Bulletproof Backpack Sales On The Rise As Kids Head Back To School

MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- With kids going back to class soon, parents are thinking about getting school supplies. But some might be surprised by what they see on the shelves at some stores.

Backpacks come in all shapes and colors, but now there's one that can stop a gunshot. Office Depot is among the retailers selling bulletproof backpacks.

Marisol Rodriguez is thinking about getting one for her teenager.

"Do I have that much money to spend on it? No I do not," she says, "But am I willing to work the hours and the time to do what I have to do as a mother to protect my child? I will."

Eric Swanson purchased a bulletproof backpack for his child.

"They can protect children in a way that doesn't require them to think about it other than pull the thing up."

In addition to full backpacks, some manufacturers offer inserts that slide into a current backpack.

CBS News took one to a shooting range last year. It stood up to a hand gun, but like many products they are not built to stop a more powerful AR-15 or AK-47.

There are heavier, more expensive shields for backpacks that can stop powerful rifle bullets like an AK-47.

Bulletproof backpacks and shields can cost between $100-$300.

Several manufacturers say they've seen a spike in sales for these products after the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.

A San Francisco-area company is offering another option: a bulletproof hoodie for adults and children called the Wonder Hoodie.

Vy Tran is the founder and creator of Wonder Hoodie. She describes it as "a hoodie that has a bulletproof vest ingrained inside, so you can zip it on and off." The Wonder Hoodie is designed to only protect against handguns.

There is a South Florida company, called DefendAPack, which also makes bulletproof backpacks.  The company claims it's a backpack that can conceal a bulletproof vest.

Click here to learn more about the DefendAPack backpack.