JanSport Half Pint

At 625 cubic inches, the JanSport Half Pint is one of the smallest backpacks we found -- just right for toddlers and preschoolers who don't need to haul full-size notebooks or folders. Parents also like it as an overnight bag for toddlers, a diaper bag or even a minipurse.

Performance

Too small for notebooks. The JanSport Half Pint can't fit a full-size notebook or folder, but considering the intended age range, it doesn't need to. The Half Pint really shines when it carries a multitude of small things, and parents say it's great for toting essentials such as sunscreen, a wallet, camera and a water bottle on a day trip.

The Half Pint is also popular with parents who purchase it as a diaper bag for the toddler to carry himself, and we found quite a few reviews from adults who use the Half Pint as a sporty minipurse or as a minipack while hiking.

The Half Pint has one larger storage compartment and one smaller compartment -- both zippered -- and a hook-and-loop-closure front stash pocket. The water bottle will have to go inside the pack, since there's no exterior pocket designed for it. Reviewers say the zippers work well.

Comfort

Simply built, but still comfortable. The Half Pint's adjustable shoulder straps aren't padded, but most reviewers don't mind. They say that it's so small and light that it's comfortable. Adults like that if they use it as a minibackpack, it's small enough not to show behind them in pictures.

Durability

Lasts until your child outgrows it. When the JanSport Half Pint outlives your toddler or small child's use -- and almost every review we found says it will -- it can easily be given a second life as mom's purse or a diaper bag for younger kids.

"Fits so much stuff and it's durable," writes one parent on eBags.com. Another -- an adult who started using this pack as a purse -- says the first one she bought lasted nine years. Like full-size JanSport packs, the Half Pint is backed by a lifetime warranty. The only real downside we found is that it's not waterproof.

Bottom line

The Half Pint is cute, durable and roomy enough for carrying lots of small things -- perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, or for use as a minipurse, diaper bag or hiking daypack. It won't fit full-size notebooks, but it is durable enough to last through several small children.