Custom backpacks make one of the most useful items in a new hire onboarding kit, because the bag holds the laptop, the welcome materials and every first-week essential, then keeps going to work every day after. Get Custom Backpacks helps HR and people teams choose the right style, place the logo well and plan quantities, starting at a minimum order of 12.
- Laptop and commuter backpacks suit most office, hybrid and remote new hires
- Minimum order is 12 backpacks, enough for small companies with steady hiring
- Free mockup within 24 hours, with unlimited free revisions
- Standard turnaround is about 2 weeks after design approval
- Individual names can be added to each backpack alongside the company logo
Why do companies put custom backpacks in new hire onboarding kits?
Companies put custom backpacks in new hire onboarding kits because a backpack is the one welcome item a new employee carries every working day. A branded mug stays on a desk and a notebook fills up, but a backpack travels on the commute, into client meetings and onto flights, which keeps the company logo in front of the new hire and the people around them for years.
A backpack also solves a practical first-week problem. New hires arrive to a pile of items: a laptop, chargers, a badge, printed policies, maybe a water bottle and a notebook. A backpack turns that pile into one organized kit that can be handed over at the front desk or shipped to a remote employee’s door.
For HR and people teams, the backpack becomes the container that the rest of the onboarding program is built around. Choose the bag first, then decide what goes inside it, and the whole welcome experience feels deliberate rather than assembled from leftover swag.
Which backpack styles work best for an onboarding program?
Laptop and commuter backpacks are the default choice for onboarding kits at office and hybrid companies, because a padded laptop sleeve protects the company-issued device on day one. Other styles fit specific teams better, and many companies order two styles for different roles in a single program.
| Backpack style | Best onboarding fit | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop and commuter backpacks | Office, hybrid and remote staff | Padded sleeve for the company laptop, organizer pockets for chargers and badges |
| Travel and duffel backpacks | Sales teams and consultants who fly often | Room for overnight trips, works as a carry-on companion |
| Rolltop and outdoor backpacks | Field crews, site inspectors, outdoor brands | Weather-ready closure and a rugged look that suits the job |
| Drawstring and cinch bags | Hourly, seasonal and event staff | Lightweight carry for uniforms, a water bottle and a badge |
If you are unsure, start from the job. Ask what the new hire actually carries to work, and choose the backpack that carries that well. A sales rep and a warehouse associate both deserve a good welcome bag, but rarely the same one.
How should the logo be placed on an onboarding backpack?
The logo on an onboarding backpack should be placed where it reads clearly without making the bag look like a giveaway, which usually means a modest front-panel mark rather than an oversized print. Employees choose whether to carry the bag outside work, and a tasteful mark is the difference between daily use and a bag left in a closet.
Decoration method changes the feel. Embroidery gives a raised, stitched finish that suits polished laptop backpacks and executive kits. Screen printing handles crisp graphics and works well on larger panels and drawstring bags. The guide to embroidered vs. screen printed custom backpacks covers the trade-offs in detail.
- Primary mark: the company logo on the front panel or upper front pocket.
- Secondary mark: a small icon, values line or team name on a strap or side panel.
- Personal touch: individual names on each bag, which turns a branded item into a personal welcome.
Get Custom Backpacks returns a free mockup within 24 hours, so you can see the placement on the actual backpack style before anything is produced, and revisions are free until the design looks right.
What should go inside a custom backpack onboarding kit?
A custom backpack onboarding kit should hold the items a new employee needs in the first week, packed so that opening the bag feels like a guided welcome rather than a random assortment. Group the contents by purpose, and let the backpack’s pockets do the organizing.
- Work essentials: the laptop in its padded sleeve, chargers, a badge or key card, and any security tokens.
- Orientation materials: a welcome letter from the manager, a first-week schedule and a short guide to tools and contacts.
- Everyday items: a notebook and pen, a water bottle and anything the team uses daily.
- Culture touches: a team shirt, stickers or a note that explains the company’s values in plain words.
Keep the kit light enough to carry home on the first day. Overpacking a backpack with low-value swag undercuts the quality of the bag itself, and new hires notice. A few useful items inside a well-made backpack says more than a crowded one.
How many onboarding backpacks should HR order at once?
HR teams should order onboarding backpacks based on expected hires over the next planning period rather than headcount on a single start date, because welcome kits are handed out continuously. The minimum order at Get Custom Backpacks is 12, which suits smaller companies that onboard a few people a month as well as larger teams running cohort starts.
A simple way to size the order:
- Take the hiring plan for the coming quarter or half year from recruiting.
- Add a few spares for replacements, interns and surprise hires.
- Split the count by style if different roles get different backpacks.
- Leave names off spare bags, or order them separately, so stock stays flexible.
Storing a modest batch of finished kits on a shelf means a new hire never starts without a bag, and reorders can be scheduled before stock runs out instead of after.
How far ahead should you order backpacks for a new hire start date?
Order onboarding backpacks so they arrive comfortably before the first start date they need to cover. Standard turnaround is about 2 weeks after design approval, with faster turnaround available through express shipping, and the free mockup arrives within 24 hours of your request.
Work backward from the start date. Allow time for internal sign-off on the mockup, which often needs a brand or marketing review, then production, then packing kits. For remote employees, add time to ship each finished kit to a home address so the bag lands before day one rather than in week two.
Companies with steady hiring often set a reorder point: when stock of finished backpacks drops to a set number, the people team requests a new run. That keeps onboarding predictable without tying up storage space.
Can remote employees receive the same onboarding backpack?
Remote employees can receive the same custom backpack as office staff, and for many of them the backpack is the most tangible sign that they have joined the company. A kit that arrives at home before the first video call sets the tone for the whole first week.
A few details matter more for remote kits. Choose a backpack style that packs well into a shipping box without crushing the structure. Put the welcome letter on top so it is the first thing seen. If the laptop ships separately from IT, leave the padded sleeve empty and include a note explaining where the device is coming from.
Remote teams also benefit from the same backpack design as in-office colleagues. When everyone carries the same bag to an offsite or conference, the company looks like one team regardless of where people work day to day.
How do you get started with an onboarding backpack order?
Starting an onboarding backpack order takes a few minutes: share your logo, the backpack style or styles you are considering, a rough quantity and the date you need the bags. Get Custom Backpacks prepares a free mockup within 24 hours, revisions are unlimited and free, and you pay nothing until you approve the design.
Use the custom quote form to send the details, or read how it works first. If your program also includes community or volunteer outreach, the page on custom backpacks for nonprofits and community programs shows how the same bags support giving campaigns, and the custom logo backpacks page covers branding options across every style.
Frequently asked questions
Should every new hire get the same custom backpack?
Custom backpacks for onboarding do not need to be identical for everyone. Many companies order one main laptop style for office and hybrid staff and a second style, such as a drawstring or rolltop bag, for field or hourly roles. Get Custom Backpacks can mock up both styles together, so the program keeps a consistent logo and look while each bag still suits the work that person actually does.
Where should onboarding backpacks be stored between start dates?
Custom backpacks for onboarding keep best in their original packaging in a dry, cool storage room or closet, away from direct sunlight that can fade fabric colors. Store finished kits upright so padded laptop sleeves and structured panels keep their shape. Labeling shelves by style makes it easy for the front desk or people team to grab the right bag when a new hire arrives.
Is embroidery or printing better for an executive welcome kit?
Custom backpacks for executive welcome kits usually look best with embroidery, because the raised stitched logo feels premium on a structured laptop or travel bag. Screen printing suits bold graphics and lighter bags. Get Custom Backpacks shows either method on a free mockup within 24 hours, so leadership can compare the finished look before approving anything for production.
How do remote employees receive a backpack welcome kit?
Custom backpacks for remote employees are typically packed as complete kits by the people team and shipped to each home address. Plan for that extra shipping leg when you set your order date, so the bag arrives before day one. Placing the welcome letter on top and noting when the laptop will arrive keeps the unboxing clear and personal.
What should a manager's welcome note inside the backpack say?
Custom backpacks in onboarding kits feel more personal with a short handwritten or printed note from the new hire's manager. Keep it brief: a genuine welcome, what the first week looks like, who to ask for help and one thing the team is excited about. Tuck the note in the front pocket so it is the first thing found when the bag is opened.
Who inside a company should approve the onboarding backpack design?
Custom backpacks for onboarding are usually approved by the people team together with whoever owns the brand, often marketing. Share the free mockup from Get Custom Backpacks with both groups at once to avoid sequential review delays. Because revisions are free and nothing is paid until the design is approved, collecting all feedback before sign-off costs nothing but a little time.
How do we keep reordered onboarding backpacks consistent with the first batch?
Custom backpacks stay consistent across reorders when you keep the approved mockup on file and reorder the same style, color and logo placement. Get Custom Backpacks works from your approved design, so a repeat run matches the earlier bags. If the brand changes in between, request a fresh mockup within 24 hours rather than adjusting artwork informally.
Should interns and contractors receive onboarding backpacks too?
Custom backpacks for interns and contractors are a matter of company policy, but many teams include them because a branded bag builds belonging during a short stay. A lighter drawstring or simpler backpack style can mark the difference from the full-time kit while still feeling generous. Counting these hires in the original order avoids a small, rushed reorder later in the season.
Can different departments add their own message to onboarding backpacks?
Custom backpacks can carry a department or team line as a secondary mark, such as a small strap print or side-panel embroidery, while the main company logo stays the same on every bag. Get Custom Backpacks can mock up each variation side by side, so marketing approves one consistent look and each team still gets a detail that feels like its own.
When should a company plan backpacks for a large cohort start date?
Custom backpacks for a large cohort start, such as a graduate intake or seasonal hiring wave, should be ordered once the hiring plan is confirmed. Allow time for internal mockup approval, about 2 weeks of standard turnaround and the hours needed to pack kits. Express shipping can shorten delivery if the cohort date moves earlier than expected.
Do branded onboarding backpacks get used after the first week?
Custom backpacks tend to stay in use well after onboarding when the bag is genuinely good and the branding is tasteful. A quality laptop or commuter backpack becomes the employee's daily bag for the commute, travel and client visits. Get Custom Backpacks recommends a modest front-panel logo, which employees are more comfortable carrying outside work than an oversized print.
Get a free mockup for your backpacks
Send your logo or idea and the quantity you have in mind. Get Custom Backpacks returns a free mockup within 24 hours, you approve the design before anything is produced, and standard turnaround is about two weeks with faster options available. Get a custom quote.