Really important backpack questions.

[halfpint]

I'm looking at the PBK sale, as I already kind of regret buying the small size for B. We got two good years out of it, but it already looks too small. 

Question 1 - has anyone successfully had the personalization removed? The pack is still in good shape, I'd like to save it for his little brother. 
Question 2 - at what age is it no longer cool to have characters or animals or whatever on your bag? Like, if I get him a bigger bag with Marvel or Star Wars characters on it, is he going to hate it because it's "for babies" by 3rd grade? Should I just stick with boring solids or stripes? 

[halfpint]

Also, this does not look like "Tucker" 

[jeaniebueller]

Yeah....by 4th grade I would say that they may still like characters but may not want a bag with them. I would get a solid one.

[bugandbibs]

Characters are so kid dependent. Some themes age better than others- I see superhero or sports themed backpacks in my middle school.

We stick to patches for our backpacks so that it is easier to pass them along when we are done.

[VillainV]

What size do I want for Kinder? C is 48” tall so I’m leaning toward the Large, but it looks so big.

[ssmjlm]

halfpint I took embroidery off old stockings before I donated (paranoid bc of my name being unique) with just a seam ripper and some small scissors. It was sort of tedious, but not terrible.

[readyin07]

My son is in 4th and by last year most of the kids graduated from the PBK styles. Some still have characters but they are a little less “precious” than the PBK bags if that makes sense.

We got PB teen camo bags and lunch boxes for both kids and they lasted two years and that is really all I expect. Both are wrecked and I think the kids take semi good care of them.

I have seen patches you can use to cover the personalization:

[Ashley&Scott]

DS1 has a large PBK, he’s finishing up 1st grade & the size has been perfect. DS2 started using the small backpack at 15 months when we ditched the diaper bag at daycare. (We already had the small from DS1 so we skipped the SkipHop backpack that DS1 used at that age since they are so tiny.)

I would imagine you could remove the personalization with a seam ripper but I’m not sure if the fabric will be damaged or show fading. We don’t personalize our bags so we can hand them down.

[formerlyak]

By about second grade none of the kids at ds’ school wanted characters.

Someone asked what size to buy for kinder - call your school and ask the backpack policy for kinder. Our school does not allow backpacks in kinder. They have an envelope they decorate and that goes back and forth daily, but no backpacks allowed.

[jeaniebueller]

May 19, 2019 6:35:51 GMT -5 VillainV said:

What size do I want for Kinder? C is 48” tall so I’m leaning toward the Large, but it looks so big.

Does he have to bring snow pants or boots during the year? If so, get a full sized one

[sandandsea]

I’d use a seam ripper to remove the personalization but we don’t personalize so we can hand them down. The characters change but kids up to 4th/5th have characters like Star Wars, avengers, and fort nite at our school. Ds really wanted the firefighter one for K and used it for 1st. We bought him a Star Wars one for 2nd.

The large size seems huge in K but fits well on 1st.

[jackie011]

Help a mom out- DS will go to Kdg this fall. Is PBK the way to go or should I go with Lands End or LL Bean? Is this the best price for PBK? (More $ than a comparable Lands End I was checking out)

[UMaineTeach]

The character backpacks fade greatly by second grade. I would stick with solid colors.

I’m trying to imagine a world with Kindergarteners and a giant envelope. You would need a new envelope every two weeks. The gallon bags for books and the laminated take home folders are done by thanksgiving. And hats, mittens, snow pants, change of clothes, boots, sneakers.

[humpforfree]

Omg backpacks. How are we ready for big kid backpacks?? I went down the jansport hole this morning. Pretty sure I’ll get one of those since both mine and H’s have held up for 20+ years now. I need to figure out what size though too, lol.

[mainelyfoolish]

You can remove the personalization with a seam ripper but you’ll see the marks on the fabric where the stitching was previously. My kids (girl & boy) don’t tend to share much, but I have bought mis-monogrammed items at the L.L.Bean outlet and covered the unsightly part with a decorative patch.

[dcn]

May 19, 2019 8:56:31 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

Help a mom out- DS will go to Kdg this fall. Is PBK the way to go or should I go with Lands End or LL Bean? Is this the best price for PBK? (More $ than a comparable Lands End I was checking out)

Ds1 has an llbean one that is great. My h has an ll bean credit card so we have lots of points, and we are pretty partial to their stuff.

Whatever you go with, be sure it has a water bottle holder!

[undecidedowl]

May 19, 2019 6:35:51 GMT -5 VillainV said:

What size do I want for Kinder? C is 48” tall so I’m leaning toward the Large, but it looks so big.

DS1 was only 41" going into K and he used the large. It's big, but works just fine. It's not like we are filling it with heavy stuff. He is only 45" now, going into 2nd and I think he might use the backpack again for a 3rd year. I wouldn't get smaller than the large if he will ever need to carry extra stuff. DS1 often carries things like swim lesson stuff, an extra sweatshirt, etc. He also likes to put his lunchbox in his backpack so he only has one thing to carry.

[VillainV]

May 19, 2019 8:47:56 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

May 19, 2019 6:35:51 GMT -5 VillainV said:

What size do I want for Kinder? C is 48” tall so I’m leaning toward the Large, but it looks so big.

Does he have to bring snow pants or boots during the year? If so, get a full sized one

No, we live in Florida. The most he’ll probably need is a thick hoodie (plus lunch and water bottle).

I went ahead and got the Large since we’ll also use it for traveling where he brings books and toys with him. Plus he’s just a big/tall kid so even if it’s a little large he’ll grow into it.

[minniemouse]

We got the smaller PBK bag for Dd2 and she used it for like 2 days. It was hard to get her take home folder in and out. She ended up with a cheap full size unicorn print one from kohl’s and it’s worked fine. I recommend getting the bigger one. Dd1 has had a LL bean backpack for several years and it’s still in great shape. It has a flower pattern on it that has aged well (as in, she hasn’t outgrow it. She likes Vera Bradley patterns and it’s similar to that).

[outnumbered]

May 19, 2019 8:56:31 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

Help a mom out- DS will go to Kdg this fall. Is PBK the way to go or should I go with Lands End or LL Bean? Is this the best price for PBK? (More $ than a comparable Lands End I was checking out)

We use LL Bean Backpacks. My older 2 used the small size from K to 2nd. Then they moved up to a larger size. My oldest has been using hers 6 years. It is in great shape.

ETA. I still use their old small LL Bean packs as a day pack.

[nicolewi]

I kind of figure that they want a new one about every 2 years or so anyway.

My 2nd grader and 4th grader still used PBK this year. 2nd grade boy has Star Wars and will probably use it again next year. DD in 4th got the turquoise/lavender heart one that they still have, but had a freak thing happen when she got it caught in a swing and snapped a plastic clip, so she will need a new one. For 5th I think she will likely choose one from PB Teen or a plainer-type from PBK.

[Deleted]

I'd plan on 2 years of use, they're a lot harder on them once in elementary school IMO. My daughter's PBK lasted 2 years and was looking pretty ragged. Her Land's End didn't even make it a year, the zipper broke in March. She's in 1st and didn't want any of the PBK patterns this year but is now fine with a Harry Potter backpack of some random brand I got when her Land's End broke. I'm going to get her a PBK one again next year for 2nd grade but a non-character one.

[Deleted]

May 19, 2019 8:56:31 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

Help a mom out- DS will go to Kdg this fall. Is PBK the way to go or should I go with Lands End or LL Bean? Is this the best price for PBK? (More $ than a comparable Lands End I was checking out)

I got my daughter a Land's End one this year and it didn't survive the entire year, the zipper broke in March and the side pockets were ripping too.  Her PBK one lasted 2 years.

[pmwife]

May 19, 2019 14:28:28 GMT -5 @lindy said:

May 19, 2019 8:56:31 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

Help a mom out- DS will go to Kdg this fall. Is PBK the way to go or should I go with Lands End or LL Bean? Is this the best price for PBK? (More $ than a comparable Lands End I was checking out)

I got my daughter a Land's End one this year and it didn't survive the entire year, the zipper broke in March and the side pockets were ripping too.  Her PBK one lasted 2 years.

Our Lands End backpacks are on year 2 and look to be going strong. I'm going to toss them in the wash and see if I can get a third-year out of them. I think they have warranties, have you tried reaching out to them?

[lilac05]

My second grader is over most character stuff for backpacks, jackets, and umbrellas, but doesn’t mind them on T-shirts. He’s not usually one to care about what’s cool, but he told me at the beginning of 2nd grade that he was too old for his shark umbrella. I notice he only reaches for the plain/patterned towels for swimming lessons, too. They grow up too fast.

I don’t recall if his backpack is LL Bean or Lands End, but I got it during their 50% off sale. It has lasted 3 years. I could probably get another year or two out of it, but will probably buy him a new one this year because DS2 needs one for K.

Choose whatever size backpack will hold a notebook or folder.

[expectantsteelerfan]

For us, they used character back packs in K and 1st and wanted more neutral by 2nd and 3rd.
Also, the cheap character ones only last a year or two at the most before literally falling apart.  Even the Fila solid one I got ds from Kohls in 2nd grade looked really beat up by the end of 3rd.  I got him a Jansport one this year and I'm hoping it lasts more than 2 years.  It still looks good now, but who knows?

[bugandbibs]

May 19, 2019 8:56:31 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

Help a mom out- DS will go to Kdg this fall. Is PBK the way to go or should I go with Lands End or LL Bean? Is this the best price for PBK? (More $ than a comparable Lands End I was checking out)

We always buy Lands End. Sometime over the summer they have a 50% off one full priced item and that is when I buy them. I think they hold up a little better (based on the conditions of friend’s backpacks) and the customer service is really good if there is a problem outside normal wear and tear.

[bugandbibs]

May 19, 2019 14:28:28 GMT -5 @lindy said:

May 19, 2019 8:56:31 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

Help a mom out- DS will go to Kdg this fall. Is PBK the way to go or should I go with Lands End or LL Bean? Is this the best price for PBK? (More $ than a comparable Lands End I was checking out)

I got my daughter a Land's End one this year and it didn't survive the entire year, the zipper broke in March and the side pockets were ripping too.  Her PBK one lasted 2 years.

I can almost guarantee that Lands End will replace it for you or give you a full refund. Some of ours are 8+ years old and still in great shape.

[jackie011]

Sounds like I’ll stick with my plan of getting a more basic Lands End backpack later this summer. Thanks, and sorry to threadjack 😬

[jeaniebueller]

May 19, 2019 8:56:31 GMT -5 jackie011 said:

Help a mom out- DS will go to Kdg this fall. Is PBK the way to go or should I go with Lands End or LL Bean? Is this the best price for PBK? (More $ than a comparable Lands End I was checking out)

My kids have LE backpacks and that have held up