Just Porter: Family Hazen Professional Backpack
Disclosure: So happy Just Porter contacted me for collaboration. I did receive a backpack, but all opinions are my own!
The fall has been lingering here in Chicago and giving us a wonderful break from an early winter. Winter break will be on us all soon enough and I for one am not the least bit prepared. The schedules my children have this school year ramped up so quickly, I have yet been able to catch my breath.
I really thought we would be easing into the school year and all their work was at a sprinting pace from day one. I really never had the opportunity to sort, purchase and label everything my children and myself need for the new school year because we have been at warp speed. I realized this past month that all my kids backpacks are in dire need of replacement.
Going through the task of taking each child to a store to select a new backpack is actually an agonizing ordeal that gives me a migraine. And frankly, I simply didn't have the hours I knew it would take for this shopping excursion. Enter Just Porter, a Chicago-based backpack company, to take care of all my backpack needs.
This is what Just Porter is all about:
"The idea of Just Porter was born in 2006 when founder, Chris Bahr, was doing humanitarian work in the Philippines. He walked past a school in the barrio that had slanted boards for windows, no electricity and scrap wood desks. Chris went to the local market and purchased pens, pencils, sharpeners, paper and crayons with all the money in his pocket. When he returned to the school, he began giving the school supplies to the children, and the outpouring of happiness moved Chris to do more. Chris knew that he had to create a new way of helping. He called it Give1/3"
What I look for in backpacks:
I look for a good quality backpack at an affordable price. Price is a huge factor for me as I have three children. Quality is extremely important to me. I do not want to have to purchase new backpacks in a couple of months because the backpack couldn't withstand the school day and various activities of my super busy children.
Comfort is another important element when purchasing backpacks. My son literally packs all of his school books, notebooks, folders and binders in his backpack in the morning and carries everything around all day long because his academy classes are in one wing of his high school and his locker is completely on the other side of the high school.
What we think of Just Porter backpacks:
I finally settled on the Hazen Professional Backpack for myself and my kids because it would fit a laptop, school books and a camera if needed. The Hazen Professional Backpack is actually the perfect size for my high school student, my middle school student and myself! I carried the Hazen to work on Monday and I loaded it up with my backpack, my iPad, my camera AND an extra lens and some notebooks that I needed. I was even able to toss in a large bottle water and a bottle of cold coffee with room to spare.
The Hazen Professional Backpack is also the perfect backpack for my son, the high school student, who attends a Science, Math & Engineering Academy and carries his day with him. He is loaded with work and this backpack keeps him organized. Which if you know anything about gifted students, is not a strong point.
What I really like about the Hazen backpack for my son is the padded straps with a chest clip. The backpack has an amazing padded compartment that rests on his back and keeps heavy books from digging into his back. He is carrying around a backpack that is heavy. It is so heavy I can barley lift it on a normal day. I took a before photo and I can't wait to see how this backpack looks on the last day of high school because I know it is going to stand up to a high school students abuse.
My middle school daughter was in need of a backpack as she had been carrying hers for a few years and the zipper didn't even work any longer. She is also in an advanced academy and needs a durable backpack to carry around her school. While she doesn't load up her backpack for the day, she does only have time in between her mornings and her afternoons to switch out her books etc. Her textbooks are big and heavy. Have you seen an Omnibus book lately? She's in love with the iPad iPad pocket as she usually records her teachers lectures and the magnetic chest strap because she is still a small girl.
When I was looking through the Just Porter website, my husband happened to be walking by and stopped to peruse with me. He instantly wanted the Rucksack Travel Backpack for his many international traveling weeks. He usually travels with a small suitcase and a backpack, but the combination of the RuckSack Travel Backpack would really suit his needs specifically.
Photo courtesy of Just Porter.
Even though Just Porter gifted me a backpack, they still donated another bag to a student in need, full of school supplies. Isn't that amazing? When you visit Just Porter, you will fall in love with their bags just like my family has AND when you purchase one, you will be a prat of the Just Porter community that creates jobs, empowers families and promotes education. As a home educating family, education is a key factor for us.
