like the color, don't like the way the monogram came out, etc.); even the lowest customer service rep is authorized to do this, without any kind of supervisor approval or override. EVERYTHING LLBean sells is Guaranteed to Last, as posted on the website: "Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L.Bean that is not completely satisfactory." While this is open to interpretation, it's been my experience that customers appreciate this policy (as well as free shipping all the time) and very, very few take advantage of the company or abuse the policy.

Hint: If you are near an LLBean outlet, take the time to go shopping! If you don't care about the wrong initials being on your backpack, you can get some truly killer deals on returned merchandise. In this area, it's rare to find a kid with an LLBean backpack that has his own name/initials on it; almost everyone takes advantage of the huge discounts available at the outlets!

 

[mrsabbott]

I'm glad for the assurance that I made the right choice to invest in LL Bean. Just to note.. I don't plan on replacing it every year, just because. I have friends who have had theirs for YEARS and YEARS and it looks like new! We have 4 kids, 3 of who are in school this fall. We have a VERY limited income and that won't change for probably another 5 to 6 years at least.. however long it will take Hubs to finish school and get a good paying job and for us to pay off our debt from the failed business.

I chose LL Bean after doing a lot of research because of their stellar warranty and the great reviews of their products. I don't plan on replacing these backpacks unless they fall apart. I wanted them in hopes that they would last for years. I bought one a little larger then my girls need so that they can "grow" into them.

This is my first LL Bean purchase because, in all honesty, their stuff is out of our price range and I bargain shop for everything. But if their quality of merchandise is as good as it's guaranteed to be, I will probably invest in more LL Bean stuff in the future. Things just aren't made to last anymore.. People buy things expecting them to fall apart and have to replace them. It would be nice to have something that was made to last for a change!

 

[luvmy3]

All 3 of my kids have LL Bean backpacks. My dd was the first, I think she got hers in 5th grade (she is going into 10th). Before buying them, I would buy the cheapo one every year, and sometimes have to buy 2 in one year. I was lucky enough to find fantastic deals on my kids LLB ones (less than $20) but I would gladly pay full price for them. The one time purchase amount may be shocking, but if you add up what you spend when you have to buy a new cheap backpack every year, you'd end up spending less for that one LLB one.
You wont be sorry!

 

[Leajess99]

My youngest is getting ready to use her backpack for the 4th year and it is still great. We throw it in the washing machine and it looks brand new. I offered to get her a new backpack and she does not want a new one. I have the deluxe one that I used for college then my middle one has used for middle and now high school. They are built to last.

 

[DCbride]

Huge fan of ll bean backpacks! DS got one for K-4, one for 5-8, when the zipper broke he exchanged it for a new one which lasted through high school. He bought a new one for med school - on his own

You will get your money's worth out of them don't worry.

 

[Narnia_girl]

Ditto what everyone else has said. LLBean backpacks (and just about everything else they sell) are worth the investment. We've had several.

Our daughter would still be carrying the cute pink one we got her to start kindergarten if she wasn't starting junior high this year. Seriously, it's still in perfect condition.

P.S. If you read the "No Buy July" thread, you'll see that not visiting the LLBean website is my big sacrifice for the this month. I can't wait for August!

 

[fronkfam]

After reading this thread, I am definitely considering LL Bean backpacks for my kids. I saw several options on the website. Any recommendations of which is best? Deluxe, super deluxe, junior, etc.