Any good ergonomic school bag to recommend for P1?

I seriously believe the above post is done by someone who works for the company. I noticed the similar posts at many other forums by "chillymunster" praising this new store. What confirmed my suspicions was the fact that she is always newly registered at the forums at that was her only post.

Why don't the company just advertise using the proper marketing channels instead of stooping to this? Sigh...
 


i enjoyed their customer service so i'm willing to return them a favor by promoting their products. what's wrong with that? no one is spamming and no one is throwing any misleading information? proper marketing channels is expensive and it's eventually consumers like ourselves who pay for it while filling the coffers of SPH etc.
 
Well, I happened to visit the company's Facebook page and noticed a Vivien Chung answering queries for the company. So you are still denying that you actually work for the company? Let's be more honest here. This is a forum for mothers to exchange ideas and information. Not a free marketing channel for companies.
 
Hi Chillymunster, thank you for the tips. I visited the kid youth shop and found a nice bag for my daughter! Great value n service.
 
Thanks Cheryl,

Anyway, mothers, I have a daughter in currently in primary three and like all of you, I want a bag that is good for her since she has to carry so many books everyday. The most expensive bag I got for her cost $50 and she grew tired of it in 2 months. Since then she has used two other bags and the same thing happens again. She will tell me her friend has this bag and that bag etc and she thinks that one is nice etc... So i am so glad I did not spend too much on her school bags. So the bottomline is there is no need to go for a branded Super ergonomic bag, just get one that is priced reasonably, then you wouldn't feel heartache when she wants to change to another one. Hehee..
 
Hi aozora, Vivien & James Chung are the owner of kid2youth shop in suntec. One of my friend is their church mate
 
there seems to be lots of angry housewives in this forum. anyway, schoolbags are becoming more important these days as kids are suffering from back pains more often. i guess that is why there are so many chiropractors opening shop. it is amazing that now everywhere you go in shopping malls they have chiropractors. there are even in parenthood exhibitions alongside insurance agents and these exhibition booths dont come cheap.
 
As I said, there are plenty of frustrated ladies who for whatever reason are always trying to influence others with their personal views on school bags etc. Too often people stinge on things that should be more important to them. We recently heard of the plastic surgeon Dr Richard Teo who in his reflection on his life said that there are people who are will complain about $20 for a GP consultation as being too much and yet will pay $10k for a nose job. Likewise, there are people who will buy a $300k mercedes and yet complain taxis are too expensive. With schoolbags, there are mothers who would complain about a school bag being too expensive and settle for the cheapo bags that's not only detrimental for the child's back but are laced with harmful chemicals. When you walk into Giant or Carrefour... Well Carrefour is closed... but you can smell the plastics and dye from the bags section. We don't pay much attention to these... but some bags that emits harmful chemicals can be have irreversible impact in the long run. Sometimes you wonder whether it's related to all the increasing number of cases of cancer. Our kids growing years are important and mistakes can be costly to repair. I heard of some kids having back pains but never knew the source until the parents decided to bring them to visit the chiropractor... only to find out that there is a slight degree of malformation in the spine. So mothers please do not stinge on your child's school accessories... like aozora and that does not mean you should splurge either. When you spend that 1k or 2k on these LV or Gucci handbags... do you think that your child deserves a better bag? Or when you buy that more affordable Charles and Keith bag because it is so cheap that you dont mind buying it even though you know that you will throw it away after barely using it for a few times. And some bags are so expensive and yet are nothing more than glorified plastic bags. Do your homework.
 
I found this on the web. I hope it helps:

The wrong kind of schoolbag can cause problems for life. Here are a few tips!

Drive by any school and you’ll see kids buckling under the weight of their schoolbags. The fact is that some kids carry schoolbags that are far too heavy – so much so that physiotherapists and chiropractors often see kids who complain of pain and discomfort.

Poorly designed schoolbags can cause back damage, and carrying heavy loads incorrectly can result in headache, back and neck strain, fatigue, muscle imbalance, spinal pain and even curvature of the spine. Kids are most at risk when they have their growth spurt between the ages of 10 and 14 years.

Here are a few tips for selecting schoolbags:

Don’t overload the bag

The load in your child’s school bag shouldn’t exceed 10% of their body weight. Children aged between six and eight years should carry no more than 3-6kg, while youngsters from 10 to 16 years shouldn’t carry more than 6-8kg.

Get your kids into a habit of checking their timetables and packing the books they need for that day only.

Pack and carry the schoolbag correctly

The way in which your child’s schoolbag is packed can also make a massive difference.

Show your little ones how to pack the heavy items in the back of their bags, as this will reduce the gravity pull.

Also show them how to use both shoulder straps. A bag on one shoulder will load the spine unevenly, which can result in muscle imbalances, a dropped shoulder or a curvature of the spine. A bag carried on loose straps, hanging low and loose, places strain on the lower back.

Contracted chest muscles, protruding shoulders and rounded backs are often the result of trying to carry heavy book bags. This posture problem often stretches into adulthood.

What to look out for

Going for a cheap bag generally isn’t a good idea, as these bags are guaranteed to fall apart after a while. Instead, look for a schoolbag that has as many of these features as possible:

A properly researched spinal support system: This will offer stability and support and ensure even distribution of weight, with perfect contact between the shoulders and the lower back. It will also prevent muscle strain.
Thick back padding. The bag’s padding should be strategically placed for comfort to help cushion the load.
Anatomic air system. Look out for this special air-ventilation feature on back padding.
Wide, curved shoulder straps. These will reduce pressure on the shoulder and neck area.
A growth buckle. This should be adjustable to allow for growth and ongoing use.
A tough firm base. This will keep the bag upright for easy access. It will also help protect the bag and the books inside.
A rain cover. This should be easily accessible so that it’s easy to whip out when necessary.
High quality. Durable fabrics and superior finishes will ensure that the bag lasts a long time.
The bag should be medically endorsed by physiotherapists and chiropractors.
An extended guarantee. This ensures a value-for-money purchase that will last several years.
 
Cheryl Ho and aozora are both from ergoworks and have been crawling all the forums promoting their products. You can see them all over the ergoworks facebook posting.
 
hi everyone,
thank you for all the info, but i guess i will get it from a retail store for my kid to try the bag too
happy.gif
 
Hi, can I trade in my old SPI bag? If so, how much? Still have any promo or discount now? Need to change my girl's bag, it lasted 3 years (P1-P3), pls advise, thanks.
 
Saw Dr Kong bags at Changi City Point mall yesterday. Thinking of letting my dd try and choose. It's 79.90 for all sizes. Hope she likes one. Otherwise will look for Deuter ergo.
 
hmmm...the new members here usually promote a specific brand/company, thus personally feel their feedback is not genuinely given.

Bags from kid2youth are too expensive. They mayb priced on par with European prices but not many are willing to spend. And frankly they are not light as well.
 
Cookie77 is chillymunster. She has just registered under multiple accounts and trying to promote her expensive bags again. Business must have been really bad for her to stoop to such tactics.

As for her claims that I work for ergo works, I must protest. Never in my postings have I recommended this brand. I didn't even know this company existed. It must be a rival company of hers.

Mothers, spending $50 on a school bag should not get oneself being labelled as a stingy person. Many bags are ergonomically designed nowadays and priced reasonably. My daughter is into her third bag now, we got it from smiggle, her current craze. So my advice is again, don't spend too much because they want to change their bags every year so so according to their changing likes and dislikes. So if you have the extra to splurge, by all means buy those expensive "chemical free" bags. If not, just let her choose one for herself but set a budget for her, it is important to inculcate the value of not overspending in your kids too. Just my two cents worth.
 
Hi

I bought the bag from BP last year and my daughter likes the bag a lot as it is lighter than her previous bag.

The BP is closed but parents may want to read more on the bag. http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/581296/8077815.html?1362621279

I would like to share my views on changing bags. There will be influences from friends who carry bags to the latest trend like the Barbie backpacks or other kinds of bags etc. For me, I changed my gal's bag cos her old bag was too heavy for her even there was not a lot of books in her bag. There is no end in keeping up to a trend or a child's likes. My gal tells me that her friends change bags and that their bags are nice. I can tell she likes their bag but I do not indulge her. So far, my gal in P2 is happy with her bag as it is much lighter than her old bag. Surprisingly, I didn't hear her telling me abt her friends' bags this year.
 
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-31/goa/39654827_1_school-bag-school-buses-students

"Ideally, the school bag should weigh 10% of the student's body weight. Anything beyond that is harmful. Other factors such as nutrition, physical exercises they undergo, stress levels and hours at school come in to play," said orthopedic Dr Shyam Talwadkar, adding that prolonged durations of carrying heavy bags can lead to chronic neck and shoulder pain.

As the bone structure and muscular system in children is in a state of constant development, prolonged carrying of a heavy school bag can lead to a forward neck posture and rounded shoulders which can cause muscle weakness and pain. Extreme cases may even lead to breathing problems and chest pain, says Margao-based physiotherapist Apurva Desai.

"This has got to stop!" says Nimisha Noronha, a teacher from South Goa, adding that "besides the system, both teachers and students are responsible for the aggravation of this problem. At times, teachers make the students carry all their books to school, while on the other hand some students don't pack their bags according to the time-table. As a teacher, if I want the students to carry a certain book to class everyday I ask them to leave the book in the school itself. This is one way to help better the situation."

Concerned about their child's health, some parents have resorted to extending their budget on school supplies and buying bags that have the trolley feature to reduce the load on their kid's backs. "My 10-year-old daughter's bag is too heavy. Even for me. We would have constant arguments with her about why she needs to carry so many books. I cannot imagine how she does it everyday," says Elvira D'Silva.

Despite some schools (particularly private schools) providing the facility of a locker, children still end up carrying what appears to be a 'sack full of rocks'.

"I need to study what I have learned and cannot leave most of my books in school," says 14-year-old Teerta Shirodkar. Then there is the added aspect of how the students travel.

Students lucky enough to have school buses, or parents picking and dropping them are off the hook as they lumber only for a while. It is those who walk, or use public transport that really bear the load.
 
aozora, for all your words of wisdom, how many handbags do you have in your collection? I'm sure they each cost more than $50. I subscribe to the belief that one should spend on a good school bag with good ergonomics and that will last beyond a couple of years. Kids need to learn to appreciate their belongings and use it for as long as they can.
 
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/08/heavy-backpacks-can-trigger-back-pain/


Heavy backpacks can trigger back pain
It’s back-to-school time, and children nationwide will be lugging books to and from classes, many of them wearing backpacks.

But beware: Those heavy bags draped over your child’s shoulders could be the source of acute or even chronic back pain, says Dr. David Marshall, Medical Director for Children’s Health Care of Atlanta Sports Medicine Program.

“It’s estimated about 40 million kids are going to be carrying backpacks, and we’re starting to see more and more back pain complaints from the doctors in the sports medicine program,” states Marshall.

Between 2010 and 2011, backpack injuries in kids aged 5 to 18 increased 6.5%, from 12,924 to 13,766, according the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Injuries from backpacks Marshall sees include chronic back pain and imbalance, such as tripping and falling. If a child has a spine issue such as scoliosis, improper backpack technique could make the pain worse.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the weight of a backpack should be less than 10-15% of a child’s body weight. A child weighing 100 pounds should carry a backpack that weighs less than 15 pounds.

Help your kids prevent backpack pain

However, “The dilemma is, even though we recommend that backpacks should weigh less than 15% of the kids' total body weight, sometimes that’s not practical, because they may have a lot of homework or need to study for a test,” says Marshall.

Avoid school strain - unstuff that backpack

If heavy books have to be carried, he suggests placing them closest to the child’s back. Another option - if the school allows it - is using a rolling book bag. Better yet, consider having two sets of books – one at home and one at school.

With increasing technology, Marshall says, “one of the solutions is to put some of the text books online … rather than carrying home a 700-page history textbook to read 10 pages.”

The material used to make the backpack also matters. Marshall points out that while leather backpacks may look nice, they add extra weight before it’s even filled. So he suggests a light-weight nylon bag.

Also look for backpacks with wider straps, says Marshall. - “Narrower straps can dig into muscles [and] they might even pinch a nerve.”

Some backpacks come with abdominal straps. Marshall recommends using them because they help redistribute the load evenly across the back.
 
Hmmm now this thread has becom a product rivalry thread. Moorspa the thread u provided has been deleted. Did u get the schoolbag for kids? I bought the large size but found it too big for my P1 gal(she is average in size and height) she ended up using the small one which is meant for her meimei.

Too bad her meimei wants it back and now she is back to using her normal barbue sch bag. I realised that she does not have many books to bring for p1 so no nid ergo bag per se. I pack folders in a hand carry bag, easier for her to retrieve her files and no need to struggle to chuck in her school bag.

Am looking at lego one when her books increased. Very ex but very light too. My hubby likes the german bags. May just drop by n take a look to compare.

Meanwhile mummies take the discussion here with a pinch of salt. Keep searching n experimenting. No one bag can fit all child, best is to bring kids along to try out. Oh yes, teaching kids to pack their bags is very very impt life skill. If they r not taught how to pack their bags n simply dump everything for convenience, it will cause lifetime incoveniences----back prob n laziness.... Plus the lightest bag becom heavy.

Asking maid to carry yoyr kids bag will not solve the prob... Remember the army boy who got caught asking maid to carry his army pack? Geezz i heard he got tracked down by the army.... So much for soldier training to defend our country....mayb govt can consider importing soldiers too heeheehee
 
Helen,

The bag is from US, this is the US link. http://www.schoolbagsforkids.com/. The organizer has stopped organizing for a few months. You are right in teaching kids to pack their bag, I hv not been strict in teaching my gal to pack her bag. I must buck up now. Thanks for sharing.
 
hmmm...the new members here usually promote a specific brand/company, thus personally feel their feedback is not genuinely given.

Bags from kid2youth are too expensive. They mayb priced on par with European prices but not many are willing to spend. And frankly they are not light as well.

Yes, truly agreed, clearly a poor merchant whom resort to all sort of dirty tricks, trying to promote their new products, please get off from this forum and don't stink this place!
 
I just bought Impact for my small built girl..bag bigger than her..but she says comfortable having let her compare with dr kong(quality looks poorer than impact), and other brand. Some bookshops carry Impact bag, not neccessary must go all the way to departmental stores..These bookshop seller may give his own shop discount over the discounted Impact schoolbag..because they wan to close deal..
 
Got Dr Kong bags for my gals. Worked pretty well as the bags are not heavy, so after adding books etc, the weight is still manageable for my gals. Would prefer both of them using darker colors bags so it does not look so dirty after a few days. But the black one is only available in bigger sizes, so I have to get a light violet one for my smaller build gal.
 
Joseph,

You hv been advertising Impact bags since you registered as a member this morning. Pls stop putting other brands down just to make yr Impact bags look better. My gal has been using this bag for 1.5 years and she is still using it. FYI, this bag is ergonomic and my gal do not hv any complaints abt the bag. The bag is also lightweight. Anyway, I don't see this brand selling in Singapore so it shld not be a threat to yr Impact bags.

Btw, this is not a place for you to put other brands down and keep telling the world how good Impact is. If it is good, there will be a lot of positive reviews from parents sharing here. The positive reviews will speak for yr Impact bags.
 
We spent a day at one shopping center with many shops selling different bags. What we did is we stuff two big bottle filled with liquids or any items in the shop of a weightage into bag(s)..then let our child carry the bag. We ruled out the bag(s) filled with stuff which we see she straight away bent forward.
 
Hi,
Ever heard about nikidom roller bags? Very good quality. I got an extra one that I bought that I want to sell. Original price at $178, now selling $138.
Can search for nikidom roller bag for more information on the bag.
 

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