Disclosure: This product was sent to us free of charge for the purpose of this review. However, as per my PR Info page, this review represents our honest opinion of the product. This post may contain affiliate links.
Product: Hype 2026 Back to School Range – Pastel Pool & Cloud Fade bundles.
Price: Varies per product – backpacks around £30 – £35, lunchboxes £15 – £20, bottles £18 – £20, pencil cases around £10. Save 10% with bundle deals – the two bundles in this review are £70 and £68.50.
Manufacturer’s Description: For Back-to-School 2026, Hype introduces a new collection of backpacks, matching accessories and practical school essentials designed to combine self-expression with everyday functionality. Designed for busy school days, every backpack features padded adjustable shoulder straps, spacious zipped compartments, an internal laptop compartment, and a mesh side pocket. The collection is completed with matching lunch bags, pencil cases and water bottles, with coordinating designs available across many of the backpack prints.
Rating: (5/5 stars) Review: The girls have been using Hype backpacks since primary school, and we’ve always been impressed with how well they stand up to daily life, even when they’re stuffed to bursting with textbooks, stationery and everything else they insist on carrying! The new Hype Back to School 2026 collection has now launched, and Hype kindly sent the girls a matching bundle each for the new school year. We received two different designs: Pastel Pool for Lydia, who loves pretty, colourful things that still feel grown-up enough for a teenager, and Cloud Fade for Georgie, who is obsessed with photographing the sky and has quite the collection of cloud-themed clothes! Both designs feature gorgeous blended gradients that really stand out, with the colours flowing beautifully across each matching item. Each bundle includes an 18L backpack, insulated lunch bag, stainless steel water bottle and matching pencil case, all in coordinating designs. Hype also has a huge range of other prints, from classic plain colours to this year’s new charm backpacks, which let you personalise your bag with pop-in charms. There are plenty of designs that feel stylish and age-appropriate for teenagers too, making them ideal for secondary school and beyond. With both girls now studying for their GCSEs (their school starts the courses over three years, so Lydia is just beginning hers while Georgie has her exams this coming year), they have plenty of heavy textbooks and their all-important knowledge organisers to carry every day. Thankfully, Hype backpacks are more than up to the job. Each 18L backpack has a roomy main compartment complete with a padded laptop sleeve that fits laptops up to 15″, making it ideal for older students as well as everyday school use. There’s also a spacious front pocket that’s perfect for house keys and other essentials, comfortable padded adjustable shoulder straps, a padded back panel for extra comfort, and padded side pockets to help keep water bottles secure. The backpacks are made from durable fabric with strong stitching, and our experience over the years is that they last really well. We have had the occasional zip give up eventually, but that’s usually after months of the girls testing the limits of how much can physically fit inside! The branded zip pulls and embossed Hype zips are a lovely premium finishing touch, while both backpacks also include a fluffy pom-pom keyring on the front zip for a bit of fun (although it can easily be removed if it’s not your thing). The backpacks, lunch bags and pencil cases all feature the classic Hype crest in black & white, while the stainless steel bottles have a more understated etched Hype logo on both the lid and the bottle itself. The insulated water bottles have double-wall construction, so they’re excellent at keeping drinks cool throughout the school day. With refill stations available around school, having a reusable bottle is essential, and these are sturdy enough to survive life underneath a classroom desk where, according to Lydia, they’re regularly kicked over! We particularly like this style of bottle because the opening is comfortable to drink from, they’re completely leakproof once the lid is screwed on properly, and they’re really easy to keep clean. The insulated lunch bags are just as practical as they are stylish. They have padded carry handles, a mesh side pocket for a water bottle and a zipped front pocket for snacks or smaller items. They’re made from wipe-clean material, feel sturdy and have plenty of room inside for a full day’s lunch. The Cloud Fade lunch bag also includes a detachable fluffy pom-pom keyring to match the backpack. The matching pencil cases hold a decent 1.2 litres, making them more than big enough for the ever-growing list of stationery the girls are expected to take to school, including pens, pencils, highlighters, whiteboard markers, glue sticks and more. They’re long enough to fit a folded 30cm ruler – the girls switched to the folding metal ones from Flying Tiger last year. Both Georgie and Lydia much prefer this chunky style of pencil case to the longer & slimmer versions they used when they started high school. These bags feature a convenient carry handle at one end and a loop at the other. This makes them easy to grab when opening and closing the zip, and allows you to attach keyrings or carabiners if desired. We’ve been firm fans of Hype for years, with both girls building up quite a collection of the brand’s clothing too – Lydia especially loves her Hype school coat. The Back to School 2026 collection combines great-looking designs with the durability and practicality we’ve come to expect from Hype. If you’re looking for a backpack that’ll comfortably see your child through another busy school year while still looking stylish, these bundles are well worth considering. And yes… these new designs definitely live up to the Hype. Sorry… I just couldn’t resist!
