Ergonomic Schoolbags for Kids

Schoolbag or School Backpack?

What is important when buying a school bag for first-graders? Physiotherapist Melanie Gabriel answers two important questions. How should the perfect schoolbag look like? On the one hand the perfect school bag should be ergonomic, especially for the backs of children, meaning that the weight is distributed, and on the other hand it should “grow along”. Another important point is the visibility. The school bag should have enough and high quality reflective material. Not forgetting a useful interior organization, books and exercise books should be protected and easy to carry. Do you recommend a normal school bag or a backpack? When looking at trekking backpacks, there are almost only backpacks with a hip belt that distributes the weight from the shoulders to the hips. Therefore, it seems reasonable to have this possibility also for school bags. The soft material of the backpacks fits perfectly to the back of the child and reduces any bad leverage ratio. A normal school bag to offer these features. The innovative school backpack by ergobag combines all these advantages

3 Steps to Finding the Perfect School Bag

Step 1: Determine the child's height and build. A child’s height at the start of school is the most important factor to consider. Smaller and more petite children need a particularly lightweight model like the cubo light, while taller children—about 120 cm and up—will have more room in the maxi. Our model finder will help you find the right model in just 2 minutes.

Step 2: Try it on with some weight. An empty backpack doesn’t tell you much about how it feels during a typical school day. When trying it on, pack 2–3 kg inside (e.g., a few books) and adjust the carrying system to fit your child’s back length. Important to know: An ergonomically supportive backpack often feels different when you first put it on than a soft casual backpack—much like a good hiking backpack, it sits more securely and upright against the body. It’s precisely this active support that relieves strain on the back over time. After a few minutes of wearing it, most children don’t even notice the difference anymore—but their backs certainly do.

When trying on the backpack, check to make sure the back panel rests evenly and centered across the lower back—not on the buttocks—by checking the contact surface from below. The backpack should also sit above the buttocks and be aligned perpendicular to the floor.

Step 3: Let the child decide. Pattern, color, favorite design: If a child loves their backpack, they’ll wear it properly and happily. With Kletties, the design can be changed again and again later on—so the backpack will still be their favorite even in third grade.