Backpacks for back to school. (Up Front).(Product/Service Evaluation)

Most kids' backpacks can easily hold school necessities. Is one pack better than another, or are they pretty much equal behind the brand name and the price tag?

To find out, we bought a half-dozen moderately priced packs plus a messenger bag, all reported to be hot sellers. We then asked 18 middle-school boys and girls to check them out. We ran lab tests for durability, water-resistance, and other practical stuff to generate the Ratings below right.

The kids didn't favor one backpack over another. But they quickly made it clear that they preferred a traditional backpack to the messenger bag's single-strap design.

WHAT THE TESTS SHOWED

All the backpacks are sturdy enough to withstand daily abuse or a tug-of-war at the bus stop. Water-resistance varies. Most did a good job of withstanding the lab equivalent of a 5-minute shower.

Construction details do matter, to parents if not always to kids. A good pack should have the following features; most of the bags we tested have them:

Shoulder straps that are contoured and padded to soften the load.