One of my main concerns when Jayne was going to enter Primary School at the beginning of this year was not whether she could catch up with the academics in school, but the gigantic school bag that she would have to carry every day. It’s a legitimate concern because Jayne is small-built and rather skinny – I cannot imagine her having to lug a bag bigger than her for hours everyday – How is that going to impact her posture?? And what if she doesn’t grow taller because of that?
The general guideline from Health Promotion Board (HPB) is for children to carry no more than 15 per cent of their bodyweight (Reference from www.hpb.gov.sg). In practice, that would generally mean no more than 3.5kg – 5kg for a child in the first few years of school. Now, that is tough because of the number of textbooks they have to bring everyday, including several library books for compulsory silent reading during assembly. If you are wondering whether your kids’ school bags are too heavy for them, weigh them and see if it exceeds 30% of their body weight because if they are, it is cause for concern. Such heavy bags may modify posture and gait. A child may develop poor posture or a slouching habit as he or she copes with a heavy and poorly-positioned bag. This increases the risk of neck and back pain. As if school work is not tough enough, don’t torture them further with lousy bags!
Some people may think that ergonomic school bags are just a hype and merely a marketing strategy targeted at parents. The truth is, an ergonomic school bag gathers together the important design elements of a good backpack that can help minimize pressure on your kids’ shoulders and back, ensuring that they don’t develop posture problems later on. It is a well-worth-it investment, in my opinion. Furthermore, they usually don’t go out of shape and stay useful for many more years than normal school bags. In the long term, they actually make more economic sense.
So, what are some design elements of a good school bag? We checked out Ergoworks at Marina Square and chose new ergonomic bags from IMPACT for the girls for their new academic year starting in 3 months’ time. Just so you know, IMPACT ergonomic bag is the ONLY ergonomic brand endorsed and recommended by both Singapore Physiotherapy Association & The Chiropractic Association (Singapore). Let me bring you through the design elements so that you know how to choose the right bag for your kids as well. There are obvious different needs for Lower Primary or Upper Primary kids, so for today’s post, let’s look at the needs of the Lower Primary kids (ie between 7 to 9 years old):
This was the bag that Jayne chose in her favorite color - IMPACT IPEG-087 (S$79.90). This is a Ergo Dynamic Spinal Protection Backpack with functional compartments. It has an airy light spinal care system and weighs only 800grams.
1. Backpack Must Be Fitted to the Torso Length.
The backpack should rest between the C7 vertebrae (the first & most prominent bone on the spine when you bend your neck forward) and the top of the hip bone. Rest your hands on your hip with the thumbs on the back. The place where the thumbs rest is where you want the bag to rest. If the bag is longer than the torso, there would not be an ergonomic fit.
2. The Straps Should Be Wide & Padded.
The straps must be wide enough to make for a comfortable wear. Thin and narrow straps may cut into the shoulders and cause pain and pressure focused on a smaller area. Jayne’s ergonomic bag has really wide and well-padded straps, so even with a heavy load, she doesn’t feel it.
3. There Should Be A Sternum Belt.
The sternum belt is important for the younger kids because it will hold the shoulder straps in place. The kids feel more secure because the bag is held in place close to their bodies.
4. The Backrest Should Be Padded and Ventilated.
Don’t underestimate these back padding – They make the whole carrying experience a lot more comfortable, on the little tiny waists of our kids.
5. There Should Be Compartments.
Compartments are better than single top loading opening. They help to organize the contents and hold everything snuggly against the torso. Jayne’s ergonomic bag has many compartments for files, textbooks, water bottle and smaller items such as pencil box and color pencils. Very useful!
There are more features of an ergonomic bag that helps our kids to have a better bag carrying experience, so read my next post where I will focus more on the needs of the Upper Primary School kids, and talk about the bag that Joey chose in the end. Courtesy of Ergoworks, I will also have discount vouchers to give away to those of you preparing to buy new bags for your kids for the new academic year, so join the giveaway by clicking here! Just one word of advice – Don’t wait until the end of the year to buy yours so as to avoid the crowd and mad rush! These are the places you can find Ergoworks showrooms – walk in and let your kids try the bags for themselves: http://ergoworks.com.sg/showrooms
Disclosure: The J Babies was sponsored two ergonomic backpacks of our choice for purpose of this review. No other compensation was received and all opinions and photographs used in this post are solely ours.
