I got this for my son when he started kindergarten; he is now in 1st grade. From my experience with my own LL Bean backpack (18 years, including 4 of college, and still going strong!), I expected his to last for many years. Unfortunately, it has not held up at all. I really wanted to make it last thru this school year, but will have to get a replacement before then. We have had the zipper issues others are describing, plus the pocket for pencils/keys is unusable - the zipper and fabric have separated. I gave it 3 stars instead of 1 because of LL Bean's customer service and usual attention to quality. I hope they fix the issue of the zippers!
The Original Book Pack is definitely a quality bag. I was replacing a (competitor's) product that I'd used for 35 years; this is better. It's a lighter bag; the padding in the back gives the pack structure as well as padding; it carries more; there's more padding in the straps. Fit and finish is Bean's usual excellent. I've had it for about a month -- so far, so good.
This is my son's first big boy back pack for 1st grade. He loves it and it is light weight yet very durable. I believe it will last all thru his elementary school career. It has many little pockets inside the front to keep his supplies he may need.It's nice that it matches his lunch box also to keep them organized as to who's is who's in school.
This review explains why I bought an assortment of Bean book bags for my rough and tumble grandchildren. I bought the "Original" for the small fry and the "Deluxe" for the older boys. All of them are in constant grueling use and standing up to the stress in stellar fashion. The assortment of available colors ensures each child can have his/her favorite.
