Best Back to School Bags

September 05, 2018 Stephanie Lee

You put a lot of thought into your back-to-school outfits, so don’t forget about a great looking back-to-school book bag! Gone are the days of the boring backpack and the bland pencil pouch. We’ve designed the ultimate in stylish and sturdy tote bags for your big back-to-school moment.

We also keep in mind that as a student – or the parent of a student - you’re watching your wallet. You probably don’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on a fancy bag to lug your homework around all year. We aim to give you stand-out totes at affordable prices – which means you can also collect more than one! If your college student has already left, you can always use one of our bags to send a surprise gift package filled with school supplies, snacks, and even some Starbucks gift cards.

Here are our top picks this year for the best back-to-school bags.

Our relaxed canvas tote bag is the PERFECT, super roomy shoulder bag. Look no further! 100% cotton canvas, generously sized, with two big exterior pockets, and a zipper across the top to keep all your goodies secure. The relaxed shape ensures that you can easily squeeze in books and notebooks of all sizes along with your other school essentials. We’d choose our Wavy Stripe print for students, because it is a playful and modern take on a classic stripe that will easily coordinate with so many wardrobes.

If you need a little more structure in your bag, our zipper top carryall tote bags have plenty of space for your school needs and will add so much style to your school year. Its flat bottom will ensure that your tote bag stands up by your feet during class, and it even has a water-resistant interior in case you knock your coffee off your desk (we’re all human!). Try our Hana Navy print, a bold interpretation of a checkerboard pattern and a houndstooth. With navy blue and black, you can easily style this zipper top tote with black pants OR jeans, and you can run from campus to café meet-ups with ease.

Okay. We know that backpacks are a back-to-school staple for a reason. They balance your books better on your back, they keep your hands and arms completely free. They’re just super utilitarian in so many ways. We won’t leave you to your midterms without one if you really need one, but remember that your trusty backpack can be just as beautiful as it is strong. Our coated linen backpacks are sharp and chic. PLUS, they’re laminated on the outside, which means they won’t fade or stain. Chelsea Black is a fabulous black and cream print that may remind you of the plants and leaves you’d see while backpacking in the woods, but it's contemporary enough for any city street.

If we learned anything in school, it’s to always stay organized! We have a wide variety of canvas zipper pouches to organize your pens, pencils, erasers, and binder clips -- even your personal items and makeup like chapstick, concealer, and eye drops for those all-nighters. You can choose from canvas cosmetic bag sets of 3, roomy dopp kits that have a convenient hanging loop you can hang off your backpack for easy accessibility, and our relaxed canvas pouches in large and small. These are especially fun to mix and match with your backpack or tote.