Happy Kid Awards: Best for School Days 2026 — PureWow Happy Kid Awards: Best for School Days 2026

Best backpacks

For All the Things Kids Have to Carry

Our winners span the following categories:

Now in our sixth 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 backpack keychains are more crowd-pleasing 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.

Between bus routes, teacher assignments and those pesky back-to-school shopping lists, there’s a lot for parents to figure out this time of year. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what’s worth buying before you start filling your cart? That’s where we come in. We’ve done the homework for you, tapping editors, parents and students across the country to find the products that can truly survive the school year—and maybe even bring a little joy to those geometry lessons.

awards

Happy KID

L.L. Bean Original Book Pack

Now available with an expanded color palette, this guy is known for high-quality construction and a no-frills yet roomy design. We were impressed by how well it holds up throughout the school year, as well as the practical details (reinforced shoulder straps, weatherproof nylon) and affordable price.

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State Bags Kane Backpack

This beloved backpack wins year after year for a reason: It’s durable, stylish and fits a heck of a lot. Folders, library books, a kid’s lunchbox, school art projects–you name it. Though it’s spot-cleaning only, we’ve found the bags hold up well to wear and tear, plus we love the rotating range of patterns and colorways.

BUY IT

Moonkie Hug & Go Toddler Backpack

This toddler-sized backpack is not only lightweight, it comes with a detachable cuddly friend to aid with separation anxiety. (Kids can choose from a dinosaur, moose, elephant and more.) It’s also sized to fit a selection of preschool essentials such as a change of clothes, snacks, a water bottle and small toys.

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Best for Middle School

Best for Elementary School

Best for Preschool

Best LUNCH SUPPLIES

Best dressed

best desk essentials

best backpack bling

best tech

best school supplies

Best for School Days 2026

BEST BACKPACKS

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A good carrier that supports baby and your lower back is hard to find. This one comes with four different positions (inward-facing, outward-facing, back carry and hip carry) and is designed to ergonomically hold baby from birth to 48 months. The breathable comfort and easy-to-adjust back straps are what our parent testers raved about. It also comes with a pocket to hold on-the-go essentials…by which we mean your phone.

Best Baby Carrier

Ergo Baby Omni Deluxe All-in-One Baby Carrier

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For parents boarding planes, trains and automobiles, the Maxi-Cosi Romi is a portable no-brainer. Weighing just over 9 pounds, it’s one of the lightest convertible car seats available and boasts easy installation and airplane certification (meaning it’s FAA-approved). Per our parent testers, it’s narrow enough to fit on most airlines’ seats without cramping other passengers.

Best Travel Car Seat

Maxi-Cosi Romi 2-in-1 Convertible Car Seat

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Ergonomically designed and built to accommodate babies up to 29 pounds, this self-rocking design keeps baby happily entertained and takes up practically no room. Once your infant is sitting up and walking unaided, simply turn the fabric seat around and use it as a comfy children’s chair.

Best Bouncer Seat

Baby Björn Bouncer Bliss

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This freestanding, sustainably made gate can be converted into multiple configurations to suit your space. It’s also portable and easy to take apart and reassemble should you want to move it from the playroom to Grandma’s house. But it was the child-safe (yet parent-friendly) “door” latch that stood out to our testers: simple to open and no fingers pinched.

Best Baby Gate

Harppa Grovi Playpen

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Our editor and parent testers continually come back to Nanit, not just for its screen clarity, but also for the sleep insights–everything from the number of wake-ups to coughing fits gets tracked. Separate accessories—such as the stand-alone monitor—expand the ways you can use it.

Best Baby Monitor

Nanit Smart Baby Monitor System

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The latest generation of this editor favorite comes with all the bells and whistles—a five-point harness you can do and undo with one hand, an all-steel frame and impact-absorbing foam side protection, the flexibility to use it both backwards and forward-facing from birth through 65 pounds. But it’s the quality and comfort that make it a stand-out for our testers; it just feels like something you’d want to sit in for long periods of time.

Best Car Seat

Nuna Rava Next Convertible Car Seat

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Walk past the school drop-off line and you’ll see Jellycat charms on backpacks everywhere, regardless of grade. The oversize offerings are playful and fun, featuring cheeky designs ranging from sushi to a lucky shamrock. The collection is refreshed regularly; just be sure to snap up any new releases quickly as they tend to sell out fast.

Best Plush

Jellycat Bag Charms

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Whether your kiddo is rooting for the Knicks or the Cubs, collabs with the NBA and MLB put these charms in a league of their own. Our testers appreciated how easy they are to clip onto backpacks and take off when the time comes.

Best Team Spirit

Super Smalls Bag Charms

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We’re so here for this assortment of ugly-cute characters and the effect they seem to have on kids who have tired of Labubus. Gift your child a “blind” bag, and it’s a fun surprise as to what keychains are inside.

Best Sense of Humor

Fuggler Collectible Keychains

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These ultra-soft crib sheets are made from a highly breathable viscose from bamboo. They’re also temperature regulating, so you don’t have to swap them out, based on the season. The cute patterns are what won them our vote.

Best Crib Sheets

Keababies Isla Fitted Crib Sheets

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These ribbed footie PJs are more than just soft and cozy, they’re designed to grow with baby, up to age nine months (though they somehow feel roomy enough to extend the wear beyond that). Made from a combination of bamboo, organic cotton and elastane, they’re designed with thoughtful details like a two-way zip, fold-over scratch mitts and a zipper safety tab, as well as a charming color palette.

Best Footie PJs

Mori Baby Ribbed Pajamas

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This repeat winner puts a priority on quality and longevity. With a universal size that fits babies from 2 months to 2 years, the Woolino Sleep Bag is an investment worth making. And since it’s made from merino wool, which is soft and ultra-breathable, it allows you to stress less about temperature regulation and use the same sleep sack year-round.

Best Sleep Sack

Woolino 4-Season Sleep Bag

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This charming series riffs on Goodnight Moon with a minimal tableau of familiar objects and a gentle rhythm where the reader says goodnight to each item as the sun goes down. In signature Jon Klassen style, there’s plenty of peculiarity and whimsy to spur laughs and tap into baby’s imagination.

Best Bedtime Book

'Your Places' Box Set by Jon Klassen

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This damage-free design blocks 100 percent of light as it streams in, and the adaptable fit means the curtains accommodate a range of window sizes and are just as easy to hang up as they are to take down (no tools required). Plus, they’re lightweight and packable, so you can take them on the road to keep sleep routines consistent.

Best Blackout Curtains

Otterspace Total Blackout Curtain

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A good night’s sleep is the ultimate mission, and our testers appreciated the Velcro closure on this guy which is silent and designed for minimal disturbances while baby slumbers. They also like how easy it is to take on and off: Zip the bottom, fasten the top—no fancy wrap techniques required.

Best Swaddle

MomCozy Easy Swaddle Wrap

A Little Flair Never Hurt Nobody

Best Backpack Bling

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A pencil that hardly ever needs to be sharpened? Definitely a winner. The soft-touch barrel offers a better grip for small hands, and our testers liked the ability to achieve different line weights. Bear down for a bolder face; use a lighter touch if you plan to erase it later.

Coolest Pencils

Ooly Write-On Graphite Pencils

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The smooth glide, the jet black ink—putting pen to paper has never been easier. The ink dries quickly and doesn’t smear, and these pens are also just really fun to write with, according to our reviewers.

Best Pens

Sharpie S-Gel Pens

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This spacious, durable pencil case comes in a huge range of colors and patterns and is roomy enough for pens, pencils, markers, erasers and more. Personalize it for an extra cost to keep it out of the lost and found.

Best Pencil Case

Crate & Kids Soft Pencil Case

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Cheeky and fun, these erasers are also easy to grip: Hold the green, rub with the pit. Tuck a few into your kid’s pencil pouch, and they’ll last the entire year.

Best for Mistakes

Hilaza Avocado Erasers

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With cover designs that range from serious to silly, the college-ruled paper in these notebooks takes well to pencil and pen. They also lie flat for both righties and lefties. (Our left-handed students complained about notebooks that dig into their hands.)

Best for Note Taking

Decomposition Notebooks

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Made from waterproof vinyl, these labels—which are easily affixed to clothing tags, water bottles, even shoes—last through countless rounds in the laundry, dishwasher and microwave. Once you’ve made an initial order, you can also re-up with a “half-order” if you don’t need a brand-new set every September.

Best Lost & Found Prevention

Name Bubbles

For Schoolwork, Homework and Making It Through the Day

Best School Supplies

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This water bottle has gotten our seal in the past, and it's easy to see why. Available in both 16- and 24-ounce sizes, it’s leak-proof and offers up to 24 hours of cold. But the best part is the sip flexibility: Drink from a straw or tip it back and hydrate from a larger opening, perfect for guzzling.

Kid-Favorite Water Bottle

Owala Kids Free Sip

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This insulated water bottle disassembles into four separate parts—the cap, straw, base and sleeve—which can all be popped into the top shelf of the dishwasher. It also keeps cold beverages chilled for up to 24 hours and features a slimmer design for small hands.

Best Easy-to-Clean Water Bottle

HydroFlask

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Colorful prints and familiar character options make this Bento-style lunchbox a kid favorite, and our testers loved the ability to easily separate food into compartments. It’s also dishwasher-safe, leakproof and BPA- and PFA-free.

Best Lunchbox for Little Kids

Bentgo Lunch Box

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For little people who want larger servings, this lunchbox fits it all: There’s space for a main entrée and a side, and you can sub in the 12-ounce thermos for a dish that’s served hot. An ice pack comes included and is easily tucked beneath the tray without adding extra bulk.

Best Lunchbox for Big Kids

OmieBox UP

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These DIY design tools make it easy to turn a plain old PB&J into the shape of a heart, star or mouse. Simply tamp down like you would a cookie cutter to create the initial shape, then press down with the inner mold.

Best Lunchbox Surprise & Delight

Savoy Chef B’Wiched Sandwich Cutter and Sealer

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When it comes to after-school snacks for kids, is there anything more convenient (or delicious) than Kraft Mac & Cheese cups? It’s easy, cheesy and ready in minutes.

Best After-School Snack

Kraft Mac & Cheese Cups

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This pantry staple delivers delicious flavor kids just can’t get enough of, along with the convenience you’ll appreciate as parent. Whether it’s for lunchtime, after-school or a quick car snack on the way to soccer, you’ll be happy you had these on hand.

Best Mealtime Grab & Go

Capri Sun Fruit Punch

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For those chaotic, low-energy mornings, Lunchables are the ultimate go-to since they eliminate the hassle of lunch prep entirely. (Just toss one in your kid’s backpack, plus a piece of fruit, on your way out the door.) These guys are also packed with protein—and the fun part is that kids get to assemble their meal however they want.

Best Last-Minute Lunch

Lunchables Turkey & American

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This compact, dishwasher-safe snack container is made from stainless steel and silicone and features two separate sections that keep everything from touching everything else. Testers especially liked the petite size—it’s the perfect option for a nibble after school, but isn’t so big that it will spoil dinner.

Best Snack Container

PlanetBox Day Tripper

For Cafeteria Convenience

Best Lunch SUpplies

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Parents rave about the smart features and adjustable height of this minimalist desk that’s designed to grow with your kids through middle school and beyond. It features contract-grade materials and comes with a slot for every essential, from an iPad and pencils to notebooks and keepsakes.

Best Desk

West Elm Eva Chen Adjustable Desk

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No matter your child’s age or grade, tape is a homework and crafting essential. This colorful option came up time and time again when we asked kids for their favorite.

Best Tape Dispenser

Ban.do Colorblock Tape Dispenser

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Touch-activated and adjustable, this chic desktop lamp will not only illuminate a late-night study sesh, it also features a built-in wireless 5W charging port (meaning you can set devices down on it to charge). Kids love that it’s touch-activated from the base and easily pivots to different angles.

Best Desk Lamp

Pottery Barn Teen Taylor Wireless Charging Task Lamp

To Elevate Your Homework Set-Up

Best Desk Essentials

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This recently-released Apple device offers premium performance at an affordable price point. And though it’s certainly suitable for any school-related need, our kid testers particularly loved that it easily streams TV shows and handles video calls without glitching out. Meanwhile, parents lauded the ability to create a unique username per kid with screen time limits and website restrictions.

Best Laptop

Apple MacBook Neo

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Our testers appreciated that this set comes with clear volume limitations (a max of 85 decibels) in order to protect young ears even when they’ve got the Olivia Rodrigo blasting. We also like that this Bluetooth-enabled set has a wired option with 20 hours of play time should—panic—it suddenly run out of charge.

Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Puro Sound Labs BT2200-Plus

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This device, which is similar to the Skylight calendar but designed specifically for kids ages 4 to 10, is a great way to improve children’s executive functioning skills. Place it on their desk or bedside table and use it as a virtual chore chart. Parents add the tasks (like after-school soccer practice or a deadline to return library books) through the companion app, and kids can tap a button to check them off.

Best Taskmaster

Skylight Buddy

To Keep Your Kid Thoughtfully Connected

Best TEch

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Available in sizes 18 months to 12 years, this jacket is chic and lasts forever thanks to smart details like welded seams, elastic cuffs and effective waterproofing. In short, it’s designed for extremely active outdoor play.

Best Raincoat

Reima Lampi Rubber Rain Jacket

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The ever-so-slightly weighted hoodie (it’s about 2 pounds) is designed to ward off anxiety thanks to stress balls built into the actual cuffs of the sleeves. Our parent-testers of neurodivergent kiddos reported that this calming pressure really helped keep nerves at bay.

Best for Back-to-School Jitters

Cloud Kids Zip-Up Hoodie

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Featuring a mix of trends and staples, A&F Kids makes it easy to find polished and comfortable clothes that photograph well. From classic button-downs and dresses to elevated basics in soft, kid-friendly fabrics, the brand strikes a balance between timeless style and everyday wearability.

Best Outfits for Picture Day

A&F Kids

For Style and Function

Best Dressed

Submissions for the 2027 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 August 1, 2026, we accept submissions of brands' tried-and-true bestsellers as well.) Launch date (While we focus on products launched after August 1, 2026, we accept submissions of brands’ tried-and-true bestsellers as well.) Our submission period runs from February 1, 2027 to April 23, 2027. 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: Paula Boudes

Check out our previous award winners and our awards guidelines here.

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The high-quality pigment on these dual-tip markers makes them a dream to draw with. Kids love the color range (there’s yellow and peach; hunter and Kelly green) and grownups love the longevity. One tester used hers daily for the better part of a year.

Best for Doodlers

Rifle Paper Co. Marker Set

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This planner delivers a mix of kid-friendly organizational help and date-keeping, along with memory pages, a savings tracker and monthly sticker sheets. It’s 7-by-9 inches, so easily tucks into a backpack.

Best Planner

Erin Condren Kids Planner

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This hands-free pencil sharpener is something that can sit right atop your desk and comes with three sharpness options. Simply pop your pencil in, then watch as it ejects with a perfect point. We love that it’s easy for kids to use on their own and keeps pencil shavings contained.

Best Pencil Sharpener

AFMAT Electric Pencil Sharpener

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