Shopping for an ergonomic school bag

For the longest time, we parents have always lamented that school bags are always packed to the brim. Pity the school-going kids, their smaller frames struggle to carry the 5 or 6kg load daily!

Kids pack their books in this sequence :
– if unsure, bring everything
– if lazy, pack everything (no need to unpack everyday)
– if paranoid of teacher’s scolding for bringing wrong books wrong day, PACK everything !

Boon Kang hates to carry a heavy bag to school, we have witness some kids hunching to support their bag’s weight 🙁
P1 school bag too heavy, school bags with rollers

Ideally, there would be a locker for kids to store their books, assuming they know how to pack their daily curriculum’s needs. If the bags are still heavy, maybe an ergonomic bag might help.

By the way, it is not straightforward to shortlist a good bag, there are so many criteria to consider.

What do you look for when you are buying a schoolbag?
Comfort, budget, durability, brand, warranty maybe design?
Have we factor in ergonomics into our criteria?

Ergoworks

Daddy brought Boon Kang to Ergoworks’ showroom at Causeway Point, and we learn a few tips about ergonomics from their friendly salesperson (Jack).

Jack mention that :
– a good bag should help to distribute the weight of a bag’s content
– different bags fit different child, and we need to find the matching one for his weight\height etc.
– Ideally, the bag’s base and top should be between the lumbar and shoulder.

We also learn that Ergoworks was voted the “Best Retailer in Ergonomic” and “Most favorite school bag” by several parenting magazines.

How does Impact’s range of bags help to improve ergonomics for the child?
The bag’s compartment and divider will help to keep books upright, and thus stabilised the bag’s overall gravity. In addition, a waist belt will prevent the bag from swing left and right, distributing the load evenly.

For safety, 3M Scotchlite reflective material helps to ensure child’s safety when they are crossing the road.

importance of ergonomic schoolbags

We also noticed the gaps and grooves at the back. Jack told us that this allows for better ventilation. Can we have something similar for Soldier’s FBO (Full Battle Order) ?

Daddy is impressed at the wide range of colours and designs of bags. The bright colour bags will also make the kids look more vibrant. With so many features, we were pleasantly surprised that the bag is still light and even water resistant.

More benefits are listed in the image below.

(image credit Ergoworks)

Finally, Boon Kang chose a red colour bag (IPEG-081). Valued at $109, special discounts await the following groups :
– Passion (15%)
– Safra and Cordlife members
– trade-in of used Impact bags (20%)

Impact Bags

Impact is a successful local brand and sold internationally, and it’s good to support our Singapore brand. Daddy was curious about the endorsement by Chiropractic Association and Physiotherapy Association.

We extracted a portion from Impact website :
The heavy book load that children are subjected to can lead to physical stress and poor posture which may result in spinal conditions. It is therefore vital that this weight factor be effectively managed with the appropriate tools so that any negative health impact/consequence arising from prolonged carrying of heavy schoolbags can be either prevented or minimized.

Short term consequences such as muscle strains and pains, neck and shoulders aches, tension headaches, lower back pain, fatigue are common symptoms of poor bag designs or carrying posture. Other consequences such as improper skeletal and muscle development, nerve entrapment syndrome, poor blood circulation and degeneration of spinal column lay occur as long term consequences.

IMPACT ergonomic school bags are designed for children’s comfort and posture. Helping them achieve greater potential in their education and health

Impact is not one of the cheapest bag, but we believe that it is worth investing in a durable bag which provides ergonomic benefits for a young child.

Boon Kang is happy with his new bag, which he mentions looks sporty.

Love the poster, “A happy child starts from a healthy back”. We do not wish any child to develop a bad posture or even strain themselves at such a tender age.

More details about Impact bags can be found on Impact or Ergoworks website, and Fanpage.

You can trial the bags at one of the following outlets.
– Centrepoint (176 Orchard Road #03-36 The Centerpoint Singapore 238843)
– Marina Square (6 Raffles Boulevard #03-337, Marina Square Singapore 039594)
– Causeway Point (1 Woodlands Square #03-26 Causeway Point Singapore 738099)

Call Ergoworks at 6659 8488 for enquiry.

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Ergoworks is giving away 25 bags, do pop by their their Fanpage for details 🙂

Sorry Boon Xin, this bag belongs to Boon Kang. You can have your own bag in a few years 🙂
cost of Impact school bags