Review: Little Kid Backpack by Dante Beatrix

The countdown has begun in our house to September. This is when Nadia, my very spirited 2 year old, will begin going to “preschool” twice a week. I love her madly, but I can’t WAIT until the first day that I get to drop her off and enjoy 2 ½ blissful Nadia-free hours. Not just because it will give me a break from her incessant questioning and trouble-making, but I’m also looking forward to the alone time that I will then be able to have with Isaac, my very sweet 6 month old. Of course, what preschooler can start her first day of school without a new backpack? I’ve checked out several, but the one that I think I like the most is the Little Kid Backpack by Dante Beatrix.

We’ve been giving the new backpack a good workout. Nadia, while she’s adventurous in some ways, is a little hesitant to try new things and doesn’t like change, so, it took her awhile to be convinced that she was going to like her new backpack as much as the mesh Tinkerbell one her aunt and uncle gave her to use as her pool bag. Once she realized that her new backpack was just her size, she has taken it everywhere.

The smaller size is one of the top reasons why I love this Little Kid Backpack so much. With the straps on the smallest setting, it is just the right size for her right now. It fits on her back perfectly and is definitely made for a toddler. There’s plenty of room in the straps for her to grow into it as well.

While the backpack feels incredibly durable, it's also very light which is important. Nadia loves stuffing things in it, so the fact that the backpack doesn't contribute much to the overall weight that she chooses to lug around is important. I also like that the backpack only has one pocket that closes with a zipper. I know, I know, with diaper bags and purses, we’re always looking for extra pockets to stow stuff away, but with a toddler, it’s nice to put everything in one pocket and be done. The zipper means that nothing is falling out, either. With Nadia’s swim bag, the top closes with a drawstring, and I was forever picking up stuff as she dropped it while carrying it upside down.

Finally, the interior of the bag was the perfect size for packing for airplane travel. I got about a dozen paperback books into it, but wasn’t tricked into packing the taller hardback books that Nadia loves because they just wouldn’t fit. I put in a little bag with stickers and crayons, a pouch full of miniature choking hazards which she loves, and her two best friends, tadpole and tadpole, and we were off. I couldn’t fit much else in the bag which was perfect. She had plenty to do, I didn’t pack too much, and she was still able to carry the bag on her back.

Now for the official review…

Function **** - A great toddler-sized backpack. It fits my 2 year old perfectly and is just the right size for long trips as well as for taking to school. I love that it has a zipper and not a drawstring so that her stuff stays inside. The back panel and the straps are padded which makes it extra comfortable for Nadia as well. Finally, the backpack is also made from a very easy to clean nylon which I think looks so much better than vinyl or plastic.

Style **** - The Little Kid Backpacks come in 10 different adorable creatures from the Maakun Forest. I like that the design of each is very simple and most are non-gender specific. There are also no cartoon characters that she will grow bored with over time. The newest version of the Little Kid Backpacks are furry. They have faux-fur sides and straps and come in three different patterns. There’s Droolie the puppy, Jean-Pierre the squirrel and Furry Fei-Fei the panda. They are really stinkin' cute.

Cost *** - This category is always sort of a gray area for me. At $38, I don’t feel like this bag is a steal, nor is it outrageously expensive. Yes, you can buy a backpack at Target for around $15, but not one as functional for a toddler or as cute. I'm not expecting to buy her a new backpack every year at this price, but I do believe that the backpack is of such high quality that I won't have to.

Overall Rating ***½ - A very cute, functional and well-made product. We’re already getting plenty of use out of it, and Nadia hasn’t even started school yet!