Our favorite quality backpack brand - but not all Tilami are equal! READ
In 2022 we got a rolling backpack to accommodate the thick, heavy chromebook and papers that had to be lugged back & forth to school. My child's backpack was getting overstuffed and beaten up from shoulder-dropping it down on the blacktop each day and her back was starting to hurt on some days when she had more than school stuff to carry. We got this model Tilami backpack and I was cringing at the cost - nobody warned me I'd be spending $70-$90 on a freaking backpack for my 7 year old and I absolutely would not be doing that again. Well, joke's on me. I did it again. Only not because the first one was defective in any way - it held up beautifully for 3 years and is still in wonderful shape! This replacement was as she is older now and in intermediate grades, she wanted a refresh and new design and the upper handle on the old one was wearing thin because of where we hung it (on a thin hook that would squeeze and contort the handle shape eventually, permanently thinning out the padding and fabric). The first re-order we did, I had her select from the newer models listed as the same size and had seemingly similar wheels [not massive and not the triple-rollerblade ones as those dont sit comfortably on the back when you need to carry it.]. It arrived, she loved the design, but I immediately was bummed to see that it not only had been missing the wheel covers and was potentially a return, but the quality was night and day worse than before - even though it was $9 more expensive. There were more zipper pockets in the front and a little build in organizer in the frontmost zipper, but there was zero interior padding- her computer was flopping around no matter which pocket it was in and there wasnt a strap to hold it in a designated laptop pocket like the first backpack. It also was noticeably thinner fabric especially inside between the pockets. The metal handle could be felt on the inside and was hitting the laptop when moved around. I broke the sad news and showed her even though the design and metal zippers were really cute, it wasnt a quality choice and we have to send it back. I pulled up the listing from the first tome we ordered and apparently, the backpacks arent listed as different names or models - even for similar sized ones - but they do vary in pocket quantity and definitely quality even though theyre similarly priced. I had her choose a design from that first listing and it arrived this time both in a branded plastic bag and a box - first green flag already compared to the flimsy one. It's exactly the same layout and high quality as we came to know from the one we ordered in 1st grade. The size is still perfect - not clunky and awkward or embarrassing for an older kid to roll around and not too small to have to jam things into zippers. It had everything included and holds up perfectly to the ins and outs and ups and downs and looks beautiful by design. I expect this one to hold up another couple of years and am thrilled to get what we paid for this time around again. If youre looking for a few more pockets, and dont mind a lack of thick fabric on the interior or a designated double-padded pocket for a chromebook or tablet, you wont be limited to anything but patterns and I say check out their whole inventory. If you want something that will last potentially years and grades beyond back to school, get this one - or one on this specific page. The designs are limited and at our school it's unofficially the brand of every kid lol, so be mindful to put a customized tag or keychains etc to differentiate cause not much variety visually. But 100% recommend for students in legit any grade. Even if they use it as a traditional backpack without the wheels, its made solid and versatile. Read more
