Our school has one request when it comes to the backpacks we send with our kids: no licensed characters. This eliminates about 75% of the backpack options out there, which means that it is common for kids to show up at school with the same backpack design and color, and then to have backpacks get switched around and sent home with the wrong kid (it’s happened to us twice!).

So if you are searching for a backpack with no characters and that doesn’t look like everyone else’s, here’s a good place to look: Sydney Paige.

We were sent the Young Explorers Valencia backpack in orange tunnels. It’s a great design with a fun, different color (not many orange backpacks out there!). I’m impressed with the mesh back for breathability, the generous side pockets to hold water bottles, and all the great spaces for holding different items.

I also really like the size. It’s larger than a toddler backpack (Sydney Paige has those, too!) but it’s not as big as the backpacks teenagers need (check out the World Changers line for the tweens and teens). It’s generous in size without being overwhelming to a smaller frame. I also love the sternum strap for additional support as more homework starts to come home each night.

But perhaps my very favorite thing about this backpack, and any Sydney Paige backpack for that matter, is that for every backpack that is purchased, another one just like it, filled with school supplies, is going to be donated to a child in need. As the customer, you even get to choose the nonprofit who will receive the donation! In the United States, 1 in 5 children live below the poverty line, and getting ready for back-to-school season is very stressful for parents who have so little in the way of discretionary funds. I love that Sydney Paige is stepping up to help fill that gap for families in need. Be sure to check out their amazing line of backpacks as you start to think about your back-to-school purchase needs.