Dinosaur Backpacks: All 14 Designs, What Fits Inside, and Which Age Each One Suits

Most dinosaur backpacks are bought by a parent standing in front of a child who has already decided. The design is not up for debate. What is up for debate is whether the bag is big enough for a folder, small enough for the kid wearing it, and going to survive until June.

We make 14 dinosaur backpacks, all $54.99. Thirteen of them are the same full-size school bag with a different print, and one, the Neon Rex, comes in three sizes. That one difference decides most purchases, so it comes first. Every measurement and lead time below is from the live listings.

The short version

If your child is in kindergarten or first grade, skip to the Neon Rex section. If they're older, any of the 13 will do and you can pick on print alone.

The full-size dinosaur backpack: one bag, 13 prints

The 13 printed bags share one body. At just under 17 inches tall and 12 wide, it's a proper school backpack, the size of a typical middle-school bag. It takes a letter-size binder flat, a lunch box in the main pocket, and a laptop or tablet up to 15 inches in its own sleeve so it isn't knocking against everything else.

The details that matter in daily use:

• Water-resistant polyester. It's fine in a rain shower on the walk to the bus. It isn't waterproof, so don't leave it in a puddle.
• Two sliders on the top zipper, each with a puller, so small hands can open it from either side.
• A hidden zippered pocket on the back panel, against the wearer's back. That's the place for a house key or lunch money, because it can't be opened while the bag is on.
• Padded, adjustable straps and a soft mesh back. Five of the listings give a maximum load of 44 lb, far more than any child should carry.

Which print

The prints split roughly into two groups, and the product names tell you which is which.

Kids' prints (8): T-Rex, Jungle T-Rex, Dinosaur Ruled, Multi-Color Dinos, Colorful Dinos, Camo Dinosaur, Tiny Dinos, and Pink Dinos. These are the brighter, busier patterns. If you're shopping for a T-Rex backpack specifically, the T-Rex and Jungle T-Rex prints are the two built around one.

All-over pattern prints (5): Construction Dinos, Colorful Fossils, Playful Dinosaur Doodles, Mixed Dinos, and Dinosaur Skeletons. These read a little less "elementary school", which is why they're the ones teenagers and adults tend to carry.

Despite "Kids" in some of the product names, all 13 are the same full-size bag. A "kids" print is not a smaller backpack. You can see every print side by side in our dinosaur backpacks collection.

A dinosaur backpack for adults

Because the full-size bag has a 15″ laptop sleeve and a back pocket for valuables, it works as a grown-up commuter or campus bag. We'd point adults at the all-over prints: Colorful Fossils and Dinosaur Skeletons are the quietest, Construction Dinos and Playful Doodles the most fun. It's the same bag the kids get, so there's no adult fit or premium version to look for. The Neon Rex also comes in an Adult (13+) size if you'd rather match a child's bag.

The Neon Rex: the one dinosaur backpack that comes in a child size

The Neon Rex backpack is built differently from the other 13, and it's the only one we sell in more than one size:

• Child (ages 4 to 7)
• Youth (ages 8 to 12)
• Adult (ages 13+)

All three are $54.99. The listing describes ergonomic shoulder straps with size adjustment, a fully padded back panel with breathable mesh, one large main compartment and a front utility pocket. It doesn't list a laptop sleeve, dimensions or fabric, so if you need a specific device to fit, the full-size bag is the safer buy.

The Neon Rex is the only answer we have for a kindergartner. A 17-inch bag on a five-year-old hangs below their hips, which is uncomfortable and pulls on the shoulders. Size by age range, and if your child is at the top of one range and growing fast, the next size up will last the extra year.

What we don't sell: a preschool or toddler backpack

Honestly: nothing in the range is made for a two- or three-year-old. The smallest size is the Neon Rex Child, for ages 4 to 7. If you're shopping for a preschooler, our guide to dinosaur gifts for 3-year-olds covers what does fit at that age, and we'd rather send you there than sell you a bag they'll drag along the ground.

How long a dinosaur backpack takes to arrive

Every backpack is printed or made to order, so none of them ship the day you buy. The listings give three different lead times:

All ship within the US only, and the tracking number arrives when the bag leaves production. The Dinosaur Skeletons listing doesn't state a lead time, so allow the longer window for it.

Ordering a dinosaur backpack for Christmas

A backpack is a good Christmas present for a dinosaur kid. It gets used every school day from January, which is more than most December gifts can say. To have it under the tree, order by:

• Neon Rex: November 18
• Construction Dinos, Colorful Fossils, Playful Doodles, Mixed Dinos, Dinosaur Skeletons: November 20
• The eight kids' prints: December 4

Those dates leave a few days' margin for holiday carrier delays. If you're buying for the start of the next school year, the same timing logic applies: order by early August, because that's when everyone else does.

Making it theirs

A plain-backed bag is an invitation. Kids put stickers on everything, and the front pocket of a polyester backpack takes a vinyl sticker better than most surfaces. Our dinosaur stickers are vinyl (the original range is listed as waterproof), and the sticker guide covers which sizes fit where. If they're going back to school in new gear, our kids' dinosaur shoes start at size 11 Child.

Dinosaur backpack FAQ

Will a dinosaur backpack fit a school laptop or Chromebook? The 13 full-size printed bags have a separate sleeve for a laptop up to 15 inches, which covers most school Chromebooks and tablets. The Neon Rex listing doesn't mention a laptop sleeve.

Are the "kids" backpacks smaller than the others? No. All 13 printed bags are the same 16⅞″ × 12¼″ × 3⅞″ size whatever the product name says. The only smaller backpack is the Neon Rex in Child or Youth size.

What size dinosaur backpack for a 5-year-old? The Neon Rex in Child size (ages 4 to 7). The full-size bags are too long for most children under about eight.

Is it waterproof? The full-size bags are water-resistant polyester. They handle rain on the way to school, not a soaking.

Do you ship outside the US? The backpack listings state US shipping only.

Pick by age, then by print

If it's for a child under eight, it's the Neon Rex in their size. For anyone older, choose the print they'll still like in May. Every design is in our dinosaur backpacks collection.