The traditional brand, JanSport, was founded in 1967, making it 43 years older than Sprayground, which was created in 2010. JanSport became extremely popular in the 90’s, although the brand hit its peak revenue in 2014 with $11.9 billion.

One walk around Rancho’s campus will introduce an array of JanSport backpacks, ranging from a plain black to sometimes even flower print. With all these options, it’s no surprise the popularity the brand has.

Freshman Sammy Frikas decided to stick to JanSport backpacks after trying out other brands. He said he developed a preference for the brand because of its simple colors and design.

“They’re nice. They’re basic,” Frikas said. “I like the basic color of my backpack, it’s just beige. I tried other backpacks before, like North Face and Target ones. I hated them so much [Sprayground backpacks] are cute, but some of them have weird prints.”

Frikas wasn’t the only JanSport wearer who preferred the brand due to its simplicity. Freshman Liam Calleja also found the simple designs of the backpacks appealing, stating the amount of space and prints offered were what made him choose his backpack.

While people preferred JanSport’s simplicity, a big con of the brand was cost. The average JanSport backpack is between $45-60, which makes it one of the more expensive options in comparison to other competitors. For most students who alternate their backpack choice every year, is it the price to pay?

“[Jansport] prices are too much. I don’t want to be spending that much on a backpack every single year,” said Frikas.

While being on the more expensive side, JanSport, when compared with other leading brands, doesn’t seem so bad. Sprayground prices range anywhere from $70 to 200 and more. So for the category of costs, JanSport indefinitely wins the race.

Aside from prices, what are the other aspects of Sprayground backpacks? Can they knock JanSport off their long-reigning podium?

Sprayground backpacks, created by David Ben David (DBD) in 2010, has continued to be a major influence in the school and fashion world since launching. This is due to the brand’s fun and quirky nature. Sprayground’s revenue of $6.6 million continues to prove its individuality in the market, unlike the other basic and generic bags.

Sprayground is a brand that focuses on a variety of collections from luggage to clothing apparel, but its main appeal in the school life is its backpacks. Sprayground backpacks focus on a luxury streetwear aspect, with exteriors being vibrant with fashionable designs. The most popular design displays a shark’s mouth with pointy teeth stretched across the front of the bag. This shark backpack has a variety of variations with different colors and patterns .

Sprayground also commonly partners with cartoon creators and video game creators, with examples from Minecraft or The Powerpuff Girls. These backpacks help to bring a creative and unique way that many students can choose to express themselves.

Freshman Ma’Leeya Booker also shared her affection towards these designs.

“I think it’s really creative how [Sprayground] can turn teenagers’ favorite cartoons into a cool design and put it on a backpack,” Booker said. “Not just any cartoons but they also have great designs too, so whenever you’re looking for a backpack for school, you can find anything from the colors you like back to the designs.”

Sprayground backpacks can be aesthetically appealing on the outside but are functional on the as well. Sprayground bags have extra features for holding accessories. Some examples of these accessories are the sunglasses pocket on the top of the bag and extra mesh pockets on the inside. The bag has more durability than JanSport, with the majority of the bags being made out of faux leather on the outside and extra interior space for student supplies.

Freshman Jesse Bobadilla explained his fondness for the durableness of the bag.

“[Sprayground] designs are better and the inside is fuzzy,” Bobadilla said. “Whenever you put a lot of books in [a JanSport backpack] it looks like it’s gonna bust. JanSports don’t even have a pocket on the bottom. [Next year] I’m probably going to get a different Sprayground.”

Sprayground bags add a layer of specialness to its brand with its limited edition extras. In an interview on sprayground.com, DBD said, “All of the bags are limited editions and aren’t produced again.”

The bag has special details on it with the fake dollar bill tag which is a different type depending on which bag you purchase, that can add a deluxe feel to the user. Even celebrities enjoy the brand in their collaborations, like Shaquille O’ Neal and Chris Brown. This is contrary to JanSport, which only deems unique flavors being simple patterns.

Given that the bag has intricate and customized features, this can be a problem to some because of the pricing. Prices, when compared to Jansport backpacks, can be expensive for students because of the other supplies in addition to the backpack. Despite this, some may say that Sprayground is the better bag, because of its premium quality, eccentricity, and durability that can last the whole school year.