School bags!

[SecretBarryManilowFan]

Trying to be organised! Anyone know a good place in London where I could possibly buy a decent sized school bag for a Y9 girl? She wouldn’t want one of those ones that you get on wheels and would probably prefer a plain one rather than anything flowery . Racking my brains to think where we could check out! Thank you in advance .

If she's after a rucksack, any of your standard outdoor shops.

Ah thank you! We’re trying to avoid Amazon as she wants to ‘try it out’ first 🙄 Appreciate the response though. Thank you - and to the earlier poster too.

I've got my DD a Vans backpack for starting back, she chose a patterned one but they had plenty of plain ones too and its good and roomy inside. I got it in a Vans store but noticed TK Maxx also had a few in recently.

Sorry, I had my previous post removed because there was potentially identifying information in the link (my Amazon basket was visible).

But the brand I was talking about was JanSport, just in case you see it in shops.

The material seems thin but it's very hardwearing. Usually my DC's schoolbags lasted about 6 months. This brand we've had for 6 years and still going strong.

I'm afraid I don't know London at all so I'm no help to you there.

Try Sports Direct or Argos, they always have a good selection

John Lewis hype rucksack and it’s as good as new a year later and he seriously throws it about I’m beyond impressed

The ones in M&S are water resistant and have a laptop pocket inside.

I got my DD a nice big Jansport one and she hated it as "everyone else's bags are smaller" so my DH now uses it 😂

When I was at school it was Eastpak all the way 😄 not sure if they’re still a thing but they were very hard wearing.

Thank you - these are great ideas!!

Lowe Alpine rucksacks are considered more ethical than most (by Ethical Consumer) and are available at Go Outdoors.

Eldest is no longer at school, but has one of the fabric backpacks from Dr Martens that has proved indestructible so far. It will be going to university with her in due course.

Middle child uses a standard hiking rucksack from Regatta that he chose four years ago and is still going strong.

Youngest has a cheap supermarket one that is 18m old and showing a lot of wear. It will hopefully last out his last year of
primary before it needs replacing.

Thank you! She’s so particular so it’s appreciated to have some starting points .

Superdry do some great sturdy plain rucksacks.

Puma, adidas, Nike, vans, converse were the usual choices when I was at school.

DD had got a Jansport back pack when she was halfway through senior school.She is now in her 30s and still has it and uses it occasionally .It looks a bit grubby now ,but it's still intact.

My dd wants a Kanken Fjvnvbbfggjhfhfdgg whatever bag 🙄 she’s Year 8 and it’s the go to bag at this school. I wouldn’t mind, but it’s a state school.

The Fjallraven bags are pretty solid according to the friends I have who use them. I like the look of the smaller one, but I use small Kipling backpacks instead as they have all the pockets.

One thing I’d look out for is something that isn’t going to disintegrate if you chuck it in the washing machine. It only takes one burst cookery project…

I bought DS’s school rucksack from a branch of TKMaxx. They have loads you can try.

There's some decent plain ones on here that are less "outdoorsy" looking, I had one of their laptop backpacks and it was brilliant. www.mountainwarehouse.com/travel/backpacks/school-bags/

Kipling, Fjall or Hype