I'm a mom of 3 kids in school. I only buy one brand of backpacks because they last forever and are waterproof.

When my first child was born, we were living in New York. I was used to seeing kids being pushed in their strollers in the dead of winter in these adorable — and cozy — stroller sleeping bags.

When it was my turn to get one, all the neighborhood parents agreed there was one brand to get: 7AM Enfant. The bags attach to the stroller straps and keep little kids warm and protected from the weather. We used ours every day when it was cold.

When my son was ready to start pre-school, I was a newbie at figuring out what he actually needed, or what brands could hold up to a Montessori outdoor program.

After some Googling, I ended back at 7AM Enfant's website and saw they had backpacks. We now live in Maine, and seeing they had a bright orange one — the color you are asked to use during hunting season so hunters know you're not a deer or a turkey — I figured it was the right one for my son. He could carry his stuff and be safe.

It turns out these were the best backpacks I could get. Now my three kids have their own backpack in their favorite colors.

My kids are 4, 2, and 2 years old, and all the regular-sized backpacks look hilariously gigantic on them.

The brand has a regular-sized backpack and also a mini one for little toddlers like mine. This allows them the independence of carrying their own bag without tripping over it.

Since they don't have homework and don't need to bring a ton of stuff to school yet, having a backpack that fits just what they need is perfect. They get to carry their lunchbox, water bottle, and extra clothing and still have room to bring arts and crafts.

The mini version is $40 and the regular one is $60.

My son still carries his bright orange backpack, which makes him easy to spot at pick up.

For the twins, we went with pink and blue because those are the colors we use to identify them and help teachers tell them apart.

Being able to get the same backpack in different colors reduces fighting between my kids. They all get the same model in their favorite color.

They also have options with bows, dinosaur backs, and feminist statements.

My kids drag their backpacks more than they wear them on their backs. They also spend a ton of time outside, especially right before pick up, and the bags sit out there rain or shine. In the winter, they are plopped on the snow.

We've had zero issues with the bags. No rips or tears from dragging, and no water damage inside from rain or snow.

I just throw them in the washer and they come out looking like new.

The original orange backpack is coming up in its third year of school, and you would never be able to tell that was the case.