What size schoolbag is good for a first-grader?
My son's back is ~35cm.
As I understand, the backpack should have the same height, but we have found one that is 32cm wide x 37cm tall x 17cm deep, 900 grams.
Those extra 2cm height are okay, but there is another option: 32 x 38 x 22 cm, 980 grams.
Is 38cm too tall? He will grow soon, so maybe that's fine.
But what about 22 cm depth, isn't that too much for a 1st grader? They don't have so many books, I suppose.
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Try to remember that utility trumps most considerations.
If the bag is too small to carry everything needed then it's an inappropriate tool for the job; a lunchbox, a warm jacket, a reader, a hat and scarf aren't heavy, but they are bulky. A small bag may be too small to contain the dimensions of your child's reader without folding it, which will make you unpopular with the school.
If the bag has wheels, remember that you child is going to be walking to and from school hundreds of times a year, so investigate the repairability/replacability of the wheels; a wheeled bag that doesn't roll is still a bag, but probably one that doesn't work anywhere near as well as a backpack. If you're not walking to school, what does it matter? A kid can lug any random bag 10 metres to the car.
Our school sells a school-branded bag, and its design seems influenced by the demands placed on it by the school. It seemed stupidly large when we first bought it, but it's got all the compartments that are helpful for storing things securely, and a few extra pockets here and there suitable for things like handkerchiefs, spectacles, dice (don't ask) and drink bottles. If your school does the same thing, it could well be worth your while to acquire one.
Get him a backpack he likes that works in your price range!
His back won't be 35cm for long ... it probably has increased a bit in the time it took you to over-analyze this!
<<wink, wink>>
Seriously, precise fit is not necessary, because he will grow, and he will get stronger, and he will learn to carry the pack without difficulty. If he will be walking any serious length, get the wheeled kind and don't let it be so heavy that he struggles to pick it up.
I would choose the one that is flatter because it would not pull backward so much even when it's heavy.
It's not so much the size of the bag that matters, but what you put in it. If you're worried that he'll be carrying too much weight, then choose a wide but flat bag, to keep the weight close to his back and not pull him backward too much. It can even be wider than his shoulders. If the child says it feels comfortable on his back, then it's usually good enough as long as it's not overloaded. if it is overloaded, then basically no bag is good enough.
One cool thing I see schoolkids with these days are school trolleys - trolleys didn't exist back in my days but they seem to be a smart choice. You can pack more weight in them without affecting the child's back/spine.
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