Back pain used to begin for many between the ages of 35 and 45, but the average age is now lowering due to the weight of backpacks in college, Bautch said. In the same article, Laurie Holloway, a consumer relations manager at JanSport Inc., said her company does not receive many complaints about their backpacks. Holloway offered some tips for backpack safety. They should wear both straps and get a backpack with a waist strap and then not load it more than 10 or 15 percent of one's body weight. Purchasing a bag that has two large padded shoulder straps and a waist strap will help to relieve the load that many carry on their backs.
Some backpacks even have gel-filled shoulder straps that help to absorb the shock of the weight.
JanSport carries a bag called the Airlift with extra wide straps and a waist strap.