The benefits of ergonomic backpack for your children

What does an ergonomic backpack actually mean? More padding? Adjustable straps? Ergonomic backpacks are designed with flexibility, comfort, but most importantly safety for your children’s back. An ergonomic backpack would encourage your child to stand upright and protect their spine while making it comfortable instead of having the bag straps harshly digging their shoulders and slouching forward.

The spine of children are still malleable at a younger age, it’s important to take care of them so they grow up healthy. Studies show that kids with heavier backpacks experience disc compression, they noticed some lumbar asymmetry, or lower back curvature, leading to lifelong problems. With an ergonomic backpack, you are teaching your kids to carry things carefully and think more about their movements. Another cross-sectional study with 100 kids from two primary schools in Malaysia proved school bag load influenced neck pain, upper back pain, and lower back pain in children. Because of the heavy carry weight, kids are hurting and this can impact their focus and responsibilities poorly along with their spinal health.

Ergonomic backpacks are good for children, but how do we choose the right ergonomic backpack for our children?

Comfort while carrying: An ergonomic backpack will support the child’s spine and shoulders to provide comfort while traveling with textbooks and school supplies. With wide padded straps, ergonomic backpacks will ensure that the child does not feel the weight press into their shoulders painfully. However each child’s spine is different, it’s best to let them choose what feels the most natural to them.
Weight distribution: Ordinary school bags put all the weight on kids' backs, but the ergonomic backpack is made with a design to redistribute the weight across your kid’s back, shoulders, and neck with its good back care system, waist belt or chest belt. Ergonomic backpacks have a special apparatus protecting your kids from spinal injuries, lowering the chance of somebody getting musculoskeletal disorder.
Safety and stability: An ergonomic bag should be fitted and compartmentalized in a way that stabilizes the weight placed within it, as well as providing a belt or hook that secures the bag firmly to the chest to prevent it from sliding left and right.
Light, quality materials: All real ergonomic bags are made with strong yet lightweight materials such as nylon, to reduce the overall weight yet provide structural support to the backpack. Most ergonomic backpacks are further treated to be water resistant, making it easy to clean.

Now that we’ve picked a suitable backpack that children can use, how should we use the backpack to the fullest potential? If you follow the following 6 tips, your child should not complain about an uncomfortable back pain from backpacks ever again.

How to use the ergonomic backpack?

Make sure kids are not using oversized backpacks. Backpacks that go below their hips are unstable and will not provide the appropriate support against the child’s back.
Make sure kids are not using an overweight school bag, as it will cause children to slouch despite the ergonomic backpack. Ensure that the child is not carrying more than 15% of their body weight in their backpack. For example, if a kid is 30kg, their backpack should weigh no more than 4.5 kg.
If there are any excess books that need to be carried, its best to use a hand carry bag in addition to the backpack.
Make sure that the top of the bag is almost level to the shoulder, this will ensure even weight distribution
When you put on your ergonomic backpack use both straps and do not lazily hang it off your shoulder with one strap.
Make sure your backpack does not shake as you walk and tighten the straps if you need to tighten them.
Do not forget to fasten the belt of the backpack when carrying it on your back to make it extra secure and easy to carry.
We don’t realize it, but it’s the minor discomforts that can really affect the rest of our day. By providing children with a comfortable ergonomic backpack, we make going to school less of a burden, having to slouch and slog through each class with an overweight, heavy bag with straps that dig into their skins; resulting in happier and healthier kids.

Take a look at some of our Impact bags in store!

Trade-in your old Impact bag for 20% off your next Impact bag purchase!

Here at Ergoland, we donate all usable old Impact bags to the House of Love Orphanage, so that even less fortunate children can still maintain a healthy back while growing up. Click on the picture to read more about our charity partnership and bag trade-in program!