I first bought this bag for my son in elementary school. He had it since kindergarten and it lasted for the entire 5 years through 5th grade. With all my son put it through it never tore or looked distressed. It was a fat boy. Now that he is advancing to middle school I purchased the same bag. I don't plan on replacing it until high school. At that point it will be another model that would hold all of his books. There is less to maintain for thus bag and I love it. Such a quality brand!!
The new version seems to be made with thinner material and the zippers look to be of cheaper quality. Time will tell. My last day pack from High Sierra lasted 17 years.
I was hesitant to buy the Fatboy for my elementary aged child, so glad I decided to just buy it, it is perfect! So well made and so much better than the Jansport, truly EXCELLENT quality.
This is my 3 rd purchase of this pack within a 20 + yr span. Very well built bag as I put it through a lot of wear and tear. It holds my laptop, work supplies, lunch pack and extra clothing like a hoodie. Love the interior key chain holder. My first bag I now use for a fishing tackle box. Second bag I damaged the zipper but the bag is still in great shape. The newer bag now comes in different colors but the design is pretty much the same. A lot of space, well build and worth the cost.
We love the look of the backpack. Hopefully it will hold up well for a 2nd grade boy. Our kids use Chromebooks for school and have to bring them home daily. I misunderstood the the “tablet sleeve” and thought the Chromebook would fit but I don’t know if our iPad would even fit.