Pottery Barn vs LL Bean Rolling Backpacks....ANYone have either of them??

[cheerbop]

I want to get my DS one of these rolling backpacks but am at a loss for their quality, durability, size, etc.
If anyone can give me feedback and or info I would so greatly appreciate it!

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

We've been through the LLBean and Land's End backpacks. In the end, they weren't much more durable than the ones we purchased in the local store. I won't buy them again.

Jansport has a guarantee on its bags and replaces them free of charge.

This last time, we purchased from Old Navy. The bags are stylish and cheap, and DD can go through 2 of them a year for less than the cost of her Bean Bags.

 

[cheerbop]

Thanks for the advice about the Bean and Lands End ones....
My son really wants another backpack, so I am looking...he wants one with wheels.

Anyone else?

 

[clh2]

My DD had a Lands End Back pack with wheels, and several without. She loved them! Lands End will replace/refund anything you are not happy with at any time!

My DD's back packs were used for 2+ years each. She would get bored of the color before it would wear out.

A question though...how old is your DS? Apparently at DD's middle school, a wheeled back pack is "not cool." While I would prefer that DD use a wheeled pack now, she will not use one. On the other hand, she takes the bus to school, and home too, so she only has to carry it from the school door to locker and back out again.

Wheeled back packs are a PAIN if it is snowing outside, an occasional problem in WI.

 

[mom2boys]

Both of my boys have LL Bean backpacks. My oldest has had his for 4.5 years. Youngest has had his for over 2 yrs. Never a problem with either - when they get dirty we run them through the washer.
Neither have wheels - weren't allowed at the school they attended when purchased. In fact, they aren't allowed in DS's middle school now.
BTW-I don't recommend the wheels. One of the boys in our carpool has one with wheels. He's only 8 but that backpack is hazardous. He inadvertently rolls it under people's feet. I nearly landed on the sidewalk when he pushed past me the other day. He ran through the door just ahead of me to catch older kids. I saw him but the backpack was not in my line of vision. If it weren't for the doorframe I would have been flat on my back on the sidewalk. Other parents were gasping because they thought I was a goner.

 

[Pugdog007]

I have a Jansport purchased from Target and it's very durable. It's been on many, many flights and all over the country... still good as new.

 

[cakesnkids]

LL bean will replace if it gets worn out also, I have a freind whose child has been using the same one since elementary, and he's now in 7th grade. The wheels, well, the teachers at the school my children attend HATE the ones with the wheels, they slow the children down, and they cause accidents in the hallways b/c they roll over people, just my experiance. BUT....they are better on the back one would assume, although bending over to pull it may hurt the back just as much, just in a different spot.
Good luck! Quality wise we like LL Bean, we have two.

 

[txgirl]

2 for LL Bean!!! They have the best *Satisfaction Guaranteed* policy I've ever heard of. No matter when and no matter what they will replace whatever (not just backpacks) if you are ever unsatisfied for any reason (not just quality). My girls have the backpacks (one rolling, one not) and we have several family friends who have used them for countless years. I will never buy a backpack from anyone else. I compared those to Lands End but LL Bean just had more options and what we were looking for.

Pottery Barn's guarantee policy just doesn't compare and the bag isn't as durable. (I did an obscene amount of comparison shopping this summer )

Good Luck!

 

[cheerbop]

sounds like alot of people have the LL Bean ones...but no Pottery Barn? hmmm...........
of course that is the one DS likes the "look" of the best

I would love to know if anyone has the PB ones....

THanks so much for all the input and advice/stories! I guess we might need to rethink wheels or at least give him limitations of where he can use the wheels...

 

[txgirl]

sounds like alot of people have the LL Bean ones...but no Pottery Barn? hmmm...........
of course that is the one DS likes the "look" of the best

I would love to know if anyone has the PB ones....

THanks so much for all the input and advice/stories! I guess we might need to rethink wheels or at least give him limitations of where he can use the wheels...

Ya know, we never hear much complaining from the school about the wheels. My third grader has one with wheels and loves it and really truly needed it because of the weight of her bag. My 5th grader does not have wheels because we want her bag to carry over to middle school and they will not allow wheels because of the locker size.

Do you have access to a pottery barn store near you? I absolutely loved the look of those bags, but once I saw them up close they really weren't large enough (or sturdy). IF you are only going to use it for one year then *investment* really isn't an issue but for me, the LL Bean bags were really pricey so I needed to know that they would last a few years.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

Another vote for LLBean. DD had one from 2nd grade until this year in 7th. Still in great condition, though a bit dirty and not the style a 7th grader wants, so we got her a new one. I'm confident this one will last through high school. My older DD had one from 8th grade until she graduated from HS and still uses it for hauling around art supplies in college.

As for the wheels, they definitely aren't cool, for the older kids. My 5th grader has one since she walks home from school, but the 7th grader - no way would she be seen with wheels!!

 

[Mercy]

Another vote for LL Bean, my oldest son use one all through high school, he went to a private school and had to carry A LOT of books. My youngest son (now going to the same high school) is using the same one his brother used, and it's still going strong!

When my youngest in elementary school, he had a lot of books and I asked him about getting a backpack with wheels, he thought that was well... not cool.

I didn't even know PB sold backpacks.

 

[cheerbop]

Ya know, we never hear much complaining from the school about the wheels. My third grader has one with wheels and loves it and really truly needed it because of the weight of her bag. My 5th grader does not have wheels because we want her bag to carry over to middle school and they will not allow wheels because of the locker size.

Do you have access to a pottery barn store near you? I absolutely loved the look of those bags, but once I saw them up close they really weren't large enough (or sturdy). IF you are only going to use it for one year then *investment* really isn't an issue but for me, the LL Bean bags were really pricey so I needed to know that they would last a few years.

I was thinking that the bag may not be large enough, so that definitely tells me I was right in thinking that.

Looks like I need to try and convince DS he needs the LL Bean one....

 

[txgirl]

Try letting him surf their website. The options are endless; colors, sizes, and they will monogram and ship it for free if you get the LL Bean Visa, which we did! The free shipping and free monogramming is just too good, even if you never use the card again. Dh uses it and pays it off monthly and accrues $$$ that you can spend at LL Bean.

My girls have the Deluxe (one with wheels, one without) and they are really huge! They can fit all their homework in their as well as their lunchboxes and a jacket if they cram really good!

We have the lunchboxes that match and they are carrying those next year too!

The choices were near paralyzing for me back in August, but I am easily overwhelmed. I'm telling you I think my girls were ready to go do school without a backpack at all if I asked them one more time, "are you sure you want the blue hawaiian print?"