Rated 4 out of 5 by ECSF It's a wonderful product, but . . .
I bought the bag to carry my laptop back and forth to work, since laptop bags are horrible on my back. It is fantastic - it holds my laptop and a ton of other stuff, but it has one thing which keeps it from being perfect: it is not waterproof. When it rains here in DC it rains hard, and I have to put a big plastic bag over it to keep the contents dry - effective but annoying.
I also had to fold back the flap over the zipper to keep it from getting stuck all the time, and I second the call for a water bottle (or umbrella) holder on the outside.
April 26, 2013
Rated 1 out of 5 by busymomoftw0 Expecting better
I agree with some of the other reviews regarding the mesh water bottle holder on the outside panel, it is very useful. I had to resort to putting two water bottles in my son's lunch box to makeup for the missing compartment. Also, the handle-side of the main compartment is very rigid and hard to zip up and down. The zipper on the main compartment does not extend the full lenght of the bag which makes it harder to add and remove items from the bag. Finally, it seems that the straps and the wheels are in the same alinement to where the straps will get caught up in the wheels if you don't detach them and tuck them inside.The connection of the straps to the bag is very cumbersome to operate because the metal latch is hard open and close. Unfortunately, my son does not always have time to detach and reattach them and as a result the straps have become damaged. I had high expectations based on the reputation of the product but was sadly disappointed by its short comings.
February 21, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by wonderkids Great Rolling Pack for School and Travel
We bought this rolling pack for my 10 year old son. We absolutely love it! We use it for as his carry on when we fly out somewhere on the plane, and it holds all of his casual clothes, his books, shoes, etc. for a week and a half trip. My other kids don't have this pack right now and their rolling bags didn't hold half as much as my son's LL Bean. Now my son uses it to haul his books around for school. We've been using it for about 5 months and it still looks brand new. I am very pleased with this product.
October 30, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by
Mom2CJs Great pack
I bought this for my daughter who just started 4th grade. I was buying her 3 backpacks a year and this year she has a lot more to bring home and she needed something that would last, and since I had an LL Bean in High School that I couldn't kill I had to get her one of these. She insisted on the wheeled version which is heavier to carry but she doesn't have a problem and wheels it most of the time anyway.I folded the flap over the zipper back to avoid the issue some people had with it. It rolls really nicely and has plenty of room for all her stuff and then some. This bag should definitely last at least the rest of elementary school. Even her Figure Skating team orders LL Bean as competition bags. Great quality and a good price because they last. Just don't get in monogrammed in white,not sure if there was another option but the name blends in on the pink bag when it's white. Also the pink one looks nicer in real life
September 25, 2012
Rated 3 out of 5 by BeachMama33 not practical for elementary school
states it's for 10 and up.
My son is the tallest in his class. it looks like it's made for a college student. Barely fits on the backpack hooks outside each classroom. his pack is always in the way of someone else's pack. I haven't seen this on any other row of hooks in the school, and I have been looking.
No outside mesh pockets. We live in a warm climate. Water bottles must be easily accessible, not hidden in the bottom of a large compartment. We use outside mesh pockets for other things too--small items that are used all the the time, no digging required....
Pluses: lots of room, separate zipped compartments to separate things--- books and homework in one, extra clothing (we peel off here as the day progresses) in another, parent notes/agendas/permission slips in another. There is room for an elephant.
Buy this for a high schooler or college student--there's room for a laptop, change of clothes for afterschool activities, lots of huge books, and they will appreciate the opening for headphone/earbud wires. I have yet to see any 9-11 year old elementary students listening to their ipods or mp3 players while walking down the street.
It's going to be a great carry on for air travel, but it is totally impractical for daily school life. My son spends easily three times as long digging through his backpack than he ever has. For things as basic as water or extra erasers, paperback books fall to the bottom of cavernous compartments...
September 25, 2012
Rated 2 out of 5 by crrg missing exterior mesh side water bottle pocket
My daughter loves her new backpack, but is not sure what to do with her water bottle now. We are very bummed that there is no side mesh pocket. In a dry climate she needs to make sure she drinks her water all day. Why no exterior pocket...seems like a must have and so easy to do?
September 4, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by
3Boys1Mom We (parents and kids) all love it !
We purchased this bookcase after going through a couple of regulard backpacks.
We are so pleased !
Our 2 older boys absolutely love the great colors, the numerous pockets where they can pack their books and school gear as well as hide treasures such as little rocks, old erasers, mailman rubberbands and other stuff they find on their way home! They also like the fact that they have their name monogrammed on it. It adds a special touch!
Us, parents, we love the durability, and functionnality of the bag. My older son is going on his 4th year with his bag, and his younger brother, on his 2nd and both bags look new. Fabric is wheather-proof, color has not faded, fabric is easy to clean with a damp cloth and the wheels, handle and zippers still function as well as day 1. And during the big snow storms, the kids like to put their bags on their shoulders.
We also have the matching lunchboxes and they have been equally durable and appreciated from the whole family,
Our 5-year old also got his junior backpack (blue with orange sharks) this year to start kindergarden and it already looks like it will be true to L.L. Bean quality promise. (Although he loves it, he is also looking forward to be in grade 2 and get his own rolling backpack, like his older brothers.)
Thank you L.L. Bean !
August 31, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by alaskamama AWESOME CARRY-ON AS WELL!!
I've had this excellent rolling backpack for over 5 years. Purchased it for my school aged son who is now 15, not so much for books but for travelling around Alaska and outside the US. We've taken it on various trips down to the L48 and can use it as a carry on for myself. Am plannng on taking it to Europe for 6 weeks and using it as a carry on on the cheaper airlines like EasyJet and Ryan air, I am sure it will perform admirably! It's well made and has nice extras like a net for a water bottle and ipad slot with a hole for the cable. Sturdy and dependable, after all these years it still glides smoothly even on uneven terrain. I will update my review after I lug it across the cobblestones in Italy...am sure it will live up to LLBean's excellent name!
August 29, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Boomski Excellent backpack
After two years in the hands of a middle school boy who pulled this behind him during his daily 3/4 mile walk to school and kept the pack shoved full because he refused to use his locker, the pack is a little frayed around the bottom corners but easily good to go for at least one more school year. And it's not just that it's durable as heck, it's also so well designed. It definitely helped my son keep his things organized and anyone who has a 12-year-old son know organization is always a challenge. If there's a downside, it's that it's very uncomfortable to carry on your back. This was never really an issue for us though, and I bet it won't be for most kids and families. L.L. Bean should probably just do away with the shoulder straps and end any pretense that it can be carried. The school recently went to a no rolling backpack policy so had to buy the non-wheeled version of this pack. I have little doubt it will also be an excellent pack for years to come.
August 17, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Goofymusketeer Holds up longer than any other backpack
I am getting ready to purchase my second series of this backpack. I purchased two of these backpacks 4 years ago for my two children. One of the backpacks is going to be used this year,making it's 5th year! The other one is being retired and being replaced with the same one style backpack from LL Bean! Considering, that prior to getting this backpack, previous backpacks only lasted 3/4 of a school year, I am ecstatic!!! Well worth the price and outlasts any backpack I have ever purchased.
August 7, 2012
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