Which school bags are your dd buying if they are moving up to secondary school next month?

[Joyfulincolour]

We don't seem to have huge restrictions on colour or type of bag but my dd can't decide what to have. I think a rucksack type would be best to hold all the PE kit and books. Are there any that the girls are favouring at the minute?

Last year and this year DD and her friends seem to use a large tote style bag or the large Ted Baker plastic one.
Something like this: www.newlook.com/uk/womens/accessories/bags/black-leather-look-tote-bag/p/615735901?_cclid=Google_EAIaIQobChMI65uon_qg5AIVTbDtCh1JagC0EAQYASABEgJgAPD_BwE&extcam=UK_PPC_CSS_Google_DV_m&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI65uon_qg5AIVTbDtCh1JagC0EAQYASABEgJgAPD_BwE

My dd started Y7 with an Adidas backpack. By Christmas she had a large leather tote bag.

She's now onto GCSE's and still has this style. It seems to fit everything.

Just to add, we got it from Clarks.

We've had Hype (rubbish - zip broke in first term), Superdry (excellent - still going stong after 3 years but now downgraded to PE bag) and have a Vans one for this year. My DD has a 1.5 mile walk to school and seems to cart all of her books around with her rather than using her locker, so rucksacs definitely better for her and her back

DD1 has chosen a galaxy rucksack of no specific brand which she thinks looks great, but I know I'll be replacing it within the first half term. She knows a tote bag isn't an option at this stage but otherwise I'm waiting to see what others have before I splash cash on a proper bag.

My daughters school stipulated waterproof bag so bought this from Ebay.

Both of mine have had Hype bags in the past and found them rubbish - zip broke in both of them. DS has a black Adidas rucksack and DD has a black Police rucksack. She hates the trend for 'handbag' style bags though lots of girls seemed to go back to rucksacks last year anyway.

Fjallraven kanken was best bag I bought for school
Not inexpensive but lasted 4 years now, used for school and holidays (swimming, aeroplane etc) and still looks great
Keep the grey foam in though, it helps to keep the square shape

Mine has a black Adidas rucksack. Luckily the tote as School bag thing doesn't seem to exist here and they all have rucksacks. They even wear them on both shoulders, which would have been social suicide when I was at school!

When is at a tote bag, I mean a large hard-wearing leather style one with long straps that go over a shoulder. Not a flimsy canvas thing.

My dd found that by Y9, folders, books and paper seemed to fit in a tote style better. Also, she was super organised and only ever carried in the things she needed that day so it was fairly light.

Ds has a rucksack but carries around everything in it because he's lazy. It's waaay heavier

*When I say a tote bag.

I bought my dd a Jansport rucksack, lifetime warranty. The bag is still brilliant but my dd has now spent her own money on a fjallraven knockoff. Not gone for a tote bag yet but I expect she will at some point.

Good tip off re Hype bags - thanks. I will look at these others you've mentioned.

Just going to drop the link to Madlug bags here for anyone whose DC might be considering a new backpack.

www.madlug.com/

Madlug is a social enterprise supporting kids in the care system. For every bag purchased, they donate a bag to a child in Care so that they can carry their belongings with dignity.

I am not connected to them in any way, am just a happy customer who supports their ethos.

DS had a superdry which lasted well. Now a Jack Wills which looks good after two years.

Rucksacks are usually ditched within half a term for a tote if local schools are anything to go by.

Depends if your DD is the kind of kid to follow the crowd or doesn’t care.

I asked my DD’s and they both said the same thing. Most girls 70% have totes, the rest have rucksacks but “they’re like the strange kids”

DONT shoot me, I didn’t say it!

ASOS have some good choices.

www.asos.com/women/bags-purses/tote-bags/cat/?cid=15142

Further explanation of what she means by “strange kids” is - sporty girls use rucksacks but that’s ok because they are the sporty kids. Skater girls or girls who hang with skater boys use them (VANS/converse). Kids who’s parents just buy them for them and then the kranken kids , I asked her who the kranken kids are she said “the kids who are asking to get mugged”

Again. I’m just relaying the ridiculous rules of secondary school girls!

I got a Nike rucksack, used it for a week and then made my mum buy me a warehouse over the shoulder bag.
Things may have changed in 10 years since I went to secondary but I was "griefed" for having a Nike backpack.. I still cringe now.

For Kranken read “kanken”

DTDs are going into yr 9 and both have rucksacks. We’ve also had a shit Hype one which hardly lasted, but the Superdry ones from yr 7 are going strong. DTD2 asked for a Fjallraven for her birthday so she’s taking that one. Almost all of their friends have rucksacks. It was oversized handbags at the school
I used to teach in though.

Depends on what sort of child you have! Mine refuse to follow the crowd and tend to go for the most practical bags. Dd has just gone for a plain black rucksack this year with good amounts of pockets for phone etc. Ds has gone for one with lots of storage. He has handwriting issues and uses a laptop so needed a padded section for that plus one for books and another for pe kit as he refuses to carry a second bag. This is the one he has got and its very practical www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00EEBS9O0?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

My dd says a lot of her friends are buying 'handbags' think she means a large tote but she's gone for a plain black backpack style bag with gold zips from new look because she doesn't want a handbag. Their uniform is black and they have to have a black coat but there are no stipulations on bags. My ds has had a black Nike backpack since yr 7 and keeping the same one for yr 9.

I know this is regarding dds however DS has gone totally leftfield and picked a purple vans bag, it’s his fave colour so that’s what he’s go8ng with 😊

Hype