I have ordered several of these junior backpacks over the years. They are more expensive than others but well worth the add'l cost. The monogramming is very professional too. They are very well made and come in several colors. And to top it off LLBean stands behind EVERYTHING they sell.
It's so rare to feel enthusiastic about any purchase these days- you feel you pay too much for poor quality more often than not. Not the case with this backpack! I purchased it for my son 3 years ago and it has withstood hard use beautifully. I've washed it a few times and it looks great. My daughter is entering kindergarten this fall and this is the one item I will purchase without worrying if I could've got a better deal/better quality elsewhere!
We bought this backpack for my oldest daughter when she started preschool at age three. She carried it through 2 years of preschool and it was big enough to take to Kindergarten as well. It fit her folder, library book, lunch box and snack bag. For first grade we bought her a larger LL Bean backpack, but the Junior Original is still not fully retired! Our daughter is 8 years-old now and her Junior Original book pack comes out every summer as her camp pack. She attends a day camp that does a lot of hiking and requests a small, light pack for carrying a lunch on the trail. She has used it now through 5 seasons of camp and the pack is going strong! She also took it for a week to sleep-away camp this year when they requested a day pack. The pack has some scuffs and spots now but it is functionally perfect - no holes or tears, zippers function, etc. The simple, classic styling of this pack means that even a "big kid" (or a moderately sized adult in need of a smaller pack) can carry it without looking like they're wearing a preschooler's backpack. We are beyond satisfied with this purchase!
My son is starting kindergarten this year. He picked this backpack in the gray shark print with his name embroidered on it. We also ordered the matching flip top lunch box. The backpack is the perfect size for a child his size. It arrived a day before the estimated arrival date. He is super excited about his shark backpack. Anything to make that first day better is a definite plus for me! Thank you L.L. Bean!!!
