Who it’s for: State Bags’s 12-liter Kane Kids pack fits kids ages 5 to 9; the 23-liter Kane Kids Large fits kids ages 10 to 14; and the 6-liter Mini Kane fits kids ages 3 to 4.

Why it’s great: Sleek and modern, State Bags’s 12-liter Kane Kids and 23-liter Kane Kids Large backpacks stand out for their artistic, eye-catching designs, for their durability and high-quality finishes, and for the many pockets that let kids organize and store their belongings.

From a silver metallic backpack—with large, colorful pieces of confetti embedded in the fabric—to a simple yet distinctive strawberry-and-mint colorblock pack, State Bags’s prints and designs feel more modern and sophisticated than those offered on typical kids backpacks. The Kane backpacks are the most expensive of our picks. But with unusual shades and patterns like indigo tie-dye; details like quilting and embroidery; and unique finishes including tassels on the zipper pulls, the packs have an out-of-the-ordinary look and feel that’s likely to appeal to kids and parents who want a special backpack to start a new school year.

Depending on the design, Kane packs have an exterior that’s made from durable canvas, coated cotton, or polyester. The interior is lined with a slick, tightly woven polyester that was the easiest among our picks to wipe clean. As with the zippers on the L.L.Bean packs, the zippers on the Kane packs are protected by a storm flap. And the Kanes have high-quality finishes, such as reinforced stitching along the top of the padded laptop sleeve (in the Kane Kids Large), which we didn’t find in the Pottery Barn backpacks. The Kane packs’ organizer panel is also the most elaborate we’ve seen, with a combination of open sleeves (to slip in loose pieces of paper), a zippered pocket, and a mesh pocket to collect other small items.

Like on the L.L.Bean packs, on the Kane packs the external bottle pockets are made from the same sturdy material as the rest of the backpack—though the Kane Kids’ water-bottle pockets don’t have the same elastic strip at the top to hold a bottle in securely.

Unique details like daisy chains running down the padded shoulder straps make the Kane Kids bags stand out. The backpacks don’t come with a sternum strap, but you can purchase one separately. Photo: Michael Hession

The Kane Kids packs (shown here in the 12-liter size) have two water-bottle pouches made from the same durable material as the body of the backpack. Photo: Michael Hession

The Kane Kids packs’ main compartment can easily fit notebooks, textbooks, and a lunchbox. Photo: Michael Hession

A 12½-inch laptop fits in the back panel of the main compartments in the 14-liter Kane Kids, but it’s not padded. The 22-liter Kane Kids Large does feature a padded laptop sleeve, and it can fit up to a 15-inch computer. Photo: Michael Hession

Unique details like daisy chains running down the padded shoulder straps make the Kane Kids bags stand out. The backpacks don’t come with a sternum strap, but you can purchase one separately. Photo: Michael Hession

The Kane Kids packs (shown here in the 12-liter size) have two water-bottle pouches made from the same durable material as the body of the backpack. Photo: Michael Hession 1 of 4

The Kane Kids backpacks have padded shoulder straps, and most designs feature daisy chains from top to bottom for attaching decorative charms or tchotchkes. The back of the backpack is padded and comfortable as well, though it doesn’t have a breathable mesh lining, like the Pottery Barn backpacks do. The Kane Kids Large pack has an open panel on the back so you can slip the pack over a luggage handle. State Bags offers a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects on its kids’ backpacks.

Pockets and organization: These bags feature one or two main compartments, depending on the size of the pack; a small zippered compartment; and two external water-bottle pockets. On all of the bags, the main compartment includes an organizer panel with two large open sleeves, a wide zippered pocket, two smaller open pockets (one made with mesh) that can hold a smartphone, four pencil/pen slots, and a lanyard with a clip for keys. The main compartment of the Kane Kids Large is divided into two sections. One section has a padded laptop sleeve and enough space for one or two notebooks. And the second section, meant to carry the bulk of a student’s binders, books, and lunch, has the same organizer panel as the one in the smaller Kane Kids backpacks.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The smaller, 14-liter Kane Kids backpack may feel snug if your child carries a large lunchbox, notebooks, and folders. Even though it has a big open sleeve in the organizer panel that can fit a 12½-inch laptop, it’s not meant as a dedicated laptop sleeve. The main compartment of the Kane Kids backpack fits up to a 13-inch laptop, but you will need to purchase a separate protective laptop sleeve. State Bags’s backpacks are the most expensive of our picks, and monogrammed backpacks are not returnable. Despite the cost, the backpack does not come with a sternum strap; you must separately purchase the company’s detachable chest strap. The inside lining of our backpack also features repeated rows of the “State” brand, as well as the message “This lining used to be plastic bottles”, which one of our tween testers found to be pretentious.

Key specs

Materials: coated cotton, canvas, water repellent 600-denier polyester

Water-bottle holder: two

Laptop sleeve: yes (for the the Kane Kids Large pack only); padded, fits up to a 15-inch laptop

Warranty: one-year warranty for manufacturing defects

Colors and patterns: Mini Kane comes in 27 prints; Kane Kids comes in more than 40 prints; Kane Kids Large comes in seven colors and patterns