Back to School: Let the hunt for the perfect backpack begin

You're not ready to deal with back-to-school shopping, right? Or maybe you are ready...because your kids are driving you nuts at home! My kids are set on their backpack front because we bought them most excellent bags last year. And yes, they still look as good as new even with some serious use. (It really does pay to invest in a good school bag.)

But if you find yourself in the position of having to help your kid select a new school bag for the upcoming year, check out the slide show for some of our favorite backpack picks for preschoolers to high school kids. You may find yourself paying more than thirty dollars for a backpack, but you'll also avoid having to buy a new bag every year. Each bag listed in the slide show is durable and lightweight. But perhaps more important for mom and dad, the bags are easy to clean.

And before you purchase any backpack for your kids, make sure you review our tips to pick out the best school bag. You'll want to know what to look for in a backpack design so your kids don't hurt their backs at the expense of looking good.