Who Buys Backpacks the Most? High School Students Lead the Way
Every August, stores stock up on backpacks like they’re preparing for a supply run. Shelves fill with neon colors, waterproof zippers, and padded laptop sleeves. But who’s really buying them? It’s not parents shopping for themselves. It’s not college kids upgrading for dorm life. It’s high school students - and the parents who pay for them.
High school students are the biggest backpack buyers
In 2025, over 15 million high school students in the U.S. bought or received a new backpack for the school year. That’s more than the entire population of Chicago. They’re not just buying any backpack - they’re choosing ones that carry textbooks, laptops, gym clothes, lunchboxes, and sometimes a pet rock they found on the way to homeroom.
Why? Because school demands it. The average high school student carries 12-18 pounds of books and gear daily. The American Academy of Pediatrics says carrying more than 10% of a student’s body weight can cause back pain. That’s why weight distribution, ergonomic straps, and lumbar support aren’t luxury features - they’re survival tools.
Brands like JanSport, Herschel, and North Face don’t market to adults. They run ads showing teens rushing between classes, laughing on buses, and cramming for finals. The backpack is their uniform. And like uniforms, it’s replaced every year - or every other year if it rips, fades, or gets replaced by the new “it” color.
Parents are the ones paying
While students pick the style, parents pick up the bill. A 2024 survey by the National Retail Federation found that U.S. families spent an average of $87 per student on backpacks for the school year. That’s up from $62 in 2020. Why the jump? More features. More tech. More pressure.
Today’s backpacks aren’t just bags. They’re portable tech hubs. Many now include:
- USB charging ports
- Hidden anti-theft compartments
- Water-resistant fabrics with lifetime warranties
- Integrated laptop sleeves that fit 16-inch MacBooks
Parents don’t always know what these features do - but they know their kid will cry if they get the wrong one. One mom in Ohio told me her son refused to go back to school until she bought him a Herschel with the exact shade of “midnight navy” he saw on TikTok. She bought it. He wore it for six months. Then he dropped it in a puddle. It dried fine. The warranty kicked in. He got a new one.
Gender and style matter more than you think
It’s not just about function. It’s about identity.
Boys tend to pick darker colors - black, gray, navy - and minimalist designs. Girls often choose brighter tones, patterns, or character-themed straps. But that’s changing. Gender-neutral styles are growing fast. Brands like Fjällräven and Timbuk2 now sell the same model in five colors, and no one asks if it’s “for boys or girls.”
Still, peer pressure drives choices. A 2025 study by the Youth Fashion Institute found that 68% of high schoolers said they picked their backpack based on what their friends had. Not because it was better. Just because everyone else had it.
One student in Chicago told me, “I got the same one as my best friend. We matched. It felt like we were on the same team.” That’s not about utility. That’s about belonging.
Backpacks are a rite of passage
Think about it. Your first real backpack isn’t the one you got in kindergarten. It’s the one you picked out yourself in 9th grade. The one you carried through your first breakup, your first job interview, your first all-nighter.
It’s where you hid your phone during tests. Where you stuffed your concert ticket. Where you left your lunch on purpose because you were mad at your sibling.
For many teens, the backpack is the first major personal item they choose without adult input. It’s their first real consumer decision. And they treat it like a statement.
That’s why you’ll see a kid with a $120 backpack and $20 sneakers. The backpack isn’t just storage. It’s status. It’s expression. It’s armor.
What about middle schoolers and college students?
Middle schoolers buy backpacks too - but they’re usually bought for them. Parents pick them. They’re cheaper. Less tech. Often with cartoon characters.
College students? They switch. Most ditch the bulky school backpack for a messenger bag, tote, or crossbody. Why? Because they don’t carry textbooks anymore. They carry laptops, chargers, and coffee cups. Their needs changed. Their backpacks did too.
But high school? That’s the sweet spot. Heavy loads. Social pressure. Growing bodies. And a whole lot of identity-building.
The real reason backpacks sell
It’s not because they’re durable. Or stylish. Or even functional.
It’s because high school is the last time most kids are forced to carry everything they own on their back - and everyone’s watching.
Parents buy them because they care about comfort, safety, and value.
Students choose them because they want to fit in, stand out, or both.
And brands? They know exactly who’s holding the wallet - and who’s holding the bag.
What to look for in a high school backpack
If you’re shopping for a high schooler, here’s what actually matters:
- Weight capacity: Look for backpacks rated for 20+ pounds. Most budget ones collapse under 15.
- Back padding: A thin foam layer isn’t enough. Look for contoured, ventilated padding.
- Strap width: Straps should be at least 2 inches wide. Narrow straps dig into shoulders.
- Compartments: At least one padded laptop sleeve (15-16 inch), a front pocket for pens, and a side pocket for water bottles.
- Warranty: JanSport and Herschel offer lifetime warranties. If it rips, they fix it. No questions.
Avoid gimmicks like LED lights, Bluetooth speakers, or self-cleaning fabric. They don’t work. And they break.
Stick to proven brands. Test the zippers. Try it on with weight. Ask the student if it fits under their desk. If they say yes - you’re done.
What’s next for student backpacks?
Smart backpacks are coming. Some already exist. They track location, auto-lock if stolen, and even adjust strap tension based on weight. But they cost $200+. Most families aren’t ready.
What’s growing fast? Sustainability. Brands like Baggu and EcoBags now make backpacks from recycled plastic bottles. Students care. They’re asking for them.
And customization? Still huge. Engraved initials. Patches from their favorite band. Pins from the robotics club. The backpack isn’t just a bag anymore. It’s a collage of who they are.
Lissa Veldhuis
January 16, 2026 AT 00:33Ugh I swear every year it’s the same thing my kid comes home with a list of ‘must haves’ and the color has to be exactly like the one some influencer had on TikTok last Tuesday
They don’t care if it’s got a lifetime warranty or if the straps are ergonomic they just want it to look like it belongs on a Netflix teen drama
And don’t get me started on the patches
My 14 year old spent three hours gluing on pins from bands that broke up in 2012 because ‘it’s aesthetic’
Meanwhile I’m over here paying $120 for a bag that’s basically a glorified laundry sack with USB ports
Abert Canada
January 17, 2026 AT 15:45As a Canadian dad who just bought his third backpack this year I can confirm this is a universal rite of passage
My son picked the same Herschel as his best friend and now they’re basically twins with backpacks
He didn’t even ask if it was waterproof he just said ‘it’s got the right shade of charcoal’
Turns out that’s all that matters
Also the warranty thing is real - mine ripped after three months and Herschel mailed a new one with a handwritten note
Canada’s secret weapon: customer service that doesn’t suck
Xavier Lévesque
January 18, 2026 AT 17:08Let me guess - the kid who got the $120 backpack also wears socks with sandals and thinks ‘vibes’ is a valid life strategy
Meanwhile the kid with the $25 Walmart special is the one acing AP Bio and still somehow looks cooler
Brands aren’t selling backpacks
They’re selling FOMO wrapped in polyester
Thabo mangena
January 18, 2026 AT 18:03As someone from South Africa where many children walk kilometers to school with books tied in cloth, I find this discourse both fascinating and deeply sobering
The backpack is not merely an object here - it is a symbol of privilege, of access, of the quiet dignity of being allowed to carry one’s world on one’s back
While some debate the merits of USB ports and anti-theft compartments, others are grateful for a bag that does not fall apart before the first term ends
May we never lose sight of what this truly represents - not fashion, but opportunity
Bill Castanier
January 20, 2026 AT 05:43Backpacks are the last thing teens choose themselves. Everything else is decided for them - classes, curfews, haircuts. So they pick the bag. And it matters.
It’s not about the price. It’s about control.
And brands know it.
Ronnie Kaye
January 21, 2026 AT 20:13Wait so the kid who got the ‘midnight navy’ Herschel got a replacement because he dropped it in a puddle
And now he’s got two
Meanwhile I’m over here fixing my $30 backpack with duct tape and hope
Also why do these things cost more than my first car
And why does my 15-year-old know more about fabric weave than I do about my own taxes
Priyank Panchal
January 22, 2026 AT 23:07Let’s be honest - the real reason parents pay is because the child will not speak to them for a week if they get the wrong one
It’s not about functionality
It’s about survival
My son once refused to eat dinner for three days because I bought him a ‘basic black’ instead of ‘storm gray’
He won
I lost
And now I have a new bank account called ‘Backpack Emergency Fund’
Ian Maggs
January 24, 2026 AT 14:23There is, perhaps, a deeper existential truth embedded in the ritual of the high school backpack: it is the final, tangible artifact of childhood’s compulsory burden - the last object one carries not by choice, but by necessity, before the world demands one carry only what one chooses to hold
It is not merely a vessel for books and laptops - it is a vessel for identity, for belonging, for the quiet, desperate desire to be seen - not as a student, not as a child, but as a person who has, at last, selected their own armor
And in that selection, however trivial it may seem to the adult observer - lies the first true act of autonomy
So yes - the $120 price tag is absurd
But the meaning? That is priceless
Chuck Doland
January 24, 2026 AT 22:14It is imperative to recognize that the commercialization of adolescent identity through consumer goods is not a new phenomenon - but its acceleration through social media platforms has reached unprecedented levels
The backpack, once a utilitarian item, has been transformed into a sociocultural signifier, laden with symbolic meaning that transcends its physical function
Parents, acting as economic agents, are compelled to participate in this ritual not out of preference, but out of social coercion
The warranty, the ergonomic design, the color accuracy - these are not features; they are social contracts
And the student, in selecting the correct model, is not merely acquiring a bag - they are affirming their place within the social hierarchy
One must ask: at what cost does belonging come?
And who ultimately bears that cost?