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Stores in Prague, Brno, Ostrava
Why BECKMANN
A backpack that carries the weight where it belongs
BECKMANN school backpacks have been developed by a Norwegian family company from Kristiansand since 1946 – with a chiropractor, researchers and even robots. Here is everything behind them: ergonomics, testing, materials, fair production and a 4-year warranty.
of developing school backpacks
countries where children wear them
IGR Innovation Award for Ergonomics
warranty on every backpack
Your child’s back has to last a lifetime
Almost every second child in the Czech Republic has poor posture. Problems increase mainly when school starts – exactly when a child begins carrying a backpack every day. That’s why the way a backpack fits really matters.
of children in the Czech Republic have poor posture
Czech National Institute of Public Health
more schoolchildren with poor posture in 5 years
clients of the Czech health insurer VZP ČR
is how far a first-grader with a 1.5 km walk to school covers in 7 years
That’s like walking from New York to Los Angeles.
carried by a first-grader every day – textbooks, snack, pencil case
our measurement of backpack contents
Sources: SZÚ (Czech National Institute of Public Health) study with paediatric GPs (42% of children with poor posture), VZP ČR (a one-fifth rise in schoolchildren with poor posture over 5 years), BECKMANN Norway, zdravybatoh.cz.
Weight belongs on the hips, not the shoulders
Heavy contents should sit close to the back and low down. Then the child doesn’t have to hunch their shoulders forward, which over time causes neck pain. Four details take care of this:
Top adjustment straps
They pull the backpack close to the shoulders so it doesn’t drag the child backwards.
Chest strap at armpit height
The backpack won’t slip off the shoulders and hands stay free.
Shaped, ventilated back
An aluminium stay keeps the backpack close to the spine, and the mesh lets the back breathe.
Hip belt on the hip bones
It takes on a large part of the weight, and the backpack doesn’t sway when the child runs.
The Classic range comes in two sizes (Classic 22 l and Classic Max 28 l) so the backpack fits rather than hangs. In our shops, we’ll adjust it for your child.
A foam-and-air cushion that moves with your child
Inside the back panel there is a foam-and-air cushion: foam on the inside, surrounded by air whose firmness you can adjust. It adapts to the shape of the back, shifts with every step and increases the area where the backpack rests against the back. This spreads the pressure more evenly and lets the back breathe better.
Larger support area = less pressure at any one point.
In the test, the weight shifted from the shoulders towards the hips.
Less sweaty backs.
You set the cushion’s firmness.
Robot test: how much weight do a child’s shoulders carry?
BECKMANN set up the test with the Norwegian research institute NORCE, with support from the Research Council of Norway. The aim was to find out how backpacks distribute weight between the shoulders, back and hips.
“To be innovative, you have to dare to try new things.”
Martin Beckmann, BECKMANN Norway
A real schoolchild, the real shape of a back.
The data produced an exact model of the upper body.
A sensor mat under the backpack measures pressure point by point.
30 seconds of running with a 2.5 kg load in the backpack.
Measured by NORCE researchers on a torso model of a six-year-old child in the lab in Grimstad: 30 s of running, 2.5 kg load, hip belt, chest strap and top strap fastened. Both BECKMANN backpacks for first-graders take more than half of the weight off the shoulders.
Source: NORCE (Norwegian Research Centre) reports for Active AIR FLX and Classic; competitor comparison from the BECKMANN and NORCE lab test.
Same backpack, same load – share of the weight on the shoulders
Yes. Teach your child to fasten the belt – in our shops, we’ll show you how to adjust it properly.
Who recommends BECKMANN backpacks
All awards, certificates and tests in the BECKMANN Hall of Fame
The backpacks met its criteria and hold its recommended-product certificate – currently valid until the end of 2026.
The foundation gives BECKMANN backpacks to children from its rheumatology outpatient clinic. “From a medical point of view, we strongly recommend this ergonomic backpack.” – Dr Rainer Berendes, paediatric rheumatologist
Ergonomics tests according to DIN 33419 / EN ISO 15537 and Innovation Awards for Ergonomics in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Active AIR FLX also won the Special Award Ergonomics 2021.
A chiropractor with a doctorate in lower back pain. He develops and tests backpacks with BECKMANN.
We had a BECKMANN backpack tested at the Faculty of Medicine in Ostrava, Department of Rehabilitation. The test confirmed its quality and excellent ergonomics.
Classic winner 2019, 2020 and 2021, Active AIR FLX winner 2021
Test winner 2019 – Classic Max
Winner of the parenting magazine’s 2020 test
Children love them, parents trust them. Original designs from Kristiansand.
BECKMANN calls it ErgoMagic: a backpack should be a little bit of magic for a child and a reliable helper for their back. That’s why the designs don’t come out of a catalogue.
Their own design team in Norway
They sketch, draw and dream up every backpack at the head office in Kristiansand.
Watercolour-painted designs
Some of the most popular patterns are hand-painted by a BECKMANN designer.
Designed with children
The designers talk to teachers, parents and, above all, children. And they watch the children’s faces when they see the designs for the first time – when their eyes light up, the job is done.
New designs every year
From colourful patterns for first-graders to clean Scandinavian style for teenagers and adults.
One school satchel, two looks
What a first-grader loves may not appeal to a third-grader two years later. Simply turn the front pocket inside out and the design disappears – the backpack instantly looks more neutral and you don’t have to buy a new one.
Undo the side hook-and-loop fasteners and the zip, and slide your hand behind the design.
Grab the fabric and turn the pocket inside out.
Close the zip and the hook-and-loop fasteners. Done.
Clever details parents only appreciate once school starts
School satchels and backpacks for grades 1–5 · see each model for its exact featuresIt has its own place in the backpack, so it won’t get lost. The backpack can handle a short shower even without it.
It clips onto the top of the school satchel. The weight still goes to the hips and hands stay free.
Snacks and drinks have a separate pocket. Textbooks and exercise books stay dry.
Reflective elements on all sides, on the straps and in the mesh pockets. You can buy the B-SEEN & SAFE light and vest separately in our accessories.
Children can fine-tune the look of their backpack to suit them – and change it.
Open the side zip and the backpack holds more. Behind the zip there are extra feet, too.
It’s the contents that weigh the most anyway – which is why the backpack needs to keep the weight close to the back.
Non-toxic backpacks.
Tested more strictly than required.
A child has their backpack on their back, in their hands and close to their neck almost every day – and the youngest sometimes even near their mouth. That’s why, at BECKMANN, what the law allows isn’t enough.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 – textiles tested for more than 1,000 harmful substances.
Toy standard EN 71-3 – backpacks for preschool and grades 1–3 do not release heavy metals.
BPA-free – PP lunch boxes and Tritan bottles, tested for food contact.
Monitored list of substances – phthalates, PFAS, BPA and heavy metals. EU rules (REACH, POPs) as well as strict US standards.
Independent laboratories – tests with the RISE research institute and with Intertek.
Do the textiles have OEKO-TEX certification? Has it been tested to the EN 71-3 toy standard? Are the lunch box and bottle BPA-free? If the seller doesn’t know, that’s an answer too.
Made from recycled bottles.
Sewn under fair conditions.
In the textile industry, fair wages and safe workshops can’t be taken for granted. And a backpack that rips after a year isn’t cheap – its cost is simply paid elsewhere: in landfill and in the factory.
From recycled PET bottles – since 2024, the main fabric of all backpacks has been made from them (GRS). Up to 70% less CO₂ than conventional polyester.
Fair Wear Foundation and amfori BSCI – since 2020: training in the factories, independent factory audits and an audit of BECKMANN itself.
Designed in Norway, made in 7 vetted factories – all under direct contracts, with no middlemen. A public Social Report every year.
The founder’s legacy – Olav Beckmann got involved in projects to help others. The company carries this on by supporting children’s education and helping families in need.
We pack without plastic – and customers tell us that unpacking is an experience.
Is the fabric made from recycled material with GRS certification? Is the brand a member of Fair Wear or amfori BSCI? Can you get spare parts? How many years of warranty does it come with? If there’s no answer, that tells you something.
Are BECKMANN backpacks expensive?
A child wears their backpack almost every day for several years – right at the time when their spine is growing. And afterwards it is often handed down to a younger sibling.
✓ Ergonomics proven by tests and experts
✓ 4-year warranty, automatically
✓ Spare parts and repairs
✓ 45 days to return, free of charge from the Czech Republic and Slovakia
✓ Help with choosing and adjusting in our shops
warranty on BECKMANN backpacks – automatically, with no registration. We trust their quality, and if needed, we’ll repair the backpack too.
We’ll repair the backpack so it can keep going.
While your warranty claim is being handled, you can borrow a replacement backpack (in the Czech Republic and Slovakia).
Free of charge from the Czech Republic and Slovakia if the backpack doesn’t fit.
Customers write: “delivered lightning-fast”.
What parents ask
Are BECKMANN backpacks good for children’s backs?
Yes. They are developed with a chiropractor, and in the lab test the shoulders carried only 38% of the weight with the Active AIR FLX. They are recommended by the Japanese Association of Chiropractors, IGR and the German paediatric rheumatologist Dr Rainer Berendes.
Where are BECKMANN backpacks designed and made?
They are designed and developed at the head office in Kristiansand, Norway. They are made by 7 vetted factories in China under direct contracts, overseen by the Fair Wear Foundation.
How long is the warranty on a BECKMANN backpack?
4 years, automatically and with no registration. We also have spare parts, and while a warranty claim is being handled, customers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia can borrow a replacement backpack.
What are BECKMANN backpacks made of?
Since 2024, the main fabric has been made from recycled PET bottles with GRS certification. The textiles are certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
How do you adjust a school backpack correctly?
The backpack should sit just above the bottom, with the hip belt on the hip bones and the chest strap at armpit height. Finally, tighten the top straps. We’re happy to adjust it for you in our shops.
Shops in Ostrava, Prague and Brno – or online with 45 days to return.
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