Backpack Safety Checklist for your Child

When it comes to backpack safety for your kids, you need to be wary. Kids’ spines are still developing and if they are carrying a heavy backpack every day, it can cause long-term damage into their adulthood.

Millions of students carry backpacks to school every day to carry books and other materials. It makes sense! Our backs house some of the strongest muscles in our body. However, add food, gym clothes, electronics, and an assortment of other items, the weight can add up quickly. Look at some of these alarming statistics.

• A child’s spine is still developing till age 18!
• Carrying too much weight while the spine is still developing could impair growth and change a child’s posture.
• Heavier backpacks compress the spine and increase curvature.
• At least 90% of children use backpacks every day, and most of them carry backpacks above the recommended weight.
• More than 50% of children reported discomfort when carrying backpacks over 10% of their body weight.

Check Your Backpack

• Padded shoulder straps
• Width of backpack should not exceed width of child’s body
• Height of the backpack: The backpack should begin 2 inches below the child’s shoulders and end around waistline.
• Multiple pockets in the backpack to help evenly distribute weight.
• Heavier items should be closer to the back, lighter items farther away from the back.
• Weight of backpack should not exceed 15% of the child’s body weight (i.e if your child weighs 100 ibs. the heaviest the backpack should weigh is 15 lbs.)