Customer Reviews The North Face Surge

The bag is great quality and seems to hold up very well. The only thing I wish was different is the capacity. Due to the amount of pockets and sections, it can be tricky to fit everything in it. Period!

Overall good. Water bottle pockets are too tight. I wish this was a touch bigger like the pack that replaced it. But there was only one option for 35l and not my style. Pocket layout it good though.

For school backpacks

This backpack is made very well and durable. The first time I used it, I packed it to the brim with no issues. Even when trying to zip a very full back pack, the zippers closed smoothly. There are plenty of pockets for storage and internal compartments for organization. The only complaint is that the main opening is narrow.

My 13 year old loves his new backpack. Only time will tell about the durability. Hopefully it last long then his llbean

I use this product for school. It has so many pockets, which is my favorite part. My only complaint is that the grey is a lot darker in person than online.

Sturdy and lot of pockets

Great backpack. Love all the functional pockets for storage. The only issue I have with the backpack is the outer pockets. Those pockets essentially share the space with the main compartment. So if I add stuff to the outer pockets, you lose room in the main compartment. There's room enough for a change of clothing, a light jacket, and a small toiletry kit. I would like to give it 4.5 stars, since I really had only that one issue.

Good quality! Bigger bag for taller people. The laptop case is very protective. Only thing I wish the zippers on the top were metal. They'll eventually snap off. Part of the bag has metal zippers they should just have every compartment that way. It's worth the additional cost.

There are a lot of positives to this backpack. It's a great look. I was a little bit unsure about the j-shaped pockets, but they're actually really nice and it's easy to get stuff out of them without having to dig. It's a little tough to fit a lot into the big compartment because the laptop compartment is so sturdy but if you have a nice laptop, I could see that being a benefit (having a quality laptop compartment). All in all, I'm happy with that I bought this backpack.

I bought the Surge since North Face describes its "ability to stand unsupported". It does not. The backpack keeps falling. This is a deal breaker for me. I was looking for a backpack that can stand and wouldn't have bought the Surge if I had known that I will have to find a chair or a wall for it every time.

I dearly loved the previous version of this backpack. I'm disappointed that this one has less actual volume and less usable volume than the previous model.

A buckle already broke on the first day.

Sure, here's a revised version of your review: I've had this backpack since January 2022, and I recently had to return it for warranty repair. As a high school student, I found that the backpack performs adequately for my needs. It features a spacious, lined laptop sleeve that accommodates large laptops (15-17 inches) and notebooks. The plastic backing adds rigidity to the laptop compartment, and the two quick-access compartments have additional lined areas to protect delicate items from scratches. The overall organization is effective, allowing me to neatly separate various chargers, jackets, pencil cases, and other school materials. However, the design and storage distribution have some issues. The main compartment is too narrow to comfortably fit thick books or additional clothes for colder seasons, making it challenging to organize and fit everything. Once packed, the backpack becomes quite tight, and I noticed the seams starting to tear, which is why I had to seek a warranty repair. The water bottle holder is generally adequate for a Hydro Flask, but the mesh material started tearing after just four months of normal use, indicating poor design. Given the price, I feel that The North Face could have engineered the main storage compartment better. On a positive note, the backpack is comfortable and sleek, and stains and dirt come off surprisingly easily. For the average student, this is a fine backpack. If you plan to frequent trips and destinations, reconsider this backpack, although it has help up to my travels worldwide.

Too small for highschool student

I like the pockets, but a big issue with this backpack is that you can't really fill all of the pockets. Once you put a laptop and notebook in the first compartment and then fill the front pockets the ability to use the main large pocket is drastically reduced. I can barely get a water bottle to squeeze in. I wish they would have kept the old Surge backpack design from a couple years ago, that worked much better

I purchased this for travel, however I found more suitable bag. It is a very well constructed backpack. Perfect for school use.

Primarily a commuter, backpack and for graduate school. Although it has a phenomenal compartment for things like a laptop and a tablet, the main compartment seems a bit limited. also, the shoulder straps keep bunching up, and I know it's only a matter of time before they start degrading. I just get the sense the material and design is gonna start wearing down faster than previous models.

I was looking for a large capacity backpack to use when traveling and bought this. My luggage didn't fit as much as I expected.

A laptop and a few clothes the bag feels over stuffed.

Be careful, this is not a "unisex" product as described on the site. There are men's and women's sizes — Zappos sent a women's pack with a clearly marked "women" label. Not comfortable if you're a male since it fits a woman's body type.

I use it for work moderately, not too heavy but would average 10lbs there about. However after a few months of wearing the strap is ripping and I will need a new bag soon. Really don't want the same quality, as I would like something that lasts a little longer.

The backpack looks great with all its compartments and storage but in reality it's a bad backpack, the main storage compartment is very small even for a freshman in high school! It's so small I can only fit three 1 in binders with no extra room. The other north face backpacks are a much better choice for high school kids.

Bought the Surge for work travel in early March - it's July 30. 5 months, 5 business trips. As of today, the seams are stretched/ripped on several pockets, like the very top one and the laptop sleeve for some reason. And - despite the huge capacity - you can't access the things in the biggest pocket, which means you have to unpack the bag to get anything out of it. Disappointed to say the least. I expected more of THF. Will be looking at alternatives.

This bag did not meet my expectations! Plenty of pockets for storage but as you fill each pocket it got tighter and section kind of invaded the other sections space. The laptop storage, thank god I did not bring my laptop or iPad with me. A day out in rainy condition the laptop storage was wet inside, I'm guessing from the zippers? The rest of the bag seemed to shed off the water well. Wish there was a suitcase strap to put in the carry-on bag while at the airport. Bag was kind of heavy with the thick padding for the back and made the bag feel heavy after a few hours. Even worse when it got wet.