Do you know what to look for in a backpack? Now that your child has to carry a heavy load of books and other supplies back and forth from school, you need to think about buying her a back friendly pack. She of course wants a backpack in cool colors and you want her to have an ergonomically sound backpack that will last her for years.



This time you need to stand your ground. Let her choose a color from among the choices the company offers but she must have a back friendly pack. Pediatricians and parents are reporting an alarming increase in complaints of back, shoulder and neck pain, sometimes accompanied by reports of numbness and tingling in the hands and arms, which cannot be attributed to any injury or disease, other than too heavy or improperly worn backpacks.

The backpacks we see on most kids are not back friendly. The shoulder straps are narrow and not padded, which can put pressure on the nerves in the back, which can cause the tingling problems mentioned. There is no padding allowing the pack to bounce against the back as the child walks, also there is no anchoring system which also contributes to the bouncing which can cause repetitive impact injury to the back.

When you are shopping for your daughter's back pack, look first for wide padded straps and a padded back in the bag itself, at the very least, it should have a waist belt which stabilizes the load and prevents it from shifting or bouncing. There are backpacks that offer additional protection, such as chest belts and side straps. The chest and waist belts put the weight bearing on the two strongest muscle systems in the body, the abdominal and back muscles.

Also look at the warranty. Some of the best backpack retailers offer lifetime warrantees. So ten years from now if a zipper breaks you can send it to the company for repair or replacement. No questions asked. One manufacture is using mini frames in the backpacks to help stabilize the load and reduce pressure on the user's back. Obviously these packs cost more than the standard backpacks you get in a department store. And yes the extra features are well worth the increased cost, when you put it up against, the risk of possible damage to your child's back and the cost of buying a new backpack every year.

There is more than one company that offers back friendly packs and have the repair or replace warranty, and all of the safety features, so shop around until you find the backpack you and your child can live with. Do a web search for back friendly backpacks, safe backpacks or ergonomic back packs and you will get dozens of sites to buy your backpack from, and links to articles bout back friendly back packs. Also look search for wholesale backpacks, you can save mega bucks buying from a wholesaler.

Just remember that not all wholesalers will sell a single unit, especially to a non-retailer. Now that you know what to look for in a backpack, all that remains is to decide how much you want to spend and what level of protection you can afford.