Consumerist

backpacks

5 Things You’ll Find On Sale During August

Our deal-hunting colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports don’t just keep track of which products perform the best in their tests, but they also track prices on items to figure out what’s the best time to buy. What do they say are the best things to buy during the month of August? It’s a great time to pick up an air conditioner, a backpack, a dehumidifier, or a snow blower. Wait, a snow blower? [More]

above and beyond

Jansport Still Wowing Customers, Fixing Broken Backpacks

By Laura Northrup 2.5.14

Over a year ago, we shared with you a tale of consumer joy from a Jansport backpack owner who sent his bag to the company in a pizza box and got his worn-out backpack replaced with an even nicer one. They’re not all about swapping old backpacks for new ones over in Jansportland, though. Sometimes, all you need is a replacement zipper. [More]

above and beyond

JanSport Boasts Lifetime Warranty, Actually Means It

By Laura Northrup 12.28.12

Did you have a Jansport backpack back when you were in school? Jason has had his for about 14 years, and it was looking pretty beat up. He decided to put the bags’ lifetime warranty to the test, so he packed it up in a pizza box (no, really) and sent it to Jansportland. What he got back was better than an exact replacement. It was even better than his faithful companion coated with pizza grease. [More]

lost luggage

Delta Misplaces My Backpack Of Essentials, Shrugs

By Laura Northrup 9.5.12

Seann got on a Delta plane with only a carry-on, and was told that he would need to gate-check his bag. That was the last time he ever saw it. The tag he was supposed to receive never materialized, and neither did his backpack. This would be tolerable if he had just been toting a carry-on full of clothes, but the gate-checked bag happened to be his backpack, stuffed with his laptop, video camera, and other valuable items filled with tasty data. [More]

back to school

How To Stop 'Packs From Messing With Your Kids' Backs

By Phil Villarreal 7.24.11

Kids tend to treat themselves as pack mules, piling heavy books into bags, then lugging them around to the detriment of their necks and backs. [More]

safety

Pick A Backpack That Won't Break Your Kid's Spine

By Ben Popken 8.24.10

Here are some tips from Consumer Reports for making sure your kid’s backpack won’t turn them into a hunchback: [More]

adidas

Happy Endings: Adidas Upgrades Your Tragically Leaky Backpack

By Meg Marco 10.22.08

Here’s a nice story from reader Aaron. His Adidas backpack soaked up a ton of water and ruined his books and papers, so he complained to Adidas. They referred him to their backpack manufacturer, and they replaced the backpack with a better one for free.

sales

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 9.15.08

Highlights From Dealhack

Abt Electronics: Sony Cybershot S750 7.2MP Digital Camera $129 Shipped
Office Depot: HP AMD Dual Core Widescreen Notebook $550 & Free Shipping
B&H Photo: Panasonic Viera 42-inch Plasma HDTV $830 Shipped

Highlights From Buxr

Amazon: J.A. Henckels 8 Piece Stylus Block Set for $49.99 w/ Free shipping
Walmart: Eastsport Mesh Backpack for $9.88 + $0.97 Shipping
Timberland: 30% Off Coupon w/ coupon code: FALLEVENT4

Highlights From Dealnews

Geeks.com: Four Wireless Day / Night Color Security Cameras with receiver for $130 + $11 s&h
Newegg: Creative ZEN X-Fi 8GB Portable MP3 / MP4 Player for $112 + free shipping
Buy.com: Refurbished SanDisk Sansa MP3 Players from $22 + free shipping

staples

Morning Deals

By Ben Popken 9.8.08

Banana Republic: 30% off today only with coupon code HAPPY30 or printable coupon
Sears: Free Masterlock with printable coupon
MusiciansFriend: AKG Handheld Condenser Microphone for $100 + free shipping. Today only.

Highlights From Dealhack