i bought this for my kindergartner this year, he loves the red camo! he had the ll bean rolling pack but it was way too heavy. this backpack is lightweight, durable, his initials look great on it and there's plenty of room to grow. highly recommend!
I bought this for my son's 7th birthday. He is in 1st grade and it obviously can handle his workload, but besides that he has also used it to lug toys and books around on the weekend to his grandparents' house. The straps fit great and he says they are much more comfortable than his old backpack. I had the largest version of this pack throughout high school and college, traipsed around Europe with it, and it is actually still in my closet, dirty from years of use but still in fantastic shape. I knew when my son was ready for a "real" backpack that I'd be buying it from LL Bean, and I will do the same when my other two kids are in school too. My only complaint is that I'd like to see a hunter green color offered. The lime green is nice and bright, but since I expect my son to be using this for many years I decided to go with a color that he will still like as he matures, and I just wasn't sure that would be the case with a neon-type color like that. I bought him the royal blue, which he really likes, but I know that he would have loved a darker green.
I ordered these for my 4 children in different colors and had them monogrammed with their initials. They are great bags, very durable and have nice organizational features. They go on every trip with us. My kids pack their vacation clothing in their bags and have what they need all in one place easy for them to access. Great for overnight visits to the grandparent's house or to a friend's. There is a reflective strip on the front as well so my kids have used these as trick or treat bags too. They can wear them on their backs, be seen by drivers and have their hands free. They love their bags. The boys have the red and blue bags and my girls have the green flower patch and the blue flower patch colors and I'm glad I ordered them before those last 2 were discontinued. I think they should be brought back as an option.
We had tried using the superhero big box store book bags and none could withstand even 4 months of use by our son . Then we bought this bag and now 3 years later-- still going. Don't waste your money on any others. Our other son starts school next year and you can bet he will have one.
