What Is a Bulletproof Backpack and How to Use It

With the quick and fresh arrival of the school season, it is time to gather supplies for the perfect back-to-school journey. Stationary, notebooks, sneakers, these supplies are all pretty normal and the important ones. Some worried parents have put bulletproof bag inserts for kids on their back-to-school checklist as kids return to the classroom. The inserts are designed to protect a pupil from gunfire if it occurs on school property. But a new thing being introduced in the market which has made parents more aware and conscious about their children’s safety, the bulletproof backpacks. There is no doubt that purchasing a bulletproof backpack is important given that there have been increasing incidents of school shootings all over the world.

If you are considering buying a bulletproof backpack to protect your loved ones, there are a few important things to know including the certification by NIJ and its actual strength. Parents want to guarantee the security of their children. One way that parents are taking matters into their own hands is by purchasing a bulletproof backpack. But do they work? If you’re thinking about getting one for your child for the upcoming school year, consider the following.

What is a Bulletproof Backpack?

As evident from the name, bulletproof backpacks include back panels made from ballistic materials and the primary material used is Fabric. It is capable enough to resist the hit power and energy of bullets and stop them. It also works against stopping the bullets, potentially, however, and other projectiles with the ballistic panels. There is an option available to purchase either bulletproof inserts to put in your normal backpack and make it bulletproof or a completely separate bulletproof backpack. These are also designed for adults, college students, and for everyone who requires extra protection in public, be it extra panels or a bulletproof backpack.

A new product has been introduced which ensures the safety of schoolers while also being the perfect items carry bag. It is indeed always hoped that your child never goes through any of these situations and the bag never comes in use, let alone a school shooting. It is outrageous to see a product such as a bulletproof backpack exist which alone is enough to understand that the safety of children in schools is at stake. Sales for bulletproof backpacks have skyrocketed to more than 300 percent following the recent school shootings in the USA.

The flexible ballistic fiber material used in bulletproof backpack inserts is touted as offering protection comparable to that of body armor or a bulletproof vest. The National Institute of Justice classifies the majority of types of bulletproof backpacks as Type IIIA, which means they can withstand bullets fired from a handgun, even a.44 Magnum.

The impact won’t be completely absorbed by a bulletproof backpack insert, and it’s possible that the youngster would still sustain a bruise where the bullet would have struck them. Despite this, they are intended to block bullets from piercing a child’s body or breaking skin, thus sparing their life. Reports say that they are designed to protect crucial organs and will either deflect or stop a bullet in its course. Overall, they’re a wise investment for both parents and schools.

The bulletproof vests are tested against the projectiles approved by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the usage and protection levels. These backpacks have been tested, as claimed by the manufacturers, up to the same standards as NIJ tests the body armor for law enforcement.

The bookbag and the insert are normally the two pieces that make up a bulletproof backpack. The insert is inserted into the back of the backpack and secured there with a zipper, piece of Velcro, or another fastening system. There should be little room for movement between the insert and the bag. If necessary, the insert can be readily removed.

Are Bulletproof Backpacks useful?

To your surprise, bulletproof vests are not made to withstand rifle shots and weapons that were used in school shooting incidents. Because to resist those kinds of bullets there needs to be a hard ceramic or metallic plate with a Level IV rating. A simple test was done for it, the bulletproof backpack was shot by a 9mm pistol, and the bullet was successfully stopped by the back panel. Later the bulletproof backpack was shot with an AR-15, a very common M16 version available to the citizens and used in mass school shooting incidents, the bullets penetrated through the panels and hit the sandbox behind the bulletproof backpack. However, the simple test is approved by the NIJ, and it is tested that the bulletproof backpack can resist handguns but not rifles.

The material used in these backpacks is graded Level 3A according to the NIJ, which is usually called the soft body armor which is resistant to not all bullets. The reason bulletproof backpacks are made with light materials is to allow the backpacks to weigh the same as normal backpacks, and the heavy material is not used because the weight will be too much. It is done especially to make it feasible for the smaller children to wear those backpacks which otherwise they would not have been able to do.

Another certainty or a situation of concern raised about the bulletproof backpacks other than their inability to protect against rifle bullets is that children need to wear those on the front rather than swinging them on their backs. It will take an extra lesson for you to give your child about it, and whether it is safe or not to do so during actual shooting, depends on the situation. Moreover, it is also not feasible to wear it all the time since children do not have their bags on them all the time, they’re in school. It becomes quite comprehensible here for the children to run for their bulletproof backpacks or flee from the scene in case of a shooting; it will all just take some extra training and development for your school-going kid. Not to forget the fact that the backpack only protects the chest and back of the human body, the rest of the parts are still exposed to gunfire.

Even if it gives some protection because according to a survey, parents are concerned more about the safety of their children in school given the recent rise in mass shootings. Parents do prefer purchasing a bulletproof backpack for their child just so it can give some protection and satisfy their worries.

Should you purchase a Bulletproof Backpack?

The silver lining in this is that no parent ever wants their kid to be involved in the crossfire during a deadly mass shooting incident. Even if the backpacks do not completely protect against automatic assault rifles such as the M16 and AR-15, parents still would put an extra bulletproof insert in their child’s backpack to let go of their concerns and worries about their child being a victim of any mass shooting incidents.

How expensive Bulletproof Backpacks are?

There is no doubt that bulletproof backpacks can be expensive given the material with which the inserts are made and the already-known prices of ballistic armor. The prices of these backpacks vary with the plates and shields they are carrying. Prices start from as low as $100. These simple and cheap panels are the normal bullet-resistant single-panel armors able to be put inside a backpack and make it function as a bulletproof backpack. The prices, max, go up to $500 for the highest-grade shield panel in a bulletproof backpack which has special perks and abilities different than the cheap ones.

Moreover, one unique type of bulletproof backpack, pricing starts from $350, functions with hidden shoulder pads which can be pulled out, and strong leather straps to help in multiple purposes such as moving out injured people during a shootout situation. Another special backpack, pricing starts from $400, includes a flexible and portable vest that can be pulled out and put above the head and around the waist to protect. Not to mention that hard ballistic plates can be purchased also as an Add-on option. Given the range of options available for you, one more thing to keep in mind is that buying more panels and stacking them in a bag would not give you the increased protection that you expect.

How long do Bulletproof Backpacks last?

Those bulletproof backpacks require you to take great care, and not leave them in the open daylight under the sun. Advised by the experts that if your bulletproof backpack gets damaged, always consider buying a new one. One more important thing to note from the experts has always purchased a brand-new bulletproof backpack if you are considering buying one. Because you are not aware of what other used backpacks have been utilized for and in what way.

 Items such as these should always be bought brand-new as the already used ones can get you failed at any point and out of a blue Monday. Additionally, if you are looking for extra certification and approval, always buy such armor and ballistic products certified by the National Institute of Justice.

Prevention against violence, crime, and fear:

The back-to-school season is here, and with the usual school items shopping now comes forward, unfortunately, the bulletproof backpack. The rise in threats to the kids in school and the recent mass school shooting incidents has made everyone just as concerned to gear up and make sure their loved ones are protected. It is indeed unfortunate to bear the fact that your child must wear a bulletproof backpack to school to make sure he is safe from any mass shooting, this time should have never come. But with desperate needs come desperate measures, the bulletproof backpacks are here to give extra protection to your child on his day at school against any of those unfortunate events.

Until it occurs, everyone believes that a catastrophe like an active shooter can’t happen to them. It’s unfortunate that we even must be concerned about such a thing, but that’s the awful truth of today. While tragedies and disasters are unavoidable, parents can at least help their children be ready for the worst by preparing them.

Both experts agree that bulletproof bag inserts can help prevent other types of violence outside school shootings. If someone brings a knife to school or tries to attack a youngster, the bag insert can shield them. The bottom line is being prepared, even for a rare occurrence like a school shooting, doesn’t hurt, albeit obviously, the child needs to be wearing the bag for it to work. It is asserted that those who are prepared suffer less when awful things happen.

Parents appear to be stuck assessing the benefits and drawbacks of devices like these until statewide and federal gun control legislation restricts access to such weapons. It should not be a subject for discussion whether or not to protect students and school workers from the catastrophic impacts of gun violence. Lawmakers must act more effectively.

Last Word:

If you are looking to purchase a bulletproof backpack or inserts for the backpack for your child’s back-to-school shopping list, here’s just a reminder that Tactical Edge and Armor deals with the best protected gear products in the region featured by international quality standards.

We also provide free expert opinion on which option to choose and go with depending on the needs and age of your kid. The experts advise allowing you to purchase the perfect backpack in terms of protection, abilities, and weight making sure your kid never feels any burden while wearing it. The Bulletproof backpacks we have available include a vast range of armor and panels with different shields and ratings to best fit your personalization needs.