Best Backpacks for High School 2020 Reviews

Before school starts, one of the most important things that you have to buy is a backpack. Now, as a parent, I understand how important this pack is. My son takes after me as he is extremely particular with the backpacks that he buys. He wants to make sure that he gets quality and durability to protect all the stuff that he’s carrying. As you go into high school, you’ll probably be bringing more and more stuff like heavier books, a laptop, and other necessities. With that, you’ll need a good backpack to keep all of them safe and secure.

That said, I recommend that you buy only the best backpacks for high school students. If you’re a high school student, then this list is for you. I’ve got 10 of the best backpacks for students according to my own experience. I also added some facts about backpacks and a short buying guide.

10 Best Rated Backpack for School Reviews

Here are the best backpack for school detailing their features:

1. Under Armour Hustle 3.0 Backpack

It’s a great heavy-duty bag that is built for rough use, ensuring that your belonging will all be protected well. Aside from being scratch-proof, it’s also water-resistant, so you can bring it around even when it rains. No longer will you need to worry about damaging your books or laptop in the rainy weather because your bag can protect them pretty well.

Features:

• 8 pockets: 3 interior pockets and 5 exterior pockets
• Heatgear shoulder straps that are adjustable
• Water-resistant material
• Scratch-proof material
• Laptop sleeve for holding up to 15-inch laptops
• Very stylish look
• Comes in 7 different designs and colors
• Comes with a shoe compartment for rainy or snowy weather

Pros:

• Very sturdy and strong bag with a long shelf life
• Has many compartments to fit a lot of different things
• Resistant to both abrasions and water
• Pretty easy to clean

Cons:

• Not thick at the bottom so it may rip from excess weight
• No soft back support pads

2. High Sierra Swerve Backpack

There are also small pockets to help secure your smaller-sized belongings. The small pockets are even made specifically for certain items. For instance, there are small pen pockets, small media pockets, and a key hook. This allows you to be more organized with your stuff.

What you’ll absolutely love about this backpack is that it is a laptop compartment that is padded with a CushionZone material, completely securing your laptop in your bag so that it won’t get damaged. It can usually fit up to 17-inch screen devices.

Features:

• Various small pockets for smaller items
• Vapel mesh material that regulates the airflow between the bag and the back
• Special suspension system to add support to heavier loads
• CushionZone padding for laptops
• Durable polyethylene material
• Large compartments for keeping bigger things like books and containers

Pros:

• Allows you to carry a lot of stuff due to the various pockets and compartments
• Has a special type of compartment to protect your laptop
• Has a long shelf life
• Has a total capacity of 35.6L

Cons:

• Zippers tend to get stuck quite easily
• Zippers break after some time of use

3. Fjallraven Kanken Classic Backpack

It may not be as heavy-duty as the other big and bulky backpacks, but it does serve its purpose well. First of all, let’s talk about the overall material of the bag. It is made of a special type of material known as Vinylon F which happens to be water-resistant AND dirt resistant. This means that it is a weatherproof bag that will still continue to protect your things even if it rains or snows. Also, it is dirt-resistant, so you can clean it easily. All you have to do is use a wet cloth to wipe it, and the stains should come off.

It’s also really spacious with 16 L of space that can store a lot of books and other things at the same time.

Features:

• 4 compartments for storing various things: 2 main compartments and 2 open side compartments
• Dirt and water-resistant material
• Rain flap for extra protection
• Sturdy shoulder straps

Pros:

• Very spacious
• Lovely design
• Very practical for cleaning
• Weather resistant

Cons:

• Small length may not fit big laptops
• Cannot take too heavy of loads

4. JanSport SuperBreak One Backpack

The reason why it’s so lightweight is simply that there’s only one main compartment and one sub-compartment. This in itself allows the bag to have more room to put more stuff. Granted you can’t really organize your stuff per section in your bag, you can still fit in a lot of things anyway.

Another thing that you’ll love about this bag is that it has padded shoulder straps. Shoulder straps are often quite uncomfortable if you carry your bag for a long period of time. So in order to take away the discomfort, this bag provides you with thick padded shoulder straps so that you can carry the bag for a long period of time without too much strain.

Features:

• Thickly padded shoulder straps
• Roomy main component
• 1 small sub-compartment for electronics
• Sporty design

Pros:

• Easy to clean
• Very spacious
• Thick shoulder straps
• Big zippers

Cons:

• Very flimsy and thin material; cannot hold a heavy laptop

5. Kopack Anti Theft Travel Backpack

So if ever a pickpocket tries to open the bag, he or she won’t be able to find the zipper. If he or she still persists and tries to pull on the zipper, you’ll feel it.

Another cool thing about this bag is that it is made of scratch-proof material. So even if a pickpocket tries to slash the bag open, he or she still won’t be able to. Other than its anti-theft features, it also is a great laptop bag that has a special compartment to specially fit your laptop. It also comes with a small belt to keep it in place. Aside from that, you can store a lot of other stuff inside as well. This puts the Kopack in a different class on its own.

Features:

• Scratch-proof material
• Anti-theft zipper placement
• Extra shoulder padding
• Glow in the dark lining

Pros:

• Very safe bag that deters pickpockets
• Roomy laptop compartment
• Has a shock absorber
• Ergonomic weight distribution

Cons:

• Zippers get stuck quite easily
• Not water proof material

6. Vancropak Student Backpack

With its size and structure, it can fit pretty much any laptop of any size. Aside from the overall design, you’ll also realize that the material used is also perfect for laptops. The bag is made out of high-quality canvas material that is completely water-resistant. So even when it rains, you won’t have to worry about damaging your laptop.

Another really cool feature that you’ll really appreciate from this bag is the external USB design. Basically, there is a compartment that allows you to hold a portable charger. You can attach that to a USB plugin which you can attach your device there. It’s perfect for those who need to charge their devices but who are on the go most of the time.

Features:

• Various compartments and pockets for storing a laptop and accessories
• External USB compartment
• Water-proof material
• Lightweight built
• Thick padding for shoulder straps

Pros:

• Spacious but organized because of the various compartments
• Weather-proof
• Does not put too much pressure on the shoulders
• Multifunctional

Cons:

• Flimsy strap
• Flimsy zipper

7. Mancro College Travel Backpack

Aside from its multipurpose structure, it is also an RFID type of backpack. RFID means that it protects IDs and credit cards from having information stolen. It also has a very durable shackle that’s extremely hard to open. This shackle is the one and only anti-theft feature of this bag designed for deterring thieves in the airport.

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Features:

• Built in USB port
• Lightweight built
• Water-resistant material
• Eco-friendly polyester fabric
• RFID protection
• Anti-theft metal shackle

Pros:

• Has various uses and purposes
• Great for keeping your belongings safe
• Great features for tech-savvy gadget holders

Cons:

• Zipper tends to come off easily
• Easily tearable fabric

8. Herschel Retreat Backpack

The basic premise of this bag is that it can store your books, your laptop, and your notebooks. Aside from that though, you’ll notice there are some other features as well that you may like. For instance, there’s an internal media pocket that is used for storing your headphones. So if you walk to school or go on a trip, you can listen to some tunes to keep you from being bored.

It’s also really sturdy because of its adjustable drawstring closure. Unlike a zipper, the drawstring closure prevents the bag from getting stuck. Also, this kind of build makes it really hard for thieves to take things inside because they would have to widen the opening of the bag to do so.

Features:

• Padded shoulder straps
• Drawstring closure
• External pocket sleeve
• Headphone port holder
• Laptop sleeve

Pros:

• Multipurpose design
• Can store a lot of things
• Has comfortable shoulder straps

Cons:

• Cannot fit laptops bigger than 15 inches
• Fabric at the bottom wears out fast

9. Kaukko Travel Laptop Backpack

One of the most unique things about this product is the material that it is made out of. This bag is made out of an extremely durable 600D Polyester Fabric which is not only durable when carrying weight but is also long-lasting. You won’t expect it to tear easily no matter where you bring it. At the same time, it’s really easy to clean. The stains and dirt would slide off easily with just a bit of rinsing and scrubbing.

Just like the Herschel bag, this is also a drawstring-type bag. This is a more secure type of structure as compared to the usual zipper-type bag. Other features include a magnetic strap closure, pin clips, and key hook.

Features:

• Strong 600D polyester fabric
• Strong, top quality nylon lining
• Water-repellent lining
• Large capacity
• Multipurpose design
• 6 months’ warranty

Pros:

• Very durable
• Can fit a big screen laptop
• Very easy to wash
• Has a lot of storage pockets for various things

Cons:

• Rough fabric
• Animal fur or hair sticks on the fabric

10. Vaschy School Backpack

Now that we’ve talked about the design, let’s talk about the material being used. The main material used is a waterproof polyester type of material that blocks off rainwater and moisture from the snow. That way, your books, and laptop can be protected. Speaking of the laptop compartment, this one’s totally padded. So if you put your laptop in the laptop compartment, you’re assured that it’s safe even if it falls due to the thick pad.

Features:

• Water-repellent polyester material
• Lightweight built
• Two water bottle pockets
• Padded laptop compartment
• Casual design

Pros:

• Various designs fit for both men and women
• Can be used for various purposes like school, casual mall days, or even outdoor retreats
• Light to carry
• Weatherproof built
• Has back pads for total back comfort
• Has adjustable straps for total comfort

Cons:

• Fabric rips on the inside if it holds too much load
• Stains quite easily and not very easy to clean

Different Types of School Backpacks

With that, you now have your complete list of the best backpacks to buy for school. To add some extra light to what you already know, we’ll discuss the various types of school backpacks that you can choose from.

Regular School Backpack

This is the regular backpack that you would usually see before school sales. These ones don’t really have outstanding features, but they’re practical nevertheless. They are usually made out of pretty strong material, allowing them to carry your thick and heavy books without much trouble.

However, they are not built specifically for laptops as they don’t usually have laptop compartments. You usually buy this type of bag if you’re only carrying books, clothes, and your lunch.

Hiking Backpack

There are actually bags that are pretty multipurpose. There are some backpacks that are usually used for hiking but can be used for school as well. The great thing about these bags is that they’re pretty heavy-duty with big and bulky zippers, many compartments, and are made of strong material. Just like the regular backpacks, these aren’t really built for holding laptops.

These bags are big and spacious, but they don’t usually have a laptop compartment. If you ride the bus or train, your laptop might not be securely placed in this type of bag and may get damaged. This is usually used for those who live far from their school and need to bring lots of stuff every day.

Laptop Backpack

The laptop bag is specially made for keeping laptops inside. These bags usually have a separate laptop compartment with a small belt to keep the laptop in place. There are also other compartments as well that can store the batteries, the mouse, and the charger securely.

Of course, this type of bag may also store other things as well such as books and lunch. There are compartments for these things separate from the laptop compartment so that your laptop won’t get damaged.

Anti-Theft Backpack

This is a pretty new type of backpack that’s in a category of its own. What you’ll notice when you first see this backpack is that there are no zippers on the front of the bag. So where are the zippers located? At the back of the bag, facing your back.

So if a pickpocket tries to open up your bag, you’ll definitely feel it. These bags are also made out of slash-proof material. With that, thieves won’t be able to cut your back open. The Kopack backpack in our list is an example of a great anti-theft backpack.

What to Look for in a Good School Backpack

Now, you may want to ask me which of the 10 choices that I provided above is the best to buy? My simple answer would be: it depends. You need to choose the one based on your individual needs. For your convenience, here is a short guide to buying a good school backpack. This guide will show you certain factors that you have to take into consideration.

Size

The first thing that you have to take into consideration would be the size of the backpack. The size of the backpack has to be proportional to your own size so that you won’t carry something too heavy and lose balance. As a general rule, the backpack should not be wider than your torso. Also, you might not want to buy a bag that’s longer than your waistline. This is just to ensure that the bag is the right size for your body.

Comfort

Another thing that you have to take into consideration would be the comfort factor. If you don’t feel comfortable carrying your bag, then you’ll obviously have some back or shoulder problems. In order to avoid that, you may want to look for some comfort features. These features would include back pads to make sure that your back won’t be strained with long-time use. Another would be adjustable straps.

This ensures that you can modify the placement of the straps based on your own comfort. The last would be a hip belt. The whole purpose of a hip belt is to shift some of the bag’s weight to the leg area so that your bag won’t take so much of the brunt.

Material

The material of the bag would determine its durability. For instance, leather bags have very high durability because they don’t tear easily. Other materials that also have high durability include corduroy or polyester. The material you choose will really depend on what kind of load you’re carrying and what your personal preferences are with regard to style.

Compartments

Depending on what you’re carrying, you may need to buy a bag with a lot of compartments. My son, in particular, likes hiking bags with a lot of compartments, so he can put a lot of things inside. His current bag has a water bottle compartment, umbrella compartment, separate laptop compartment, back compartment for books, and a lot of other pockets for other things like a small lunchbox and wallets.

Other Features

Lastly, you may want to look for other features that you’d like your bag to have. Some features that you may want to consider would be water-proof material and UV proof. Water-proof bags are really cool because they prevent water from getting in. The water would usually just stay outside the bag. This is extremely useful for the protection of laptops and books.

UV proof bags, on the other hand, protect your belongings from strong heat from the sun. This is great for keeping your food safe from too much heat.

Conclusion

Before the start of classes, you need to make sure you’re well prepared with the right equipment needed for your school stuff. The most basic thing that you need is a backpack. If you want to make sure that your things are all protected and well placed, then you need to look for the best backpacks for high school students. That is what my list above showcases.

I made this list based on experience as well as feedback from my other friends who use backpacks to go traveling or to work. I also get feedback from my son who is also really particular with the bags that he uses.

So if you want a comprehensive list of good school backpacks, you’ll find this list really useful.