One night I was chatting with my husband after dinner and told him how I was tired of buying cheap kid’s backpacks only because they had Superman/Batman/Ironman on them. They just fall apart and are a waste of money. I told him that I was going to go find some real, well-made backpacks that were like adult backpacks, but sized-down for kids.

The following day I heard from someone at Tom Bihn asking me if I would like to try out their “Ruck’s Sac Smaller Backpack” — a scaled-down version of their backpacks for adults.

Does Tom Bihn have my kitchen bugged?

Well, if they do, it is worth it. They sent one to Eddie (5) and Henry (6) to try out, and the packs are a huge success. My boys instantly loved the chest-strap which they could click together and no longer have to keep tugging at their straps — the pack stays on no matter how crazily they run around or tumble, or wrestle, or fight, or… well you get the idea of what my days are like. (And if your child doesn’t like the strap, it’s easily removable so it doesn’t flop around and bug them.)

In addition, the straps are filled with some sort of gel or very soft material which makes them very comfortable. My oldest is only going into first grade this year, but those of you with older kids and lots of homework and books will appreciate this feature a lot.

The back and bottom of the pack is lined with a firm yet comfortable material which keeps the contents of the pack from poking or gouging their backs, and the multitude of pockets makes my treasure-hunting 6 year old very happy. I’m sure other kids will enjoy that there’s a spot for every pen, notebook, pencil sharpener, library card, and homework, but Henry just loves that he’s got a spot for every single bit of detritus, I mean ‘treasure’ he finds on his daily searches.

Instead of a huge zipper which inevitably breaks or eats a sweater sleeve, there’s just a large opening at the top secured by a drawstring which each of my kids can work by themselves. This means that getting stuff in and out of their packs is easy and complaint-free.

So if, like me, you’re looking for a great back to school backpack for your kids, check out the Ruck’s Sac Smaller Backpack. It is rugged, durable, comfortable, and well-designed to hold all your kid’s gear. Two thumbs-up.