Customer Reviews The North Face Surge

I ordered this for my husband who travels often for a few days at a time. He's had it for six weeks now and no complaints. The laptop compartment is well protected, works for a 17". He can carry enough clothing and things for work for about 2-3 days. Seems to be holding up well so far, though it's early. No issues with straps or zippers or seams.

Just to be "Clear" a 17" Laptop does not fit in the designated slot for a laptop. But it does fit in the main compartment. It's not as protected in there but it fits. 15" will fit in the designated spot. I like the colors and it appears to be built very well as you would expect from TNF.

It's the most amazing backpack, can hold everything. Went on a trip for 5 days for a wedding I was in and it fit everything even my hair dryer, curling iron, and flat iron and even though that isn't really the purpose I had in mind for it. It works as a dual book bag and suitcase! I bought it to carry all my heavy med school books and it's great. It's very sturdy. It's well worth the price in my opinion. Plus it has a great laptop protective pocket and it looks good. I love the green color.

Works well with my new laptop and has room to grow and other everyday activities, gym workout gear - and large enough for a weekend getaway.

Great bag for travel, work and beach! Was able to hold my 17 inch Mac Book Pro, a handful of work files, my shoes and other miscellaneous necessities all at once. Probably the best bag I have ever owned!

I purchased this pack for travel. For a family of four it is perfect to pack everything we need for a day away. When I travel for business I prefer to take this instead of a briefcase. My computer, iPod, headphone, and books all fit perfectly. The drink holders are awesome. The fit and finish of the product are excellent, and the pack looks great, too! Zappos had the best selection by far! Thanks.

I love this bag! I think the very front pocket is sort of awkward and not that useful, but other than that it’s awesome. This bag fits my mac book and my work HP, but not at the same time. Seems very durable. All in all a great investment!

Great bag. Lots of pockets and room. The extra padding for a laptop is great.

Perfect for what I needed it for. It hauls a Dell 630 laptop comfortably in the designated pocket, also I have a Dell 430 in the pocket beside this one. It has ample room for other daily or laptop necessities. Perfect to use for an overnight business trip, along with the laptop you got enough room for a change of clothes and any other personal items. Fits perfect in the overhead storage on the airplane and it's not too big to fit under the seat if you have to place it there. Very comfortable straps and ergodynamics you literally could wear it all day. Along with all this, it's very easy to get into such at the security checkpoints in the airport, actually had several positive comments from the TSA workers on the bag. That's enough, it's a great bag. I can't think of anything negative to say about it. Cannot go wrong buying this one and with the super great service from Zappos, you'll have a very positive experience. Zappos is just awesome.

My kids usually went through at least 2 60-80 dollar backpacks a year until I bought this one for them. It has been 3 years going now and still no rips. It is large enough to hold everything that a high school student needs. It is a bit pricey, but it is a good cost per use value.

The bag expands to carry a big load. I use it traveling on planes and it does the trick for a 1 day trip.

I purchased this for my teenage son. He wanted a backpack for school and international travel. He loves it. He has already used it on one trip to the Middle East and he was surprised how well it performed.

Ton of space and a lot of pockets that's great for commuting or international travel. This backpack stands out to me because of the computer sleeve in the main compartment. That feature is missing from many other TNF backpacks. I've seen some people complain about the sleeves on the side but I don't find it to be a problem at all. I have a 32 ounce water bottle and it works perfectly fine. I actually prefer the fabric vs. the mesh because it's more snug and secure. My only complaint is I wish it had a luggage strap. That would have really taken it over the top but I'm still very happy with my purchase.

I use it with my job stuff, laptop, etc. all the time and not only when I travel to the office. Very well designed!

Great backpack. Very spacious. Lots of pockets. Very well made. I don't love the zipper pulls but they are growing on me. They are stronger than they look. Adjustments are easy to make on the fly. Overall maybe a little big for a commuter pack but if you are like me you are always prepared so you need the space

I'm sure glad I purchased this backpack. It's a large capacity for things I purchase and there's been a lot of instances where I just filled it to the max while shopping. I love the padded hip belt and the chest clips. It keeps the backpack close to my body while I am walking to and from home the backpack is well balanced, and has enough compartments where I could put more things on the exterior. It's a great backpack thank you.

Great pack. I love the different compartments and appreciate that I can carry my 32 oz water bottle in one of the front pockets or in the side water bottle holders. Plenty of space for all that I need. Like that the computer holder is elevated off the bottom and keeps the laptop from hitting the ground when I put my pack down. Lots of pockets to separate your stuff. Just know that filling one of the compartments does take up volume in the other parts of the pack (these seems obvious but is important). Only thing I would change would be better places to keep pens in the organizational compartments. Mine keep disappearing down in the front compartment!

Absolutely love my new Surge backpack from The North Face! Super spacious, durable, and perfect for work, travel, or hikes. The laptop sleeve and organization pockets are a game-changer.

I've been using this Surge backpack since 2019 and it has been great! I've heard my family's thoughts on the newer model of the same backpack and they are not as impressed. The straps are more prone to breaking and the seams have started tearing pretty early in the life of their backpack. This being said, my older model has been so great! It's gone through years of hauling notebooks, folders, textbooks, water bottles, and clothes for practice after school. One of the shoulder straps did begin to tear last year (2024) slightly but a quick stitch-job has got it back to working order. I would definitely buy a North Face backpack again!

I use this book bag for work. I love that it has many compartments and I am able to keep everything organized. I also like that my water bottle fits nicely. The pouch for my computer is adequately padded to keep my laptop safe.

Hold everything I need. Using for college and I could transition the bag as a work bag.

I use it for work and anytime I need to have my laptop and iPad on me (a lot of the time). I love how the laptop sleeve has a false bottom so when you place the laptop in the backpack it doesn't accidentally knock the surface the backpack may be resting on. I use the sleeve next to the laptop sleeve for files, and it has enough space for everything I need without being too big or too small. Comfortable, no worries. I'm not thinking about having any other backpack - it suits my needs perfectly.

Great product, an upgrade from my old surge!

Nice quality backpack. Hoping it lasts my daughters through high school. Perfect size.

Very spacious backpack, has tons of pockets that are easily able to hold everything I need it to. Big plus is that the side water bottle pockets fit my 32 oz yeti water bottle