Buying a school bag: 10 tips for the purchase
Are you looking for a suitable satchel for your child? You can read here what you should pay attention to when buying and which details are important. We have put together 10 tips for you to help you choose a good satchel.
Buying a school bag: Pay attention to the seal of quality
In Germany there is the DIN standard 58124 for satchels, which stipulates, for example, how heavy a satchel may be when empty or that ten percent of the outer surfaces must be covered with reflectors. You can tell whether a satchel meets these requirements by the TÜV seal or the sign for tested safety (GS). In addition, the consumer magazine Öko-Test regularly puts school satchels through their paces.
Would you like to know which school bags are recommended? On vergleich.Momasquad.de you will find the satchel test winners at Stiftung Warentest .
Buy school satchels: Reflectors on the satchel
The reflectors on the satchel are designed to ensure that your child is seen by drivers and other road users in the dark. Make sure that they are attached on all sides so that your child can move as safely as possible in traffic. A bright, colorful and eye-catching pattern on the satchel also contributes to road safety. We have more tips for road safety for your child here for you.
Does the satchel fit?
If you want to buy a satchel, you should take some time and seek advice from a specialist shop. Your child should try on as many different models as possible before you decide. A satchel is like a pair of shoes: it has to fit perfectly and not pinch. Make sure it doesn’t stick out to the side past your shoulders. It should end at shoulder height on the back of the neck.
Wide shoulder straps when having a satchel are important
The straps on a good satchel should be about an inch wide and well padded. It is also important that your child can adjust them steplessly. After the next growth spurt, the satchel should still fit. Make sure the straps aren’t too close to your neck and digging in, or too loose and slipping off your shoulders.
Check lid and closure
Above all, the closure of the lid flap on the satchel is a part that is heavily used. Your child will open and close the school bag many times a day. Therefore, take a close look to see whether the closure looks stable and resilient and is still easy to open and close. The flap should also be able to be opened far to the rear so that it does not close again immediately if your child does not hold it.
Note the back of the satchel
Also take a close look at the back of the satchel. It should be stable so that heavy books in the satchel cannot press against your child’s back. Good, anatomically shaped padding is also important so that the satchel lies comfortably on your child’s back.
How heavy can the satchel be?
Make sure that the school bag does not weigh more than 1.2 kilograms without its contents. If you add books, a drinking bottle and a pencil case, the satchel quickly becomes too heavy. According to the recommendations of doctors and TÜV experts, a satchel with its contents should not weigh more than 10 to 15 percent of your body weight. So if your child weighs 20 kilograms, the satchel should weigh no more than two to three kilograms.
Note the material of the satchel
Leather or heavy fabric satchels are not particularly well suited to first graders. It is best to choose a model made of lightweight plastics and synthetic fibers. Not only are they unbeatable in terms of weight, they are usually also waterproof and more robust than other fabrics. The satchel can now and then get a little rain or dirt in the schoolyard without the contents being damaged or the satchel wearing out or breaking.
Long-term attractive design
Of course, the visual impression is also crucial. The pattern should be child-friendly, but not too playful, because your child is supposed to wear the satchel for a few years. Cute little bears or cuddly bunnies might be okay in first grade, but by third grade your child might find it pretty “uncool”. Discover trendy school bags from littlehipstar now and benefit from the exclusive 9% voucher “Momasquad9” for purchases of €150 or moreadvertisement.
Does your child like the satchel?
Your child should have the last word when buying a satchel. Maybe you can make a small pre-selection with suitable satchels, but in the end your child has to feel comfortable with it. Even if a bright and colorful satchel would not have been your choice, your child may like it better than the plain blue model.
Does your child want a school backpack instead of a satchel? Here we have put together all the advantages and disadvantages of the school backpack for you .