9 Ergonomic School Bags For Kids To Help Reduce Back Strain
These backpacks help distribute the heavy load from your children's textbooks, necessities, and more while promoting better posture
With daily trips between school and home, and a day's worth of textbooks to carry, we as parents can't help but worry about the growing size of school bags for kids. After all, we've all experienced the same before, and are well-acquainted with the pains of bad posture. Thankfully, besides trolley backpacks which kids can quickly outgrow, ergonomic school bags are here to save the day.
Design features of a good school bag should include wide padded straps with sternum belts to hold them in place, as well as a padded and preferably ventilated backrest for support. Waist belts will help with distributing the load from the shoulders to the hips. The length of the backpack should also be fitted to that of the torso. Other handy features include waterproofing, adequate storage compartments, and durable fabric that will ensure the longevity of the bag (and give you more bang for your buck).
Usually, these don't come cheap, but we've rounded up some of the best ergonomic school bags for kids (and most are under $200) to invest in – with a dash of different features and colours to suit your child's personality.
Cute, eco-friendly, and ergonomically designed, the animal-themed Affenzahn is more than a school bag – it’s also your child’s study buddy. Its design is both eye-catching and functional – pull its cheeky tongue to reveal your child’s name. The bright colours are reflective and designed for safety purposes. Its height-adjustable chest strap ensures the straps and the soft shoulder pads stay snugly and comfortably on their shoulders.
Suitable Age: Kindergarten
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Materns' school bags come in fun prints and scenes that'll brighten your kiddos' school days, from soccer to bunny-themed designs.
On the functionality front, each comes with a padded backrest that distributes weight evenly, and according to the brand, reduces shoulder strain by up to 43 per cent. The third-generation designs also come with a built-in X-shaped fibre rod that the brand says helps provide support for the spine and straightens the back.
There are also other nifty features like an adjustable chest buckle with a whistle, and reflectors around the bag for visibility in the dark. Plus, the material's waterproof, too.
Suitable Age: Primary school (for kids between the height of 1.1 to 1.75m, depending on iteration.
Design based on a Singapore Nanyang Technological University/National Institute of Education Biomechanics Research Study, and field tested in selected Singapore Ministry Of Education schools, Pop Kids' bags are designed with comfort in mind. These include a Y-shape harness for better load distribution, as well as an S-shape ergonomic shoulder strap to reduce stress and improve fitting.
There are also padded side and lumbar support panels for better comfort. And for the active youngster, the backpacks feature concealed side pockets, perfect for keeping water bottles or personal items secure, no matter how much they move!
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Eye-catching thematic designs aside, the Ergoback Prime School backpacks offer features that help with optimal weight distribution, including internal separate compartments, a chest strap, and durable pelvic fins that distribute the weight of school books evenly from the shoulder to the more sturdy pelvis.
You don't have to worry about your kid outgrowing the bag — its professional "Your-Size-System" adjustable back-support system can be individually adjusted to children of height from 1m to 1.50m
Suitable Age: Primary, Secondary School
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As its name implies, Dr Kong's series of Spine Pressure-Free backpack collections, with varying designs for toddlers to those above 150cm, is meant to reduce the pressure (literally, not figuratively) on your child.
For school-going kids, its bags feature a patented spine pressure-free design that promises to help prevent "round shoulder" as well as reduce neck, shoulder, and back tension. The hollow tunnel design ensures no unnecessary impact on the spine during movement and is complemented by a waist belt to distribute some of the weight away from the shoulder to the waist.
Suitable Age: Toddlers to secondary school
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Deuter's Cotogy Lightweight Ergo school bags are outfitted with a lumbar pad to ensure the load is spread evenly across the musculoskeletal system and allow the pelvis to move freely. Ergonomic shoulder straps, an adjustable sternum strap, a detachable waist belt and stabiliser straps work together to keep the weight of kids’ books and other essentials close to their body and enhance the ergonomic carry comfort.
Suitable for: Primary school to secondary school (body height 130 to 168 cm)
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As your kids grow older, they will be looking for a bag that is both practical and gets nods of approval from their friends. The Ivar Urban 20 does just that with its sleek, minimalist look. In terms of functionality, its lightweight Ivar-Lift design provides superior weight distribution, load balance, and perfect organization.
Suitable Age: Primary, secondary school
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Stable, robust, lightweight and German-designed, the Satch Sleek comes with adjustable straps to accommodate your child’s height from 1.4m onwards. With sufficient reflectors to keep your child safely visible, it also comes with various compartments and expandable pockets to increase its storage capacity. Worry not, for the ergonomic behind this back ensures your child carries the weight evenly across their shoulders, back, and waist. It's also stain- and water-repellent.
Suitable Age: Primary, secondary School
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An upgrade over its smaller counterpart, the Satch Pack is built with anatomically shaped aluminium rails and adjustable shoulder straps to fit your child to a tee. It mimics the core feature and design of trekking backpacks for everyday use, providing your child with stable and even weight distribution for easy carrying. Its back is also ergonomically shaped and breathable to provide an extra layer of comfort.
Suitable Age: Primary, Secondary School
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When choosing an ergonomic school bag that is good for your kid, you should definitely look beyond the aesthetics and marketing of the bag. Focus on the form factor and design that targets the fit to your child, its weight distribution and back posture. These are factors that will impact your child’s comfort when carrying the school bag.
Height of bag should be fitted to torso length
We know that online shopping is the craze these days. But when it comes to buying a good ergonomic school bag, you should aim to go to a physical shop to try it out. That’s because you need to know whether the height of the school bag is suitable for your child.
According to a senior principal from the Singapore General Hospital, the bag should rest between the C7 vertebrae and the top of the hip bone (iliac crest). This means the bag cannot be too small or too big, so you’ll need to let your child try out the bag to know if the fit is just nice.
Wide and cushioned straps for better support
The bulk of the school bag’s weight lies on the shoulder of your child. Thus, having thickly padded and wide straps makes it more comfortable for your child when he/she carries the school bag.
Padded, ventilated and posture guiding backrest
Poor posture is one of the main reasons that lead to long-term back injury. To prevent that from happening to your child, make sure he/she carries an ergonomic school bag with a posture-guiding backrest. The posture guiding backrest ensures that your child maintains his/her posture form while carrying a load of his/her books on his/her shoulders.
It also helps to have additional padding and ventilation on the backrest, which will increase the level of comfort.
Multiple compartments for even weight distribution
Having more than one compartment lets your kid distribute the weight of his/her books. He/she can pack the heavier items closer to the backrest and leave the lighter items toward the outside.
Structured shape with a strong base
Unlike conventional school bags, ergonomic school bags should come with a structured shape. In particular, it needs to have a strong base so that the weight doesn’t shift and sag towards the lower half of your child’s back.
Text: Si Jie Lim/SingSaver Additional reporting: Michelle Lee and Melody Bay
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