Health News Share Email Print Backpack basics Backpacks should ease your load, not make it worse. Reviewed 6/27/2023 Backpack basics Backpacks should ease your load, not make it worse. When is a backpack too heavy? It shouldn’t weigh more than 10% of a student’s weight. Start packing. Pack for class with the back in mind. A school backpack should make it easier, not more painful, for a student to carry a load. Backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly can injure muscles and joints. Select for tips on choosing, wearing and packing a backpack. Backpack contents The heaviest items should be packed low and close to the center of the back. A student shouldn’t carry more than 10 percent if his or her total body weight in a backpack. Use all the compartments of a backpack to help distribute weight evenly. The backpack The pack should have 2 padded shoulder straps. Single straps—or slinging just 1 strap over a shoulder—can’t distribute weight evenly and may cause muscle strain. The shoulder straps should be wide, not narrow. Narrow straps can dig into shoulders, causing pain and cutting off circulation. The straps should be tightened so the backpack sits close to the body and about 2 inches above the waist. A rolling backpack may be a good choice for students with an especially heavy load. Sack smarts How to wear with care Bend at the knees when lifting a backpack. Make use of school lockers to store unneeded items. Bring only the items needed for the day. Don’t ignore discomfort. If the backpack is causing back or shoulder pain, talk to a doctor. Sources American Academy of Pediatrics. "Back-to-School Tips." https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/school/Pages/Back-to-School-Tips.aspx. American Academy of Pediatrics. "Backpack Safety." https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Backpack-Safety.aspx. National Safety Council. "Backpack Safety: It's Time to Lighten the Load." https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/child-safety/backpack-safety-for-kids. OrthoInfo. "Backpack Safety." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/backpack-safety/. Related stories Health information main Health tools go Select a health topic ADHD Aging Alcohol use disorder Allergies Alternative medicine Alzheimer's disease Arthritis Asthma Babies Backs Bladder Bones Brain Breast cancer Cancer Cancer prevention Caregiving Cervical cancer Children and parenting Cholesterol Colds Colorectal cancer Coronavirus Dental care Depression Diabetes Disaster preparedness Down syndrome Ears Eating disorders Emergencies End of life/Palliative care Environmental health Epilepsy Eyes Fall prevention Family and relationships Feet Fitness and exercise Flu Food safety Hair Headache Health assessments Health calculators Healthcare Heart attack Heart health Hepatitis Hernia High blood pressure Hips HIV/AIDS Holiday health Hormones Imaging Incontinence Joints Kidneys Knees Leukemia Liver Lung cancer Lungs Medications Men's health Menopause Mental health Multiple sclerosis Nails Nose Nutrition Obesity Oral cancer Ovaries Pain Parkinson's disease Pets Pneumonia Pregnancy Prostate cancer Rehabilitation Reproductive health Safety School health Sexuality Sexually transmitted infections Skin Skin cancer Sleep Smoking Sports injuries Stomach pain Stress and anxiety Stroke Substance use disorder Summer safety Surgery Teen health Throat Thyroid Travel Vaccines Vascular health Violence Vitamins and supplements Weight management Winter health Women's health Workplace health Wound care i Providers Pediatrics Family Medicine Orthopedic Surgery Orthopedic Spinal Surgery Spinal Surgery Spine Care Orthopedics Internal Medicine Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation i Services Back & Neck Care RSS If you have questions or comments, please contact Randolph Health. Problems reading or opening a page? Legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site.