Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This roller backpack has a thoughtful design and is well worth the listed sale price. My son and I sat here and scrolled through about 25 pages of book bags before landing on this one. I always look at the prices and search for the Free Shipping option when I shop here on Amazon. Of course, my son is looking solely at the colors and the shape, purely making decisions based on appearances. This was one of the only bags that fit both of our criteria. It would have gotten a full 5 star rating if not for a few flaws. This backpack has been in use for a full 2 weeks now, so I feel that it has been enough time for me to give a realistic review based on every day wear and tear. Okay, here is a list of the Pro's and Con's that I have encountered so far in these past few weeks:
PRO'S:
1.This bag is roomy - tall & wide enough for us to haul about 3 hardcover
text books, 10 folders, a pencil case, a poncho, a 3" ringed binder & a few
soft cover library books.
2.The retractable handle pops up & slides down with relative easy.
3.The handle is sturdy enough to pull the weight of the contents without
bending out of shape or becoming contorted (to the point where it will no
longer go back to the "down" position). I mention it because we had this
problem with a book bag last year.
4.There are plenty of useful pockets & compartments both on the interior and
the exterior of the bag. Most of the compartments have zippers, which makes
it easy for my son to keep his things organized and easy to access.
5.You have the option of securing the shoulder straps to the back of the bag,
so they're not flapping around or getting scuffed and dirty on the ground
while you are rolling it. This is another problem we've encountered with
previous bags - the shoulder straps simply hung down & would get tangled in
the wheels & shredded from scraping the pavement every day. This bag has a
big pocket in the back, specifically designed for securing the straps.Smart!
6.Besides the 2 roller wheels, there's actually a whole frame with 2 front
feet on the bottom of this bag. This is a great feature. When my son wants
to go into the bag, he doesn't need to prop it up against the wall. The bag
stands up by itself, allowing him to use both hands to dig around and take
out his books.
7.So far, the fabric seems to be very strong. We've had backpacks fall apart
at the seams, or tear at the bottom from the corners of hardcover books
being thrown inside. The material of this bag is thick and durable.
8.The main compartment has double zippers, which allows you to zip it up or
down from either side. This is a good thing. No matter which side you go to
open it from, there is always a zipper.
9.My son likes the color and the design of this bag - we got the blue and
white plaid version.
CON'S:
1.The zipper on the main compartment has this piping, which I THINK is meant
to "hide" the zipper when the bag is closed. It is almost like a thin flap
of fabric that goes all the way around the top of the zipper track. Well,
when the bag is stuffed full of books, this piping gets in the way. I am
afraid that one day, my son is going to yank it, and the zipper will get
jammed... or worse yet, go off the track and break completely.
2.I would have liked to have a bit more room - deepness wise. The bag is
tall enough, and wide enough from side to side. But from the front to the
back, it's a squeeze for my son to fit everything that he needs to tote
home every day. That is actually a personal preference and not a design
flaw, so I shouldn't really complain.
Overall, this bag is very nice. Every year, I wind up having to purchase new book bags for my kids. I have NEVER had a bag last for more than that 1 year period. With this one, I have high hopes! So far, it seems to be holding up very well. My only concern is that zipper. If this bag can withstand a year's worth of abuse from a 4th grader, I will come back and re-rate it with 5 stars. My kid loves the pattern and the colors. His friends compliment him on the bag and no one else has one like it. It's easy to spot and retrieve from the pile of backpacks when I pick him up from the class. And for the price, the Pro's FAR outweigh the Cons.
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CalPak Grand Stand Rolling Backpack
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