Backpack statistics [2024]: Consumer, product and growth data

As more and more people buy backpacks for a variety of uses, the industry is becoming more and more competitive, with brands vying for market share.

Some brands like JanSportshave become household names, but many smaller startups are starting to enter the market seriously.

Below are key statistics about backpack brands from our research.

Top backpack brand according to Google search volume

One way to compare top backpack brands is by search volume. While this is not a perfect metric for revenue or number of backpacks sold, it is an accurate way to gauge interest and brand awareness for a particular brand.

I did an in-depth Google search analysis to find the brands with the highest search volume on Google. Because many brands sell more than just backpacks (like Nike, for which backpacks are simply an accessory product), I used search terms that included the words “backpack” or “backpacks.” backpack” (whichever is higher).

The table below shows the top 20 backpack brands ranked by Google search volume.

What’s interesting is that out of the top 10 brands by search volume, only 3 specialize in backpacks. Many of the top brands are apparel companies that have built backpack lines (Nike, Lululemon, and Adidas).

Included in this top 20 list are many travel, urban and outdoor brands.

The undisputed leader of the pack is JanSport, which has more than double the search volume for Nike backpacks in second place. This makes sense if you’ve spent a lot of time on school or college campuses and pay attention to backpack brands. That little JanSport patch is everywhere.

Top backpack brands by category

Backpacks can be divided into three main categories: everyday backpacks (including school bags, laptops, and work bags), travel backpacks, and outdoor backpacks. The table below shows the five most popular brands in each category.

Note that The North Face appears in both the everyday and outdoor backpack lists. Although The North Face originally started out as an outdoor gear company, the company has expanded its product range to include a variety of everyday carry backpacks for school, commuting, etc. , travel and laptop storage. This has brought the brand more popularity.

It should also be noted that JanSport and The North Face are owned by the same parent company: VF, which also controls Timberland and Eastpak. Among its diverse brands, VF accounts for 55% of backpack sales in the US, according to the New York Times.

Factory location that produces branded backpacks

I analyzed 82 of the world’s most popular backpack brands to find their factory locations and see how backpack production is distributed globally. Some brands own a single factory and do all product assembly under one roof. Others contract with dozens or even hundreds of factories around the world to produce their products.

The chart below shows the brand ratio depending on the factory in each region.

Not surprisingly, Asia has the highest concentration of backpack production ever, with 82.9% of brands using production facilities in Asian countries. China, Vietnam and the Philippines account for the majority of backpack production in Asia.

28% of brands are made in the United States, while only 9.8% are produced exclusively in the United States. For many of these brands (like GORUCK And Hyperlite climbing gear), “made in the USA” is one of their main marketing claims.