Best Backpacks
For All The Things Kids Carry
Our winners span the following categories:
Now in our fifth year evaluating the best products for a successful school year, we did our homework—and then some. We interviewed students across the country about their needs and their “nice to haves,” spent hours testing products in real life (yes, some highlighters erase better than others), combed through hundreds of reviews and tapped our in-house parenting editors and industry experts. The goal? To find the back-to-school products that are worth your money and actually help make life easier. Because you’ve got enough on your plate…and even more to stuff into that backpack.
How Our Winners Were Chosen
PureWow editors select every item that appears on this page, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story. All prices are accurate upon date of publish. You can learn more about the affiliate process here.
Back-to-school is as hard on parents as it is on kids. Wouldn’t it be nice to know about the best backpacks, lunchboxes and erasable pens ahead of schedule so that you can shop more thoughtfully and invest in products you know will last well beyond winter break? That’s where we come in: We’ve done the homework for you, relying on our in-house family editors and parents and students across the country to tell us what they really need to streamline the school year ahead.
awards
Happy
Jansport
Superbreak Plus
This kid-approved favorite is great for pre-teens, thanks to padded shoulder straps, a side water bottle pouch and an internal laptop sleeve. The durable canvas also holds up well to daily use and everyday stains, such as city grime or food, are quickly spot cleaned, per our testers. Available in 45 different colorways and patterns, it’s a style stand-out that continually gets classroom-cool points from real tweens.
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STATE Kane
Backpack
A repeat winner for a reason, STATE’s Kane backpack can accommodate a variety of items (we fit books, a full-size homework folder, lunchbox and more) without sacrificing quality and style. Better yet, the backpack—which can be spot-cleaned—somehow looks as good as the day we bought it, even after a school year’s worth of wear and tear. A chest strap is a popular add-on; so is the brand-new option to add initials and patches to single-color styles.
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Away Kids Backpack
This colorful, new arrival from Away (the brand best-known for their suitcases) is ultra-lightweight—it weighs less than a pound—and roomy. Made from durable washed nylon, it’s machine-washable, comes with two water bottle pockets and includes a chest strap, which helps kids maintain balance, per the American Academy of Pediatrics. We were impressed by the sturdiness as well as the comfy fit, which at 14 by 11 inches, is great for kids aged 2 to 5.
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Best for Middle School
Best for Elementary School
Best for Preschool
school
the 2025
Best Backpacks
Random-But-Useful finds
Best Lunch Supplies
Best School Supplies
Best Tech
Best Desk Essentials
the 2025
Random-but-Useful Registry Gifts
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PlanetBox’s Rover Stainless Steel lunchbox—which is phthalate-, BPA- and toxin-free—is ideal for parents eager to shed plastic. (It’s also dishwasher-safe) The design is slim, but features plenty of compartments, all of which fit ample amounts of food that stay in place no matter how hard your kid shakes it. The latch was recently reconfigured to be sturdier and was a quick-study for our kid testers after a few practice tries.
Best Stainless Steel Lunch Box
PlanetBox Rover
Lunch Box
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OmieBox Lunch Box is colorful and compact and earns its all-star status for its ability to contain both hot and cold food in one easy-to-carry package. A vacuum-insulated thermos made from durable, BPA-free stainless steel comes included and keeps foods like mac and cheese or soup warm for up to six hours. The thermos is made for tiny hands, while the other compartments offer peak organization.
Best Bento Style
OmieBox Lunch Box
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From the built-in ice pack pocket to the water-resistant exterior, this spill-proof bag (Calpak’s first foray into kids’ lunchboxes) will keep your child’s lunch cool and food tasting fresh. It’s easy to clean thanks to the bag’s heat-welded, wipeable lining, and kids can make it their own with custom charms and a monogramming option. Our parent testers especially loved the exterior pocket for tucking utensils, not to mention the top handle and bag strap.
Best Insulated Lunch Bag
Calpak Kids
Lunch Bag
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Teachers can attest: A snack container is useless if the child can’t open it themself. The Bentgo Kids Snack container is a game-changer, thanks to a single-latch design that makes it easy to open and the dual compartments which keep snacks organized and separate. It also has a secure silicone seal, so you can send everything from apple slices to applesauce.
Best Easy-to-Open Snack Storage
Bentgo Kids
Snack Container
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One of our testers raved that, after years of prepping kid lunches, she found this container—with its vacuum insulation technology—to be the only one that truly kept food warm without getting congealed. The sweat-proof exterior, folding spoon and ultra-wide mouth also earned it popularity points.
Best Hot Food Storage
Thermos Stainless
Steel Food Jar
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Nearly every student we talked to had the Owala water bottle at the top of their back-to-school list, not just for its super cute color combos (Tutti Frutti, anyone?), but for its clever design. The leak-proof lid, wide opening (which makes it easy to add ice) and built-in straw that allows you to sip or swig are all stand-out features. The 16-ounce style promises 24 hours of chill, plus a dishwasher-safe lid.
Best Kid-Approved Water Bottle
Owala Kids Free Sip
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It’s made of stainless steel, it’s durable and it features loads of cute designs (Bluey! Sharks!), but our parent testers love this water bottle for one crystal clear reason: it’s so easy to clean. Not only is it dishwasher-safe, but the hygienically-covered silicone straw is removeable, which minimizes grodiness and makes it a breeze to use and wash daily. It also keeps liquids cool for up to 12 hours.
Best Easy-to-Clean Water Bottle
Thermos Funtainer
Water Bottle
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The kid-friendly designs (everything from dinosaurs to fairies) somehow make food storage fun. Slip them in your lunchbox carrier’s mesh pockets or tuck them right inside that insulated bag. They can be hand washed or wiped clean, and since they’re extremely slim—just a half-inch thick—they take up minimal space in your freezer.
Cutest Ice Packs
Bentgo Reusable
Ice Packs
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This dishwasher-safe food cutter will help make all your Pinterest dreams come true…with minimal effort. Use it on sandwiches, veggies and fruit, even cheese to add a dose of creativity to your child’s schooltime meal. Simply press down, then rock the cutter back and forth to slice through before popping out perfect pieces.
Best Lunchbox Pizzazz
Funbites Food
Cutter
All Hail Cafeteria Convenience
Best Lunch Supplies
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Available in four color themes, this machine-washable set comes with three different sizes so kids can stash all their essentials. Notebooks in the large one, writing tools in the medium size and smaller necessities (like house keys or hand sanitizer) in the littlest pouch.
Most Versatile Pencil Case
Baggu Flat Pouch Set
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Name Bubbles scored high with our testers for their range of designs as well as their stickiness. (One tester reported her set survived countless washes with zero signs of lifting.) The colors stay vibrant over time and selections vary by age with less cutesy choices available for older kids. Affix ‘em to your child’s water bottle, lunchbox...pretty much any item you want to keep out of the lost and found.
Best Name Labels
Name Bubbles
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The students we spoke with were loud and clear: They wanted erasable pens. This retractable offering from Pilot comes in 7 different colors and feels sorta magical: The ink—which is thermo-sensitive and disappears with friction—lifted right up simply by using the pencil-like eraser, which is right on the back end.
Best Mistake-Proof Pens
Pilot Frixion
Erasable Pens
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After third grade, homework starts to really ramp up and kids reported the need for a planner to help them keep track. Ban.do couples the essentials (“month at a glance” pages, writing space to plot weekly to-do’s) with the fun (bonus pages that offer places to doodle, map out wellness goals and more). Stickers are included, as are coloring pages and a double-sided pocket folder for tucking index cards and Post-It note reminders.
Most Fun-Filled Planner
Ban.do Planner
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Available in six different neon colors, these double-ended highlighters are cute and compact. They’re also erasable. Over-highlight while prepping for an exam? NBD. Simply retrace your steps with the color-free end of the pen and any markings quickly lift up for a do-over.
Most Compact Highlighters
Ooly Do-Overs
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Got a child struggling to hold a writing utensil? Designed for ages toddler and up, these ergonomic pencil add-ons—which work for both righties and lefties—offer a “one-size-fits-all” approach for improving comfort and control as kids practice their penmanship. This style in particular teaches the ”tripod” grip and alleviates pain when writing for longer stints.
Best for Aching Hands
The Pencil Grip Original Pencil Grippers
For Schoolwork, Homework And Making It Through The Day
Best School Supplies
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The kids have spoken: They need warm light for working (“it helps me chill out and focus in,” one survey participant noted). This Wifi-enabled lamp allows you to customize more than 50 different light settings to best set the mood. Designed to sit elegantly on a side table or desk, the “reading light” feature is perfect for homework, and it doubles as a rise-to-wake alarm clock. Helpful for the kid burning the midnight oil.
Best Ambiance
Loftie Lamp
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The lumbar support this chair provides is unparalleled, and it’s got an extendable backrest, an adjustable seat height and depth and comes in breathable mesh—all designed to stay flexible and accommodate kids’ daily use. Most importantly, it adjusts as kids grow and provides support and comfort no matter how many hours of use.
Best Ergonomic Desk Chair
Hinomi Zee V2 Kids
Study Desk Chair
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Kids of all school ages need a catch-all. This one, which offers ample storage in the form of six different compartments, can fit a range of things—from pencils to that set of erasable highlighters. Our testers loved the easy-to-grip handle, which makes portability a snap.
Best Supply Caddy
Lalo Supply Caddy
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The kids we spoke with raved about having an oversize wall calendar to quickly see their school year at a glance. This one is affordable and easy to pin up. We especially like the clear organization and color-coding. For example, weekends are clearly marked.
Best Year-at-a-Glance Wall Calendar
Good Tuesday Academic Year Wall Planner
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Have your kids ever talked about homework pacers? We hadn’t heard of them either until students in our poll mentioned them as a must-have. Their pick? This project planner from Poketo, which offers an open-dated format that can accommodate more than 100 projects or assignments, each broken down into concise task lists and monthly and weekly timelines.
Best Homework Tracker
Poketo Project
Planner
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Even in a tech-driven society, sticky notes are still in demand. That’s why we couldn’t stop reaching for this clever set that comes with a variety of shapes for jotting all kinds of reminders and to-dos.
Best Reminder System
Ban.do Sticky Note Folio
To Elevate Your Homework Set-Up
Best Desk Essentials
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At a certain age, access to a computer goes from a “nice to have” to an essential. This particular Chromebook checks all the boxes when it comes to your child’s educational needs and is a workhorse for internet browsing, streaming and more. Featuring a 14” HD touchscreen and a 13-hour battery life, it’s a no-frills model, yet comes with parental controls so you can limit websites and monitor screentime.
Best Computer
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook
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The logistics manager you didn’t know you needed. Depending on the size you choose, this touchscreen digital hub can sit on your countertop or hang on the wall and syncs with Google, Apple and Outlook to generate a visual, color-coded schedule that incorporates chore charts, task lists and more. We love that kids can check off their own to-dos, and even follow along if they can’t read, using the color-coding.
Best Digital Calendar
Skylight Calendar
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For parents on the fence about giving their kid a smartphone, this watch is the next best thing, offering a way to prioritize safety with selective bells and whistles geared toward the 6+ set. Kids can make calls to up to 20 trusted contacts, all of which are parent-approved through the GizmoHub app. This watch also offers GPS tracking, SOS alerts and fitness features, like a step counter and a timer-based jump counter.
Best Smart Watch
Verizon Gizmo
Watch 3
To Keep Your Kid Thoughtfully Connected
Best Tech
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This umbrella is sturdy and holds up well to wind, but the best part is the kid-friendly design detail: It changes color when wet. There are more than 10 different styles to choose from, though we’re partial to the deep see creatures with a great white shark that, in a downpour, totally comes alive.
Best for a Rainy Day
Floss & Rock Color-Changing Umbrella
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Student lockers aren’t going to decorate themselves: This instant camera comes with a built-in selfie mode and automatic flash, and prints vivid, high-quality pics that are ready to hang or pass out to friends. It’s also lightweight and small enough to fit in the front pouch of a backpack.
Best Memory Maker
FujiFilm Instax
Square SQ40
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LaBuBu bag charms are trending, but what kid needs a bag charm that can cost hundreds of dollars? These plush backpack add-ons, which are palm-sized and attached to a keychain, are adorable and affordable. Options range from a baguette to a soccer ball, and are regularly updated and restocked.
Best Backpack Pizzazz
Jellycat Amuseables
Bag Charms
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Our reviewers loved these headphones for kiddos who need to focus (or just like to blast Taylor Swift). This particular set offers noise cancellation and volume limits to protect kids’ hearing (below 85 db is recommended). They also can be both wired and wireless and are extremely comfortable for little ears, per our testers.
Best Kid-Sized Headphones
Puro Sound Labs
PuroQuiet Plus
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Non-goopy convenience is key when it comes to getting your kids to wear sunscreen. This mineral-based formula is a dream to apply, melting into skin with no white residue or streakiness and made with non-irritating, good-for-kids ingredients like aloe water and grapeseed oil. Bonus: It clips straight to your child’s backpack.
Best Sunscreen
Evereden SPF50 Fluid Silk Mineral Sunscreen
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Got a kid you want to keep track of? Or who always loses her stuff? An AirTag works as a tiny and convenient locater that connects with your iPhone or iPad to show you where the item in question is. It’s shareable with up to five people, meaning mom, dad and your caregiver all have the option to follow along.
Best for Keeping Tabs
Apple Airtag
More Stuff We Just Love
Random-but-Useful Finds
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This viral digital calendar and planner is a game-changer for busy families (so, you know, all families). It seamlessly syncs every calendar in your life into one sleek, easy-to-use hub so you can keep track of feedings, appointments, to-dos and that all-important diaper restock (because mom brain is real). We also love that it doubles as a digital photo frame so you can enjoy sweet snaps of baby while staying on top of the chaos.
Best for Staying Organized
Skylight Digital Calendar
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No one warns you about how many outfit changes a baby can require in a single day. That’s where this genius same-day laundry and dry-cleaning service comes in. Just schedule a pickup via the app and let them handle the mountain of onesies. They collect, clean and return—no sorting, folding or stressing required. A total lifesaver and an excellent registry gift.
Best for Piles of Laundry
Rinse Laundry Service
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New parents are so focused on feeding the baby, they often forget to feed themselves. That’s why a takeout gift card is always a hit. It’s thoughtful, practical and guaranteed to be appreciated during those chaotic early days.
Best for Feeding the Parents
DoorDash Gift Card
Trust us, you’re going to want to add these to the list
Random-but-Useful Registry Gifts
Submissions
for the 2026
Happy Kid Awards:
Best for School Days
To submit a product for next year’s awards, email happykidawards@purewow.com and include the following information:
Name & short description of the product (2-4 sentences)
Link (if available)
Photos
Pricing/availability
Launch date (While we focus on products launched after Aug. 1 2025, we accept submissions of brands’ tried-and-true bestsellers as well.)
Our submission period runs from February 1, 2026 to April 20, 2026. There is no cost to enter a product for awards consideration, though we may ask to receive up to three samples to have families test and provide feedback on. If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to email our team.
credits
Writer: Rachel Bowie
Editors: Jillian Quint, Candace Davison
Managing Editor: Catrina Yohay
Designer: Dasha Burobina
Check out our previous award winners and our awards guidelines here.
awards
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How cute is this little guy, who doubles as both a standard- and jumbo-sized pencil sharpener? Make a mistake? The nose is secretly an eraser. Plus, the oversize box collects all the shavings so you don’t have to dump with every sharpening session.
Most Versatile Pencil Sharpener
Faber-Castell Ladybug
Pencil Sharpener
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Lefties have been complaining for years—it sucks to have a spiral binding on the same side as your wrist. That’s why a top spiral notebook is a dream, no matter your dexterity. This pastel notebook set features high-quality lined paper in a 6"x9" size, with perforated pages and a line down the middle designed to easily organize your shorthand.
Best for Lefties
Alitte Steno
Spiral Pads
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Even middle schoolers want markers, according to our student survey. That’s why this 16-marker set from Scentco—enhanced with fragrances like mango and pineapple—is the perfect thing to stuff in their pencil pouch. The ink is washable and the scent is elevated, not obnoxious. In fact, it really does smell like the real deal, providing a dose of fun for any note-passers or color-coders.
Best for Doodling
Scentco Markers
Best for School Days — 2025
Happy
kid
awards
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After third grade, homework starts to really ramp up and kids reported the need for a planner to help them keep track. Ban.do couples the essentials (“month at a glance” pages, writing space to plot weekly to-do’s) with the fun (bonus pages that offer places to doodle, map out wellness goals and more). Stickers are included, as are coloring pages and a double-sided pocket folder for tucking index cards and Post-It note reminders.
Most Fun-Filled Planner
Ban.do Planner
BUY IT
Available in six different neon colors, these double-ended highlighters are cute and compact. They’re also erasable. Over-highlight while prepping for an exam? NBD. Simply retrace your steps with the color-free end of the pen and any markings quickly lift up for a do-over.
Most Compact Highlighters
Ooly Do-Overs
buy it
Got a child struggling to hold a writing utensil? Designed for ages toddler and up, these ergonomic pencil add-ons—which work for both righties and lefties—offer a “one-size-fits-all” approach for improving comfort and control as kids practice their penmanship. This style in particular teaches the ”tripod” grip and alleviates pain when writing for longer stints.
Best for Aching Hands
The Pencil Grip Original Pencil Grippers
