Good Quality Backpack. Which brands are worth the money?

[mad hatter fan]

My Daughter needs a new backpack for 8th grade. I hope to find one that will last maybe through highschool. She needs one with a very large main compartment as she likes using a 4" thick zippered binder to organize all her class materials together.

She has used a lands end backpack for the last two or three years and we have been pleased except it can barely fit the large binder in it. Lands End backpacks look too childish now.

Any suggestions for a brand that will last and a model that has a very large main compartment?

 

[LAH LAH]

Lands End. If the backpack fails, they replace it...no questions asked!

 

[lovesdumbo]

LL Bean. Large main pocket, good quality & lifetime guarantee.

 

[anniemck]

Jansport... I would also make sure that the teachers will allow her to use one binder for all subjects. When mine were in high school each teacher required their own binder/composition book... no combining, and they collected them once a week to make sure all the work was completed and you never knew what day it was going to be collected.

 

[Firefly09]

Second the LL Bean. The deluxe bag should be big enough, they guarantee the quality. I still have one that is over 10 years old. The water resistant coating has worn off but that's about it. I used to overstuff my bag.

 

[Egdisney]

Jansport... I would also make sure that the teachers will allow her to use one binder for all subjects. When mine were in high school each teacher required their own binder/composition book... no combining, and they collected them once a week to make sure all the work was completed and you never knew what day it was going to be collected.

My vote is for Jansport also. I had one all through hs and college. They have a lifetime warranty. 6pm.com was having a sell with bags starting at $14 with free shipping.

 

[TLuvsD]

Jansport, D used her all through high school.

And I agree with the previous poster, high school teachers tend to want individual binders/composition books, etc.

 

[kinntj]

Both of my girls have Pottery Barn backpack and messenger bag. So far the backpack has lasted two years and it loos like new.

 

[mad hatter fan]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. As for the large binder, she used it this past year for 7th grade and intends to use it for 8th grade as well. Having most everything in one large binder with many different compartments etc. is one way she has coped with boarder line panic attacks about school things. So I want to get a backpack that has room for it.

Her largest pocket in this backpack is about 17.5" x 13" by 4 or 5" deep (hard to measure inside it) I think it is the 13" width that makes the binder barely fit.

 

[eeyore81]

I've had my deluxe LL Bean for 15 years. It holds a lot of books/binders and will last a long time. It has a lifetime guarantee but so far in 15 years I have not had to use it. I used mine in high school, college, graduate school. I now use it for vacations. It has a lot of miles on it and is still in good shape.

 

[netgirl614]

Jansport big student. Mine has lasted ten years...holds everything. It went through all of high school (in program, lots of big books and binders), college (engineering major), and still going for my masters. I actually own a few in different colors, just to change it up sometimes.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

My kids have the North Face ones and they have held up great.

 

[luv2mickey]

My kids love North Face!

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

Both my boys have LL Bean. Lots of room and no complaints at all about quality.

 

[NUHuskies#1]

L.L. Bean hands down- nice monogramming too. Just got my backpack catalog in the mail yesterday.

 

[CTcruiser]

My kids have the North Face ones and they have held up great.

I second this! The North Face backpacks also have great back/shoulder padding.

 

[lucyem]

We have an LLBean outlet near us so thats our go to for backpacks. Any problems at any time and they take the item back even at the outlet.

 

[DisneyBookworm]

L.L. Bean has fantastic backpacks! I have only had mine for a year so far, but it has absolutely no wear and tear. It held my huge binders and textbooks without a problem.

 

[pryncess527]

Ditto the others who said LL Bean

I graduated high school in 1997 and Dh and I both STILL have our LL Bean bookbags. Those things were made to last!!

 

[mad hatter fan]

OP here. Does anyone have an opinion on the High Sierra Access backpack? Also, does anyone have experience with the High Sierra lifetime warranty?