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Original poster

What rucksack is your year 7/8/9 daughter wearing to school?

54 replies

CurlySnout · 17/04/2021 23:53

Dd needs a new rucksack for secondary, either navy or black. She doesn't like the Kanken, I'm not sure about Superdry's flashy branding and the Herschel seem a bit grown up.

Can you recommend a practical yet not too uncool rucksack for her please? Thanks

OP posts:
OhCrumbsWhereNow · 18/04/2021 19:34

These have also been brilliant - she has one for every subject and can keep loose papers in them which avoids the sea of scrunched up worksheets at the bottom of the bag.

The different colour zips make it easy to grab the right subjects in the morning: ]]

I bought a bulk pack of pritstik, black gel pens, red gel pens plus a maths set and a decent calculator.

The main thing DD is keen on is a lightweight phone charge pack (she has a long commute).

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 18/04/2021 19:30

DD has this rucksack - school have a ban on logos or visible branding. I picked it up in TK Maxx last year for a bit less than this.

It takes a laptop, plus all her books, a brolly, waterbottle etc.

Highly recommend.

www.ebay.co.uk/p/2114737572?iid=373145453533

Original poster
CurlySnout · 18/04/2021 19:27

Thanks everyone for your helpful posts, SD seems good for sporty rucksacks.

How about pencil cases? What types are suitable for year 7? Dd has had Smiggles for the last few years and I can't imagine that sparkles and sequins are quite right in year7 Smile

OP posts:
ChristopherTracy · 18/04/2021 17:45

The Under Armour one that everyone has. It needs to be quite big to fit everything in and quite sturdy obviously. Bit like this one

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 18/04/2021 17:30

@CurlySnout , yes we used to Google ‘black rucksack’.

Office-orientated laptop rucksacks were often big enough, robust and good value.

Ilovewillow · 18/04/2021 16:46

My daughter, yr 8 has a plain black vans rucksack. Yr 7 she had a kanken but it was too small. Yes to the waterbottle, plus all the books for the day plus music books. A couple of days a week she has either a clarinet or a violin too so a rucksack is easier to manage.

PiccallilliCircus · 18/04/2021 16:40

I have a Herschel for work and it's lasted me 3 years (so about 1 year for a teenager!!) Black canvas, fairly big for all my stuff.

Shieldingending · 18/04/2021 16:38

My DD started off with a plain grey superdry one which was absolutely great. However she then succumbed to peer pressure and has one of those stupid big handbags. She hates it too but she says the people who use the rucksacks get teased... I’m hoping that as she gets older she will have the confidence to be her own person and use a rucksack, however at the moment it’s just all about fitting in...

Avonriver · 18/04/2021 16:36

Eldest just buys the biggest plain style one in Tesco / Sainsburys. She has convinced all her friends that a rucksack is the only practical way to go to school!

Original poster
CurlySnout · 18/04/2021 16:17

@RainingBatsAndFrogs

Our secondary band any branding on rucksacks or bags. Plain, no visible logo.
That sounds sensible. Do you just google black school rucksack? Or where do you find one of theseclueless
OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 18/04/2021 12:53

The girls at the school dds will go to all seem to lug around huge unpractical tote bags that don't even do up. I get the bus with them and I always think it would be so easy to knock something out of them and what do they do when it rains?!

megletthesecond · 18/04/2021 12:35

Hot Tuna from sports direct.

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 18/04/2021 12:33

Our secondary band any branding on rucksacks or bags. Plain, no visible logo.

UserTwice · 18/04/2021 12:32

Oh and in response to the water bottle question - they can only bring a specific school branded one in (long history as to why). Worth hanging on for the information evening/pack to find out things like this as they will definitely differ by school.

Pre-Covid, many children didn't bother with water bottles and just used the water fountains.

UserTwice · 18/04/2021 12:30

DD has a rucksack in Year 10. I suspect what is "cool" varies by school. Might be worth consulting with friends with older siblings or simply observing what the girls are carrying.

2 things to consider whatever bag you go for

  1. What does she need to carry? Does it (e.g.) need to be big enough for an A4 folder (a surprising number of bags aren't).
  2. Does it have to fit into a locker? if so, how big is the locker?
balloonsandboobies · 18/04/2021 08:37

I cycle past a secondary school in the mornings. I'm heartened to see all the girls with rucksacks rather than tote bags. Most of the girls (and boys) have Nike ones, black sit either the tick or Nike in big letters down the front. A smattering have Kanken.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 18/04/2021 08:28

Yes she takes a water bottle, hydroflask style (think hers was from Wilkos, the metal bottle type)

SE13Mummy · 18/04/2021 08:26

Eastpak for both of mine (Y7 and Y11) - school specifies rucksacks rather than totes or handbags. Eldest still uses the one she had for the start of Y7 and most of her friends have an Eastpak of some sort. They have the one that is large enough to take a laptop and it's always been big enough for school.

ilovebagpuss · 18/04/2021 08:17

Blue converse rucksack decent size for all her books. Plain black drawstring for PE stuff.

Rockbird · 18/04/2021 08:16

DD1 just swaps between a cheap plain black rucksack and a New Look tote that every girl in the school seems to have. She's had both since the start of year 7 (now year 8) and seems totally uninterested in upgrading either. Still, I guess it's not like they've had loads of use... Wink

TimeForLunch · 18/04/2021 08:16

DD has a Nike one, mostly plain back with a small white tick. Year 9.

SJaneS49 · 18/04/2021 08:16

I wish mine did! The rucksack was much more practical.

Yes to the water bottle. DD also carries her books for that days lesson, a homework folder, stationery, bus pass, charged up mobile phone charger, mobile and purse with an emergency £10. It’s quite a heavy load.

CupoTeap · 18/04/2021 08:10

Depends on your dd, mine hates the totes

Fivemoreminutes1 · 18/04/2021 08:02

We’ve found that the Hollister backpacks are usually big enough www.hollisterco.com/shop/uk/p/logo-backpack-41803319?categoryId=85308&seq=01&faceout=prod1

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