High schoolers carry a lot. We’re expected to lug around notebooks, textbooks, pencils, homework, lunchboxes and other cumbersome school supplies. To achieve this feat, we’ve been graced with the invention of the backpack: a mid-sized cloth vessel in which we stow our most beloved – or hated – possessions. The backpack is a friend to every high schooler and is clearly superior to its younger and more athletic cousin: the drawstring bag.

Traditional backpacks are larger, which means they can carry more, and they come in more styles than drawstring bags. The main purpose of a bag is to carry our belongings. They do the dirty work that our arms are too lazy or incapacitated to do. Imagine: the bell rings and you have to dash to your next class. Instead of throwing your trig textbook into your book bag, you have to carry it in your arms. The humanity. That’s why traditional bags are better.

The average student can have anywhere from one to four or five textbooks at once, plus folders, binders, notebooks and more. Drawstring bags do a really nice job of carrying everything, but book bags can simply carry more. The string bag is the Volkswagen Bug of bags, not really apt to carry heavy loads.

On the other hand, bookbags are the Ford F-150 of the baggage universe. They do the heavy work when no one else can, making book bags the more practical and obvious choice. Book bags also come in many different styles. From fashionable to casual, expensive to cheap, book bags have a customization factor that string bags simply cannot claim to beat.

Drawstring bags come in one style: athletic. This is a fine style, but many students want something a little different. Brands like Converse, Jansport and more offer customization options to compliment every student’s desired look. On the surface, book bags and string bags are both fine modes of school supply transportation. However, traditional backpacks are more dependable because of their larger holding capacity and are more customizable thanks to their different styles.