Buying A Backpack That's For Your Child's Back

WJAC TV—Johnstown, Pa.—July 31, 2008

When buying a new backpack, kids might be more focused on what’s “in” this year. But the key word parents should be looking for is “fit”: Backpacks shouldn’t fall lower than a child’s waistline.

"Sometimes I see kids that are just clearly in backpacks that are too big for them. That tends to be the biggest issue. We see small-sized kids with these gargantuan backpacks, but trying them on makes the biggest difference," said Jordan Metzl, M.D., of Hospital For Special Surgery in New York.

However, buying one backpack that fits well one year and then forgetting about it the next might not be an option.

"Kids grow relatively quickly between the ages of eight and 16, and so, what fits one year may not fit well the next year, and so you have to keep your mind and your wallet open for that," Metzl said.