Where to Find Organic & Non-Toxic Backpacks (For Adults & Kids)

Unlike toys, backpacks and school supplies aren’t regulated for toxic chemicals, even though kids handle them all day, every day during the school year.

The good news? While some backpacks may contain harmful materials, there are safer options out there… And they’re not hard to find once you know what to look for.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the key chemicals to avoid and share my go-to backpack brands that prioritize safer materials.

Whether you’re picking out a back-to-school bag for your kid or a daily backpack for yourself, this guide will help you shop smarter and safer.

This guide contains product recommendations and we may receive compensation if you purchase through certain links. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!

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My recommendations for organic, & non-toxic backpacks without PVC or PFAS

First I’ll give you my brand recommendations, since that’s probably what you came here for. If you’d like to learn more about the different materials most backpacks are made of, along with the pros and cons of each scroll down.

Terra Thread (best overall)

Best for: Kids, Tweens, Teens, & Adults
Materials: Heavy-duty organic cotton canvas

Okay, maybe these backpacks aren’t technically 100% organic cotton since they do contain (lead-free) zippers, but besides that—it’s all organic, baby! No polyester liners or foams or anything like that.

These organic backpacks come with a handful of ethical and sustainable certifications: Fair Trade, GOTS, Carbon Neutral, and B Corp. And they’re vegan and give back to hunger relief, too.

Terra Thread’s backpacks come in a couple sizes—standard and mini. The mini is great for kids.

They carry everything from your standard black to bright colors and floral patterns. Great for school or just everyday use, they come with a laptop sleeve and several other compartments to hold your water bottle, keys, and more. They’re also machine washable.

In addition to backpacks, Terra Thread also carries duffle & gym bags, laptop sleeves, fanny packs, pencil bags, toiletry bags, and more.

I have one of Terra Threads’ fanny packs and I love it. It’s the perfect size—easy to carry around but big enough to hold a lot of stuff. It’s high-quality; the fabric and overall construction definitely feels like it can take a beating. I definitely recommend!

Also, no Prop 65 warnings on these either.

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Fjallraven

Best for: Everyday packs and hiking backpacks for teens & adults
Materials: PFAS-free synthetics

You’ve probably seen Fjallraven’s backpacks before—they’re very popular!

This Sweden-based brand was one of the first outdoor brands to go PFAS-free. They have a ton of options, from their most well-known Kanken bags (a casual, everyday bag with two handles on top), to hiking and trekking packs, and more.

Fjallraven’s backpacks are not made out of natural/organic materials, but they are a good option for weather-resistant backpacks that can hold up to the elements and are 100% PFAS-free. (Fjallraven was very transparent about the fact that they had a hard time getting PFAS out of their water-resistant zippers, but they told us that they have successfully made the switch and all of their zips are now PFAS-free as well!)

Fjallraven’s backpacks are literally meant to last a lifetime, and they offer various repair guides and services if your pack becomes damaged.

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Fluf

Best for: Kids & Teens
Materials: Organic cotton with a recycled plastic lining

Available in a variety of solid colors that use low-impact dyes, Fluf is a great option for the whole family—kids, teens, and adults alike.

They’re made with durable and machine-washable GOTS certified organic cotton and come with a padded computer sleeve that fits up to a 15-inch laptop.

The recycled plastic lining is GRS-certified, and meets the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® (which means it has been tested for more than 100 harmful substances).

In addition to their backpacks without Prop 65 warning labels, Fluf also carries super cute food safe lunch boxes and snack bags. Everything is ethically made in India.

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Osprey (best PFAS-free backpacks for hiking & camping)

Best for: Camping, hiking, travel, and regular daypacks
Materials: Mostly nylon or polyester, depending on the pack

Just a few years ago, it was really difficult to find a PFAS-free backpack that was suitable for hiking, camping, and travel.

But now, there are more and more outdoor brands who have ditched the forever chemicals!

Osprey is a great one to check out. My husband has an Atmos AG 65, which he got from REI (where they put you through a whole fitting process to make sure you’re getting the best option, size, etc.)

He really likes it. One of his favorite features is the mesh back panel, which not only helps to keep the weight off your back, but also provides a really nice amount of airflow so that you’re not drenching your shirt with sweat!

ALL of Osprey’s packs are now made without PFAS, and as far as I can tell, they are all bluesign® approved too, which means the manufacturing process is free from a list of toxic chemicals.

(Many of their packs do come with a Prop 65 label for dimethylformamiden (DMF), though, which is not ideal. DMF is mostly a concern for folks with interact with it in industrial settings. Personally, I’m not nearly as worried about DMF as I am about PFAS, so I’m still happy we purchased this pack and I would buy it again, all things considered.)

Osprey has a really wide variety of packs for men, women, and kids—whether you’re looking for a a regular backpack for school or basic commutes, something more intense for camping trips, or something in the middle!

For more PFAS-free outdoor gear, check out this guide.

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Allegorie (vegan leather)

Best for: Commuting and travel for teens & adults
Materials: Apple leather + recycled plastic

Allegorie carries beautiful backpacks that are made from fruit waste! Each backpack is made with around 80% apple leather, combined with recycled polyester made from post-consumer plastic bottles. They get their apples from juice factories in order to help reduce waste and put the entire apple to use.

These vegan backpacks are made in the USA, in the heart of New York City. They come with several third-party certifications, including PETA cruelty-free, World Fair Trade Organization (WTFO) for fair trade materials, and OEKO-TEX (which means it’s been verified to be free from a list of potentially harmful chemicals).

These are very spacious, making them great for travel. It includes multiple interior pockets (including a dedicated laptop sleeve), four functional exterior pockets (including side slots for water bottles), and a sleeve on the back for attaching to your suitcase.

You can pick from several different colors, including Black or Dusty Rose (for the outside) and Turquoise, Orange, or Cedar (for the inside).

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Milkdot

Best for: Toddlers & Kids
Materials: 600D polyester

While primarily focused on lunch bags, Milkdot carries several kids’ backpacks as well. Their products have been thoroughly tested for lead and phthalates by a Consumer Product Safety Commission third-party accredited lab.

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Where to find more school supplies without toxic chemicals

Here are some related guides to help you with with your safer back-to-school shopping:

• Non-Toxic Lunch Boxes & Food Storage Containers
• Low-Tox & Eco-Friendly School Supplies
• Low-Tox Luggage
• Organic Clothing Brands for Kids
• The Best Non-Toxic Hand Sanitizers
• PFAS-Free Outdoor Gear (like hiking backpacks)

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The best & worst materials used in backpacks

Cotton & organic cotton

The Pros: Cotton is a natural material and is often biodegradable (depending on what’s been added to it). In its original form, it’s free from plastics, PVC, phthalates, and other synthetics. Of course, organic cotton is best because it’s grown and harvested without using toxic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, making it more sustainable as a whole.

The Cons: The biggest downside to cotton backpacks is that without any added finishes, they aren’t waterproof. If you live in a dry climate or don’t do much outside commuting, this likely won’t be much of an issue for you. But if you live in a rainy city or are in need of a backpack for camping or hiking, you may want to consider a different material, or at least apply a non-toxic wax coating on the backpack to increase the water resistance.

Additionally, conventional cotton canvas may contain traces of pesticides and toxic fertilizers which were used to grow the cotton. (Although, I would say that buying a backpack made from organic cotton is not nearly as important for backpacks as it is for other things like food, clothing, or underwear.)

Hemp

The Pros: Hemp is a material that is healthy for both consumers and our planet. It doesn’t require chemical pesticides and fertilizers to grow, nor does it require a lot of water.

Unfortunately, hemp products have been difficult to come by since hemp farming got caught up in the war on drugs and it was illegal for U.S. farmers to grow it until recently. But we are slowly seeing a steady increase in the number of hemp products on the market, and that includes backpacks!

The Cons: Hemp is slightly more naturally water-resistant compared to cotton, but it’s still not waterproof.

Nylon

The Pros: Nylon is relatively water- and mold-resistant, which can be an important factor for some people with conditions that make them extra sensitive to mycotoxins, especially if your backpack is likely to get wet on a regular basis.

Being more water-resistant than something like organic cotton, it can be better for water-resistance without having to be treated with a water resistant coating made from PFAS. (I would rather have a PFAS-free backpack made out of nylon, polyester, or a similar synthetic than an organic cotton backpack that’s treated with toxic PFAS chemicals.)

Lastly, nylon can now be recycled in some places, which can help to keep some of this material out of our larger environment.

The Cons: Nylon is a type of plastic that is derived from crude oil. It is extremely water- and energy-intensive to manufacture. It’s not biodegradable, which means it also contributes to microplastic pollution as it breaks down.

Polyester

The Pros: Polyester is similar to nylon in some ways. It’s not great, but it’s also not as bad as some other synthetic materials (which we’ll get to in a minute). Unless you have a skin condition such as eczema, most people will be fine using nylon or polyester for a backpack, especially since it’s not directly against your skin.

It is also more water-resistant compared to natural materials like cotton and hemp, decreasing the need for PFAS (“forever chemicals”).

The Cons: Like nylon, polyester is a man-made synthetic plastic that is derived from petroleum. The manufacturing process has a high carbon footprint, is also not biodegradable, and contributes to microplastic pollution as it breaks down. Some of the chemicals used to manufacture polyester can be toxic, depending on how it’s made and what’s added to the fabric.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

The Pros: The only good thing about PVC from a consumer standpoint is that it’s water-resistant/waterproof.

The Cons: Although PVC is widely used in all kinds of products today, it is actually the most toxic kind of plastic.

As its name indicates, PVC contains chlorine, which creates byproducts called dioxins and furans. These are extremely toxic chemicals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dioxins “can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer.”

Not only that, but PVC commonly contains phthalates (which are used to make the plastic more flexible). Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, which means they can interfere with one’s natural hormone function and lead to infertility and developmental toxicity. They’re also linked to things like diabetes and asthma, and also may be carcinogenic.

Plus, as with almost all other plastics, PVC becomes even more toxic when heated. When the plastic reaches a certain temperature, it begins to release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, which you can then breathe in.

The negative health effects are so bad and so well-established at this point that some places in the world have started banning it, especially in things like food packaging.

Polyurethane (PU)

The Pros: You may have heard about polyurethane as used in foam mattresses, but it’s also used as a type of fabric for things like backpacks and purses, as well as a film additive that’s used to make products waterproof.

Even though PU is not ideal, in my opinion, it’s definitely a better option than PFAS when it comes to water-resistance. So if you really need a waterproof backpack for camping, boating, etc., then PU is one of your better options.

The Cons: The thing about PU is that there are many different kinds of it, and some kinds are more toxic than others. From a consumer standpoint, it’s almost impossible to know what kind of PU a specific product is made from (and therefore how potentially toxic it is).

It’s not biodegradable, and like the other types of plastic, PU also releases VOCs when it’s heated.

Recycled plastic

The Pros: Backpacks made from recycled polyester and other recycled materials tend to be a more eco-friendly option than virgin plastic since it helps to keep pollution out of our landfills and waterways, while also decreasing the fossil fuels and non-renewable resources need to create virgin products. There are a LOT of backpacks made from recycled water bottles on the market these days!

The Cons: Many products that are made from recycled plastic are made with mixed plastics, which means it’s often difficult to know exactly what kind of plastic is used. With recycled plastic, there is a lot of potential for contamination of BPA, phthalates, other endocrine disruptors, and VOCs.

Plus, you still have the problem is microplastic shedding.

Leather

The Pros: Leather is perhaps the most durable material on this list; a well-made leather backpack can last someone a lifetime—or even multiple generations! Although it’s not generally a great option for kids’ backpacks, it’s a stylish and timeless choice for adult backpacks, purses, everyday commuter bags, totes, and more.

The Cons: Leather is an animal product, which means it’s obviously not suitable for vegans. Sourcing is incredibly important. In some parts of the world, the leather industry is truly a byproduct of the meat industry that’s crucial to the local economy and the livelihoods of the people living there.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of greenwashing in this area, with brands claiming their leather products are sourced locally, as byproducts of these industries, when this is not actually the case. For this reason, radical transparency is all the more important when it comes to leather goods.

You’ll also notice that well-made, sustainably-sourced leather backpacks are more expensive than backpacks made from other materials, so that’s another consideration to keep in mind.

Toxic chemicals are also something to be very aware of when it comes to leather. Conventional leather is processed using chrome, which is toxic to the workers and the surrounding communities (since it gets washed into their waterways). When shopping for leather, look for chrome-free, vegetable-tanned leather instead. Look for the Leather Working Group (LWG) certifications, which ensure that brands have been audited by a third party for social and environmental standards.

It’s not easy to find vegetable tanned leather backpacks, but here are a few brands offer them:

• Marlondo Leather Co.
• Nuraxi
• Lost Little One (Australia-based)

Plant-based leathers & leather alternatives

The Pros: Plant-based leathers can provide a stylish option for those who want their backpacks and accessories to be free of animal products.

The Cons: Just like with regular leather, there is a lot of greenwashing involved in the world of vegan leather. Many brands will market their vegan bags as “eco-friendly” and “ethical;” however, most vegan leather alternatives are just made from plastic!

If you do a quick search for “vegan backpacks,” you’ll likely find that most of them are made with PU. Or even worse, a lot of brands don’t even disclose what their bags are made from. This lack of transparency with regard to materials and/or ingredients used is always a red flag.

The good news is that there are more and more brands using some plant-based leather alternatives such as Pinatex (made from pineapple scraps), cork, apple leather, Bananatex (made from banana peels), and more. While we still have some questions about the chemicals used to turn these plants into fabrics, these are likely much better options than traditional vegan leather alternatives.

Are waterproof backpacks toxic?

As alluded to earlier, it’s not always the actual material that makes something toxic, but rather what is added to that material later on. A lot of brands add per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to make products waterproof or water-resistant. You may have heard of PFOA or Teflon, which fall under the PFAS umbrella.

These chemicals pose an extreme risk to humans and the environment; they have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, immune dysfunction, and a lot more.

On things like raincoats, camping tents, backpacks, and other outdoor products, you’ll most often see this labeled as Durable Water Repellent (DWR). There are technically different types of DWR, but the most commonly-used kind over the past several decades is C8 (the same toxic chemical used by DuPont in their Teflon products). Today, there are PFAS-free DWR solutions on the market as well.

Again, when you’re choosing the best non-toxic backpacks for your specific needs, you may choose one that’s made with 100% organic/natural materials, or you may choose a more water-resistant backpack that uses synthetics. But either way, you’ll ideally want to choose one that’s completely free from PFAS if possible.

How to make non-toxic backpacks (& other fabrics) more water-resistant

There is one way that you can increase the water-resistance of your non-toxic backpack, and that’s with a Natural Waterproof Wax. This wax increases the lifespan and usability of fabrics like hemp, cotton, and more. It’s non-toxic, paraffin-free, and cruelty-free.

Phthalates (like DEHP) found in backpacks

There are some kinds of phthalates that have been restricted or banned in some kinds of children’s products, including DBP, BBP, DEHP, and more.

But in 2013, scientists from the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) purchased 20 random back-to-school products and tested them for phthalates. 75% of the products contained potentially toxic levels of phthalates, which included DEHP.

As CBS reported, “They found Disney’s Dora the Explorer Backpack contained phthalate levels over 69 times higher than the allowable federal limit for toys. The Amazing Spiderman Lunchbox contained 27 times the federal limit, while the Disney Princess Lunchbox exceeded the toy limit by 29 times. Children’s rain coats, rain boots and 3-ring binders also were found to contain the toxins.”

Wrapping it up

If you’re worried about toxins in backpacks, try not to stress! The first piece of good news is that purchasing a non-toxic backpack is probably not as important as what you’re putting into your body (what you’re eating) or what you’re putting onto your skin (like lotion).

The second piece of good news is that there is no shortage of non-toxic backpacks on the market that come in a variety of different materials, sizes, colors, and designs. You can feel good shopping from the brands above!

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