All three of my girls have LLBean backpacks. They love them, and so do I. They are excellent quality and I love the fact that they have that neon stripe on the back so the kids can be seen if it's foggy or something.
I am very disappointed in my book pack. I used it for 8 months the handle at the top is already breaking/ripping out of the seam and the zipper to the main compartment is on its last edges.
The very sad thing about this is that I do not even carry heavy loads. I have a one inch binder, a study guide, a water bottle and small objects like pens and pencils.
I got one because I heard about the amazing quality, but the book pack I got was far from it.
My children have been using this backpack for at least 5 years. We have yet to have a problem. Prior to purchasing these backpacks, we would go through 2 to 3 backpacks during a school year. Since purchasing the LL Bean backpack 5 years ago, they have more than paid for themselves. The reflective strips on the backpack are such a blessing also since my kids wait for the bus in the dark. After seeing my children at the busstop due to the reflective strips, my neighbor went out and bought LLBean backpacks for her 4 kids. You will NOT be disappointed with this purchase.
I had bought this backpack last year for my kindergartener, and it worked great! It's big enough for his LL Bean lunchbox, snowpants, boots & homework folders. And it still looks new so I bought another one for my upcoming kindergartener!
