Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Kids Kids Deluxe Backpack

Great back pack, great size and quality. I bought a backpack over 20 years ago and decided to replace it with the most similar one I could find. I am happy with my purchase.

We replaced my daughter's bookpack with the same one just different color. These backpacks are built to last. The only reason we replaced the other one was due to her staining it, otherwise I can confidently say that she could have used it another whole year plus some. Perfect for highschool, very roomy, durable, nice looking, water resistant, very functional.

Good design, nice quality, priced right. Great overall!

Great backpack. It's durable, comes in many colors, and this is a great size for middle and high school kids. The last bag lasted about 6 years, so we were definitely going to purchase it again.

Love these backpacks. All of my kids have had this backpack through out the years. I got my older daughter this backpack when she was 8 years old and she is 25 now and uses it to carry her babies toys around with her! My recent purchase was two more of these backpacks for my younger children. They feel like the same awesome quality! Back to school must have!

Absolutely love the water bottle pockets! Fantastic upgrade!

This replaced the identical LL bean backpack that I had for 20 years- that says it all!!

There are three product specifications for this Deluxe Book Pack that are key: the compact dimensions 17"H x 13"W x 9.5"D, the generous 32L capacity, and the lightweight 21 ounces. Compare that to my famous brand "flight bag" that is limited to 28L, weighs 3 lbs, and can't crush down to fit a luggage testing box. If lightly and adroitly packed, this Deluxe Book Pack, originally designed for students, can actually pass as an under-seat "personal item" on really cheap flights that ban overhead luggage. Where the 32L for just 21 ounces of weight come into real play, however, are when I book a transpacific flight with a near-draconian 15 lbs limit, and where that is a combined limit for BOTH my overhead luggage AND my "personal item". I just can't satisfy a weight limit like that by using a roll-aboard which starts at 6 lbs empty. No where else can I find any bag, with reasonable levels of durability that hits the ball out of the park with 32L and costs just 21 ounces of my total weight budget. Plus, it looks great on the outside, and the only interior sign of weight-saving efforts is dropping a lining (the single layer nylon Kodra is plenty touch and water resistant without a lining) and skipping any foam padding beyond the generously padded back panel. Plus, I like the "natural" low-sheen nylon body - unlike canvas finished nylon or polyester, natural finish panels don't act like magnets for pet fur. Here are the features I find most helpful, and a couple of areas where I would like to see improvements: + There is no mesh back panel, no mesh on the shoulder side of the shoulder straps. Yes, I put this down as an advantage, because an occasional wipe down with a wet hotel face cloth will remove any residual sweat that transferred from me to the bag (no soap please, to keep from gumming up the rain repellent treatment). + "rain flaps" over the zippers for the main and secondary full width/height compartments. These both help keep contents dry, and make pilfering harder. Ditto for the dual zippers on the main, secondary, and external pouch compartments - I can twist tie or carabiner they together to also deter pilfering, especially when napping on a city-to-city bus. + "regular" instead of "reverse coil" zippers on the pouch and flat compartments. No rain flaps here, so a lot of makers would flip the zippers inside out so that the fabric backing strip ostensibly keeps rain out. Problem is, inside out zippers don't wear well, so while it is a cool short term strategy, long term durability suffers. + Dual mesh water bottle slots. LLBean uses more durable (thicker) mesh than a lot of other bags I have. + - (plus and minus) Finally, a laptop slot. However, whoops! for not sewing the bottom shut 1" above the upadded floor so my laptop won't hit the floor everytime I set the bag down. Instead, I have to fold an old bubble shipping envelope into a U to hold and cushion the bottom of my laptop. (No, I'm not going to waste weight on a Neoprene zipper case.) + Most 8" class tablets will easily fit in the exterior pouch's drop slot, but sit just a little too high to secure the Velcro patch. With slightly more effort, you can get an 8" or so tablet to fit the frontmost flat panel, but I wouldn't stow it there since I'm counting on a watchap in the zipper pouch to cushion the tablet, and there's no room in the flat slot to add cushioning. Finally, if you are adroit and patient, some 8" tablets will fit into the interior velour lined phone zipper pouch. + The grab handle is lightweight, just some webbing that looks the same width as the waist strap, but it gets the job done, and is actually more comfortable than a narrower, but padded, grad handle on some of my other bags. The negatives are two. One can be easily fixed, and the other is an "audience" intrinsic limitation. - The laptop slot panel needs to be sewn closed 1" above the floor of the pack, to limit hard contacts of laptop with floor. This is do-able. - I prefer a sternum strap, since shoulder straps migrate out of place and get uncomfortable. LLBean, I'm pretty sure, will never add a sternum strap for two reasons: first, this is truly a minimalist pack and a sternum strap doesn't exactly fit in with that mission; it's not necessary a cost issue, I have more expensive day packs that forego sternum straps, and some cheap ones that not only include a sternum strap but also mold a rescue whistle into it as well. Second, this is aimed at students, and anything that could catch in a bus door or loop onto a door knob and cause a fall is probably carefully reviewed for usage and benefits. My guess is students wouldn't use a sternum strap anyway. At least we got the waist strap, which can both take weight off the shoulders, and stabilize the pack in general. (Plus, I use mine to clip my bag to an arm chair so it can't be grabbed away so easily.) There's only one "negative" for this bag in terms of students. It's really large, and enables students to overload themselves. If a student has to carry a lot of books, they need wheels on whatever bag they use, even the 24 Liter Original Book Pack might be too large if faced with heavy text books.

All of my kids have this amazingly sturdy and durable backpack. Classic design makes it timeless. We love it!

Your bookpacks not only look good but are durable and last forever. I have bought these for my 3 children and am now buying for my grandchildren. The pockets on the sides are a much needed feature according to my middle schoolers.

Love the bags so much!! Always order these for my kids.

Really nice and very spacious. Jonathan loves it so much.

Love it! My sin loves his new monogrammed backpack.

My son had the Original Bookpack from kindergarten to 9th grade. Now he has a heavier course load, we decided to upgrade him to the Deluxe Bookpack. He loves it. It is much bigger than the Original Bookpack, so he can carry the Macbook Air, folders and binders. This bookpack has large/deeper beverage holders then the Original Bookpack as well.

Tough and lasting. Roomy for all your things. Well made!

Great quality!!!!!! Love the 2 zippers on main pockets! My son and I both have one. I'm a teacher and he's a student.

My kids love their new book bag. Great colors, size

Lots of room for books, supplies and computer, water bottle fits too

I love my backpack. They make a great quality backpack for all needs. Getting it monogrammed makes it special. Thanks L.L. Bean.

Great backpack! Very sturdy and nice-looking. Perfect for my 4th grader

Have been buying this item for years! washable, and wears like iron. My grown children now buy them for their kids!

Bought the exact one 20 years ago. Same great quality today!

This Book Pack is so nice. Pretty color. Lots of space. Very sturdy material. Plenty of pockets. My daughter says its comfortable to wear on her back. It was a nice touch to be able to have her name embroidered on it. Def recommend this bag.

My son loves it. It's his 3rd bag ( we still other 2)

My son loves it! He's in 4th grade and will most likely use it till high school.