From the beginning of school to graduation, he is the children’s closest friend: the backpack. It offers a good basis for a successful everyday learning life and helps with the organization of the materials your offspring need. But which satchel is best suited for this and what do you have to pay particular attention to? Read on and find out!
Table of Contents
History – where does the satchel come from?
The origin of the satchel lies in the old soldier’s gate from the 17th century. This was a wooden frame on which calfskin was stretched and in which the most important things for military operations could be transported. It had a lot of capacity and was stable – because its load-bearing capacity and resilience were necessary in the training and combat hustle and bustle. Over the years, its form and materials have evolved.
In the 19th century, it was recognized that the special construction of the Tornister was not only suitable for soldiers. The school children also carried books, sandwiches and the like with them every day. So why not package them just as cleverly? So the military backpack became a satchel.
Until the 1970s, the little ones eagerly walked around with the tornister. However, from 1975 onwards, the modern satchel prevailed through the manufacturer Scout. This was made of plastic and offered many advantages – from ergonomics to road safety. But why exactly the new backpack is so superior to the old one, we explain to you in detail.\
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Which satchel is suitable for school?
When wearing backpacks frequently, problems can arise – from back pain to permanent postural errors. This is often due to an inappropriate bag. In order to respond to the needs of adolescents, modern satchels are subject to precise guidelines. These are specified by DIN standard 58124. Among other things, it is determined that the bag may weigh a maximum of 1300 g when empty, so that it does not burden the child’s back too much.
In addition, the standardization of the satchels ensures that children are visible in the dark. To do this, the surface material of each bag must consist of at least 20% fluorescent and 10% retroflective surface. Further regulations apply to waterproof, tear-resistant material and adjustable, padded shoulder straps. This means that your offspring with a DIN-approved satchel takes as few risks as possible – whether on the way to school or through their posture.
Nowadays more and more often to see: the trolley satchel. Due to the fact that it is pulled with its roller frame, not all the load is on the back. But appearances are deceptive: the pullable bags are not suitable for daily needs. Because if they have to go up the stairs, for example.B, the whole weight is in the hands of the child. In addition, the pulling arm is unnecessarily heavily loaded on one side and this damages the back all the more. You certainly want to avoid that. But what do you have to pay attention to if you want to buy a satchel that is good for your child? We’ll explain it to you.
Why is ergonomics important?
Since your child carries the bag around with them about 180 days a year, it should be light on the one hand and ergonomically shaped on the other. More precisely, this means that the weight distribution in the backpack may stress the spine as little as possible. Which satchel helps with this? One that is made of lightweight material and therefore weighs no more than a kilogram when empty. It is also important how and with what the Tornister is filled. But more about that later, just remember now: As little load as possible, as much as necessary.
To ensure that your child has the best conditions for learning, various bag designs will help you. A huge support for the cross offers your offspring a hip belt. These partially shift the weight away from the shoulders and relieve the intervertebral discs. In addition, an ergonomically shaped back cushion is useful, which nestles against the contour of the child. Because as long as the satchel does not slip, incorrect loads can be avoided. Therefore, make sure that the backpack does not move too much during the race through a chest strap.
By the way, we carry a huge selection of school bags in our myplaybox.de online shop. Browse through our assortment and discover the right one for your child!
Organize the satchel
Which satchel is healthy for the back? A structured organized one. Because heavy books should always be carried as close as possible to the cross. As a result, the bag is pulled back less and the spine is relieved. To ensure this, backpacks with inner compartments, which already provide a sorting structure by themselves, will help you. Make it easy for you and your child to pack together and orient yourself on our table.
Even if only the essentials are taken with you every day, the bag can sometimes become very heavy, because all the books bring up the weight. Therefore, look for other options for your child. Does the school offer lockers? Then only notebooks and pens have to be taken. Is there any storage space under the tables? Your offspring can leave the most important materials there. As an extreme alternative, you could invest in a second set of books – one for home, one for school. Together with your darling and the teachers, you will certainly find a solution.
Material and care
It is also worth paying attention to the material of the bag. Because your child does not only run joyfully through the area in the sunshine – sometimes the wind whips, the sky cries and it is still or already pitch dark. That’s why many manufacturers now offer bags made of water- and dirt-repellent fabrics or accessories in the form of flashing lights, neon caps and rain covers. But which satchel is best suited for your child? We list the different materials with their advantages and disadvantages:
Plastic: unsustainable, lightweight, durable, water repellent, ergonomic designs, sturdy
Leather: natural material, heavy, durable, non-water repellent, designs often not ergonomic
Cotton/felt: sustainable, medium-heavy, non-water-repellent, designs partly ergonomic, easy to damage
Which satchel can be cleaned and how?
But what if the backpack does show dirt traces? Is it time to buy the next one? Of course not. Plastic satchels are even relatively easy to clean. It is best to do this in the bathtub so that there is no mess. Shake out the bag first and brush it off to remove the coarse dirt. Then wash the satchel carefully from the inside and outside with hot water, soap and sponge. To dry, it is best to place it in the sun or next to the heater. Also, leave it there for as long as possible so that no moisture remains in the bag when it comes back to school on Monday morning.
However, such washing would only degrease a leather backpack. To keep it supple, you should only rub it with a soft brush and a damp cloth. If you want to be very careful, you can also get special cleaning agent for the material and subsequently grease and polish it again. By the way, during drying, you have to move the fabric so that it does not become stiff.
For cotton and felt bags, a careful hand wash is recommended. Especially with felt, you have to be careful: Use wool detergent and stretch it in shape if it contracts due to the wetness. And with cotton fabric, make sure that it does not stand in the sun for too long, because the color bleaches out due to UV radiation. In general, you should do any cleaning at the beginning of the weekend or during the holidays so that there is enough time to dry. By the way – plastic, leather and cotton bags can be washed up to twice a year. Felt models should go through the process less frequently, otherwise the fabric can be damaged.
Repair: Clever patching of satchels
If the satchel is worn or damaged at some point, it does not have to be a new one. Upcycling offers you the opportunity to make small touch-ups. For example, you can easily fill holes in the hard plastic edges of the bag with a hot glue gun and sew patches over tattered fabric areas.
Even if you have opted for a leather satchel, there are options for you to repair. With the help of a thick needle, some polyester yarn and patches, you can easily sew over cracks. Small scratches on the surface can also be filled with liquid leather. By the way, cotton backpacks are the easiest to patch: With normal sewing accessories and some fabric, a small patchwork product is also created here. With felt, the whole thing is a bit more unusual – take the felt needle and wool aside and fill the annoying hole with careful piercing.
By the way: If you can’t take care of the repair yourself, then some manufacturers also offer their own service for patching and cleaning! However, you should definitely replace the backpack if your child has grown, the straps no longer fit or the base of the satchel sits directly above the coccyx. Because this leads to incorrect loads and can damage the back.
Which satchel has the best design?
There are different models for different tastes: Does your child love horses? Dinosaur? With a quick search you will find a bag on which they romp around. The large selection of motifs can sometimes make the decision difficult. Especially because such preferences are not always maintained for years. As soon as your child is older and attends the further school, he is sure to like simpler designs. Because the brighter the backpack is, the more childlike it looks to many. But as already mentioned, a new satchel does not always have to be found right away. Although this is of course a valid option, you also have that of the DIY procedure.
With this you work yourself with craft materials (for example from our online shop) and transform the conventional backpack into an individual masterpiece. Let your creativity run wild or sew your child’s wishes directly on the satchel under the guidance of a tutorial or freehand. The final product is unique, full of love and an eye-catcher in the schoolyard.
The best backpack for your child is ultimately one to be happy with. Which satchel can do that? One that is creatively designed, does not cause pain to the back and brings great benefits in everyday life through good organization. Let the school time of your offspring become a highlight and respond to the wishes of your favorite if they are not too unusual or a quick change of opinion is foreseeable!
