The Best School Backpacks of 2022

The Fjallraven Kanken is a simple, well-made, classic looking backpack that feels light even when you pack it to the max. The sleek design, great color options, and trendy look of this pack make it great for school, extracurricular activities, camping, or anytime you need extra storage.

Even when packed to the brim, the ergonomics on this pack make it feel light. It comes with a foam board which can be placed at the back of the large pocket and protects the user’s back. A strap on top makes the bag easy to grab.

The one large section of the Fjallraven Kanken stores more than it would appear to. There is a separate section for a laptop near the foam board which may keep a computer more protected. A smaller pocket in front is great for keys, pens, a phone, or anything else you want to access quickly.

The Fjallraven comes in over 30 eye catching color choices making it easy for anyone to find a bag that fits your style. It’s a casual, clean looking bag and we like that the circle logo on the front of the bag is reflective.

There were several major downsides to the Fjallraven, however. The shoulder straps aren’t padded, which made it somewhat uncomfortable when worn for a long period of time, and it wasn't roomy enough to hold our tester's lunchbox as well as all of her required schoolbooks and laptop. And while the Kanken does have two sturdy water bottle holders, they are narrow and didn't fit a large bottle.

This is a classic backpack that is good for school, camp, sports or a hike, and is ideal for anyone who wants a straightforward well-fitting backpack. However, if you're looking for a colorful backpack, you'll be disappointed with the Adidas—it only comes in varying shades of grey and black with a few lighter options like beige or linen green.

The back and the shoulder straps are well padded, thick, and adjustable, which makes it easy for any body type to be comfortable. The bottom can be stretched or contracted depending on what the wearer is carrying.

There are three larger storage pockets and two smaller ones. There is also a pouch for a phone or items you want to keep in a safe place. The two water bottle holders are great for carrying thinner bottles, however they didn’t hold our thicker bottle. The material is easy to wipe clean if lunches spill or pens mark up the inside. The laptop section is more padded than the rest of the bag. The straps are wide, cushioned, and well-fitted. It does come with a warranty.

The Under Armour Gameday is a standard looking backpack that can be used for school, as a casual office bag, or for the gym. While it's fine for all ages, its simple design and sturdy laptop section make it more suited for older kids or adults. Younger kids may want more of a variety of colors and designs, but the choices of black, white, blue, grey and other solid colors are classic.

The back of this bag is stiff and sturdy and so are the straps. Overall, it’s comfortable, but it can pull on your shoulders and feel heavy after a long day if it’s packed with too many items.

The laptop compartment is well padded, and it can be slim or stretch it to fill it a decent amount of supplies. It’s deep and the pockets are slim but can extend to be wider by pushing on the bottom of the main section. The laptop pocket is tight and soft making it very supportive of electronics. There is a small, soft compartment up top for glasses.

The Herschel backpack is light and simple, and is good for young children or older people carrying lighter items. The website says the Herschel Youth XL is for kids age 8 to 12 to take to school, camp, or for sports, and we totally agree. We packed it to capacity and probably wouldn’t be able to fit much more. Older kids and adults might find it to be too small. When this bag wasn’t headed to school, we grabbed it at the last minute to bring items on roads trips like books and art supplies because the two pockets make it easy to find things.

The Herschel has thick padded straps that easily adjust as well as a lap belt. It also has two pockets and a thin laptop divider. The small front pocket is great for storing a phone, sanitizer, keys, and a few pens. The main pocket holds a decent amount of stuff. We were able to pack it with everything we needed for the day, but we tested it to its limits. There is one water bottle holder, but it was too thin to hold our water bottle.

The stylish, simple look can fit in almost anywhere. It comes in 17 color choices including some really cute patterns like tie dye, camo, polka dots and motorbikes. We received a lot of positive comments on our ash rose colored bag with red and white striped wipeable lining.

The Lands' End Kids ClassMate Extra Large Backpack is a traditional school backpack with four pockets made of washable canvas. While it's a good choice for anyone, younger children will especially love the fun designs.

The material on the Lands' End Kids ClassMate is thin and flexible. The shoulder straps have more padding than the rest of the backpack, but overall the thin material made the bag uncomfortable for long-term wear. There are three main larger pockets and a smaller one in front that help your student stay organized. It has section for a laptop, but it doesn’t have extra padding. The water bottle holders are nice and big and easily held our large bottle.

Vera Bradley bags are known for their beautiful designs, and their backpacks are no exception. These bags are beautiful inside and out. Several of the floral options are pretty and unique so this pack stands out in a crowd. This is a versatile bag that can be used for school, camp, or traveling. It’s also one of the pricier bags we tested.

The Grand Backpack is great for anyone that wants a more feminine design; even the bags with a grey or black exterior have a floral lining. The website states that the bag is made from 24 recycled plastic water bottles and is water-repellant so it’s great for someone who wants an eco-friendly bag that will withstand the elements.

My student found that the Vera Bradley was comfortable when packed lightly, but when fully packed it fell forward when it was set down on the ground. Plus, the straps are less padded than some of the other bags we tested.

This bag has a lot of sections. The main compartment can be expanded or contracted by pushing the base of the bag in or out. There are two mesh compartments in the biggest section which is nice for storing smaller items. The back section fits a laptop and is well padded. There is a deep front pocket that contains a compartment designed for pens and smaller items. The deep pocket was an easy place to lose things we tossed in and forgot about. There are two water bottle holders, but they were tight and didn’t fit our fatter water bottle. This bag also has a sleeve on the back so it can be secured to luggage, which is a nice feature.