8 Best Kids Backpacks of 2026

The JanSport SuperBreak Plus ranks first because it covers what most school-age kids need for less than every full-size pack on this list except the budget picks. JanSport describes it as the classic SuperBreak with an internal laptop sleeve and a side water bottle pocket added. The main compartment holds 26 L in a 16.5 x 12.5 x 5.5 in. body, the interior sleeve is padded for a 15 inch laptop, and the front pocket has a built-in organizer. The back panel is fully padded and the straight-cut shoulder straps are padded and adjustable. Prints and solids use 100% recycled 600 denier polyester, the pack weighs 14 oz, and JanSport backs it with a limited lifetime warranty. At $45.00 it costs less than the Herschel Heritage Youth. The limits: no chest strap is listed, and its size suits kids from about second grade up better than preschoolers. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the pack.

The Herschel Heritage Backpack Youth is the most kid-specific full-size pack on this list. Herschel sizes it for 8 to 12 year olds and gives it details aimed at school days: a wipeable liner on the front, bottom and side panels, an external name label, a mesh water bottle pocket that expands, and a removable sternum strap that keeps the padded shoulder straps from sliding off narrow shoulders. A floating sleeve fits a 13 in. or 14 in. laptop. The 26 L body measures 16.93 x 12.01 x 5.91 in., weighs 1.15 lbs and is made from 100% recycled 600D polyester, excluding trims. Herschel covers its bags with a Limited Lifetime Warranty against material and manufacturing defects and offers 30-day returns. At $55.00 it costs $10 more than the JanSport SuperBreak Plus and fits a smaller laptop, which is why it ranks second. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the pack.

The L.L.Bean Original Book Pack is the pack L.L.Bean says started its line in 1982, and it is built for kids who are hard on gear. The 24 L main compartment measures 16 x 13 x 7.25 in. and is meant for a lunch box, books, worksheets and art projects. L.L.Bean uses rugged, weatherproof nylon, extra-tough zippers, a padded back panel and padded, reinforced shoulder straps, and adds a water bottle pocket and front pockets with a key clip and organizer panel. Reflective trim on the front and straps helps on early walks to the bus, which no other pack here lists. It weighs 1 lb and folds down to stow in a larger bag. There is no laptop sleeve listed, so older students with a device should look at the JanSport or Herschel. L.L.Bean's site showed prices in zloty from our location, so the USD price is marked pending. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the pack.

Wildkin is the pick for parents who want a printed backpack sized to the child. Its size guide runs from a Pre-K X Small (12.5 x 10 x 4.5 in., ages 2 to 3, with an insulated front pocket for lunch and snacks) through a Small for ages 4 to 6 (15 x 11 x 7 in., two zippered compartments, fits up to a 14 in. device), a Medium for ages 6 to 8 and a Large for ages 8 and up. Wildkin lists durable polyester, a padded back panel, adjustable shoulder straps, side mesh bottle pockets, front zip pockets, gear loops and a name tag. Prices start at $29.99 with free shipping in the contiguous 48 states and 30-day returns. Not every print is offered in every size, care is spot clean only, and the product page does not state a warranty term, which keeps it behind the top three. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the pack.

The Bentgo Kids Prints Backpack comes from a lunch box brand, and it shows in its most distinctive feature: a built-in loop that keeps a lunch bag attached to the pack from drop-off to pick-up. Bentgo designs it for kids ages 4 and up. The main compartment measures 14.25 x 12 x 5.25 in. and fits a laptop or tablet, binders and notebooks, with a built-in padded sleeve for the device. Two front zippered compartments and two side mesh pockets handle small items. For carrying, Bentgo lists padded adjustable straps, a cushioned back panel, an easy-grab top handle and a chest strap. The fabric is water resistant and wipes clean, and the pack weighs 1.1 lbs. At $29.99 it ties Wildkin as the cheapest full-size pack here. It ranks just behind Wildkin because it comes in one size only. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the pack.

The State Bags Kane Backpack has the most interior organization of any pack on this list, which is why its quality score is the highest. STATE designs it for ages 4 to 8, kindergarten through 3rd grade, in a 15.35 x 11.6 x 5.11 in. body that weighs 1.32 lbs. Inside are zip pockets, slip pockets and pen holders, a designated pocket for up to a 14 in. laptop and a 13 in. iPad, and a main compartment for folders, textbooks and one 2 in. binder. Outside are a zippered front pocket, two water bottle pockets for bottles up to 2.8 in. in diameter, padded adjustable shoulder straps and a luggage slip sleeve. The main body and lining are 100% recycled polyester. The catch is price: $138.00 is about three times the JanSport SuperBreak Plus, and a chest strap costs extra, so its value score is the lowest here. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the pack.

The Fjällräven Kånken Mini is a 7 L version of the backpack Fjällräven says it created in 1978 to help prevent back problems among Swedish school children. Fjällräven pitches the Mini at small children and at adults who want a small bag, and lists uses such as carrying a change of clothes to preschool or food on an outing. The fabric is Vinylon F, which Fjällräven describes as hard-wearing, lightweight and able to withstand dirt and wetness. The main compartment has a large zipped opening, there are two flat side pockets and a zipped front pocket, and a PE foam seat cushion sits in an interior back pocket so contents do not poke the wearer's back. The logo is reflective and there is an address label inside. At $85.00 for 7 L it is the priciest bag per liter here, and it will not take school folders or a laptop. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the bag.

The JanSport Half Pint Mini Backpack is the cheapest bag on this list at $27.00 and one of the lightest at 7 oz. JanSport calls it a throw-on-and-go pack: a 10.2 L main compartment in an 11.2 x 9.8 x 4.1 in. body, a smaller front pocket with an extra slip pocket outside, a key clip and a webbing grab handle. Prints and solids use 100% recycled 600 denier polyester, and it carries the same limited lifetime warranty as JanSport's full-size packs. That size suits a preschooler's spare clothes and snack or a younger child's library book. The trade-offs explain its last place: the shoulder straps are unpadded webbing, there is no water bottle pocket listed, and it will not take school folders or a laptop. For a preschool bag with padding and a bottle pocket, the Wildkin X Small costs a few dollars more. We compared documented features and published prices and did not test the bag.