Secondary school back packs

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Where do all of your girls get their back backs? DD needs one for Y 7 and I'm not even sure where to look! It has to be a backpack (no totes etc).

That’s the bad my Y9 DD wants. I thought they were for middle aged Mums when I was a child. £110 bag for school? That will be a no.

(Clearly ignoring the fact I’m now a middle aged mum)

I think in year 7 it's often about fitting in and not standing out. Once they get more confident and into year 10 and above there's a bit more individuality. Having said that it's down to the clique/group they are in as to what is cool/not

Sports direct. I did ask her if she wanted any particular brand (after reading an MN thread), she laughed and said 'designer' bags were for people who thought they were cool, but weren't.

I have used Le Pliage bags for years, and the other day my DD’s 12 year old friend saw my tote bag in our hallway and said “How did you hear about those bags? That’s like a young person’s brand.”

She was quite indignant that someone as uncool as her friend’s 40 year old mum would own one (while I make my DD use a boring plain black backpack) 😂

Ahhhhh, you must be very proud.

Fjallraven. Expensive but was used a few years at school and now for uni and work. It is always very heavy and goes on and on.

Some one set up a new starter Facebook page for my DDs high school last year, some parents exchanged what their DDs were using.

My DD wasn’t sure what she wanted, her friends all were discussing different bags so she started with DHs Patagonia work back pack, then moved to a hand bag, I just bought her a big black one from a charity shop to see if she liked that. Her PE kit she carries in a canvas tote bag. She’s also on occasion used a cross body messanger bag she has, but after a while decided on the hand bag like most of the girls so I bought her a nice one she liked from primark as her main school bag. I’m not buying branded ones.

I think if your not sure go for a generic black backpack, most ones I see at our local high school (not DDs) are Nike or Vans. I think any popular sports brand will be fine.

Our school doesn't allow the "handbag" or tote style bags - just to be aware some schools ban them (and ours doesn't ban much uniform wise).

When I was at school it was a Jane Norman carrier that was the height of style and aspiration.

You cannot go wrong with a black Nike rucksack

DD and her friends all seem to have one version or another of plain black pleather backpack. DD's is from New Look, it's lasted the year very well.

This is obviously area dependent as Superdry is very "dad fashion" round here.

They’re all too colourful, and look babyish.

Teens near us have plain dark colours, Nike or North Face, Jansport, Vans, Eastpak. The black Hype one from your link at a pinch.

The rest would be social suicide, as a pp said.

Yes super dry is absolutely over and done.

My just finishing y7 has a Vans rucksack. Sometimes uses a black canvas bag from the army surplus.

Most secondary schools don't want bags with big obvious logos like this. Their okay with brands but plain black like this.

Mine have Herschel retreat bags in the mid-volume size (which they call ‘small’). They love them. They come with a lifetime warranty, so you pay a bit more at the beginning, but they last.
www.amazon.co.uk/Herschel-11091-05731-Retreat-Backpack-Unisex/dp/B09TT36F6K/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?crid=15JNNUCPHTWCE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0MdpgAmQX6YkBa3srfzq1e_TDy7n2zztfNgT_4wV5inD33B2AE4J0JI_UTcLd_VxYPUq-5htqgNCVCcnnqpCTpZCtpLhgLtvm09DqOiNQ_49JPf0O-ZGS9Ri57lobVLz-_VT6kQFneMuWi8-MgtnoX6hDAxvp1d3k1EVOmCGMQf1Vzj1Mq4djl_YIPCK4ayQtMcjdrTwFg3em8cNcxs6z3kYHqiEHYGkyczaLIiAjFOtlGJR_Bp1O-BZKbjlrfibDo_6LuDdqpyLdBPk-U9XeRgyxoJAeJHk9RAilKSQcNA.3M2jWJRJnuyqKtl87wK4OuBp0tpH68Ji2JXURm0rygY&dib_tag=se&keywords=herschel%2Bretreat%2Bbackpack%2Bsmall%2B-%2B17l&qid=1721199012&sprefix=herschel%2Bretrea%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-6&th=1&psc=1

Plain black Nike.
can’t go wrong

Hahaha - SAME, we all had Jane Norman bags and then All Saints 🤣

DD's school is pretty strict and it has to be a rucksack with no obvious logos

I actually have a Herschel bag myself (so she will probably not want one 🙄🤣

Daughter's came from Amazon. Waterproof, because her last one wasn't despite me Nikwaxing it. Large, and a colour/pattern she likes. Under £40.

We got an eastpak bag. I would go for something reasonably big as they often need to carry a lot and if it's too small it can be hard for them to pack up at the end of lessons/ find stuff at the start. Having lots of pockets helped my son with organising stuff so he could find what he needed during the day (he also has ASD). Side pocket for water bottle to help avoid wet books.

Eastpak and Jansport are pretty indestructible. DS' backpack lasted him all the way through secondary and will be fine for college too. DD decided by year 8 that she wanted a cheap massive handbag from Primark as a school bag (like every other girl at her school), which is falling apart at the seams and looks very uncomfortable to carry. Her backpack still comes in useful for sports, hikes etc.

Ha ha, fair enough!

my now young adults loved these ones still use them

https://www.madlug.com/collections/backpacks

I'd go with a reasonably plain black one, maybe nike or just a cheaper plain one as once she starts, she may want a new one depending on what is "in". And stock up on a few Sports direct plastic carrier bags (the draw string ones) for PE kit.