Backpacks at Boston College are more than style choices—they’re field-tested equipment. Can they survive a sprint up the Million Dollar Stairs? Endure an O’Neill all-nighter? Protect your laptop when Boston weather turns biblical?
I’ve rated BC’s most common backpacks on effectiveness because, at the end of the day, the true flex is whether your bag can hold it together.
The Red New Balance Athlete Backpack – 8.5/10
This bag is built like its wearers—sturdy, functional, and occasionally exhausted. It features cavernous compartments and a durability that screams “NCAA budget line item.”
Downsides: It weighs approximately as much as a kettlebell, and unless you’re on a roster, it feels like stolen goods. Practically humming with 6 a.m. lifts and away games, this bag gets a fair amount of use. Great for hauling gear, less great for subtlety, the bag still announces, “Yes, I’m on the team. Please clap.”
The Navy Longchamp Tote – 6/10
Sleek, stylish, and about as padded as a paper bag, the Longchamp’s “effectiveness” depends entirely on your priorities.
It looks amazing in photos but offers zero ergonomic support when loaded with theology books. Weatherproofing is decent, but expect straps to groan under a MacBook, three notebooks, and Plato’s Republic.
Beautiful? Yes. Functional? Debatable.
Any BC-Branded Backpack – 7.5/10
These bags say, “I support the bookstore economy.” Effectiveness score rises if you’ve managed to snag the Lululemon edition. Extra points for any stretchy compartments that accommodate both gym clothes and PULSE binders.
Still, its zippers jam after a semester of overstuffing, and the maroon fades into a mysterious brown after too many walks through a Comm. Ave drizzle.
The Leather Tote – 5/10
Aesthetic? Elite. Practicality? Tragic. This bag can’t handle Jesuit-level workloads—no compartments, no mercy on your shoulder blades, no rain protection. It’s only effective if your daily cargo is The New Yorker and a single fountain pen.
A+ for image, F for spinal health.
The North Face Borealis – 9/10
The workhorse of campus. Water-resistant, back-supporting, and endlessly pocketed, these bags last longer than your BC email account. True, they lack the flex of a Longchamp, but they’ll hold three textbooks, two coffees, and your will to live during finals.
This is the Honda Civic of backpacks: reliable, unglamorous, and unbeatable.
Your High School Backpack – 3/10
Effectiveness is not just about straps and zippers—it’s also about context. And nothing screams “I peaked in high school” like lugging around your JanSport with faded Sharpie doodles. Structurally, it still works. Socially, not so much.
