Having a great backpack is essential for every boy – young or old. While the younger set are usually looking for a backpack that looks ‘cool’, older boys are looking for space, functionality and durability. Most boys tend to be a little rougher with their backpacks, so they need something stronger that will last. Check out our comparison of the top backpacks for boys below.
| Picture | Name | Price | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Belkin Slim 15" Notebook Polyester Backpack | $ | 3.9 |
 | MadPax Heavy Metal Full Pack | $$ | 4.6 |
 | High Sierra Fat Boy Backpack | $ | 4.4 |
 | Under Armour Storm Hustle II Backpack | $$ | 4.6 |
 | Everest Digital Camo Backpack | $ | 4.7 |
 | Quiksilver Men's 1969 Special Backpack | $ | 4.9 |
 | Oakley Men's Method 540 Pack | $$ | 4.8 |
 | Quiksilver Schoolie Backpack | $ | 4.8 |
 | Wildkin Olive Kids Trains, Planes and Trucks Sidekick Backpack | $ | 4.6 |
 | Jansport Big Student Backpack | $ | 4.6 |
| Picture | Name | Price | Our Rating |
The chart above is specifically designed for you to find the best backpack for your son easily. Now you don’t need to go scrolling through hundreds of items to try and find the right one for you. Our chart gives you the product name, average customer review score and price. It’s everything you need to know in the one place.
Benefits of the Best Backpacks For Boys
By purchasing one of the highly recommended top ten boys backpacks, you won’t need to worry about what they’re getting up to while they’re at school and how they are treating their bag! By choosing the best backpack suited to their needs, you should find the following advantages;
- Durable – Save on wear and tear. Buying a robust backpack that is known for its durability, will ensure that it will last and withstand all those rough times. A good, strong backpack will also have material that is of good quality and stitching that will last the distance – because we know how most boys treat their backpacks.
- Get value for money. Buying a backpack that lasts, you won’t have to keep updating and replacing it over time. Therefore, spending a little more now will end up saving you money over time.
- Lots of space. Having a backpack that will hold everything that your son needs for school including a change of clothes for gym, books, their lunch and drink bottle and possibly even a tablet or laptop. This will eliminate the need for separate bags and clutter around the house (and classroom).
- Keep their gear protected, safe and dry. By having a good, water resistant backpack, you won’t have to worry about whether or not the books, clothes and everything else that your son is carrying around inside his backpack is safe from the elements.
A Personal Experience
We bought our son a new backpack for the start of the school year. It was reasonably priced, water resistant and able to hold all his school gear including his laptop. One time, he had to go on a day school excursion. He and his classmates visited an adventure park to do leadership exercises. All the boys carted their backpacks around with them all day.
As my son tells the story, he and his best friend, Mike, were buddies, so they had to do everything together. They climbed across bridges, over logs and had to help each other throughout the day. The trouble began when they had to get around the waterfall and cross the creek. My son’s backpack held up well. It had plenty of zippers that locked together well and was able to withstand any water that sprayed upon it. His friend, Mike, had a different backpack, which didn’t fair so well.
It was of a flimsy material and definitely not waterproof. His lunch, papers and books, all got damp as the backpack got wet. And the biggest disaster happened at the end of the day, when they had to use the flying fox zip line course. Mike’s backpack had light straps, which weren’t very strong. While flying through the air, one of the straps broke and his backpack got tipped upside down, over his shoulder. He lost his cell phone (which was in an outside pocket that didn’t have zippers) and his water bottle.
After hearing about poor Mike’s miserable outing, we were so glad that we had invested wisely in a good, strong, secure backpack.
What To Look For When Buying A Boys Backpack
- Zippers – Zippers need to be strong. With backpacks, whether for sports, school or training, they are going to be opened and closed a lot as gear and books are accessed. If the zippers break, they make the backpack fairly useless, as things will fall out and the gear inside will open for anyone to see.
- Space – Backpacks for boys need to be roomy and spacious. Boys are fairly active and can be involved in sports after school. If they go straight from school to training, they need to be able to fit their gear in the bag as well as their school books. A separate compartment for laptops is always a good idea, too. They are usually well padded, so keep the laptop secure if the backpack gets knocked around.
- Straps – The straps need to be strong and supportive. As the backpacks are usually carried around al day, it’s a good idea if they are adjustable and padded. An added bonus is if the backpacks have a padded back, to protect your child’s back area, too.
- Water Resistant – Given that many users of this type of backpack are probably going to be doing a lot of walking around in all types of weather, you really want to protect your gear. Many backpacks advertise water resistant as a feature. Have a look at the reviews if this is a feature. Some are okay in a light shower, but if you have a downpour, you want your gear to stay dry. A rain flip is always a good option in a backpack.
- Side Pocket – One of the biggest complaints I hear about is when a backpack does not have a side pocket for a water bottle. During the day, children and young adults can be quite active. Having easy access to their water bottle through a side pocket is a great way of keeping hydrated.
How To Find The Best Backpack For Your Boy
Read the Amazon Customer Reviews – The Amazon customer reviews are where I always start when sourcing a product. I begin with the lowest stars first, because they are the worst reviews. If I find that there are a higher number of lower star ratings than higher ones, I don’t even bother looking. Take note of the complaints, too. Some people are picky and will never be pleased. But if there is a common theme running through the stars, lower and higher ratings, then you can probably bet that the problem is something that occurs regularly.
Look at and browse product pictures – A picture tells a thousand words. You want to see what it looks like from the inside of the backpack as well as the outside. Does is have a picture of a laptop fitting into a separate compartment? Is there an outside pocket showing a water bottle that fits inside it? Sometimes the color variances are not listed in the original feature part of the advertisement. But you will be able to see the different styles and colors quite clearly on the pictures.
Search to Compare – Compare features on each of the backpacks you look at. Sometimes you might be looking for something in particular, for example, having a designated space for your laptop. By typing ‘boys backpack with laptop storage” into the amazon search engine, you will be able to see all the boys backpacks that have laptop storage instantly, and make a worthy comparison quickly.
Focus on what’s important to you – You may have a particular feature that is a deal breaker for you. For example, if you know that you are not going to be happy with a boys backpack that only comes in the color black, then make sure you read all the featured designs, look at the pictures to see what other colors there are and, compare every backpack and their different colors.
Reviews Of The Best Backpacks for Boys
Belkin Slim 15″ Notebook Polyester Backpack
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MadPax Heavy Metal Full Pack Rock-A-Billy Blue
If your son is into dinosaurs, the design of this bag will appeal. It looks like you are carrying a dinosaur on your back with all the spikes. They can be a problem when the bag first arrives, as they are hollow and need to be pulled up/out to stand out again. But that is a minor issue – and much safer than having solid metal/wooden spikes. The straps are comfortable, the bag is large enough to carry all the books and folders necessary for school and it’s incredibly sturdy. I also love the fact that it has padding for his back and two handy side pockets.
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High Sierra Fat Boy Backpack
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Under Armour Hustle II
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Everest Digital Camo Backpack
This is a functional backpack with a rain flip so that you can use it in rainy weather. The inside also has an inner layer to keep your things dry. My eldest son loves the camo appearance of it and his friends all have the same one now.
It’s quite roomy and my son fits everything in it quite well. My son kept quite a large collection of rocks in the bottom of the bag until I discovered his beloved collection and it held up well with no real signs of damage. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a side pocket for a water bottle.
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