Customer Reviews The North Face Borealis

I've had this backpack for about a month now and it's holding up really well! I predominantly use it for commuting to and from work/school, while also using it for travel and short hikes. I really like the layout of the pockets: The laptop sleeve is the perfect size, and the cargo pockets inside the front compartment are just the right size for storing my pencils, cables, earphones, and calculator. The middle pocket is big and roomy for larger things like my raincoat, binoculars, etc. I also like the color choices a lot! At first, I thought the elastic system was ridiculous and that I'd never use it; but now I frequently use it for drying my raincoat or for latching my water bottle with a karabiner to keep it from falling out (not that that's necessary - the side pockets are sturdy and tight enough as it is). We'll see how the zippers hold up. For now, they seem much sturdier than those of backpacks I've had in the past. The only issues I have with the backpack are opportunities for improvement rather than detractors from its utility: The front-most padded zipper compartment is slightly too small to fit anything for me (I think it's meant to be a tablet compartment, but it's way too small for that). Also, if I don't have anything massive in the middle compartment, the stuff I have in the cargo pockets makes the pack top-heavy. But if you find some more stuff to put in the big compartmentor just don't have so many smaller items to keep organizedit's fine.

Great backpack! Heavy duty with lots of pockets. Perfect for a college student and for traveling!

This is a great backpack. Lots of storage. Useful array of pockets. I would recommend as a day pack.

I bought this for use as a school backpack. Works great for that. Have also used as a carryon for travel. Comfortable to wear. Would definitely buy again.

An excellent light commuter bag. Use it every day for work and the occasional dy hike!

2 College guys - Both my sons asked for this backpack for Christmas and were thrilled to receive it. They can carry more in the backpack (books, notebooks, etc.) and it will be great for their hikes and backpacking in So. California.

Great bag - Very sturdy, good quality material. Comfy shoulder straps. I have a really big laptop and it fits really well.

Haven't had the backpack long enough to determine durability. This is a replacement for the Jester backpack as the bungee cord broke and customer service couldn't not fix. Appreciate TNF customer service and lifetime warranty policy - very generous. Hopefully this backpack stands the test of time, or at least for the next few years.

There is something very unusual about this backpack. It does feel it was made upside down. When putting your essentials in the top two pockets, it becomes floppy. Impossible to set it down upright.

Great for my child going to be a freshman

It was a good backpack, but it didn't fit all of my school stuff, and the clip holding the little crossy part across the chest broke very easily. It was very cute, and I liked the way the side pockets held my water bottle.

these backpacks are so cool

I bought the Borealis for both of my boys when they were HS Freshman. My oldest just finished his Sophmore year of college and is still using his. But, I just had to buy my youngest a new one and he's only a HS Junior. So I'm not sure if the quality has dropped or if my youngest is just harder on bags. The crazy part is my oldest played football so I would think his would have had more abuse. They both traveled public transportation across the city. Either way I feel they held up pretty well considering the daily use and abuse.

I use it for school. Plenty of room for all the stuff I need.

it's good but has one flaw which is the 2nd front pocket, it should be deep enough so that if it gets filled the bag doesn't look awkward. the thing is if you fill this bag with all your stuff it looks weirdly bloated from the top, since the top section has more space due to the front pockets. another con is that the bag cannot stand on its own whether it's empty or filled. it's just annoying. otherwise the bag is perfect to fit, light gym clothing+ shoes, tiffin, laptop, notebook and minor stuff in front pocket. ideal for school and commute, I like the side pockets too. and this colour looks nice.

Sturdy, stylish for teen boy, enough space for all school items with expandable belts. Thick shoulder straps. Not sure if lunch bag will fit inside! Haven't tried that yet! Looks like it will!

My testing

Used it for travel. Good size and organization. Sternum strap is great quality. Water resistant enough for my case. If you stuff the half pocket with a lot of stuff and not the main one it can get a little awkward. Wish it had a secret pocket somewhere. Overall gets the job done.

Nice quality. Not as spacious as the previous version.

This is the that I really wanted. Felt a lot better with trade off. I am glad that I chose the right comlpr & style!

This backpack has a lot of space. However, I dislike that if I load the front, the backback will tip over. This makes it inconvenient for everyday use but good with travel.

Used it as a carryon and loved it.

Decent backpack with a few quirks. Positives are the bottom has a coating for durability, the side water bottle pockets are also a durable material rather than mesh, and there's a way to organize all of your essentials for school, work, or hiking. Great for any function. Some cons are that there's no way to replace the bungee system when it wears out, there's no way to secure a water bottle from sliding out the top of the pocket (I just tied some rubber bands on the bag to deal with this), and the website describes a "quick draw access for smartphone" on one of the water bottle pockets, but I've yet to figure out what this means even after talking to customer support.

I loved this backpack I thought that the computer compartment was very good the straps on the front come in handy and it seems durable and sturdy the only thing is I wish that the backpack wasn't super heavy and big I thought it'd be a lot lighter.

I use this as a school backpack. The only bad thing is that the straps along the water bottle holder aren't long-term sustainable, as they will slowly stretch and no longer be as effectively. The rest of the backpack is fantastic!