I was really hoping this bag would hold up as it had for some reviewers and be worth the price. We bought it for my 6th grader to use as his school won't allow traditional backpacks. He used it to carry gym clothes a few notebooks, and a few other school related odds and ends. Just before Christmas (about 4 months of use) the grommets at the base of the bag failed. I reincforced the area with some additional fabric and tied large knots in the strings to keep them from pulling through. We managed to make it last for the rest of the year that way, but for the price I expected it to at least last for the duration of the 10 month school year with average use.