Two weeks ago, my 9-year-old daughter was still in school, finishing up her last assignments and enjoying parties and field days. Today, I'm already inundated with reminders about back-to-school shopping.
It makes sense for me to get it out of the way early. It's too soon into the summer for me to lose the teacher's supply list that gets sent home on the last day of school. Nobody wants to be that family that's rushing to Staples on the night before school starts, avoiding eye contact with all the other class parents who are also running to Staples on the night before school starts. And, with advanced planning, I can shop around for the best deals. So, this year, I vow to get started early.
Anyone else care to join me?
Even if the supply lists don't come until the end of the summer, there are certain back-to-school essentials kids need every year. Now is the time to check the backpack, the lunch box and the water bottle to see what survived the last year, and what need replacing.
When it comes to the backpack, if it's time to refresh, the choice is easy: Amazon has one of the Good Housekeeping Institute's top-rated kids' backpacks for sale, and it's only $22. That's around half the price of the other top-rated backpacks on the list.
Good Housekeeping Institute testers were impressed with how much it could hold in its spacious main compartment, which comes with a padded laptop sleeve for their device. In addition, it has three smaller front compartments, plus two outside pouches for water bottles (or a water bottle and an umbrella, should the need arise).
Our Lab experts also praised its construction. "I love that the shoulder straps are curved for an ergonomic fit and that it's made of nylon, so you can expect it to be durable against wear and tear," says Lexie Sachs, Executive Director, Strategy & Operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute.
The backpack comes in four colorways, but all four have that same geometric print. There's also a smaller size available for kindergarteners and early elementary schoolers (and that one is under $20).
More Back-to-School Prime Day Deals
If, like me, you're thinking about doing some early back-to-school shopping to save a little cash, Amazon Prime Day is a good place to hunt for deals. But the best thing about this backpack is that it doesn't really need a Prime Day discount to be ultra-affordable. Shoppers can throw it in their cart with their other purchases, or wait and see if their current backpack will survive the wilds of summer camp — either way, it's still going to be a smart buy!
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
