Have You Bought a TCP Backpack This Year?

I've never bought a backpack from Children's Place. I just wanted to tell you that the best time to get good quality backpacks is well into the school year like December or right before the end of it in March/April. That way you can get really good ones on clearance. HTH :)

There have been a few posts about this lately and agree with the recomendations for LL Bean. My understanding is Lands End is as good. My daughter has had her LL Bean backpack since Kindergarten, she is going into 4th grade so has used it every school day and for a few summer camps for 4 years. They hang their bags outside at our school, for the first two years it was in the sun most of the day. Other than a little fading the backpack material has withheld the sun which can be so brutal on fabric. She could still use the backpack again if I made her but she wants a rolling backpack and we will get that from LL Bean. It's funny because several Moms got LLBean for their kids after seeing that my daughters held up so well. We can recognize the same backpacks from year after year and her best friend goes through 2 backpacks a year. My daughter used to drag it on the ground in Kindergarten so I patched a small hole about 3 years ago with colored duck tape. The hole was so small, amazing that it didn't cause the backpack to fall apart and it also did not run fray or get bigger. I know they are more money but spread that out over atleast 4 years and you'll see they are actually a less expensive way to go.

We usually buy our backpacks from Land's End or L.L. Bean....

they are expensive but worth it. we don't have to purchase new backpacks this year...and if my kids don't like it - too bad..

I have never bought a backpack from TCP but I sent my niece to kinergarten last year and her backpack was never full. You might have one small binder, a lunch box, a library book, and a jacket inside and the cutesy ones work just fine for that. If you are going to get the cute backpacks vs a more expensive one, you will probably have to chage it out within a year or two anyway because tastes change, and it should last until then unless the school is sending the kinders home with novels and a set of encyclopedias!

If you plan on using this backpack for multiple years, into the upper grades when the kids have to carry their own text books, then spending the money seems wise, otherwise you can just wait to spend the money in a few years.

I usually buy the cutesie back pack that the kids choose to "go back to school". I have always bought them from Target or Walmart and only ever had one issue. I will usually go back to the store of choice and pick up another backpack / lunch box when they clearance the back to school section. You can get great deals at that time. Ours last all year and are still in good condition when school is over.

L.L. Bean has a LIFETIME GUARANTEE on their backpacks. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/816?nav=gnro
Read about a great experience here: http://ow.ly/5M24x

I always go to an ll bean outlet the backpacks have a life time warranty. Mine is 18 years old and still going it got me through middle school, high school, college and used as a diaper bag. I just got my oldest one. If you look on the website and go to sales you can usually find one for a good price.

The quality IS bad is stores like that. They're super cute, but if you want one that lasts and the the zipper doesn't break a month into the school year, spend the extra $ and get one that could last a few years of school. I second Landsend.com. They have a sale going on $23 is the sale price on a medium bag. LLbean, about $29. The online reviews are all great on these backpacks.