Approximately 70% of Parents Prioritize 'Lightness' When Choosing a School Bag. What is the Awareness of 'School Bag Syndrome'?
A joint survey by NEXER and Murase Kabanko revealed that 70.8% of parents prioritize 'lightness' when selecting a school bag, reflecting concerns over increasingly heavy school loads.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 23:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 23:41 (9h 10m after Collected)
■ Awareness survey on the 'lightness' of school bags and the burden of commuting to school
Choosing a school bag (randoseru) is an essential part of preparing for elementary school.
While there are many points to consider, such as design, color, and durability, 'lightness' has been attracting particular attention in recent years.
Due to the increasing number of textbook pages and the introduction of tablet devices, children's school bags are getting heavier year by year. Many parents may worry if it is causing a burden on their children's small bodies.
Therefore, in collaboration with Murase Kabanko, we conducted a questionnaire survey on the 'lightness of school bags and commuting burden' targeting 250 men and women nationwide who answered 'I have a child in elementary school or older' in a preliminary survey.
* When quoting the contents of this press release, please take the following actions:
- State that the source is a 'survey by NEXER Inc. and Murase Kabanko'
- Set a link to Murase Kabanko (https://www.murasekabanko.co.jp/)
- Set a link to the relevant article (https://www.murasekabanko.co.jp/archives/custom_kodawari/karusa_questionnaire/)
Overview of the 'Questionnaire on the 'Lightness' of School Bags and Commuting Burden'
Survey method: Internet questionnaire
Survey period: March 30, 2026 - April 10, 2026
Survey targets: Men and women nationwide who answered 'I have a child in elementary school or older' in a preliminary survey
Valid responses: 250 samples
Question contents:
Question 1: To what extent did you prioritize 'lightness' when choosing a school bag?
Question 2: How high was the priority of 'lightness' compared to other points (design, durability, price, etc.)?
Question 3: Please tell us the reason.
Question 4: Have you noticed anything about the weight or comfort of the school bag since your child actually started commuting?
Question 5: Has your child ever said anything about the weight of the school bag?
Question 6: What exactly did they say?
Question 7: Do you know the term 'School Bag Syndrome' (stiff shoulders, lower back pain, poor posture, etc. caused by heavy bags)?
Question 8: Have you ever felt anxious about the problem of heavy bags during the commute to school?
Question 9: Please tell us what kind of anxiety you have mainly felt.
Question 10: Did you have the experience of 'actually trying it on' when choosing a school bag?
Question 11: Did your impression change after trying it on?
Question 12: How did your impression change?
* Since figures are generally rounded to one decimal place, the total may not be exactly 100%.
■ 70.8% Answered They 'Prioritized' Lightness When Choosing a School Bag
First, we asked to what extent they prioritized 'lightness' when choosing a school bag.
'Prioritized somewhat' was the most common at 50.4%, and 'prioritized very much' was 20.4%, revealing that a total of 70.8% of parents prioritized 'lightness'. On the other hand, 'did not prioritize much' was 15.2%, and 'did not prioritize at all' was 14.0%.
Next, we asked those who prioritized 'lightness' about its priority compared to other points (design, durability, price, etc.).
'Prioritized enough to be in the top' was the highest at 59.3%, and 'Prioritized the most' was 10.7%.
Meanwhile, 'About the same as other points' was 27.7%, and 'Prioritized other points' remained at 2.3%.
While about 70% listed 'lightness' as a top priority, it can be seen that many parents choose while balancing it with other factors like design and durability.
We asked the reasons for prioritizing 'lightness' and will introduce some of them.
Reasons for prioritizing 'lightness'
- Since my child is petite, I thought the lighter the better. (Female, 30s)
- While it was most important that it be a design my child likes, from an adult's perspective, it was also quite important to have them carry a school bag that is light and does not burden their body. (Female, 30s)
- Belongings like textbooks are too heavy, and it's far from home to school, so I thought even a little lighter would be good. (Female, 40s)
- Since it's something worn every day, I thought something too heavy would be a burden. (Female, 40s)
- Because luggage like textbooks gets heavy, lightness is important. (Female, 40s)
- Because design, durability, and a reliable brand or manufacturer were top priorities. (Female, 40s)
Many of the reasons for prioritizing 'lightness' considered the long commuting distance and the child's physique. It conveys the parents' desire to reduce the burden as much as possible for an item used every day.
■ 25.6% stated the weight of the school bag during commute...
Choosing a school bag (randoseru) is an essential part of preparing for elementary school.
While there are many points to consider, such as design, color, and durability, 'lightness' has been attracting particular attention in recent years.
Due to the increasing number of textbook pages and the introduction of tablet devices, children's school bags are getting heavier year by year. Many parents may worry if it is causing a burden on their children's small bodies.
Therefore, in collaboration with Murase Kabanko, we conducted a questionnaire survey on the 'lightness of school bags and commuting burden' targeting 250 men and women nationwide who answered 'I have a child in elementary school or older' in a preliminary survey.
* When quoting the contents of this press release, please take the following actions:
- State that the source is a 'survey by NEXER Inc. and Murase Kabanko'
- Set a link to Murase Kabanko (https://www.murasekabanko.co.jp/)
- Set a link to the relevant article (https://www.murasekabanko.co.jp/archives/custom_kodawari/karusa_questionnaire/)
Overview of the 'Questionnaire on the 'Lightness' of School Bags and Commuting Burden'
Survey method: Internet questionnaire
Survey period: March 30, 2026 - April 10, 2026
Survey targets: Men and women nationwide who answered 'I have a child in elementary school or older' in a preliminary survey
Valid responses: 250 samples
Question contents:
Question 1: To what extent did you prioritize 'lightness' when choosing a school bag?
Question 2: How high was the priority of 'lightness' compared to other points (design, durability, price, etc.)?
Question 3: Please tell us the reason.
Question 4: Have you noticed anything about the weight or comfort of the school bag since your child actually started commuting?
Question 5: Has your child ever said anything about the weight of the school bag?
Question 6: What exactly did they say?
Question 7: Do you know the term 'School Bag Syndrome' (stiff shoulders, lower back pain, poor posture, etc. caused by heavy bags)?
Question 8: Have you ever felt anxious about the problem of heavy bags during the commute to school?
Question 9: Please tell us what kind of anxiety you have mainly felt.
Question 10: Did you have the experience of 'actually trying it on' when choosing a school bag?
Question 11: Did your impression change after trying it on?
Question 12: How did your impression change?
* Since figures are generally rounded to one decimal place, the total may not be exactly 100%.
■ 70.8% Answered They 'Prioritized' Lightness When Choosing a School Bag
First, we asked to what extent they prioritized 'lightness' when choosing a school bag.
'Prioritized somewhat' was the most common at 50.4%, and 'prioritized very much' was 20.4%, revealing that a total of 70.8% of parents prioritized 'lightness'. On the other hand, 'did not prioritize much' was 15.2%, and 'did not prioritize at all' was 14.0%.
Next, we asked those who prioritized 'lightness' about its priority compared to other points (design, durability, price, etc.).
'Prioritized enough to be in the top' was the highest at 59.3%, and 'Prioritized the most' was 10.7%.
Meanwhile, 'About the same as other points' was 27.7%, and 'Prioritized other points' remained at 2.3%.
While about 70% listed 'lightness' as a top priority, it can be seen that many parents choose while balancing it with other factors like design and durability.
We asked the reasons for prioritizing 'lightness' and will introduce some of them.
Reasons for prioritizing 'lightness'
- Since my child is petite, I thought the lighter the better. (Female, 30s)
- While it was most important that it be a design my child likes, from an adult's perspective, it was also quite important to have them carry a school bag that is light and does not burden their body. (Female, 30s)
- Belongings like textbooks are too heavy, and it's far from home to school, so I thought even a little lighter would be good. (Female, 40s)
- Since it's something worn every day, I thought something too heavy would be a burden. (Female, 40s)
- Because luggage like textbooks gets heavy, lightness is important. (Female, 40s)
- Because design, durability, and a reliable brand or manufacturer were top priorities. (Female, 40s)
Many of the reasons for prioritizing 'lightness' considered the long commuting distance and the child's physique. It conveys the parents' desire to reduce the burden as much as possible for an item used every day.
■ 25.6% stated the weight of the school bag during commute...