The Best Clear Backpacks Meet Both School And Kids’ Requirements

Selecting a backpack for school is like choosing a fashion accessory. It’s something kids wear all day long and is often an extension of their personal style. However, many schools now require students to carry see-through bags, which are devoid of much design. Administrators believe transparent bags can deter kids from bringing unwanted items such as weapons, vapes and Zyns to school. In light of that, families are looking for the best clear backpacks that match their kids’ fashion sense and needs.

While each district has its own rules regarding approved sizes, materials and other features, we spoke to Renesha Parks, chief student wellness officer at Richmond Public Schools (RPS) in Virginia, to learn more about what constitutes an appropriate clear backpack. The school board approved its new policy in June. RPS chose to supply each student with a clear bag but allows families to shop for their own also.

“We did not want to make it a burden on parents,” Parks says. “We opted [to provide] a backpack that was completely clear with different colors around the perimeter, knowing that all students have clear backpacks but making sure that there’s some differentiation. Some families opted to keep ours as a backup and [use the one] they had shopped for as their primary. We’ve seen gold, red, beautiful unicorn [detail]. There’s been a variety. The kids have been super creative.”

Taking into consideration both parent and expert advice, here are our favorite clear backpacks this year.

---

---

---

---

---

---

Why Trust Forbes Vetted

The Forbes Vetted team researches and reports on a variety of kids and baby gear, including back-to-school must haves. In addition to the best traditional backpacks, we’ve researched the best lunch boxes, laptops for kids and headphones. Our writers and editors know all about setting kids up for success at school.

• The author of this article, Elaine Paoloni Quilici, is a mother of a middle-schooler and high-schooler. She’s shopped for backpacks not just for school each year, but for countless sports. She appreciates the thought put into good product design, such as pockets for pens that are deep, so the writing instruments don’t easily fall out when the backpack is upside down. She’s has written about kids and family lifestyle topics and compiled kids gift guides for a variety of publications.
• This story was overseen by baby and kids gear editor Margaret Badore, who is also a mother and has more than a decade of industry experience.
• We spoke to other parents to hear what they considered the most important attributes when selecting a clear backpack for school.
• Though each school district has its own set of rules, we reviewed some districts’ guidelines to learn about the most common requirements. We also reached out to Renesha Parks, chief student wellness officer at Richmond Public Schools (RPS) in Virginia, which just instituted a clear backpack policy this summer, to get some first-hand advice on what works and why.

---

How We Chose The Best Clear Backpacks

To fine the best clear backpacks, we took into account the features suggested by our school and parent experts and researched products that incorporated those attributes. We looked for a combination of performance and style.

• We considered clear backpacks from a variety of manufacturers—from economical brands to high-end labels. Our bestseller was the best combination of all our preferred attributes.
• Because many of these backpacks look the same, we wanted to find some that stood out. We also considered our own past experiences and read online reviews to narrow down our picks.
• The writer’s first-hand knowledge of the category provided useful insights about features that work and don’t work and the uses for different bags.
• Our experts’ advice on what to look for in a clear backpack helped us create a list of items to consider when looking at products, such as durability and organizational features.
• We read through product specs to compare the size and volume of bags, which might be necessary to know for certain school districts.
• To offer backpacks that work for everyone from preschoolers to college kids, we included a range of sizes and styles. From mini backpacks to bags for school sports, we have something for everyone. Though most clear backpacks are economical, we also included a variety of prices.
• When we considered online customer reviews, we took into account products that earned consistently high ratings. We also scanned reviews to see if there were any red flags buyers should know about.

---

What To Look For When Shopping For A Clear Backpack

It might be difficult to get kids excited about a clear backpack when they’ve had the option to express themselves with any backpack of their choice in the past. But there are good variety of options, particularly if you shop online.

“There were not a lot of options available at local brick-and-mortar stores,” Bonanno says. “There were not a lot of options that show someone’s style or personality—definitely not compared to the 1,000s of styles of ‘regular’ backpacks [for sale]. Our daughter loves her ‘style’ and didn’t want a plain clear bag with solid piping like most of the bags we saw.”

At Richmond Public Schools, while kids aren’t allowed to self-adorn the clear part of their bag, they can personalize the back or sides, keeping in mind that the goal is to have the greatest degree of visibility. But every district is different. Some allow mesh pockets, padded backs for laptops and covered sides; others don’t.

It’s important to follow the exact specifications indicated by each district. To guide parents, many districts answer FAQs on their website to address common concerns. These often cover what sizes, materials and other features are appropriate for a specific school system.

Across the board, however, we found the following factors to be important:

Durability

While many parents appreciate the low average cost of clear backpacks, with lower prices comes the question of quality. Many clear backpacks tend to wear out faster than traditional materials. “Definitely avoid the ones that are just $5,” Parks says. “I know that it’s convenient, but what we find is that the bags that are the cheapest are not as of good quality as [others].”

Bonanno agrees. In looking for a clear backpack, she’s found sturdiness to be the most important attribute. “Schools here don’t supply lockers, and students have to carry everything all day from class to class,” she says.

Bonanno also likes padded straps for comfort when kids have to carry around a heavy load all day long. We found that reinforced stitching, especially where the straps meet the plastic, bolsters durability.

We read reports of plastic getting scratched and cloudy after extended use. Though we didn’t hear about any cracking of plastic bags, we also wonder if lower-quality versions might get too rigid on cold days and create fractures in the material.

Organization

For classroom purposes, extra pockets, dividers and compartments come in handy. Bonanno appreciates small pockets to help contain small items, such as ear buds, pencils and highlighters. We like it even more when some of those pockets have zippers or flaps to keep items in place, knowing that kids may throw around their backpacks. A water bottle pouch on the exterior is also convenient.

Be aware of your district’s rules when it comes to mesh pockets and interior padded laptop sleeves. Some may allow them, but they do cut down on transparency.

Style And Originality

“The majority of [my daughter’s] high-school classmates have a clear backpack with black piping on the edges,” Bonanno says.

Whether that is from a lack of product options or teens wanting to remain under the radar, many brands do offer a variety of colored piping to stand out