The Best Backpacks for Every Age, from Elementary School to College

North Face is synonymous with high-quality outdoor gear and clothing—and their famous fleece jackets have been an enduring trend for women on campus for seemingly decades. The Women’s Borealis Backpack is designed specifically for a women’s body including a specialized FlexVent™ suspension system, articulated shoulder straps, a rounded back panel, and a high level of comfort designed to protect your back and shoulders. The removable waist strap may not be necessary for everyone, but it’s nice to have the option.

We love the 12 color combinations on offer for this backpack, which, while large, is designed with specific protective compartments for your tech (laptops and tablets) and another to stash your study guides, textbooks, and binders. In true North Face fashion, it also comes with durable, external pockets for your water bottles, plus an external bungie compression system with clips galore.

It's not flashy or fancy, but Thule's EnRoute backpack is a fantastic choice due to having heaps of storage space and protective padded pockets for your laptop and tablet. There are multiple interior pockets to stash your stuff, and it’s large enough for packing extras like a sweatshirt, plus your study guides for a day on campus.

This roomy backpack features a breathable (and comfortable) mesh back cushion and sternum strap to protect your back from pain. Because it’s so durable and lightweight (a little over a pound and a half), it can double as a travel bag when you head home during the holidays.

The lightweight Mackenzie backpack is a great choice for younger kids thanks to its durability and wide range of colors (rainbows to neutrals), patterns (tie-dye, camouflage, stripes, and flowers), and themes like Frozen, Disney Princess, Star Wars, and Minecraft. We love the range of sizes based on your child’s height— mini, small, large, X-large, and rolling—and it’s good to know these bags are built to keep small bodies safe and comfortable with wide, adjustable straps and a soft body. These durable, hard-working backpacks are easy to clean and light enough for smaller children. Pottery Barn Kids also offers an adaptive version of the Mackenzie, making this backpack line extremely inclusive and suitable for all kids. With two side sleeves for water bottles and three exterior and two interior pockets, this backpack has just enough compartments to keep your kiddo organized all year.

The lightweight Mackenzie backpack is a great choice for younger kids thanks to its durability and wide range of colors (rainbows to neutrals), patterns (tie-dye, camouflage, stripes, and flowers), and themes like Frozen, Disney Princess, Star Wars, and Minecraft. We love the range of sizes based on your child’s height— mini, small, large, X-large, and rolling—and it’s good to know these bags are built to keep small bodies safe and comfortable with wide, adjustable straps and a soft body.

These durable, hard-working backpacks are easy to clean and light enough for smaller children. Pottery Barn Kids also offers an adaptive version of the Mackenzie, making this backpack line extremely inclusive and suitable for all kids. With two side sleeves for water bottles and three exterior and two interior pockets, this backpack has just enough compartments to keep your kiddo organized all year.

If you go to a college in a state known for rain (or just want to be extra careful on campus), this highly water-resistant backpack will keep your belongings safe and dry. The Router is also comfortable to carry thanks to features like wide shoulder straps and rounded back cushioning.

Like most on our list, this backpack has multiple interior compartments and protective sleeves for your laptop and tablet. With a 40-liter capacity, it’s big enough to hold textbooks, binders, and other items, you can stuff a lot into this sack, and it’s sturdy enough to bring along on your off-campus adventures.

Filson makes durable, rugged bags, and its Dryden backpack is no different. It’s a good-looking, generously sized classic Filson with plenty of pockets and compartments, including a zippered, rear padded laptop pocket.

Water and weather resistant, the Dryden is roomy but never bulky, and it can perform double duty in the classroom or on your travels, since the bag meets the carry-on size requirements for most major airlines. Note: this backpack is expensive, but because of its durability and classic style, it should survive well beyond your college years.

This ultra-durable, weather-proof backpack will keep your kid’s gear safe, sound and dry whether they’re playing sports or attending school. A best-seller beloved by kids and adults, it’s nearly indestructible—L.L. Bean rigorously product tested this backpack to ensure that whatever beating your bag takes, it will continue to perform.

The backpack has two dual main compartments, a front zipped pocket, and an internal divider to keep your laptop separate from your books. We love the heavy-duty zippers and the reinforced bottom, since kids are notorious for cramming too many things into their bag and then dropping it on the ground.

L.L. Bean’s backpacks come with a waist belt, padded back panel, and lumbar support, plus padded, adjustable, and ergonomically curved straps to ensure growing bodies stay safe from backpack-related pain or injury. And these backpacks last forever, so while you may want to invest in a new bag for college, this classic can continue to be used.

This backpack has over 5,000 five-star reviews from students, travelers, and commuters alike. Why? Because the lightweight (1.7 pounds) bag is stuffed with features, containing multiple pockets and compartments, and can fit a 16-inch Macbook into the protective laptop sleeve, as well as a reading tablet.

The main compartment can fit necessities like binders and a textbook or two, plus it boasts a J-shaped side zipper designed to help you reach those pens and pencils that drift to the bottom of your bag. Hidden internal compartments keep your valuables safe and secure, and besides being water-resistant, if your backpack gets dirty from all that sitting on classroom floors, you can throw this slim, yet sturdy bag in the washing machine and it’ll be good as new.

Chances are, your parents also carried this brand on campus back in the day. JanSport has been a go-to for students since 1967, so these folks know how to design an attractive, comfortable backpack that will help you stay organized. This version is large enough for all your school supplies and then some.

Despite its size, it’s comfortable to carry thanks to its ergonomic, S-curve shoulder straps and padded back. The interior is simple and sturdy, with a protective laptop sleep, plus two main compartments for all your gear. The Cool Student is a classic choice if you’re looking for an affordable college backpack.

Osprey proves that college students can have a well-made, durable backpack that doesn’t sacrifice style. The Flare is not the largest in our list, but it will hold a 16-inch laptop in its padded compartment, plus it has a separate tablet sleeve and plenty of room for a couple of textbooks and notebooks in its sizable 27 liters of organized storage space.

The Flare has plenty of places in its roomy interior to stash all your things via mesh bags, zippered components, and small pockets. Most importantly, Osprey designs its high-quality bags to be long-lasting and comfortable. The Flare has a cooling, foam-cushion back panel and padded straps, and being both lightweight and mid-sized, it is easy to maneuver in a crowded classroom and carry across the quad.

The Kaya backpack is understated yet highly stylish. If you want an option that looks more polished and professional than collegiate, this may be the one for you—it would make a great backpack for work, in fact. Made from vegan leather, it does a good job of imitating the real deal. In addition, it comes in 21 stunning colors, like dragon fruit (hot pink), emerald green, and deep sea, along with a fine set of neutrals, from blush to beige.

With the cross-stitch details and attractive double zippers, it’s functional with a beautiful form. Kaya has a 15-inch padded laptop sleeve with enough room for additional papers or folders. Its main compartments are large enough to hold notebooks, tablets, and books, and the smaller interior can hold cords, phones, and wallets.

Note: If you need to cart around a ton of textbooks, we recommend looking elsewhere on our list because it doesn’t have a generous amount of space for textbooks and comes in at a whopping three pounds. But if you seek a sleek, fashionable, mid-sized bag to carry your laptop and a few essentials, Kaya will transition easily from school to a work environment.