I've purchased a few JanSport backpacks for my teen because I thought it would be a dependable choice for school. JanSport has been around for years, and the brand is known for making backpacks that are practical, durable, and popular with students.
At first, I liked the size, simple design, and amount of storage. It seemed like a good everyday backpack for carrying school supplies, a laptop, folders, and everything else my teen needed.
Unfortunately, one issue quickly became incredibly frustrating: the zipper constantly gets stuck to this extra piece of material on the zipper line.
This has happened often enough that it has completely changed the way I feel about the backpack. For something a student uses multiple times every day, I expect the zipper to open and close smoothly without becoming a constant annoyance.
Key Features
The JanSport backpack has many of the features you would expect from a traditional school backpack. It offers a roomy main compartment, smaller storage areas for everyday essentials, padded shoulder straps, and a classic design that works well for middle school, high school, or college students.
There is enough space for notebooks, folders, schoolbooks, electronics, and other daily items without the backpack feeling overly bulky.
The backpack itself also feels fairly sturdy and has held up well with normal school use. Unfortunately, the zipper problem overshadows many of those positives.
Pros
There are several things I do like about the JanSport backpack:
- Plenty of room for books, folders, and school supplies
- Classic design that works well for teens
- Comfortable shoulder straps
- Lightweight compared with some larger school backpacks
- Durable exterior material
- Easy to organize for everyday school use
Cons
- The biggest problem is the zipper.
- The zipper regularly gets stuck when my teen tries to open or close the backpack. Sometimes it catches on the surrounding fabric, and other times it simply does not move smoothly.
- This is especially frustrating during the school day when students are constantly opening their backpacks between classes.
- For me, this is not a minor inconvenience. It happens frequently enough that I consider it a real issue with the backpack.
Value for Money
This is where the JanSport backpack falls short for me.
JanSport is a well-known brand, and I expected better functionality from a backpack designed for everyday school use. While the backpack has good storage and feels durable overall, the zipper issue makes it difficult for me to say it is worth the money.
A zipper is one of the most-used parts of any backpack. If it consistently gets stuck, it affects the entire experience.
For that reason, I do not feel like this particular JanSport backpack delivered the quality I expected for the price and would of rather spend extra money to buy something that will last longer.
Who Should Buy This Product?
This backpack may still work for someone who wants a simple, lightweight backpack with plenty of storage and likes the traditional JanSport style. And probably uses the backpack not so often. Also, someone more gentle than a teen.
However, I would strongly recommend testing the zippers before purchasing one in person.
For students who are constantly opening and closing their backpacks throughout the school day, I would personally look at other options first.
Alternative Items to Consider
If I were shopping for another backpack for my teen, I would compare JanSport with brands known for smooth zippers, durable construction, and good school organization.
Some alternatives worth considering include backpacks from Swissgear Backpack.
I would pay especially close attention to zipper quality, laptop protection, shoulder comfort, and how well the backpack holds its shape when loaded with school supplies.
Conclusion
I really wanted to like this JanSport backpack. It has the classic look, plenty of storage, and a practical design for school.
But the zipper getting stuck over and over has become too frustrating to ignore.
Is the JanSport backpack worth the money? For me, no.
When you are buying something your teen will use every single day, basic features like the zipper need to work consistently. Because of that issue, I would not purchase this particular backpack again.
