The roomy main pocket includes a padded sleeve that can fit a 15-inch laptop a small zippered pocket at the top of the backpack can hold a smartphone (or another small item, like a wallet). The no-nonsense pack’s padded back with mesh lining, contoured padded straps, adjustable sternum strap, and tuck-away waist belt all help to make the backpack comfortable to carry. If you like the L.L.Bean Original Book Pack but need something larger: The L.L.Bean Comfort Carry Laptop Pack is a 28-liter backpack that works well for tweens and up. Monogramming is available for $12 (up to 12 letters). The main compartment has only a padded laptop sleeve (our 13.3-inch laptop could easily fit into both the medium and large backpacks) and two open pockets the bag’s front zippered pocket also lacks any dedicated panel for school supplies or other special pockets. Unlike our main picks, however, the Crate & Kids backpack doesn’t offer much in the way of internal organization. Both the back of the pack and the straps are padded, and the straps have daisy chains for attaching decorations. The Crate & Kids pack has two side water-bottle pockets that are made from the same polyester shell as the rest of the backpack, with an elastic cinch at the top. They have wider metal teeth than zippers on any of the other backpacks we tested, and therefore they’re potentially less likely to get caught on, say, a child’s sweater. The zippers are among the most noticeable features on the Crate & Kids pack. This line features dozens of colorful designs-including astronauts, a cheetah print, lightning bolts, and sharks-that should appeal to younger kids. If you want an attractive backpack with a zipper that won’t catch (and you don’t mind the lack of interior compartments): In 2022, Crate & Kids launched a new line of kids backpacks in three sizes: a small Crate & Kids 6-liter backpack (for preschoolers), a medium Crate & Kids 11-liter backpack (for early elementary-school kids), and a large Crate & Kids 18-liter backpack (for older elementary-school kids).

Outward backpacks