The Best School Backpacks of 2021

Bottom line: A unique backpack that can carry smaller electronics, bulky items, and can take a beating in the elements, the Arc’teryx Arro 22 is a solid pick.

Who it’s for: Casual use for those carrying around mostly bulky, irregular items and a few books

Comfort: The stiff padding on the back and shoulders of the Arro 22 make it really comfortable to wear to school or on day hikes. Unfortunately, the fact that the back is curved at the bottom did not provide enough airflow; it’s easy to work up a sweat and have a sticky back. The padded shoulder straps, like the Incase ICON, can be adjusted both at the top, bottom, and across the middle for a very secure fit.

The versatility of the straps means that it fits well on a variety of body sizes. However, it is quite tall, and may seem too big for those with shorter torsos.

Storage: There are only two major storage compartments on the Arro 22. The main compartment is mostly for flat things, containing a very tight zippered pocket that is backed by a rigid plastic material. While you can’t fit a laptop in that space, papers or folders that you don’t want to bend would be perfect in this spot. Laptops and books can fit in the main part of that container.

The second container is an unusual one; it zips vertically and is made of a durable plastic material. This is a great place to store bulkier items, like a pair of sneakers or a change of clothes.

One side pouch is perfect for a water bottle, and the other side pouch has Velcro on top, making it a good spot to secure smaller, more delicate items you don’t want to throw in the bigger compartments, like USB drives or keys. However, if you have a smaller item that you don't want to store on a pouch on the bag's exterior, the only other option is for it to get lost among larger things in the bigger compartments.

Looks: The Arro 22 is not a style piece; however, the colored accent on the vertical zipper on the front compartment is eye-catching.

What owners think: Owners of the Arro 22 love the easy accessibility of the two big compartments. The straps keep most of the backpack’s weight high up on a person’s back, and make it nice and comfortable to wear around. Users are also a fan of the company’s solid warranty and return policy. Some reviewers lamented the lack of laptop sleeve and smaller compartments, but this backpack is more of a casual use backpack, and not meant for carrying many electronics.

Bottom line: If you want to safely carry your devices and look stylish while doing it, the Timbuk2 Command backpack is the one for you.

Who it’s for: Those carrying around primarily electronics and books

Comfort: The squishy, vented padding on the back of the Command makes it comfortable to carry over short or long distances. The venting helped to minimize sweat that could build up during a longer walk. The clip across the middle also helps to even out the weight distribution.

With its tall profile and wide straps, it seemed enormous to the testers with smaller frames but fit perfectly on those with longer torsos.

Storage: The padded laptop compartment on the back gives laptops a first-class ticket to comfort in the Command backpack. Books and other devices are easily stored in the other compartments. These spacious compartments can also accommodate less bulky items, like as a professional camera. Discreet straps at the bottom of the bag allow the user to adjust the expansion depth of the compartments. There’s also plenty of compartments that are perfect for loose change and chapstick. A mesh pouch on the side can hold any standard water bottle.

The large size of the main compartments has a downside, however. With zippers going almost the entire length of the bag, testers felt that it would be easy for items to fall out of the bag, for tall items in the open bag to tip over, or for pickpockets to have easy access to the goodies inside.

Looks: The subtle coloring and clean lines of the Command all but scream “grown-up professional”.

What owners think: The biggest bragging point with the Command is the amount of storage; its deceptively thin profile belies massive amounts of space. Additionally, the compact profile of the Command makes it easy to store when not in use. The main complaints owners have of the Command is that the straps are awkward and can make it uncomfortable to wear. Also, the cushy laptop pouch can be difficult to access because it zippers under the straps.

Bottom line: The North Face Jester is a good backpack for those on the go who want to store everything in one place. Sizing is dicey, though, so try one on in a store before you buy it.

Who it's for: Those carrying more than just books and electronics around

Comfort: The back of the Jester backpack has great mesh-covered padding and nice airflow, which cuts down on gross back sweat. A clip across the middle of the straps evened out the weight distribution.

While the straps are nicely adjustable, some testers found the straps to be too close together, which caused the straps to rub on the back of the neck. Other testers found the straps irritating on bare skin.

Storage: The main storage compartment has a padded laptop sleeve, and also plenty of room to store bigger, non-flat items, like a sweatshirt. A smaller pouch in the front is ideal for medium-sized items like chargers, an umbrella, or school supplies. In this same area, small items like batteries, Tic-Tacs, and paper clips can be stored in the organized pouches.

Two pouches on the side hold standard water bottles, and the strap across the front makes it easy to strap a sleeping bag to the front of the backpack.

Looks: The Jester comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns, and looks like a typical school backpack.

What owners think: Owners praise the durability, large storage capacity, and long lifetime of the Jester backpack. Others reported that the bag was smaller than it looked in the picture, and that the stiff plate that forms the backbone of the backpack actually wore through either the back or the inside of the backpack.

Bottom line: For a compact backpack that still gets your devices to your destination in one piece, check out the Incase ICON Lite.

Who it's for: Those carrying around primarily electronics and books

Comfort: The well-cushioned back of the Incase ICON Lite make it easy to carry from place to place. The venting also reduces sweat, so you can still wear this backpack and look presentable at a meeting later on.

Like its big brother, the Incase ICON], it is heavy and stiff, which means it is great at protecting your devices, but not very comfortable to wear over longer time spans.

Storage: As implied by its name, the ICON Lite has less storage space than the ICON. Despite the loss of space, however, the laptop sleeve is still padded and covered in a very soft fabric, and there are still many places where smaller items like pens and batteries can be safely separated from larger items.

This backpack was not designed with bigger items in mind, though. The handy side pouches, which were great on the ICON, do not exist on the ICON Lite. The stiff framework of the backpack means that it cannot expand very much, so leave the gym shoes and clothes at home when using the ICON Lite.

Looks: It comes in a few different colors, but like the ICON, its sober styling is meant to convey the professional nature of the person wearing it.

What owners think: Owners who do not carry much are very happy with the ICON Lite. They also like the professional styling of the backpack. Other owners bemoaned the lack of more interior storage pockets.

Bottom line: The storage compartments in the Hershel Little America backpack are large but limited. If you want to look really cool, however, this is the backpack for you.

Who it's for: Casual use for those carrying around mostly bulky, irregular items and a few books

Comfort: The Little America has mesh-covered pads on its back that make it comfortable to carry around town, without getting too sweaty in the process.

The adjustable straps are wide, which can be a blessing or a curse, depending on your body type and shoulder width.

Storage: The Little America's roomy main compartment has a nicely padded laptop sleeve. The rest of the main compartment is pretty big and closes with a drawstring. You could definitely pile many things in this main compartment; a trip to a water park, with a towel, extra clothes, and sneakers, would be easy.

Other than the main pouch, there's only one other container, and that's where all the smaller stuff, like writing utensils and forensic evidence lives. Unfortunately, items that are too large to fit in the smaller pouch will doubtlessly get lost in the vast cavern of the main compartment.

The straps actually shut with magnetic snaps, which can make it confusing and non-intuitive to open the bag. Also, there is no place to store a water bottle on the exterior of the bag.

Looks: This bag is easily the coolest-looking bag of the bunch. It says "Follow me to an upscale coffee shop where we can talk about literature and drink things out of Mason jars."

What owners think: Those who bought this bag loved how it looked, but disliked the lack of additional pockets and pouches; to find a smaller item in the main compartment, they had to dig around a lot. There are also reports of frayed stitching along the straps. For lighter use, owners were very happy with its performance.

Bottom line: The Amazon Basics laptop back has a ton of neat storage compartments and a low price tag, but it wasn't the most comfortable backpack. It's a great option for college students on a tight budget.

Who it's for: Those carrying more than just books and electronics around

Comfort: The Amazon Basics laptop backpack has well-padded cushions on both the back and the straps. However, that doesn't stop the sweat from building up.

The straps may be too far apart and too long for those of slighter builds. One tester wanted to be able to tighten the straps further for an optimal fit, but was unable to do so. For those of larger builds, the backpack was comfortable to wear for short and long walks.

Storage: There are tons of storage options in this backpack. The large, padded laptop sleeve is one of the best parts of the bag. There are two large compartments, one medium-sized compartment, and one smaller compartment. This is one backpack you could easily take on a long weekend; clothes and electronics alike will fit beautifully.

One of our testers found the plethora of storage options to be more problematic than helpful—with so many pockets and pouches, it's easy to forget exactly where you placed a certain object.

There are two water bottle pouches on the side of the bag that should comfortably fit smaller water bottles.

Looks: It is a basic black backpack with a few accents. It's never going to appear on a fashion runway.

What owners think: Customers really like the variable storage options, and didn't like the fact that the stitches and fabric started to break and fail within the first few months of purchase.

Bottom line: The Lupan Business laptop backpack is a great pick for people who want to protect their devices on a budget.

Who it's for: Those carrying around primarily electronics and books

Comfort: The mesh-covered back and pads make this bag relatively comfortable to carry on your back. However, the sweat builds up quickly and the poor venting ensures that the sweat lingers.

Our testers found that the straps were flimsy and not especially comfortable.

Storage: The laptop sleeve in the main compartment is not padded, and that may be problematic when storing other bulky things in the main compartment. A medium-sized compartment is perfect for holding chargers and a pair of flip flops, while the small compartment in the front of the bag would be a good fit for pencils and spare change. Despite the multiple storage compartments, it's clear that this backpack is built to carry around your devices and not much else.

There are, however, two pouches on the sides of the bag that are ideal for standard water bottles. It also comes with a luggage lock, a USB cable, and a port to the outside of the backpack that allows for access to charging outlets or water bottles without opening the bag.

Looks: This Basics laptop backpack comes in a few colors, and seems to live at the stylistic intersection between "college kid" and "early career professional."

What owners think: The online reviews for the Basics laptop backpack are all very positive. Everyone especially loves the USB charging port and the different storage compartments. The only negative review on Amazon simply says, "Gross," which we assume applies to the scratchy material of the bag.

Bottom line: The Jansport SuperBreak is a classic for a reason. It's a basic no-frills backpack that gets the job done.

Who it's for: Casual use for those carrying around mostly bulky, irregular items and a few books

Comfort: This is the lightest backpack we tested, weighing just half a pound. The back is not padded or vented, but it didn't cause sweat to build up noticeably.

The padded straps are adjustable but might be too close together for someone with broader shoulders.

Storage: There are two compartments in the SuperBreak—the main compartment, which has no laptop sleeve, but could conceivably hold a laptop and some schoolbooks, and a smaller pouch, which is where you'd put a phone or a wallet, along with pens and pencils. The lack of storage options means it would be tough to find a small object thrown into the large main compartment.

There are no exterior pouches for water bottles.

Looks: The SuperBreak comes in a wide range of colors and styles. It definitely looks like a bag belonging to an elementary- or middle-schooler.

What owners think: Owners loved the durability of the backpack material, but generally hated the zippers that often got caught on said backpack material. Others reported that knock-off JanSport products sold under the JanSport brand were of cheaper quality and broke easily. Be sure to buy direct from JanSport to avoid counterfeits. For genuine JanSport products, there is a lifetime warranty.