As Kids Go Back to School, 47% of Parents Show Interest in Bulletproof Backpacks

In March 2018, Lisa Pfeiffer Jones received a text from her son, Andy, that there was a gunman in his building at Utica College in upstate New York. Six months later, she received another text from her son saying there was an active shooter at his workplace in Cincinnati. 

Jones, a Central New Jersey resident, was terrified that her 22-year-old son had been in two active shooter situations in one year, but she didn’t see any solution -- until July, when she came across a viral Facebook post of bulletproof backpacks being sold in a store.

She’s still searching for the right model, but Jones is planning to buy one for Christmas at Andy’s request. “It just rips my heart out that a 22-year-old is asking for a bulletproof backpack for Christmas,” she said.

Jones’ son is no longer in school, but with the return of the fall school semester -- and the deaths of 53 people in mass shootings last month -- these backpacks are drawing considerable media coverage and interest from parents. A Morning Consult survey conducted Aug. 12-13 showed that 47 percent of people with children ages 17 and younger in their home said they were likely to consider buying these products specifically for their kids. That contrasts with 26 percent of the overall public, including those without children, who would consider buying a bulletproof backpack in general.

These backpacks aren’t as widely available as the typical bookbag. All three manufacturers said Amazon.com Inc. once allowed their backpacks and inserts to be sold on its website, but over time those items were reclassified as “body armor,” a restricted product whose sale is prohibited.

Guard Dog Security still sells some of its wares on Amazon, but its backpacks have moved elsewhere. It is the only brand that is found in big box stores, such as those owned by Office Depot Inc., and on websites for well-known retailers such as The Home Depot Inc., Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and Walmart Inc.

Bullet Blocker and TuffyPacks sell online, over the phone and via wholesale to companies that sell guns, ammunition and sporting goods.

Marketing these kinds of backpacks can be tricky, as playing on people’s fears for their children could appear ghoulish. The three retailers said that while the specter of school shootings has helped boost sales, their marketing is focused on adults, business travelers, security companies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and anyone who would want some extra protection. Curran said that anytime there’s something dangerous reported in the community -- even protests -- Bullet Blocker’s sales rise.

TuffyPacks’ Naremore likened the backpacks to tools to be used in case of an emergency. “So throw me in the same boat as the fire extinguisher salesman or the alarm company,” he said. 

Curran said Bullet Blocker advertises its wares as a product akin to a seatbelt. “You aren’t buckling up thinking, ‘All right, just in case I get into a car accident today,’” he said. “You’re buckling up just on the understanding that this is a possibility.”