The bag that has to last until June

Term starts, and most of the list is forgettable — another glue stick, another set of pens. The backpack is the exception. It gets carried every day, in every weather, and it either holds up or it doesn't. The 3493601 is built for the long haul, with a frame that adjusts as the wearer grows, which is the sort of feature you only notice in March.

For the older end, the choosing is half about the load and half about being seen with it. The 2712667 leans on Herschel's plain good looks, while the 3306514 is the Vans standard that has outlasted several generations of teenagers unbothered. Neither pretends to be ergonomic; both get worn anyway.

At the small end, the 3515079 keeps a five-year-old upright and mildly delighted. Beyond the bag there's the rest of the school backpack question — what actually goes in it — so it's worth a look at Coocazoo for the ergonomic camp, or the wider rugzak shelf and the guides if you'd rather be told what to buy.