The Right Backpack Is a Health Necessity

One of the most important items to purchase for any child at just about any school age is a quality and safe backpack to carry all their gear.  Dr. Benjamin Roye, Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Manhattan, suggests that parents consider function over fashion when choosing a backpack for a child. 

“Some of the new, stylish bags are not necessarily the safest,” remarked Dr. Roye.  “The key to selecting the right backpack for kids is keeping the ratio of the weight of the backpack with the books in line with the weight of the child so that there is less of a burden on their spine and joints. Ideally, the backpack should be no more than 15% the weight of the child. To figure out how much that is, simply multiply the weight of your child by 0.15.”

Other backpack buying tips that Dr. Roye suggests:

• Check the number of straps.  Backpacks with two straps distribute the weight of the bag more evenly, placing less stress on the shoulders.

• It is also preferred that a backpack have a strap that goes around the child’s waist to balance the backpack’s weight between the shoulders and hips.

• Backpacks with wheels place almost no stress on the back and are therefore preferable to standard backpacks.

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