The 12 Best Non-Toxic Backpacks

One of my favorite activities at the end of each summer was picking out my bookbag for the year! There were so many options and this was really my chance to let my personality shine!

The below backpacks are free of PVC, endocrine-disrupting phthalates & PFAS, harmful dyes, and lead. Many of the below are made of organic cotton, cotton canvas, polyester, or nylon. When it comes to polyester and nylon I chose recycled options to be more planet-friendly.

collage of 12 different non-toxic backpacks

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Crunchy & Curious, LLC recommends products that are genuinely loved and well-researched. Many of these links are affiliate. If you end up purchasing through an affiliate link, I may earn a commission (at no extra charge to you.) Commisionable links will be marked with an asterisk*. You can see my full disclaimer, here.

Our Picks for Non-Toxic Backpacks

1. My Little Shop UK– Made from 100% brushed cotton canvas.
Buy on: Maisonette | ETSY

2. Jansport– Made from 100% Recycled Nylon webbing and cording
Buy on: Jansport* | Amazon* | Nordstrom*

3. Emile et Ida– Made from 100% Cotton.
Buy on: Smallable*

4. SoYoung– Made from cotton and linen
Buy on: Amazon | Sprout San Francisco |

5. Jem & Bea– Made from 100% ECONYL® regenerated nylon. Non-toxic water-repellent lining.
Buy on: No longer available

6. Fluf– Made from GOTS certified organic cotton & padded with recycled polyester
Buy on: Amazon | Maisonette | EarthHero

7. Terra Thread– Made from GOTS-certified organic cotton canvas
Buy on: Terra Thread | Amazon

8. Milinane– Made from 100% cotton. Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified.
Buy on: Smallable

9. Sticky Lemon– Recycled Polyester, Cotton, Polyurethane, Nylon
Buy on: Smallable

10. Emile et Ida– Made from 100% Cotton.
Buy on: Smallable

11. Fjällräven– Made from recycled polyester and organic cotton.
Buy on: Zappos | Bloomingdales | Amazon

12. State– Made from recycled polyester canvas (note that not all styles are recycled materials the below are different styles than shown in the above image)
Buy on: State | Smallable

Other Options (not pictured above)

Since this article was published in 2021, some of the brands above no longer carry backpacks and some are not found in stores in the US. Find some more options below!