Last week a courier arrived with two packages and as I’d been expecting them, I passed them directly to Eva and Dylan. They go wild for surprises and get very excited when the postman arrives with even a letter, so excitement levels were through the roof at this point. Dylan quickly tore open his box to find a YUU bag, brightly covered with a vibrant orange/green dinosaur print. Immediately, he began to open the bag and unzip and explore the various compartments. Eva opened her package to find the same bag, but with an lovely bright pink/blue pattern with pink and lilac mermaid silhouettes. They both enjoyed an extra surprise inside – the fun pack to include a set of colouring pencils, colouring pad, magnetic snakes and ladders and a key ring.
Inside the bag you will find pockets and zips for everything – even a DS or iPod. Of course, I couldn’t get near the YUU bags until they went to bed later that evening as they spent the entire afternoon playing with them, and chatting about what’ll they use them for, but even before I could handle the bag, I was struck by the quality of the bag and the fabric – the materials used are sturdy and robust and the wide shoulder straps look very comfortable and supportive. The back panels are made from EVA foam to create careful cushioning for the back. When Dylan put the YUU bag on his back, I could see why they are so special and have won many awards – it sits higher up on the back, so there is no sagging and the bag completely maintains its shape, rather than all the contents falling to the bottom of the bag and putting pressure on the lower back.
YUU bags are the brainchild of two mothers Gill and Kellie, who couldn’t find ergonomic and practical back packs on the market and decided to take action themselves. They YUU bags received all round positive feedback, receiving offers from all five judges when they were presented in the Dragon’s den!
I was aware that school bags could become overloaded and possibly cause back pain in children, however I wasn’t aware the issue was so widespread. Apparently…
50% of children have back pain by the time they are 14 years old.
A child’s back pack should weigh no more than 10% of their body weight.
YUU bags have been designed according to guidelines from Back Care (a back care charity in the UK) to lessen the strain on children’s backs and help improve posture. For more information and tips to protect your child’s back and on YUU bags, check out Backing Better Backs.
I had a look at the YUU bags and compared them to their shapeless school bags lying in the hallway and there really is no comparison. Their current school bags, which cost €20 each, have no padding in the back panel at all and one already has a hole at the bottom.
YUU bags come with a chest strap to help evenly distribute the weight, and in the middle of the strap is a small whistle which can be blown only when the bag is worn and adjusted to fit best. Another feature of the YUU bag which I like is the 3M reflective strips on the shoulder straps. Although the weight issue is not a concern for my kids at the moment as they are only in junior infants, I’m glad to know that this product is available. Eva and Dylan’s YUU bags are the ‘YUU tuu’ type – a smaller size suitable up until age 7 and retail at £44 + P&P. It’s possible to fit a small lunch box inside as well as the few school books which they need at this age, and a drinks bottle can fit inside the outer side-pocket.
I asked Dylan and Eva what they thought of their bags. Dylan said ‘I like it because I can put all my things in it’ and Eva responded ‘I like it because it has loads of pockets… and I like the mermaids’. The snakes and ladders proved a real hit with Dylan. I’ve asked if they want to use them for school, but they said they want to keep them good and for holidays and week-ends at granny and granddad’s. We do lots of travelling to visit our families who live in the far north and west of Ireland, and we also go on lots of camping trips, so I know these bags are going to be a real life-saver, giving them somewhere to stash all their treasures in an organised way so they don’t get lost.
I’m looking forward to our next break so the kids can see how the bags, once unzipped, can be hung from the front passenger car seats to create a desk for playing and doodling during long car journeys. We’re heading off in a for a break soon and hopefully the journey will now be much more enjoyable for everyone!
For more information check out the entire range of products and accessories @ www.YUUworld.com where you can enter the discount code ‘thankYUU’ for 10% off!!
If you like these bags too, please share! 🙂
http://www.facebook.com/YUUworld
Twitter handle: @YUUworldHQ
I received two YUU bags for my children for the purpose of review and all opinions expressed are my own.
Categories: Reviews, Uncategorized
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