Student athletes often need one backpack to handle two very different jobs: protect books and technology during class and manage shoes, clothing, water and practice accessories after school. The wrong bag lets damp gear touch papers, pushes shoes against the laptop or grows so large that the student carries unnecessary weight every day.Quick Answer: Choose a student-athlete backpack with a protected laptop section, durable...

Orchestra students often manage an instrument case, music folder, schoolwork and technology at the same time. That makes the best backpack different from a generic “large school bag.” It should be compact enough to move beside the instrument case while protecting flat music, electronics and the ordinary class load.Quick Answer: Choose an orchestra-student backpack with a wide flat compartment for music, a padded laptop...

Band students often carry two separate systems at once: an instrument in its own case and a backpack containing school materials, sheet music, technology and small music accessories. The backpack should make the second system easier to manage without pretending to replace the protection of a real instrument case.Quick Answer: Choose a band-student backpack with flat storage for music folders, a padded laptop or...