Best Kid’s Backpacks for Back to School: Are Pottery Barn Backpacks Worth It?

Disclaimer: This post does NOT contain affiliate links and I do NOT receive any compensation for this review.

As you prepare for the school year, you wonder what backpack is the best for back to school. You wince as images of the heavy abuse that the schoolbag will endure flash through your mind, thinking it probably isn’t worth it to shell out the money for a good quality backpack that is going to be assailed by dirt, mud, rain, leaked pens and leaked lunch sacks. But you also don’t want to get a cheap one whose cheaply made zipper splits open mid-sprint to the bus stop.

There are a multitude of backpacks to choose from. You have backpacks ranging in price and quality, from midrange clothing companies like GAP taking advantage of their brand name reputation, to surf shop brands like Billabong zeroing in on beach vibes and unique patterns, to outdoorsy stores like Patagonia and L.L. Bean producing rugged, expensive, quality backpacks. You have Amazon getting on the bandwagon, with backpacks that fall apart when used only for carrying a folder. You have Jansport, probably the most infamous name among backpacks, and you get what you pay for.

And then there is Pottery Barn, a high end home decor and furniture store.

I am the type of person who, once I find something that is a perfect fit, I stick with it and don’t really vary my decision. I was given a Pottery Barn backpack for my one year old ten years ago, and as I watched it survive a decade of use and abuse, I was convinced that this was the only backpack to buy. A couple years later I got another mini one for our daughter. This is when we had an extremely low budget, but with the free shipping and a discount code and choosing one on the lower price range, I think I paid like $18 total. That backpack is also still alive and kicking. So was it “worth it”? Well, this is why the question does not make sense to me. I paid less than what I would pay on amazon for a cheap backpack that would either stain or tear or fall apart in probably a month, and it has lasted through three little boys and ten years of constant use. It looks used but almost new. I’ve thrown it in the wash a couple times but not too many because I didn’t know if I was supposed to. They have not broken a zipper or a buckle, they have not sustained any stains other than one highlighter explosion which would stain anything

Fast forward to this year and the kids were starting school, and my mom asked if she could get them each something for first day of school slash belated birthday gifts. What do you think I asked for? She got each of them a pottery barn backpack, along with the lunch box and thermos. However, I would have shelled out the money myself because it is definitely worth it. The patterns and really beautiful and unique.