How Heavy Should a Handbag Be?

Not more than 10 to 15 percent of your body weight, according to the Ontario Chiropractic Association. For a person weighing 140 pounds, that gives a range of about 14 to 21 pounds.

What the sources say

• The Ontario Chiropractic Association says that your bag should not weigh more than 10 to 15 percent of your body weight.
• It says overstuffed bags also cause poor posture by encouraging the carrier to lean to one side.
• It recommends dividing the contents among multiple pockets to help distribute the weight and keep items from shifting.
• AOTA’s purse advice says to choose a handbag that is proportionate to your body size and no larger than what is needed.
• AOTA adds that you should consider whether some of the contents can be left at home or in the car.

How to check your bag

1. Weigh yourself, and multiply your weight by 0.10 and by 0.15.
2. Weigh the loaded bag on a kitchen or bathroom scale.
3. Compare the two figures.
4. If the bag is over the range, take out duplicates and non-essentials.
5. Weigh again and note the difference.

Why a ceiling and not a target

The percentage is an upper guide. A shorter walk in a small bag may be fine, but a long day, or one with stairs and crowds, may call for a lighter load than the maximum.

An example

A person who weighs 150 pounds would work out a range of about 15 to 22 pounds. A bag that holds a laptop, a bottle, a wallet, a book and a few other items can reach this faster than you might think. Seeing a number helps many people decide what to remove, and it takes only a minute with a scale.

Where this answer stops

The 10 to 15 percent figure is a rule of thumb from one professional body, and different sources use different figures for backpacks. It does not replace advice from a clinician if you have pain.