What size backpack for secondary school?

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How much stuff do they usually carry around with them? Is 16L (40 x 28x 20cm) large enough? Or should I go for the 23L which is 46 x 28 x 22?
He'll have a separate bag for sports kit.

Dd had a Nike water bottle for a year or so until it broke then an AirUp but they’re expensive and take time to come from abroad; that, annoyingly started leaking after about 6 months. She’s also taken a Sistema bottle at times. But I wouldn’t recommend in the beginning as she already has her street cred. 🙄

As for lunch boxes, a lot of teens just take a sandwich in a paper bag plus crisps and a bar of chocolate or similar. Then a snack at break time.

Ds2 just has a standard size. The one you linked to is huge.

They're going to school not on an expedition!

Nike, North face or Adidas are the ones that are in around my local secondary. Once he's there he can assess what's in and what's not. Don't get a Decathlon one, the aim is to not look like your mum chose your kit for you.

Honestly it's insane but it's a good school so I pick my battles. Books aren't even kept in the classroom, (when I was at school we never carried books around unless the odd time we had homework) - DS has to carry them all day- all kids look like turtles, I'm scared they will tip backwards and never get up again!

A whiteboard may be a bit unusual but I always thought it's ridiculous that schools supply stationary, even more in times where the budget means the schools have to decide between heating, employing good staff and keeping the building safe to be used.

I am from Germany and the only thing we may have been given were the odd fotocopy of a text when it wasn't worth buying a book for a single page we needed.

DD's school started non-sharing of textbooks after Covid, we actually were given the option the buy the books and DD used them thoroughly to annotate them, especially Y9-11. Again, something I found normal based on my homecountry but it seems it was so unusual, the idea caused an uproar under parents.

So school dependant. I'm reading some these lists and feeling bemused. At DCs school they put stationary and planner in blazer pockets and normally just lunch in their bag. Actually DS gave up with a "proper" bag and just took lunch in a carrier bag.

Oh yes, the UK is pretty unusual in this regard. My American cousins used to be given incredibly long equipment lists for the new school year. One of my favourite parts of summer holidays in France was browsing all the lovely back-to-school stationery in the supermarkets.

I was advised to get an Eastpak, as they’re boy proof, but it’s only 23/24l 😬 so hope it’s ok! DS wanted an orange one so options were limited (plus it was in the sale 😂)

They’ve an extra 15% off sales items offer at the moment.

His school to be doesn’t have blazers, therefore no option for stationery in pockets.

He hasn’t got a phone yet but the school ban them during school hours so they have to keep them in their bags at all times. So will will need a calculator (admittedly they don’t take up much room do they?)

I'd also agree with PP that a bag from JD sports is the thing to use for PE kit!

10 years experience of secondary school between them and they've both needed 30l bags and at times have had difficulty fitting all their stuff in. Better now there is no food tech. That was the worst.

The other school specific thing to find out is if bags have to go in lockers and, if so, how big the lockers are.

And inspired by PP, if they need to bring in their own food tech ingredients, or if school provides them.

10 years experience of secondary school between them and they've both needed 30l bags

I've got fifteen years of 'experience' and mine didn't have 30l bags.

If this thread has shown anything it's that different schools do things differently.

Teacher and parent here. I'd say if he's worried about the "social suicide" thing (which certainly for boys is far less of a thing than for girls in my experience) just get a very plain grey or black cheapy thing for the first term then if necessary he can get a spendy brand one for Xmas. As pp have said, it's very school dependant on terms of size as to what he'll need but if he's going to carrying a laptop or tablet make sure the bag and / or case is waterproof.

Check on the school website or new starters WhatsApp. No school is the same. In my son’s school lockers are so bags only too and from. The other secondary school in town doesn’t have lockers so everything is kept with the kids all day. Bags at that school have to be black. At my son’s anything goes.

My son did good tech 5 times in total. Used a carrier bag. He used a plain backpack from Primark for last few years.just a main body and front pocket. Nothing fancy. Completely drama free.

He’s now year 13. Will use same bag. He couldn’t give a hoot about his school bag, tbh. I’m not sure any of the other boys do either. From what I can tell, a biro in his pocket and set square and calculator in his bag. PE kit in small Nike sports bag. Plus iPad.

@BibbleandSqwauk he's not worried, he's more or less oblivious (ASD) to trends and likes what is comfortable! I checked the school website but only photos are of kids playing on the courts at break - not a bag in sight!
No infos about a WhatsApp group or lockers on the website. I have trawled for as much info as possible.
Also no idea about computers/iPads and what they need access to at home. We're planning to wait and see what they say and give it as a birthday gift.

Try to find out what sort of bags are in "fashion" at the school in question. And they will ALWAYS want to cram their stuff into the smallest bag possible, in complete contradiction to common sense.

Have you searched to see if there’s a thread for the school. There are several MN threads for my son’s.