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Choosing The Perfect Backpack

It's back to school for the kids and whilst backpacks and bags are an essential and stylish item for most, the wrong type of bag can damage your children's back.

Most often, children will pick a stylish backpack that reflects their style so it's important to try and choose a bag that is both stylish yet practical.

When looking for the perfect rucksack (whether for you or your child), the following points are key:

Find a backpack with wide, padded that are adjustable. Narrow straps can dig into the shoulders so wider straps with padding will help stop this issue. Adjustable straps ensure that the backpack can be carried comfortably.

Always go for a bag with two straps so that the weight can be distributed evenly across the back - by using just one strap or by wearing the backpack on one shoulder, it can cause alignment problems in the spine.

Look for a backpack with padding on the back part of the bag. This will mean that any sharp bits carried in the bag or odd shaped items will not poke and prod the wearer as the bag is worn.

A backpack with a lot of compartments is always good - it means that the weight can be distributed evenly around the bag and also means that it is easy to store smaller items without them getting lost in the bag.

If you know that you will be carrying heavy items on a regular basis, it may also be worth looking for a backpack which has wheels on the bottom so that you can wheel the bag around on flat surfaces. If you do choose to go for this backpack option, ensure that the handle is long enough so that you can pull the bag with ease and it doesn't cause you to bend or twist excessively. Also check that the wheels are large enough to help keep the bag balanced whilst it is being pulled.

View CheckoutSpy's recommended list of backpacks.